The Wolf God's Unwanted Luna

Vivian’s POV

Zaliver wasn’t anywhere in sight not in the main living room or the surrounding hallways. I figured he had a private home office tucked away somewhere deep in the house to handle his pack affairs.

Outside, I dropped my towel and sandals onto a lounge chair, slipped off the sheer cover-up, and tugged the band from my hair, letting my fingers comb through the tangled strands. I sighed in pure relief as I massaged my scalp; ponytails were cute until they turned into a literal, pounding headache.

The sudden thought of Zaliver seeing me out here in this bikini made me intensely self-conscious. My stomach twisted into nervous knots. Still, I pushed through the hesitation. I’d spent enough of my life trapped inside safe comfort zones; I wasn’t about to shrink back now. And besides... he was my mate. He was naturally drawn to me. That bond was a biological guarantee of attraction, wasn’t it?

I kept repeating that exact phrase to myself like a protective shield.

He’s my mate. He wants me. If he doesn’t like what he sees screw him. I’m beautiful.

The internal mantra helped. Sort of. Even though I knew deep down that if he ever did say something negative about my body, I’d probably be completely shattered.

I jumped into the pool without overthinking it, instantly regretting the sudden splash as cold water rushed over my skin. I came up sputtering and laughing to myself, goosebumps prickling along my arms. But soon enough, the initial chill faded and the gentle warmth of the overhead sun took over. It was the perfect day for a swim: bright, calm, and incredibly soothing.

I dipped under the crystal surface again, letting the heavy silence of the water drown out my racing thoughts for a few precious seconds. When I came back up, I leaned lazily against the tiled edge of the pool, letting my fingers skim the surface, watching the small ripples chase each other across the blue water.

Algebra’s earlier dramatic outburst echoed in my mind. He was right about one thing: Zaliver’s forced isolation had real consequences. Keeping him housebound was actively affecting others too. I hadn’t really thought about that side of things. Sure, he could physically leave the property whenever he wanted to. He was the almighty Lupus Deus, after all. But he didn’t... simply because I had asked him not to.

Was I just being petty? Was this whole thing just me trying to "teach him a lesson"? Did that make me look childish?

I sighed heavily and stared deeper into the clear water.

I was slowly pulling him out of whatever dark walls he’d hidden behind over the centuries, but maybe I was going about it the entirely wrong way. Maybe I should just... let him go when he needs to? He did chain me to a bed for an entire day which was wildly unacceptable but ever since then, he hadn’t left my side. Not really.

And honestly? It’s not like he’d stay away even if he did leave the house. Zaliver had a persistent habit of popping right back in whenever he felt like it, like some controlling, handsome shadow. Whether it was to "check in" or just remind me that he existed as if I could ever forget. The man was completely impossible to forget. Not even deep hypnosis could erase him from my mind.

I snorted quietly to myself, amused and annoyed at the exact same time.

So, if I wanted to keep messing with him to keep tugging at his massive alpha pride I’d need a completely different angle. One that hit just as hard, but maybe proved a little less... restrictive for both of us. Or maybe I should just let this whole petty revenge plan go entirely?

Nah.

But then again... we could always try talking. Like two normal, functional people. But that would require real promises and mutual understanding, and maybe that just wasn’t us yet. Maybe we were both better at physical action than vulnerable words. We weren’t exactly the "let’s-sit-and-share-our-innermost-feelings" type of couple.

Couple.

Was that what we even were to each other now?

If I did decide to let him roam freely again, I could easily use that time to my distinct advantage. Catch him completely off-guard. Flip the tables on him. The sheer thought gave me a subtle wave of satisfaction.

Still, I groaned aloud, dragging a wet hand down my warm face. I was overthinking everything again. Doubting myself. My brain simply wouldn’t shut up, my emotions were entirely tangled, and something foreign stirred deep down inside me like a restless whisper that didn’t belong to me or my wolf.

No... this sensation was entirely different. Heavier. Wilder. And it was coming directly from inside my own soul.

It had to be her. My new beast. The strange, rapidly growing awareness that had started surfacing lately. Not my wolf, and not my standard human emotions something else entirely.

Great. Just another massive mystery to figure out.

The open sky stretched endlessly above me, and I closed my eyes, letting the soft ocean breeze dance gently across my wet skin. The distinct scent of salt, wild coastal flowers, and something uniquely tropical filled my lungs. It was wild, intoxicating, and strangely soothing. The nearby sea had once made me deeply uneasy, but my wolf had grown used to it over time embraced it, even.

Was I really ready for this massive change? For an entirely new form?

The question had been hovering silently in the back of my mind for days, but I hadn’t dared to face it head-on until right now. I didn’t know much of anything about what actually becoming a Lycan entailed how the transformation worked, or how vastly different it was from being a standard werewolf. I’d need to demand answers from Zaliver. And this time, he’d actually have to give me straightforward answers, not just cryptic words, vague warnings, or physical distractions.

The absolute truth was, it terrified me. I’d only ever known my wolf. She’d been an integral part of me for as long as I could remember: my anchor, my fire, my second half. But now, the terrifying possibility of becoming something... more? Or maybe just something else entirely it made my stomach twist into painful knots. Lycans were the exact kind of ancient creatures whispered about in dark fear, wrapped in bloody myths and terrifying legends.

And what on earth would my parents think if they ever found out?

A sudden, sharp pang of intense guilt hit me square in the chest. Crap. I hadn’t even called them since all of this crazy drama went down. I groaned loudly and smacked the palm of my hand against the water’s surface. "I’ll call them later," I muttered to the empty air.

I slipped beneath the surface one last time, letting the cool water swallow me whole. Swimming helped silence the endless chaos screaming in my head, and for a long while, I just let myself float and move effortlessly through the deep end until my muscles burned and my mind went blissfully blank.

An hour must have passed before I finally climbed out of the pool and wrapped myself tightly in a large towel, water trailing down my legs as I padded inside the glass back doors. I stopped dead in my tracks when I noticed Zaliver pacing frantically up and down the hallway just ahead, an open door standing right in front of him. His bare feet moved completely silently over the hard floor, but I could feel the intense, suffocating tension rolling off his body like an oncoming storm.

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