Her Alpha King, His Luna Queen

2. King Damon

EverLeigh

It's been a few days since the Bonfire, I’ve been to three graduation parties and I was skipping the last two as I’m tired of them. I also still have my own graduation/ birthday party coming up. I rolled my eyes at the thought of the party, I never liked them. Not even when my parents forced me to have a sweet sixteen and I had to wear that stupid ball gown.

After putting on some shorts and a large t-shirt I ran down the stairs. I had almost made it down the stairs until my clumsy self tripped on the last two steps. I turned myself, making sure I was to land on my back, I laid there and looked down at my swollen ankle.

“Ugh!” I screamed as my ankle look sprained. Another thing about my stupid mutation of a she wolf I don’t heal as fast as the other but I heal faster than humans.

“Normally when women fall for me it isn’t down a flight of stairs,” his husky voice says and I look right above me to see Damon laughing.

I roll my eyes and groan, “normally when I fall someone helps me up,” I snap.

He smiled and reached down to help me up, he picked me up bridal style and walked me to the living room couch setting me down.

“Where’s my mom?” I asked.

“Our parents are out on business for the next two days,” he says and walks off towards the kitchen.

“They just left me here with you?” I yell as he walks off. He may be a king but I don't know this man I've been left with. This overly flirty and slightly gorgeous man.

It wasn’t long before he came back in with a bag of ice and smiled, “I think they trust their king to watch over an 18 year old girl,” he says.

“17,” I correct him and he raises his eyebrow at me. “I’m 17 for the next three days,” I point out.

“Ah yes,” he says grabbing a pillow to prop my ankle up on and he places the ice on it.

“How do you know how to care for my swollen ankle?” I asked.

“Common human sense,” he shrugs.

“But we aren’t human and all wolves heal within an hour,” I point out.

“Yes but in that hour they should ice it so it heals properly,” he counters.

“Yeah well my ankle will be like this for 24 hours,” I shrug.

“Ahh yes your goddess given gifts,” he says and then winces as if he didn’t mean to say it.

“What do you mean?” I ask. “How could not healing fast be a gift from our goddess?”

“It was merely a joke Princess,” he says standing up. “Now what is it that we are going to do while you are couch bound?” He asks.

“Watch a movie,” I shrug. “Not that you have to hangout with me,” I mean just because I don’t want a mate doesn’t mean he’s not fun to look at. But if I seem like I want him around so I can stare at him it might come across to him in the wrong way.

“I couldn’t dare leave you stuck on the couch alone,” he laughs, grabbing the remote and giving it to me. I turned the tv on and pressed play on Game of thrones.

“How can you watch this barbaric show?” He asked me. I raised an eyebrow at him, he thought the show was barbaric yet we wolves basically lived the world of game of thrones.

“Hey it’s just like our world with only no wolves,” I say, attempting to make a point.

“And a completely different century, and the humans here have a President not a king,” he points out.

“England still has a queen,” I countered.

“But in the time period of Games of thrones she would have never ruled without a king by her side, kind of like the wolf laws,” he says.

“You just proved my point that we are kind of like game of thrones,” I laughed.

He frowns, “how?” He asks.

“A she wolf can’t rule without a king. I can’t have my mothers title without a man to take my fathers,” I point out.

“Oh yes I guess you are right,” he says as he’s thinking. “I wonder why we still practice that,” he said as he pondered.

“You’re the king of all kings shouldn’t you know?” I ask.

“Just because I rule all kingdoms as one and all of my people doesn’t mean I know everything,” he raises an eyebrow.

“Funny for a king you are very modest,” I tell him. Then again he wasn’t the only modest king I knew. My father, King Mason, he’s actually more modest than King Damon.

“No one likes an arrogant ruler,” he says.

“Would you say Sam would make an arrogant ruler?” I asked, truly curious of his answer.

“Oh yes the young Alpha,” Damon says, getting lost in thought.

“Why is it that you call him young Alpha? you were the same age as he was when you took the king title,” I state.

“He’s been an Alpha for three years?” Damon asks.

“Yeah,” I shrug, not understanding why he asked. Most sons take their fathers title when they turn 18.

