Chapter 172: Masks and Mischief
Vivian’s POV
He finally turned to face me, his expression serious. "You’re linked now, Vivian. To every pack, every wolf. I don’t even know the full extent of what that might mean for you. It’s new for me, too I’ve only ever had myself to figure it out."
He dumped the chopped fruit into the blender and snapped the lid on, letting it whirl to life.
I ran my hands through my hair, my heart thumping with a cocktail of panic and awe. "So... what now? Am I supposed to do something? Like... actual Luna duties? I haven’t been trained for anything like this," I admitted, anxiety bubbling up fast.
He reached out and lightly touched my arm. "First of all, no you don’t have to do anything. I’ll handle the heavy lifting. But... there is something else."
The hesitation in his voice was subtle, but it hit me like a cold gust of wind.
Uh-oh.
My mind raced. "Wait, what is it? Am I going to have to take some kind of Luna assessment? Oh no, I can’t! I’m awful at tests! Doesn’t matter how much I study, I always bomb them "
He raised a brow. "What?"
"I mean it! I panic. I sweat. I black out I once misspelled my own name on a pop quiz "
"Vivian," he interrupted gently, but I didn’t stop.
"Is there a Luna quiz? An oath? A pop interview? A judging council?"
He chuckled, and it instantly soothed me a little. "No. Nothing like that."
I squinted at him suspiciously. "Then why the ominous tone?"
He looked down, that subtle frown returning to his face. "Because it’s not something I can control, and I hate that."
Something in my chest shifted, tightening at the sound of real vulnerability in his voice.
"What is it, Zaliver?" I asked softly.
He glanced up, eyes meeting mine, something dark and ancient swimming in his gaze.
"I think... something else was awakened last night. Not just between us. Something older. And it’s coming."
"What?" I asked, blinking at Zaliver, unsure if I heard him right.
"The thing is," he began, his voice low and edged with frustration, "when you marked me and I accepted your claim... it sent out a ripple. Every wolf out there felt the shift in the hierarchy. Alphas, betas, even packs across the oceans... they’ve all been hammering at my mental barriers all damn day."
He practically growled that last part, his expression full of annoyance.
My heart skipped. Oh crap. So the entire werewolf world felt it? Of course, they knew their supreme leader had been claimed, but the identity of his mate... they didn’t know it was me. Not yet. But that wouldn’t last long.
"So... what happens now?" I asked hesitantly, already bracing myself for something unpleasant. He grimaced, and I knew I wasn’t going to like the answer.
"They won’t stop until they understand why the balance of power changed. That means we need to hold a formal meeting."
I blinked at him. "Wait... you’re telling me you, the terrifying Lupus Deus, are actually going to leave your secret lair and hold a talk with the alphas?"
He arched a brow at me, and after a long pause, realization hit me like a cold splash of water.
"Hold up... I have to go too?"
The smirk that tugged at his lips confirmed everything. He turned, finished blending whatever concoction he was making, and poured it into two glasses. He brought one to me, set it down in front of me, and stole a kiss while I sat there in wide-eyed horror.
"Looks like we’re throwing a ball," he said against my lips, far too casually.
A ball?
What the actual hell.
Later that night, I was sprawled on the bed, watching him type away at his laptop. My head was still spinning.
"You can’t just drop this on me and expect me to be okay with it," I complained, tossing a pillow at him. "I don’t even want to go to this thing, let alone be in charge of planning it."
Without looking up, he replied, "I already told you just make a list. Theme, colors, table layout, whatever you want. I’ll have someone get it done before we arrive."
That last bit caught my attention.
"Wait... if I get to make the decisions, why can’t I stay behind and oversee the setup myself?" I asked, hopeful.
Zaliver let out a low, dry laugh. "Yeah, no. There’s no way I’m letting a horde of alphas and their followers step foot on our island. Not happening. Some of them would see that as an opportunity to stir trouble or assert dominance. We’ll host it off the island we’ll be gone a few days."
He stood up from his desk and slowly made his way to the bed, placing his hands on either side of me before crawling over, eyes locked on mine. I instinctively wrapped my arms around his shoulders, the heat in his gaze making my stomach flip.
"So, all I need to do is..." I trailed off.
"Tell me what you want," he murmured, his voice like velvet. "Your wish is my command."
I bit back a grin. "Okay, then..."
My legs wrapped around his waist out of pure excitement. His eyes flashed black for a split second, and I barely noticed how tightly his hands gripped the pillows beneath me, completely absorbed in his closeness.
"What if we made it a masquerade ball?" I blurted out. "You and I could wear special masks something unique just for us!"
He lowered his lips to my throat and began kissing softly.
"Mmhmm," he hummed against my skin, clearly distracted.
"Should we coordinate colors? Maybe you wear something dark and I "
"Whatever you want, baby," he mumbled, moving to the other side of my neck, right over the mark he’d left.
That’s when it hit me.
He wasn’t listening to a single word.
I could probably ask him to declare war on someone and he’d agree without question right now.
Well then...
Smirking, I leaned up close, letting my lips brush the shell of his ear, and whispered something wicked, something I knew would get his full attention.
His body stilled, and he slowly pulled back, eyes gleaming with challenge.
"Naughty cloud," he growled with a crooked grin, before giving me exactly what I asked for.