The Cursed Alpha's Fifth Luna

Nina held his gaze.

The entire courtyard seemed to hold its breath with her. When Rodrigo offered no response, she arched a brow.

"Unless..." she drawled, tilting her head. "The Alpha already knows I’m going to win."

A few of the lycans looked ready to bury themselves alive.

Nina clicked her tongue.

"What a shame."

She shook her head dramatically.

"I didn’t think the mighty Alpha would chicken out of a drinking game."

A collective gasp rippled around the table. Not one warrior dared breathe. Completely unfazed, Nina dragged the empty mug closer to herself and reached for one of the wine bottles. Dark red wine flowed into the cup until it reached the brim.

Rodrigo’s jaw tightened. His eyes settled on the wine.

Only an hour ago, he had returned to his chambers. He never attended bonfire night; there were too many people and bodies. It was just another night to him until he opened the chamber door and found she wasn’t there.

He had assumed she was somewhere else, but just as he decided to retire for the night...

He’d heard it.

Her laugh.

It drifted through the open window overlooking the courtyard.

Light.

Bright.

Unrestrained.

For a brief, impossible moment, he’d convinced himself he was imagining it. There was no reason for Nina to be outside. Certainly not among his warriors.

Yet curiosity had drawn him to the window.

The sight below had rooted him in place.

She sat in the middle of them.

Laughing.

Smiling.

Accepting mugs of wine as though she had known them her entire life.

His lycans were grinning like overgrown pups simply because she’d laughed at one of their jokes.

Something sharp twisted low in his chest. His jaw clenched hard as he watched her.

His restraint snapped when one of them leaned closer to refill her cup before she’d even asked.

His fingers curled against the windowsill so hard it dented.

One moment he stood at the window.

The next, he was descending the stairs two at a time.

Seven caught sight of him crossing the entrance hall. "Alpha?" he called.

Rodrigo did not hear him. He didn’t hear a thing until he was standing in front of her. Only then did he realize where he was.

Rodrigo’s jaw flexed as his gaze swept over the half-empty bottles scattered across the table.

How much had she drunk?

Her cheeks were flushed. Her eyes carried the unmistakable shine of wine.

Nina lifted the mug again. Rodrigo moved before the thought fully formed. His hand closed gently—but firmly—around her wrist.

The mug stopped halfway to her lips.

Silence blanketed the courtyard. Nina blinked,and then looked down at his hand before lifting her eyes to his.

For a long moment, neither of them spoke.

Rodrigo’s thumb unconsciously shifted against her skin, and he slowly took the mug from her fingers and set it back onto the table. His gaze never left hers.

A corner of his mouth lifted into the faintest hint of a smile.

"Don’t we play a game before you drink..."

He leaned forward just enough for only those closest to hear the last word.

"...Wife?"

Wife.

At the mention of the word, heat slammed into Nina’s cheeks. For a heartbeat, her mind went completely blank. She had been ready with a witty retort, but now she couldn’t remember a single word of it.

Her lips parted.

Nothing came out.

She quickly slipped her hand from his as though the touch had burned her.

"Sure," she muttered, clearing the knot in her throat as she brushed a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

The corner of Rodrigo’s mouth lifted.

"Seven."

"Alpha."

Seven stepped forward at once with the Alpha’s cup. At some point, he had sent a maid to fetch it. Without a word, he placed it before Rodrigo.

Nina drew in a slow breath.

"Shuffle the cups," she said.

One of the lycans hurried forward. He placed the carved bead beneath one of the three wooden cups before his hands flew across the table.

Left.

Right.

Middle.

The cups slid over the polished wood with startling speed until even Nina’s eyes struggled to keep up.

Finally, they stopped.

The lycan stepped back. "The Luna goes first," he said.

Rodrigo shot him a glance that instantly silenced him. The lycan’s mouth fell open as he immediately looked at the others, wondering what he’d just done.

Nina laughed.

"Oh, don’t worry." She waved a hand dismissively.

"The Alpha goes first. He just joined. Let’s get him conversant with the game."

A few chuckles escaped the surrounding lycans. Rodrigo met her gaze for a brief moment.

Then his eyes lowered to the cups. By now, nearly every lycan in the courtyard had gathered around the table. No one could quite believe what they were witnessing.

Their Alpha... actually playing games with them. It was a sight to behold.

Rodrigo’s gaze rested on the cups for several long seconds. Without another word, he lifted a hand.

"That one."

He pointed to the cup on the far right. Nina’s heart quickened.

The lycan reached forward.

Slowly...

He lifted the cup.

The carved bead lay quietly beneath it.

A roar erupted around the table. Cheers echoed through the courtyard.

Nina’s eyes widened.

She blinked once.

Then again.

"...What?"

She stared at the bead as though it had betrayed her personally.

"My turn."

She straightened in her chair.

"Shuffle the cups."

The lycan nodded and reached forward. Rodrigo turned to him with a glare, and he almost fell to his knees. His face paled as he reached for the cups with shaky hands. He knew without a single doubt that he was in trouble.

The Alpha had glared at him when he told the Luna to go first, and now again.

So that meant...

He didn’t want her to lose!

His eyes lifted.

The only way out was to let the Luna win.

He reached for the cups and shuffled slowly. Slowly enough that anyone could tell where the bead was. His eyes flicked to the Alpha, but his expression hadn’t changed.

The lycan swallowed hard and continued. The cups danced from one side of the table to the other.

Nina followed them carefully.

There.

She had it.

She was sure of it.

The shuffle stopped.

She frowned.

For some reason, the cup she had been following didn’t seem quite right anymore.

She blinked hard. Her eyes darted between the three cups.

What was it?

Nina didn’t know if it was the wine, but she wasn’t seeing clearly anymore.

"...That one."

She pointed. Her gaze lifted to Rodrigo. He was watching her, his expression was calm.

Unchanging.

The lycan reached for the cup.

"No, wait." Nina held up a hand.

He froze.

She narrowed her eyes.

"...This one."

Her finger shifted to the cup beside it.

She looked up.

His shoulders hadn’t moved. His expression was still calm.

Was she correct?

The lycan slowly lifted the cup. The chatter around the table faded into silence.

Higher...

Higher...

Until the cup cleared the tabletop.

And then Nina’s eyes dropped to the table.

There was nothing beneath it.