“I call him young Alpha because even though he is 21 he acts like a child. For someone who has been Alpha for three years he should know how to act like one. He isn’t respected, no one takes him seriously. He sleeps around and lets things slide. Which is why I can promise the goddess would never make him your mate, he isn’t fit to be a king,” Damon says as if it was just common knowledge. He spoke like that, like he knew things we didn’t, almost like it was his own personally inside jokes sometimes.

“Didn’t know you were so tight with the goddess,” I laughed.

“You have no idea,” Damon exhaled.

“So tell me,” I look at him.

“I had a mate,” he says, and it took me by surprise. “She died in childbirth three years ago and the pup died as well” he says and every part of me wanted to get up and hug him.

“How come no one knew?” I ask him and watch his face to see if it changes. I probably should pry into the alpha king's personal business, but for some reason it bothered me that he had a mate. I guess it also bothers me that I barely knew anything about him.

“Because I wanted to protect my family, I had been getting threats from someone in one of the four corners. So the less people knew the less they could hurt me,” he says.

“Which is why you always stayed out of the public eye?” I asked.

“Exactly I don’t look like the young boy everyone sees in those new letters, so the less they saw the more no one knew who I was,” he says.

“Like Sam when he tried to punch you,” I say aloud, not meaning to.

“Yes, like Sam,” he smiles. His smile was oddly beautiful, I wonder if he knew what every girl thought when they saw him smile.

“Okay but how does that make you close with the moon goddess?” I ask.

“When Julie died the moon goddess appeared to me and told me that Julie wasn’t my destined mate. Though she was a true mate, there was another out there for me. They are called second chance mates,” he says.

“But second chance mates haven’t existed since the 1800s,” I point out.

“Yes but they do happen,” he says.

“But this time it’s very rare,” I say, frowning.

“Princess, listen,” he smiles. “She told me about an old legend, that one day when my true queen and Luna turned 18 I would find my second chance mate, only she was meant to be my first mate,” he says.

“But if she’s meant to be your first mate then why was Julie your fated mate?” I asked, he was really starting to confuse me.

“The goddess gifted me Julie when she realized the girl I was to be truly mated to was a bit younger and it would take some time. She said Julie was to teach me a lesson and that she did,” Damon says thoughtfully.

“What was the lesson?” I asked genuinely curious.

“That hiding myself does not protect me or the ones I love. In hiding I still lost the one person who was supposed to be mine. So I’m hoping that very soon I’ll meet my beloved fated mate and do it right,” he says.

I took in his words and just nodded, more questions arose in my head but I didn’t want to ask them because I wasn’t sure I’d like the answers. I focused back on the TV and so did Damon, about three episodes later I was bored and I shut the TV off.

“Everything okay?” He asked me.

“Why are you here? In the northern corner?” I ask him.

“My father has business with yours,” he says simply.

“Yes but that would be your father coming. Why did you come?” I ask him.

“I’m not sure,” he shrugs. I knew that he knew why he was here, I’m not sure why it bothered me but I wanted to know. Why did he come out now? His mate died three years ago meaning the threats were gone. I had so many questions but I was afraid to be any more disrespectful to the king of kings than I’ve already been.

“You just wanted to hangout in the states because you aren’t sure?” I ask.

“I wish I knew what compelled me to come,” he says. I frowned unsatisfied with the answers, I knew he could give me more. Something told me he could give me more answers but he wouldn’t.

“Could I ask a favor?” I asked

“Of course,” he smiles.

“I’m tired, could you carry me to my room?” I smiled. He nodded and picked me up carrying me to the room. He was warm, something I don’t know often. My body temp was always cold to match my snow skin and hair.

He stopped at my door and opened it only holding me with one hand. He walked in, setting me on my bed, smiling and walking out.

I watched as he walked out and then laid down waiting for sleep to find me. Only sleep never found me, I kept thinking of all the things I wanted to ask him. But why was I so curious about a man I just barely met? I ask myself the same question over and over, never finding an answer.

I sat up in bed looking down at my still swollen ankle, “Curse my clumsy self,” I said under my breath. I’m literally stuck here in this bed, in a mansion with the king of kings because our parents left without so much as a heads up. I grabbed my phone unlocking it and called my father.

“Yes sweet Everleigh?” He asks as he answers the phone.

“You left me here with a man I don’t know!” I just about yell through the phone.

“Now Everleigh, he’s the king. No safer to protect my princess while I’m visiting neighboring packs,” my dad says.

