The Rejected Luna Rising

”Don’t tease me.” Caroline sat up and reached for the glass again.

”It wasn’t teasing, mate.” Andrew’s voice stayed casual. ”There’s a bath session too. Same pool. One big tub.”

”What? No. I don’t want that. I’ll ask for a separate one.” Her pulse picked up just thinking about what might happen if they were alone in the water.

”Don’t be shy.” He watched her over the rim of his own glass. ”If you’re worried something like this morning will happen again, relax. I said we’d be resting. If we started fucking in there, what would the spa staff think? That we’re a pair of horny wolves?”

Caroline’s eyes widened at the blunt words. She drained the rest of her drink in one go, then lay back down and shut her eyes tight.

Even with her eyes closed, she could feel the intensity of his gaze on her face.

”Caroline, why are you pretending to sleep?” Andrew asked with quiet amusement.

”I just feel tired suddenly,” she murmured, resting both hands across her chest in a stiff posture of relaxation.

”You’re avoiding me,” Andrew stated flatly.

She opened her eyes, meeting his dark, searching gaze. ”That’s not true,” she protested, sitting up on the lounger. ”Why on earth would I avoid you?” She bit her lower lip nervously.

”Because I brought up—”

Before he could finish, she reached out and pressed a slender finger against his lips, cutting him off. ”Because it’s hard to ask you to stop once we start,” she confessed in a rushed whisper, her face warming with a deep flush. ”And I... I keep thinking about it. How can I keep having those thoughts when I shouldn’t? I mean... isn’t it weird?”

Andrew stared at her for a second, then laughed under his breath and caught her finger, pressing it down against his mouth.

”It’s not a joke. It’s the truth,” Caroline said, voice tight.

He shifted onto the edge of her lounger. His one hand came up, fingers firm under her chin as he tipped her face toward him and kissed her hard. It wasn’t a soft kiss.

When he pulled back just enough to speak, his breath brushed her lips. ”Then demand it until you’re used to it. Thinking like that isn’t weird. It means you want me. Your wolf wants mine.”

His mouth found hers again, slower this time. Fingers slid into her hair, tightening just enough to tilt her head. Their kiss deepened.

Caroline’s hand found his, guided it up, and pressed his palm against her chest. A low moan slipped out as she felt the warmth of his skin through the thin fabric.

He nipped at her bottom lip in a teasing bite that drew a quiet gasp from her before he pulled back just enough to look into her eyes.

”You never felt pleasure before, did you?” Andrew murmured. ”You didn’t answer me earlier, Caroline. I want to know what that bastard did to you. It makes my blood boil knowing he got you pregnant, then ordered your execution. It hurts me... more than I can explain.”

The lighthearted warmth between them evaporated instantly. Caroline’s expression changed as memories of her past tore through her.

”I didn’t know any better,” she whispered, her voice trembling as she lowered her head, unable to hold his intense gaze. ”I regret every second of it. I gave him everything... I let him do all of it to me. I know I shouldn’t have let him. I seriously thought I had found a man who loved me, and I let myself fall right into that pit.”

Andrew reached out, his long arms wrapping around her. His hand rested firmly against her back, offering his warmth as her shoulders trembled.

”He will pay for everything,” Andrew growled softly near her hair. ”And I’m sorry for bringing it up like this, Caroline. It’s been bothering me since this morning... I only want to see you happy and enjoying everything you do.”

He held her in silence until the tension in her frame gradually eased. After a while, he leaned back onto his own lounger, though his gaze remained anchored on her face.

”Do you want to go shopping in the evening market in town later?” Andrew asked, smoothly shifting the atmosphere.

Caroline arched her eyebrows, looking at him in mild skepticism. ”What if people recognize you?”

”We’re in another country,” Andrew replied with a faint, confident smirk. ”Most people here have no idea who I am. We’ll be completely fine.”

”Then yes,” Caroline replied, a soft, genuine smile carving its way onto her lips. ”And thank you... for making my dream come true. I always wanted to visit the seaside. It’s so peaceful here.”

”We will keep coming here for vacations then,” Andrew told her, setting his empty cocktail glass back on the small side table. He glanced at the climbing sun above them. ”Shall we head back? It’s past lunch hour, and you need to eat on time.”

”Hmm,” Caroline agreed softly. She swung her legs off the edge of the lounger and slipped her feet into her sand-dusted slippers.

Side by side, they walked back along the private path, shaded beneath the towering coconut palms, until the modern glass facade of the beach house came into view.

As they stepped onto the front porch, the beach house’s staff manager approached, bowing respectfully.

”Your Highness, I was just about to call you,” the manager reported politely. ”Lunch is fully prepared. Shall I ask the maids to set the dining table?”

”In ten minutes,” Andrew instructed. ”We need to shower first. After that, you and the rest of the staff may leave for the day. Return tomorrow morning.”

”Understood, Your Highness,” the manager bowed deeply and walked away.

”Let’s just get our shower quickly, then we can have our lunch,” Andrew told her. ”I will use the other washroom. You can use the bedroom’s one.”

Caroline nodded and went ahead to the bedroom. Meanwhile, Andrew headed the other way after grabbing a fresh pair of clothes.