Chapter 96: We have all night

Chapter 96: We have all night
One week flew by rapidly, until it was the day of Gwendolyn's coronation. 

That morning, she woke up to Kieran shaking her awake. She sat up abruptly, her chest heaving with heavy breaths. 

Kieran pulled her into his arms instantly. "Are you okay, my love? You were crying in your sleep."

She touched her eyes, feeling the trail of tears on her cheek. Her heart was pounding so fast within her. 

"I had a nightmare." She whispered. 

Kieran pulled back and cupped her face. "Tell me about it."

In a quiet voice, she told him about the enormous wolf she saw. From her description, Kieran knew what kind of wolf it was. 

"Dire Wolves." He murmured. "They were the first creatures in the realm. When I had flashbacks of the past at the Moon Pool, I saw the leader, Lucien."

"Why would one appear to me?" Gwendolyn asked softly. 

"I don't know. Most dreams don't have meanings. Don't let it bother you."

"But Kieran, it felt so real. It chased after me in the forest. I have a feeling something bad will happen. Maybe we should push this coronation to another day." 

Kieran gently held her hands and lifted them to his lips. "Listen to me, my love. I know you're scared. But crowning you right now is the best thing. The pack will protect you. They will swear their allegiance and loyalty to you. A number of them have already accepted you. You know that."

She smiled and leaned against him. "I know. But a lot of them haven't forgotten Cordelia."

"That wasn't your fault." He kissed her forehead and leaned his head against hers. "I promise you, I'll protect you. Forget about the wolf. It could be your mind playing tricks on you."

She sighed and nodded. "I hope you're right."

He ran a finger over the spot he marked, causing her to shiver. 

"I can't wait for tonight." He murmured. "I want to make love to you so badly."

She smiled and pulled him over her. "What's stopping you now?"

He grinned and started to unzip her dress, but a hard knock sounded on the door. 

"Son of a bitch!" He snapped. 

She laughed as he rolled off her. She pushed her dress down and sat up as he walked towards the door. 

He yanked it open, his face twisted into a furious scowl. 

Odin stood on the other side. He saw Kieran's face and retreated quickly. 

"What?" Kieran snapped. 

"A–Alpha, forgive the interruption. The Triad is requesting your presence." 

"What do they want?" Kieran questioned. 

"They want to finalize the preparation for Luna's coronation tonight."

Hearing Odin refer to her as Luna felt strange to Gwendolyn. 

"Tell them I'm busy." Kieran commanded and started to shut the door, but she got off the bed and stopped him quickly. 

"Kieran, enough." She laughed. "If they want to talk to you, maybe it's really important."

Kieran pulled her against him and nuzzled her neck. 

"It's not as important as you." He took her hand and lowered it to the bulge in his pants. "Look what you did."

She grinned and squeezed softly. "Go meet them. I'll be waiting for you when you come back."

He kissed her, hot and intense until she was breathless. Then he smacked her ass, right in front of Odin. 

"Kieran!" She shrieked. 

He chuckled as he stepped out of the room and shut the door. 

She remained there, her face aflame, a silly smile on her face. When she caught herself already daydreaming, she shook her head and headed to the bathroom. 

An hour later, she stepped out. Her breakfast was waiting for her when she stepped into the sitting room, and so was Cae. 

"Cae, you're here." She exclaimed. "I was just about to come see you."

"I thought we could have breakfast together, if you don't mind." Cae beamed. 

"Of course I don't." 

Both women embraced and settled in the dining room. 

"About what happened the other day, I'm sorry." Gwendolyn began, but Cae shook her head. 

"You have nothing to apologize for, child. You undid the magic. It's totally fine. But that's not why I'm here."

"What's wrong?"

"Has your mother appeared to you since the first time?"

Gwendolyn shook her head. "No. Not even in my dreams. Why?"

"I was just wondering how it was possible for her to connect with you through your dream. She's a lycan, and lycans don't have such magic."

"You're right." Gwendolyn murmured. "I never really thought about it. I assumed she was able to do it because she was trapped in Tartarus."

"Mhm." Cae hummed. "If she appears to you again, tell me about it."

Gwendolyn was still confused but she nodded. Now that Cae mentioned it, she began to wonder how Naomi managed to appear to her in her dream. 

... 

Night came swiftly. A gibbous moon hung in the sky, brightening the entire pack. 

The grand hall was brightly lit and decorated with flowers. The roof was open, allowing the glow of the moon to shine through. 

The Wildings and werewolves were excited for the coronation, and despite the fact that most of them hadn't accepted Gwendolyn, they were happy to finally have a Luna. 

Inside Kieran's room, Gwendolyn stood in front of a mirror, staring at her reflection. The maids who helped her get ready were gone, and now she admired herself. 

It was a pretty gown, bright red, with dainty sleeves and a tight corset which gave her a little difficulty in breathing. 

The door opened and Kieran stepped in. He looked breathtaking, dressed in dark formal wear, his hair flowing over his shoulders, like a handsome prince. He had never looked so handsome. 

When he saw her, he froze. 

"Goddess above." He whispered. "You are a vision of beauty, Gwen. You take my breath away."

She smiled as he took her in his arms. "You look so handsome."

He leaned down and pressed a kiss on the swell of her breasts. She gasped, a soft moan escaping her as his lips trailed to the side of her neck. 

"I'm this close to ripping this dress off you." He groaned. "What are you doing to me, Gwen?"

She giggled and ran her hands through his lustrous hair. "Patience, my love. We have all night."

He brought her close and kissed her. "Yes, we do."

Suddenly someone screamed from outside. 

Kieran's head jerked to the side, instantly becoming alert. His eyes flickered and turned black. 

Another scream followed and he gently pushed Gwendolyn to the bed. 

"Wait here!" He said and hurried out of the room. 

But Gwendolyn wasn't the kind of person to give such instructions. She lifted her gown and hurried after him, flinching as more screams sounded. 

She burst through the front door, finding a large crowd gathered in front of the pack house. 

She pushed through the crowd until she spotted the person they surrounded. 

She recoiled in utter shock. It was Julian. The Khaldron was still around his neck, and he was bleeding everywhere, like he had been attacked. 

He lifted his head and looked straight at her. 

"The Immortals know what you are."