“You could have warned me,” I sighed.

“I promise next time I decide to leave you with a man you don’t know who happens to be the king, I will warn you,” he teases.

“Oh look, the call failed,” I said and hugged the phone. Everyone wonders where I get my snarkiness from, little did they know. King Mason of the north gave it to me.

I set my phone down with a sigh, “You have an odd family,” Damon says. I sigh and turn to see him standing in my doorway.

“Says the man who just came out of hiding,” I counter.

He frowned and held up a bag, “Dinner,” he said, handing it to me. I look at the bag clearly smelling the meat, “I don’t eat meat,” I inform him.

“You’re a vegetarian?” he asks with a look of disgust on his face.

“Yes,” I informed him, handing the bag back to him. He quickly fixes his facial expression and clears his throat, “I will be back with a salad,” he says leaving.

I sighed and laid back down staring at my ceiling, “Going to be a long two days,” I say to myself.

I had actually fallen asleep when the throbbing in my ankle settled, I began to have weird dreams. They seemed to be all over the place as I couldn’t even piece together the story of them.

I found myself wandering through a set of unfamiliar woods, wolves knew woods like a sea captain knew the sea. So I knew I had never been in this set of woods as I walked through them. I wasn't sure how long I walked until I came to a clearing, the clearing felt oddly comfortable for a place I didn’t know. It wasn’t until I saw her that I realized why I was so comfortable, Aunt Summer stood in the middle. My Aunt Summer being my favorite person, she looked just like me. Snow white skin and platinum blond hair, her eyes a different shade of blue than mine but still very blue. She was the only one who understood me. I watched her and she turned her body, she was huge, at least 8 months pregnant from the looks. “Summer,” I tried to yell out but I had no voice, but she turned as if she saw me anyway. She smiled before she shifted into her beautiful white wolf, and then I saw the look in her eyes, a look of fear. The dream went from the clearing to a funeral, Summers' funeral. I turned to see little 8 year old me sitting in a church pew crying as she had lost the only person who she related to. The dream shifts once more and I’m standing in a mansion I’ve only ever stood in once, King Arnolds mansion in the south. King Arnold wasn’t here though, it was just his son Noah who was only three years older than me. Noah seemed to cry for the loss of his step mother Summer but no one else in the mansion dared to shed a tear. Suddenly I was back in the clearing watching Summer shift again and then a large brown wolf charged at her. I tried to scream for Summer and I cried as the angry wolf came after her.

“Everleigh,” someone yelled, waking me up.

I shot up in bed breathing heavily and I could feel the sweat on my body. I looked into Damon's eyes and he seemed very concerned. “Are you okay?” he asks, looking me over as if he was assessing me entirely.

“I’m fine,” I sigh, rubbing my eyes. “What time is it?” I asked, looking around for my phone.

“Two in the morning,” he says and I turned my head looking at him, noticing he was in a pair of shorts with no shirt. I couldn’t help but look down at his perfect chest, it was like he was sculpted right out of a magazine. “Like what you see princess?” he asks with a cocky smile.

“I’m sorry,” I say looking away and finally grabbing my phone. I quickly opened my phone and opened it to my photos, I began to look through all my old photos of Summer.

“Something so urgent in those photos?” he asks.

“I just need to find something,” I say. “You can leave,” I tell him.

“I just woke you up screaming, I’m not going anywhere,” he says.

I look at him and I can see in his eyes he seems truly worried, “Fine, I’m looking for a picture of my Aunt Summer,” I tell him.

“As in king Arnolds previous mate?” he asks, confused.

“Yes,” I sigh.

“She was your aunt?” he asked.

“That’s what I said,” I say.

“Your aunt was the last white wolf?” He asked.

“Do you play 20 questions with all the princesses or just me?” I asked him.

“Sorry, why do you need a picture of her?” He asked.

“I think she was pregnant when she died,”I told him.

“She was 8 months,” he says, causing me to snap my head towards him.

“I had just been crowned when I was making a visit to the south to meet Noah. It was that weekend that I met summer for the third time,” he says. “She was 8 months pregnant and expecting a baby girl,” he tells me. “How come you didn’t know?” he asked.

“I remember when I was 7, my parents and Summer flew to the south for a meeting of the kings,” I say. “Only Summer never came back and my parents told she had met her mate and had to stay there. It was the last time I had seen summer, they never told me she was expecting,” I sighed setting my phone down.

