I waved back, then turned to Noah. He was looking at the door, his posture rigid.
“Go,” I told him.
He made a frustrated sound. “Lina...”
“I’m in my own shop. Surrounded by my own employees. There are guards outside. And Jasmine is literally right there.” I pointed at the Moonfang luna. “I am safe. I am so safe I could not possibly be any safer. Now go check on Cole before I physically push you out the door.”
Noah hesitated, his eyes darting between me and Jasmine and the entrance. Then he grunted.
“You stay in this shop,” he said firmly. “You do not leave without texting me first. I will run back the moment you want to go anywhere. Understand?”
“Yes, sir.”
He glared at me. “I’m serious, Lina.”
“So am I.” I made a shooing motion with my hands. “Go. Be with your friend. I’ll be fine.”
He still looked uncertain, but he nodded and headed for the door. At the threshold, he paused and looked back at me one more time.
“Everything is fine!” I insisted. “Go!”
He went.
I watched him disappear down the street, then turned to grab the coffee Emily had already prepared for me. My usual order, apparently. I had no idea what it was, but it smelled amazing.
I walked over to Jasmine’s table and she gestured for me to sit.
“Luna Lina,” she said with a smile. “Or should I just call you Lina?”
“Just Lina is fine.” I slid into the seat across from her. “Please tell me you’re not here as a guard too. I might scream.”
She laughed, the sound bright and genuine. “No, I’m here because I needed to get away from the testosterone for a few hours. Ryder is lovely, but when he gets into planning mode with your mate, it’s all strategy this and patrol routes that and I start to lose my mind.”
“I know exactly what you mean.”
“Plus, I wanted to see your shop. Ryder told me about it. Said it was charming.” She looked around appreciatively. “He was right. It’s wonderful.”
“Thank you.” I took a sip of my coffee. Vanilla latte with an extra shot. Apparently past me had good taste. “It’s strange being here. I remember pieces of it, but not everything. There are gaps.”
Jasmine’s expression softened with understanding. “Knox mentioned you were dealing with memory loss. I’m sorry. That must be incredibly difficult.”
“It is. But it’s getting better. Every day, a little more comes back.”
We sat in comfortable silence for a moment, both of us sipping our drinks. Outside, I could see two of my guards standing at attention near the entrance. Inside, the shop hummed with quiet activity. Customers browsing. Employees chatting. The espresso machine hissing and gurgling.
Normal. Safe. Peaceful.
If I insisted on it enough, maybe it would become true.
“Can I ask you something?” Jasmine said.
“Of course.”
“What’s it like? Being a human luna?”
I considered the question. “Honestly? I don’t remember enough to compare it to anything else. But from what I’ve gathered, it’s…complicated. There are people who don’t think I belong. Who think Knox should have chosen a wolf.”
“Let me guess. One of those people is currently trying to destroy your life.”
