Chapter 31: MY MONEY
Vivian’s POV
"I mean it, Vivian. I expect you to buy thirty of everything, shirts, pants, skirts, earrings..." His voice dipped lower, tone suddenly rougher. "Bras. Underwear. Lingerie."
My eyes practically bulged from my face. "Wait, thirty? Are you kidding me? That’s excessive! And why would I need lingerie? I already told you, I’m not trying to live off of you."
"Yes," he said. "Yes. No. And for me."
I blinked. "What?"
"You clearly won’t accept a simple ’just because I said so,’ so let me break it down for you." He tucked his hands in his pockets and leaned in slightly, eyes locked on mine. "If you spent five million dollars today and another five tomorrow, the only dent you’d make in my bank accounts would be equivalent to losing ten pennies from the first account. Out of many."
I opened my mouth to respond but forgot how to breathe for a second.
"So think of it this way: you’re doing me a favor. I don’t mind letting that money sit there, untouched for centuries if needed. But if you spend it, not only do you ease your own discomfort, but you’ll make a bunch of shop owners incredibly happy to see their Luna shopping at their stores."
He said it so casually, like five million was pocket change. I bit my lip, trying to wrap my head around just how rich he was. Or how powerful. The thought alone made my skin tingle.
I couldn’t lie, the way he framed it made sense. Technically, I’d be helping people, right?
I smirked a little. "You’re a smooth talker, you know that?"
"I’ve been told," he said with a sly grin.
"Fine. You win. But don’t come crying to me when you wake up bankrupt," I teased, half-joking as I reached for the card.
Before my fingers could close around it, his hand snaked out and tugged me against his chest. I let out a soft gasp.
"Stick close to your guards," he murmured. "If you need anything, just ask Luke."
Then, without another word, he leaned in and kissed me. Just a small brush of lips, but warm and lingering. My heart tripped over itself in my chest. Then he pulled away, slipped the card into my hand, and vanished, same as last time. Kiss and disappear. No warning, no explanation, just gone.
I stood there for a second, card in hand, wondering if he even knew what he did to me when he did that. Probably. He probably knew exactly what he was doing.
I let out a breath I didn’t realize I was holding and rubbed my face, needing a moment to just feel. Zaliver was intense. Unpredictable. But he was also showing me a version of care I didn’t expect from someone like him. Quiet care, the kind that didn’t announce itself. I was going to have to be more careful not to push it away out of habit.
He’d said I could eventually call my parents. Maybe even visit, if I behaved. That was something worth holding onto.
As I made my way toward the living room, I passed the guards’ lounge and barely registered the sound of footsteps until four familiar figures fell into stride beside me like shadows. Mila, Courtney, Johnson, and Luke. All quiet as ghosts. I wouldn’t have noticed at all if Johnson hadn’t smacked Mila’s butt, earning a sharp gasp from her.
I turned around just in time to see her fist cocking back, only for Luke to catch it midair with a sigh.
"Why is it you people can never act right in front of the Luna?" he muttered with a glare.
I smiled, warmed by the familiar chaos. They were all in sleek black uniforms, more official than usual, and this time, each of them had earpieces tucked discreetly behind their ears.
"Hey, guys. How are you?" I asked, genuinely happy to see them as we headed into the main living area.
"We’re great, Luna," Courtney replied, her voice polite. "Anywhere you’d like to go today?"
I pulled out the black card from the waistband of my shorts and held it up like a trophy.
Luke’s green eyes narrowed, clearly remembering my attempted boat purchase last time. I snorted and held up my hands.
"Don’t worry. I’m not planning to escape today. No boats involved. Promise."
His posture didn’t ease. He stayed stiff, eyes still scanning me like I might grow gills and dive off the nearest dock at any second.
I sighed. Fine. No use trying to convince him with words. I’d just have to show him.
"That’s great! You’ll love the shopping here," Mila said excitedly, tugging her hand out of Luke’s grip and sliding up next to me. "Our malls are way better than anything humans have."
"Yeah?" I asked, curious. "How so?"
"Well, for one," she began, flipping her hair over her shoulder, "you don’t have to worry about someone accidentally shifting mid-shop and exposing the big secret, because everyone here’s a wolf. Or at least most of us are."
My brows shot up. "Wait, humans live here?"
Mila nodded, but Luke cut in to clarify.
"Only those mated to wolves. Other than that, it’s just us."
I let out a breath, equal parts relieved and intrigued. It made sense. If a wolf claimed a human mate, of course they’d bring them into the fold. The island was basically its own world, with its own rules, and the more I learned about it, the more I realized I’d barely scratched the surface. Six days ago I was fleeing my home pack in the middle of the night. Now I was standing on a hidden island in the Bermuda Triangle, about to go shopping with four supernatural bodyguards on a card with no apparent limit. My life had taken a very specific kind of turn.
"So," I asked after a pause, tucking the card back into my waistband, "any malls in mind?"
Mila’s face lit up like I’d just said the magic words.
And just like that, the energy around us shifted. Less bodyguard, more chaos. Which, honestly, felt exactly right. I was starting to think chaos might just be my love language. And maybe that was fine, because chaos, it turned out, was the only thing about this place that felt completely familiar.
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