“I’m sorry,” he says. “I can’t imagine having lost her to the south and the next time you must have seen her was the funeral.”

“If you were there the weekend she died, why weren’t you at the funeral?” I asked looking up. “What kind of king doesn’t go to the funeral of someone who was noble?” I asked.

“Everleigh,” he sighs. “There’s a lot about that time, things I did wrong as a king to protect Julia,” he says. “But I can’t take them back now,” he sighs.

“If julia died a few years ago how come you still stayed out of the public eye?” I asked him.

“I can’t give you an answer that you would like. Any answer I give is an excuse, but I’m trying to be a better king,” he says.

“Can you do that out of my room?” I ask him, he looks at me confused. “I’m tired,” I told him and he nodded in understanding. I watched him stand up from the edge of my bed. He's tall and I couldn’t help but let my eyes wander over his body. He laughed and strolled out of my room shutting my door as he went.

I laid back down never truly finding sleep, I tossed and turned wanting to sleep but never did. I sat up when my alarm went off at 8 am, shutting the alarm off. I looked down at my ankle that was back to normal. I got out of bed and went into the bathroom for a shower, I looked at my tired face and groaned internally at how horrible I looked.

After a quick shower, I threw on some makeup and a pair of high waisted shorts with a baby blue cropped shirt. Grabbing my sneakers I put them on and grabbed my purse and keys.

“Where are you going?” Damon asked, as I came down the stairs and reached the front door.

“Out,” I shrug, opening the door.

“Where?” he asked, I turned and looked at him. “To the mall,” I told him and he grabbed his wallet.

“I’m coming with you,” he says.

“No,” I said and opened the door, walking out, that didn’t stop him from following me and getting into the passenger seat of my car. “What part of no does a king not understand?” I asked him.

“I’ve been put in charge of you princess, therefore I will go with you,” he says looking at me seriously. “Or I can drag you back inside and tie you to your bed,” he smiles.

I glared at him and started the car. I headed straight for the mall.

“You are a horrible driver,” he says, getting out of the car and walking around taking my keys from me. “I’ll drive us back,” he informs me.

“It’s my car,” I said reaching for the keys but he shoved them in his pocket.

“Yet you suck at driving,” he says, turning around and walking into the mall. I glared at his back as I followed behind him. He was annoying to say the least and now I was stuck with him at the mall.

When we entered he let me in front of him to lead the way to where I was going to shop. I headed for some simple stores looking to get some summer clothing, I laughed to myself every time I’d pick something out that Damon clearly didn’t like. It brought me a slight joy to know the king himself disapproved of my clothing.

“You should dress more appropriately,” he says.

“Maybe I should, but I won’t,” I smiled and he gave me a straight face. “I’m not trying to impress anyone,” I inform him.

“Ahh yes, the girl who doesn’t want a mate,” he agrees. “But if you’re given one you won’t have a choice,” he adds.

“I could reject him,” I remind him.

“But would you put someone who was perfectly made for you by the goddess through that kind of pain?” he asks.

Rejecting a mate was probably one of the most painful things a wolf could experience. Just the simple words could actually kill a wolf, depending on how deep the mate bond is.

“If he wouldn’t allow me to be me and go to college then yes,” I told him, as I looked into his eyes.

“What’s a she-wolf want with college?” he asked me, I could see the curiosity in his eyes.

“We are raised when we grow up and find mates at 18 and then we mate and have children. But I don’t want that, I don’t want to sit around caring for children and waiting on a mate to come home. I want to work and make a living for myself and be able to care for myself. I won’t depend on a mate,” I told him.

“You are so human,” he whispers.

“That’s what it’s like to have no wolf,” I tell him. “I’m human,” I shrug.

“You and I both know you have a very rare wolf,” he whispers. I frowned at him, how could he know about my wolf? We did everything to keep the secret. Everyone knows I don’t have one or at least they think I don’t have one. “Just like your aunt,” he smiles.

“I-I don’t have a wolf,” I say and look away from him.

He grabs my chin making me look at him, “You Everleigh, can keep your secret as long as possible but I promise one day everyone will know who the white wolf is,” he says slowly. I watched his lips move with every word and I swallowed hard. “I’ll keep your secret, snow princess,” he says with a smirk.