The Wolf God's Unwanted Luna

Vivian’s POV

A low growl started to rise deep in my chest, my beast’s wild fury building up again, fully ready to lash out at the unknown intruder. I grit my teeth tightly and forced her back into the dark, shoving the violent instinct down with everything I had.

I turned to Zaliver and wrapped myself completely around him, burying my face deep into his chest. His comforting scent filled my lungs earth, storm, and something wholly, uniquely him and my erratic heart finally settled down.

Without saying a single word, he wrapped his massive arms securely around me, his broad palm rubbing soothing, slow circles into my back.

He understood. He always did.

Turning back toward the two of them, I took a slow, cautious step forward, my eyes locked firmly on the tall man I didn’t recognize. Something about him set off all kinds of silent alarms inside me not the kind that screamed immediate danger in the obvious sense, but something deeper, quieter, and vastly more primal. It wasn’t just his strange energy, though that alone made the heavy air in the living room feel distinctly heavier. There was a quiet, lethal power tucked right beneath his surface, and even though he stood perfectly still, I could feel it coiled tightly like a snake beneath his smooth skin.

He gave off a very strange combination of absolute serenity and lethal intent. It unsettled me, but not in a way that made me want to turn and run away. More like... I simply couldn’t look away from him. It was odd. Very odd.

Still, I couldn’t help but notice just how tall he was taller than Zaliver, even. And that was really saying something.

"Hi, I’m Vivian," I said, my natural curiosity easily winning over my caution. "How tall are you?" I tilted my head back and studied his long frame, trying my best not to sound too utterly fascinated.

Zaliver moved in close right behind me, the heavy weight of his arm slipping around my waist like a possessive claim. I felt his solid warmth press firmly into my back as his dominant presence wrapped around me protectively, but I didn’t break my gaze from the stranger.

The man’s striking golden gaze flicked briefly toward Zaliver before locking right onto mine. His eyes... gods, his eyes were stunning. They were vivid and mesmerizing, with vertical pupils slitted like a deadly predator, which made it almost impossible to break the visual connection. There was something ancient lingering behind them. Something sharp, cold, and wild.

He finally looked down slightly at me, and I took in more of his distinct appearance. He wore pristine white pants, a fitted black shirt beneath a white vest, and white shoes so remarkably spotless it made me seriously question if he even walked directly on the ground. He had a lean, exceptionally powerful build every single line of his body spoke of incredible agility and lethal precision. But it was his unique hair that caught the ambient light in the strangest way, the ends looking almost translucent, like glass kissed by pure sunlight.

"My apologies, Luna Vivian, for my earlier behavior. I am not worthy of your regard. My name is Venom. I am... a snake shifter. And I stand seven feet tall." His voice was smooth far too smooth. Cold, but strangely pleasant, like fine silk sliding over a sharp blade. The sudden chill that ran down my spine had nothing to do with fear and everything to do with the captivating way he said it.

The subtle way his words hissed ever so slightly... it wasn’t deliberate. It was entirely natural for him. Still, the underlying sound was undeniably threatening. Beautiful, but razor-sharp. And I knew just knew that if Venom ever truly wanted to, he could be the single most terrifying creature I’d ever encountered. Maybe even more so than Zaliver.

My wolf and inner beast stirred, desperately trying to read his intent, but even they seemed genuinely unsure of what to make of him. He was completely unlike anything we had ever come across before.

I made myself breathe in deeply and offered him a warm smile, willing my body to relax. I didn’t want him to think I was terrified of his presence.

"Oh, don’t be so dramatic, Venom," I said honestly. "I think you and I are going to get along just fine. It’s nice to meet you."

He peered down at me again, and I could have sworn something subtle shifted behind those bright golden eyes. Curiosity, maybe. Or perhaps something else entirely.

Behind me, Algebra finally spoke up with a rough grunt. "Oh, yeah. I’m doing great. Thanks for asking," he muttered sarcastically, brushing drywall dust off his clothes as if he hadn’t just been launched violently into the wall a minute ago.

I rolled my eyes at him, but then paused as a brilliant idea suddenly came to me. A very petty, very satisfying idea.

I made my way over toward Algebra, who eyed my approach with open suspicion even though he was already standing back on his feet. I gave him a soft, reassuring pat on the back innocent and harmless and in the exact same smooth movement, I peeled the crumpled piece of printer paper off the wall near the TV. Then, I casually kicked the rock aside with my foot. It rolled across the hardwood floor before hitting the baseboard with a sharp thud. I didn’t even flinch.

With a mock gasp, I looked back at the exposed damage and widened my eyes as if I’d only just noticed it.

"Oh no," I said, feigning deep concern. "Would you look at that? The TV is shattered. And oh wow, a giant dent in the floor? What a shame... such a shame." I even threw in a loud, pitying sigh for good measure.

I glanced over my shoulder at Zaliver. His eyes weren’t even looking at the broken mess he was staring intensely at my hand, which was still resting casually on Algebra’s back. Waves of dark jealousy rolled off him, subtle but completely unmistakable. Meanwhile, Venom actually looked faintly guilty for the chaos.

"Yes," Zaliver said, his voice dropping low and sounding oddly tight. "What a pity."

Something in the dark way he said it made my spine instantly straighten. His facial expression was completely unreadable, but I knew him far too well by now. His heavy gaze kept bouncing back and forth between me and his Beta with something that looked a lot like dangerous suspicion.

"I’m really sorry about "

I quickly turned my body to Venom before he could foolishly take the blame for the mess.

"No, no. Don’t worry," I said, waving my hand dismissively at him to wipe away his concern. "Seriously, don’t. It’s fine. Like, stop. Like stooop."

"Yup," Algebra chimed in quickly, catching on to the act. "Accidents happen all the time."

We looked at each other, and in that brief, silent exchange, an unwritten agreement was officially struck between us. Neither of us was ever going to explain to Zaliver what had actually happened in this room.

Some things were definitely better left unsaid.

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