The Cursed Alpha's Fifth Luna

It only took three seconds for Ethan to cross the space between them.

Before Hades could react, a brutal blow cracked across his cheek. Another followed before he could even regain his balance.

Hades groaned, staggering back before shoving his brother off with a snarling growl. His fist connected squarely with Ethan’s jaw, sending him stumbling backward across the stone floor.

Hades closed the gap between them in a whoosh, his claws flashing out with a sickening metallic click. In the next breath, he tackled Ethan to the ground, pinning him flat as his talons dug deep into the sensitive flesh of his neck.

The two Lycans locked eyes in a furious, heavy-breathing standoff. Neither was willing to back down.

"Channel that rage into bringing me the Vothraki, and stop being a coward."

Hades growled low in his throat. With a sudden burst of strength, he stood and stormed out of the hall, his dark cloak billowing behind him.

Ethan remained on the cold floor, his chest heaving heavily. His rage still burned hot through his veins as his eyes fixed blindly on the vaulted ceiling above.

Soft daylight spilled through the tall arched windows of Rodrigo’s quarters, bathing the bedchamber in a warm, golden glow.

Nina sat before the wooden vanity, her damp blonde hair falling loosely past her shoulders, still radiating heat from her bath. She slowly pulled a brush through the tangled ends when the heavy door creaked open behind her.

Rodrigo stepped out of the bathroom, a towel tied loosely around his waist.

She caught Rodrigo’s dark eyes in the mirror’s reflection. Her gaze dropped to his chest, and lower...

Nina’s hand stilled. A nervous flutter rose in her throat, and she quickly looked away.

Rodrigo said nothing. His hand dried his hair with a smaller towel as he crossed the room toward her.

Nina felt the shift in the air as he came to a stop directly behind her. Then, without a word, his hand reached down and slid the brush right out of her fingers.

She looked up at him through the mirror, her breath catching. Before she could say a word, Rodrigo started brushing her hair.

Nina stilled at the sudden action, but after a few seconds, she eased into it, letting him.

Her gaze tracked his movements in the mirror as he brushed her long hair carefully—as if it were the most important thing in the world.

His thick fingers occasionally slipped through the damp strands to guide the brush down, and Nina found herself gazing at his reflection.

His hair had grown a bit longer at the edges, making him look more relaxed than usual.

Rodrigo looked up just then, catching her gaze in the mirror. Nina immediately looked down at her lap.

A faint smile tugged at the corner of Rodrigo’s lips. His eyes lowered to her hair, his fingers gently gathering the heavy blonde locks over one shoulder before brushing through them again.

"I love this."

Nina lifted her head slightly. "What?"

"Your hair." His gaze remained fixed on her reflection. "Don’t dye it again."

A small, helpless smile appeared on Nina’s lips. Her eyes dropped back to her lap, her fingers knotting together. "Why?"

Rodrigo’s hand slowed, the bristles pausing against her hair. "Because I like it."

Heat rushed to Nina’s cheeks. She looked down again, suddenly very interested in her own fingers.

Rodrigo watched her reaction in the glass for a quiet moment before continuing the slow strokes.

Silence settled over the room once more, heavy and charged. Nina could feel the heat radiating from his chest behind her. Every now and then, the backs of his knuckles grazed the bare skin of her neck as he moved her hair aside, sending a delicate shiver straight down her spine.

She caught his eyes in the mirror again.

This time, neither of them looked away.

For a long moment, Rodrigo simply stared into her eyes through the reflection. Then, his hand resumed its steady, rhythmic movement.

A sharp knock suddenly shattered the silence.

Nina blinked, startled out of the trance, and immediately reached for the brush. "Someone is at the door—"

He smoothly lifted it out of her reach.

Nina turned slightly in her chair, her brow furrowing in surprise. "Snow..."

He ignored her entirely, continuing to brush her hair as if they were the only two people in the world.

Another knock echoed through the door.

"Alpha?" Seven’s muffled voice came from the hallway.

Rodrigo didn’t even glance toward the wood. "Come in."

The door swung open, and Nina’s eyes widened.

Seven stepped inside, only to freeze dead in his tracks the second he saw the ruthless Alpha standing behind Nina, calmly styling her hair.

His eyes flickered between them in sheer disbelief.

