The Wolf God's Unwanted Luna

Vivian’s POV

He stepped closer, closing the space between us with that unshakable calm he carried like a shield.

"They are under your command, Vivian. Whether they like it or not, you’re their Luna. You don’t lower your eyes. You don’t silence yourself. You don’t ask permission to exist in a room that was already yours the moment you walked in. They bow. They explain themselves. They obey. The only person who has any claim to your submission is standing right here in front of me." His deep voice softened. "Now tell me, who is that?"

I met his gaze, diving into that endless ocean of stormy blue.

"Me," I said, my voice firm, completely unshaken.

He smiled, slow and sensual, lifting my chin gently so I’d tilt my face toward him.

"That’s right. You hold the power, Vivian. I want them to see that tonight. Be the sharp, fearless, brilliant woman I fell in love with. The one who made me want more than just control and power. Can you do that for me, baby?"

He leaned in close, his breath warm against my ear as he whispered softly. And just like that, the nervous flutter in my chest settled down into cold certainty.

Because I was ready.

And I’d make sure they saw the Luna I truly was.

My legs trembled, but I refused to collapse beneath his intense stare. His words grounded me, reminding me of who I was beside him. Not beneath. Not behind. Beside. His equal. His Luna.

I blinked down at the silver mask in my hand, then lifted the other and offered it to him. Zahliver took it from me, his gaze lingering on my face for a second too long before he finally looked down and let out a low chuckle.

"This is ironic and surprisingly clever, Vivian," he said, slipping the silver mask smoothly over his face. "I like it."

He curled a broad arm around my waist, and I mirrored the motion, pressing into his side. Together, we turned to face the large mirror. Twin silver masks stared back at us sleek and regal wolf royalty preparing to descend among their kind.

As we stepped out of the penthouse room, Zahliver leaned down, his warm breath ghosting over the shell of my ear.

"The next time we walk back through that door," he murmured, his voice dipped in promise, "I’m taking that red dress off you and proving just how sexy you look in it."

I glanced up at him, caught in the gleam of his wild, storm-blue eyes, and smirked.

"I’ll be counting every single step until then."

We walked a little further down the grand hallway before something struck me.

"Wait... where’s Venom?"

Zahliver tensed just a slight flicker of it and then he stopped completely and turned toward me fully. The sudden seriousness in his expression made my pulse jump.

"Will you keep an open mind?" he asked softly.

I raised an eyebrow, then remembered he couldn’t actually see that behind my mask.

"That depends. How open are we talking?"

He let out a slow breath, then laced his fingers with mine and tugged me down the hall, steering us away from the main ballroom and toward a private balcony bathed in moonlight.

And there he stood tall and imposing, dressed head to toe in pristine white. Even from a distance, he was completely unmistakable. No one else was seven feet tall, with slicked-back white hair, golden serpent eyes, and the uncanny confidence to wear a golden bow tie with serious style.

"Luna. Alpha. You both look exceptional tonight," Venom greeted smoothly, bowing slightly at the waist.

"Thank you," I said, then smiled up at him. "You’re not looking too bad yourself. The golden bow’s a nice touch."

Zahliver turned to me, his broad back shielding Venom from view. His hands settled on my shoulders, grounding me again. Through our mate bond, I felt it just the faintest flicker of hesitation, something left unspoken.

"Okay," I said, narrowing my eyes at him behind my mask. "Spit it out already."

He hesitated for a second.

"How do you feel about snakes?"

I blinked. Of all the strange questions I thought were coming, that one hadn’t even crossed my mind.

"What kind of question is that?" I asked, side-eying the very snake-like man standing right behind him.

"When I said Venom would be your personal bodyguard, I wasn’t just handing him a title. He has... unique talents."

I tilted my head, trying to read between his carefully chosen words.

"You’re not about to tell me he turns into a snake, are you? Because I swear, Zahliver, if a giant serpent slithers after me all night, I’m not going to be responsible for the absolute chaos that follows."

Zahliver didn’t answer right away he just stepped aside as Venom took a slow step forward.

"If I may?" Venom asked, polite as ever. I gave a hesitant nod, unsure what I was agreeing to.

He reached out a hand, and after a short pause, I took it. The moment our skin touched, he vanished completely. Just gone into thin air.

"What the " I spun around in a circle, searching for the seven-foot-tall man who had just disintegrated right in front of me. "Zahliver? Where did he go? How do you even lose a giant snake man in three seconds?"

Zahliver was watching me, quiet amusement glinting in his eyes, but he said nothing.

I stopped mid-rant when something cold clamped gently around my upper arm. I looked down in shock.

"What the hell..."

Wrapped snugly around my bicep was what looked like an intricately carved, gleaming white snake armband.

"Is that...?" I asked, lifting my arm to get a closer look.

"Venom? Yep," Zahliver replied casually.

"He... He turned into jewelry? What in the ever-loving..." I trailed off, inspecting the odd sensation of having a live snake wrapped around my arm. He wasn’t heavy at all, but I could feel the strange coolness of his form. I poked him lightly with one finger. He didn’t react. No hiss, no flinch. Nothing.

"I... don’t even know what to say to that."

"Venom has a lot of tricks up his sleeve or around your arm, I guess," Zahliver said with a slight shrug. "You can ask him about it later, when he’s not masquerading as an accessory."

I kept staring down at my arm. "It’s kind of... cool, actually."

Zahliver’s blue eyes lit up with surprise, but he only nodded and took my hand again.

Back in the main hallway, the air was thick with scent and sound. I could hear wolves laughing, chattering, and the distant clink of glasses. The electric pulse of the pack gathering for the grand masked ball.

Zahliver gave me a wicked grin and pushed open the ballroom doors.

"Ready to have a little fun?" he asked low.

I nodded.

The room was vast and glowing brightly with warm lights. Soft music floated through the heavy air. There were stairs leading to a grand indoor theater space, but before anyone could notice us, Zahliver grabbed my waist and pulled me close his supernatural speed blurring everything around us. In a blink, we were standing at our private table high above the main floor, hidden away behind a veil of deep shadows.

No one saw us arrive.

But they definitely felt us.

I could feel the sudden shift ripple through the entire room the sharp turn of instincts responding to our overwhelming presence. Wolves began to look around frantically, trying to locate the source of that rising power.

I looked at Zahliver. He looked at me.

Our thoughts aligned with perfect clarity.

Let the party begin.