Chapter 19
Chapter 19
Luna Aquamarine’s POV
I was as naked as a newborn and so was Alexander.
Last night was something else.
I remember this devil and Esmeralda wrapped in each other’s arms. I felt betrayed, hurt, and angry. It reminded me of Clinton and my step–sister..
H
Yet, I knew I had no right to be. After all, Alexander and I weren’t in a real relationship. We were just bound by duty and obligation.
I could still remember the way Esmeralda’s eyes and mouth went wide when she saw me and how she instantly pushed herself away from Alexander.
I remember gripping the scroll tightly and turning away from them. I didn’t know where I was heading but I knew I needed to move. Shortly after, Alexander caught up to me and spun me around.
I don’t know what I was expecting. An apology or an explanation but what I saw was something much more worse.
He was smirking. Like he didn’t do something so… dirty.
Flashback**
“Aquamarine,” he had called out.
The corridor felt suffocating as I tried to put distance between us.
“Don’t,” I had snapped when I heard his footsteps quickening behind me. “Don’t say a word.”
But Alexander never listened to anyone–least of all me.
His hand caught my elbow, spinning me around with such force that I nearly lost my balance.
“You’re upset,” he said, his golden–eyes having a little spark within them.
“Upset?” I laughed bitterly, pulling my arm from his grip. “I just caught you with your tongue down another woman’s throat and you think I’m just upset?”
His smirk widened. “Jealousy suits you.”
The words hit me like a physical blow. “I am not—”
“Aren’t you?” He stepped closer, backing me against the stone wall. “Your scent changed the moment you saw us. Sweet little mate, all worked up over something that means absolutely nothing.”
Nothing?
“It means nothing to you because nothing means anything to you! What if people saw both of you and the words spread? Or perhaps they already know and this isn’t the first time.” The words tore from my throat, raw and painful.
I’m just another obligation, another tool for you to-”
Before I could respond, before I could even breathe, he swung me over his shoulder like I weighed nothing. The scroll fell from my hands, forgotten, as he carried me through the corridors
“Put me down!” I demanded, pounding my bists against his back, but he only chuckled
“We have important business”
He threw me onto the bed with a gentleness that contradicted his rough handling moments before, and then Well, the rest was history.
1/3
3:22 PM
Chapter 19
**Present**
The memory faded as consciousness fully returned to me. Alexander’s arm was wrapped possessively around my waist.
I could feel his steady breathing against my neck, still deep in sleep. But reality crashed back quickly enough.
The scroll.
The Threat.
Rogiara.
Katherine.
Carefully, I began to peel myself off of Alexander’s grip. His arm tightened reflexively, and he murmured something unintelligible against my hair.
“Monster,” I whispered, gently prying his fingers loose.” I need to wash up, release me.”
Somehow, miraculously, he released me without waking fully. I slipped from the bed, gathering a robe from the chair nearby, and quietly toward the bathroom.
The hot water felt like salvation against my skin, washing away the confusion and conflicted emotions that clung to me like smoke. I needed to think clearly, needed to focus on what was important.
The scroll.
Goddess, I’d dropped it in the corridor last night. I could only hope no one had found it.
After drying and dressing in clothes that had been laid out for me. A simple but elegant dress in deep blue that somehow fits perfectly. I slipped from the room.
Servants rushed back and forth carrying flowers and what looked like ceremonial items.
“Luna Aquamarine,” Juliet’s voice rang. She walked up to me and bowed her head. “Good morning, Luna.”
“Good morning, Juliet.” I greeted back. “Do you know where Katherine’s room might be?”
“She’s been given quarters in the west wing, close to the portal, but…” She glanced around nervously. “Perhaps it would be best to speak with the Primus about visiting arrangements?”
Fear. I could sense that from Juliet. Alexander had already started making a move on Katherine and she didn’t know. A move for terrible
reasons
Before I could respond, I caught a glimpse of grey hair at the end of the corridor. Esmeralda. Our eyes met for a brief moment and I saw something I didn’t expect.
Shame. An Elder and a Primus? Really? She looked away quickly, disappearing around a corner.
“Luna? Is all well with you?”
“It’s fine,” I said, though it wasn’t. Nothing about this situation was fine. “I’ll speak with Alexander later.”
I was about to ask Juliet about the scroll when raised voices drifted from a nearby room.
Alexander’s voice, unmistakable even through the thick wooden door,
-better not show up, he was saying, his tone sharp with warning.
“The Naturellians wouldn’t dare, came Levi’s response. “Not after what happened in the Moonstone pack and our border”
Naturellians‘ I ve heard that term before, but something about it made my blood run cold. But what does it have to do with my old pack?
“What about the scroll?‘ Levi continued, and my heart nearly stopped. “Any luck yet? And then what do we do with the other one?*
There was a pause, and when Alexander spoke again, his voice was lower, more dangerous
2/8
3:22 PM
Chapter 19
“Katherine stays under guard until I decide what to do with her. As for the scroll…” Another pause.
“Keep it secure. If it’s what I think it is then the elders might need it for the ritual.”
Ritual? What ritual?
Juliet was watching me with concern. “Luna? You look pale.”
“I’m fine,” I lied, my mind racing. They had the scroll. He has Katherine in his grasp. And they were talking about some kind of ritual that apparently required both.
“Perhaps you should rest before the ceremony preparations begin?” Juliet suggested.
Coronation?
“There will be fittings, meetings with the Elders, ceremonial blessings-”
“How long?” I interrupted. “How long until the coronation?”
“It’s tomorrow. Everything must be perfect for your ascension.”
That’s too soon. Why celebrate when I have a lot on my head at the moment? In such little time too.
Six days. I had six days to figure out what Alexander was planning, to find Katherine, and to somehow get that scroll back.
Few hours to decide if I was going to go through with becoming Luna of the Theriakon Pack or if I was going to run as far and as fast as I could.
The problem was, I was beginning to suspect that Alexander would never let me leave alive if I tried to run.
And from the way Levi had mentioned the Naturellians, I was starting to wonder if there was nowhere safe left to run to anyway.
“Luna?” Juliet’s voice seemed to come from very far away. “Shall I escort you back to your chambers?”
I looked down the corridor toward where I’d seen Esmeralda disappear, then back toward the room where Alexander and Levi were still discussing my fate, like I was an othello piece to be moved around their board.
“No,” I said finally, straightening my shoulders. “Show me to the west wing. I want to see Katherine.”
Julier’s eyes widened. “But Luna, the Primus said—”
“I do not care,” I interrupted, surprised by the authority in my own voice. “I want to see my friend. Now.”
As we walked toward the west wing, I caught another glimpse of Esmeralda watching me from the shadows. This time, when our eyes met, she didn’t look away from me.
