Chasing His Kickass Luna Back Chapter 320

Abby

I can feel my heart race as I descend the staircase, each click of my high heels seeming to resonate through the quiet house. Karl is standing in the hallway below, his presence dominating the space as he adjusts his tie in the mirror. I can hear him whispering under his breath, but I can’t quite make out what he’s saying—probably practicing his speech.

But then he looks up as I enter, his gaze locking onto mine, and for a moment, time seems to stand still.

“Well? How do I look?” I ask, a nervous flutter in my stomach. I’m wearing the outfit that the stylist chose for me—a sleek blue dress that hugs my curves and heels that add an extra inch to my height. It’s sophisticated, but also a little sexy. I just hope that it’s appropriate for the press conference.

Karl’s eyes sweep over me, his gaze intense and lingering. He swallows visibly, and there’s a pause that feels like an eternity. I can feel my heart pound in my chest as the silence stretches on; does he not like it?

“You’re wearing that?” he finally murmurs, his voice low.

I glance down at myself, suddenly self-conscious in the outfit that I felt sexy in just a few minutes ago. Maybe it is too much. Yes, it’s definitely too much. I should probably change.

“Uh, yeah, the stylist picked it out for me. I can change quickly if it’s too much, though,” I offer, already turning to dash back upstairs for a last-minute wardrobe change.

But Karl shakes his head, a small smile playing on his lips. “No, please don’t change,” he says, and I can hear the honesty in his tone. “It’s perfect. Really.”

I let out a breath I didn’t know I was holding. “Oh. Good.”

We stare at each other for a moment longer, neither of us speaking. I can hear the sound of the car idling in the driveway through the door, and I wonder if Karl is going to usher me out. But he doesn’t.

Instead, he just steps closer, the distance between us lessening.

“You’re so beautiful, Abby,” he murmurs. “I feel so lucky to have such a beautiful Luna on my arm.”

My eyes widen. Before I can stop him, he’s suddenly wrapping his arm around my waist, pulling me close. A low growl rumbles in his chest as our bodies press up against each other. There’s something warm and just a little hard pressing against my leg. I try to ignore it.

But it’s not easy, not when his breath is so hot on my neck, sending shivers down my spine. We’re close enough to kiss, and I can feel the heat emanating from his body. My wolf twists and squirms inside of me, urgent for any contact that we could possibly get.

This isn’t like Karl, but I know why; the full moon is just in a couple of days. It probably wasn’t the best idea to schedule the press conference for such a sensitive time, but I guess none of us considered it.

I sure as hell didn’t.

I blush, feeling the full moon’s influence between us but trying to ignore it for the sake of not only the press conference, but for the agreement we made the other day. “Karl, you know you don’t have to call me your Luna in private,” I remind him, gently pushing against his chest with my hands.

Karl stares at me, another soft growl rumbling in the back of his throat. He holds me for a moment longer before finally seeming to come to his senses and letting me go.

Once I’m free, I step away and smooth down my dress—even though I, too, wish that there wasn’t all this space between us.

He clears his throat, stepping back and smoothing his own shirt down. “Sorry. The full moon is just getting to me, that’s all,” he apologizes, although his eyes are still hungrily locked onto mine. They’re glowing just a little, like he’s on the verge of giving in to his wolf side.

I don’t think he’s actually sorry. And maybe, neither am I.

In the car, I’m lost in my thoughts, my mind racing with the intensity of the morning. The full moon is affecting me too, although I’m a bit better at hiding it than he is.

But I did have dreams about Karl last night—vivid, passionate dreams that left me restless. I woke up more than once, thinking that his hands were on me. As it turned out, I just made a mess of my panties and nothing more.

My wolf stirs inside of me, her longing for our fated mate almost palpable in the dimly lit car.

“Why are you fighting it?” she chides me. “He’s right there, and we both know you want him just as badly as he wants you.”

“I know,” I reply mentally, “but it’s complicated. We agreed to take a step back, after all.”

“You’re just afraid,” she counters, a little bitter and resentful. “Afraid to admit you still love him, are you?”

I recoil a little on the inside. My wolf’s words, although maybe true, are harsh. And she notices, because she recoils, too. “I’m sorry,” she says a moment later. “Full moon.”

“It’s alright.”

I glance over at Karl, observing his hands as they sit in his lap. His fingers are long, slender, veiny—beautiful hands that I know all too well. I bite my lip, squirming in my seat, and quickly look away.

Full moon indeed.

Finally, we arrive at the press conference location, the local town hall. Karl is the first to get out, and he comes around to open my door. His arm is strong beneath my touch as I follow him inside.

“You ready?” he asks under his breath, leaning a little closer as we walk in.

I swallow. “As I’ll ever be.”

We step into the town hall and are met with a much larger crowd than I anticipated. Reporters seem to have flocked from all over, having heard of this election. I don’t blame them, though; it’s not a very common occurrence, and an election between two brothers? That’s even more intriguing.

I stay silent as I look around, but then I freeze when I see… her.

Gianna is standing among the crowd, dressed extravagantly in designer clothes, dripping with diamonds and pearls. The press fawns over her like she’s a celebrity, snapping photos and calling her name.

“Gianna! Over here!”

“Gianna! Who are you wearing?”

“Gianna! Gianna!”

I feel a pang of insecurity as I stare at her. My attire is more understated compared to Gianna’s flamboyance. I try to hold my head high, but the feeling of inadequacy gnaws at me. At first, I thought I was underdressed. But now…

“Wait here, just for one moment,” Karl says softly, patting my arm. “I just need to do something really quick.”

I nod, letting Karl extricate himself from me. I take some deep breaths as I stand by the wall, waiting for him to return.

Then, a woman approaches me—a photographer. She thrusts her belongings into my hands before I can even stop her.

“Hold these for me, will you?” she asks, not even waiting for my response.

I blink confusedly. Does she think I’m someone’s assistant? “I’m not—” I begin, but it’s too late. The woman is scurrying away, snapping photos of Gianna. I’m left standing there, holding her things with trembling hands.

Gianna’s cold gaze falls on me then, and I can feel her eyes judging every aspect of my appearance. A smirk spreads across her face, cold and judgmental.

I’ve never felt so small.