Nina stared at the guard through the mirror, her entire face flushing a deep crimson. Rodrigo, however, didn’t seem bothered in the slightest. His hand maintained its slow, unhurried movement.

Seven cleared his throat, trying to recover his composure. "The council has gathered. They’re waiting for you."

Rodrigo said nothing.

"They’re waiting for you," Seven repeated, his voice tighter this time.

Still, Rodrigo offered no reaction. He continued brushing her hair as though the governing of his pack was the least important thing in the universe.

Finally, he spoke, his voice cool and unbothered. "Let them wait."

Seven’s brows shot up in shock.

Rodrigo’s dark eyes met Nina’s in the mirror, a faint, possessive smile touching his lips. "I’m with my wife."

Nina’s face burned hot at the word, and she squeezed her eyes shut, wishing the floorboards would open up and swallow her whole.

Seven bowed deeply at once. "Yes, Alpha."

He turned on his heel and exited quickly, pulling the heavy door shut until the lock clicked.

The second they were alone, Nina whirled around in her seat to face him. "Why did you say that!?"

"Shhh..." Rodrigo gently cupped her jaw, turning her face back toward the mirror. "I’m not done."

Nina stilled instantly, her whole body obeying him. Her eyes lifted to him in the mirror like a lost puppy as he continued what he was doing.

She sat completely still as Rodrigo finished. Nina watched him through the glass, her embarrassment slowly dissolving into an aching, tender quiet.

When he was done, Rodrigo set the brush on the wooden vanity, then leaned down and pressed a warm, firm kiss to the crown of her head. Nina’s eyelashes fluttered shut.

Before she could turn around, he slid his lips to her cheek, pressing another kiss against her soft skin. Instead of pulling away, he lingered there, a low, contented sound vibrating in his chest.

"My wife," Rodrigo said, a slow grin stretching across the side of his mouth.

Nina opened her eyes, staring at him in the mirror.

"My wife," he repeated, as though tasting the words on his tongue. "I like the sound of that."

Nina let out a soft chuckle, bringing her hands up to push gently against his broad chest. "Okay, you should get ready. You have a meeting to attend. The council is waiting for you."

Rodrigo lifted his gaze to hers, his dark eyes softening completely. "Are you pushing me away?" he asked, his tone yearning.

Nina’s eyes widened in panic. "No, that’s not what I mean." She quickly reached out, grabbing his forearm. "I just... I know they’re waiting, and I don’t want you wasting your time because of me."

A genuine smile slowly broke across Rodrigo’s face. He leaned closer, pulling her tightly into his arms, and breathed out a heavy sigh against her neck.

"You are the most important person in the world to me. Spending time with you is not wasting my time."

Nina softened against his chest.

"What do you have today?" he asked.

"The final preparations for The Hunt are today," she said. "What about you?"

"I’ll be back after the council meeting," he said. "But it might take long because of yesterday’s attack."

"Do you have any idea who did it?" Nina asked.

Rodrigo was quiet for a second. "It is more complicated than it seems," he said finally.

Nina squeezed his arm comfortingly. She thought for a moment, then exhaled softly.

"About grandmother..." she started carefully. "Please, can you forgive her? She’s the only family you have left."

Nina felt Rodrigo’s body stiffen in her arms. A stifling silence filled the room, making her wonder if she should have spoken.

Rodrigo looked at her. "No, I have you. You are my family now."

Nina blinked at his words, a sudden rush of warmth filling her heart.

He was her family...

She swallowed the hard knot in her throat. Rodrigo brushed the loose strands of hair behind her ears and kissed her forehead.

"I’ll be back soon." His eyes lifted, locking onto hers. "Wait for me."

Nina’s smile strained slightly as she stared up at him. A cold tightness twisted in her stomach as she remembered what today was—it felt like every time he asked her to wait, fate forced her to do the exact opposite.

Still, she forced a small nod. "Okay."

Rodrigo’s eyes softened, and he leaned down to kiss her lips.

When he pulled away, he straightened and disappeared into the adjoining dressing room.

Nina watched his shadow fade into the closet. She remained rooted to her seat, the sudden silence hanging heavy in the room.

Then, her eyes slowly drifted toward the bed, stopping on the nightstand beside it.

The drawer where she had hidden the hourglass.

Her teeth tightened, her jaw setting hard as the warmth in her chest slowly turned back to ice.