The Lycan's Contract LUNA

CHAPTER 8: The Agreement

Aviana's POV

I watched the man whose name was Lucas stagger back a step.

He snorted after a second, opening his mouth to speak, but he changed his mind at the last moment, throwing a glance at me.

“Uh, sorry, but could you excuse us? There's something I need to discuss with the King.”

I pull away from Damian, about to head outside, but I had barely taken a step when Damian's hand loosely circled my wrist in a tight grip.

“She's not going anywhere. As I said, she's going to be my Luna, so anything you have to say to me, you can say it in front of her.” Damian spoke up, his words ringing with power.

Lucas threw a disbelieving look his way. “Surely, she can excuse us for a minute? This might be… sensitive.”

Damian stared right at Lucas but didn't budge. “As I said, you can speak.”

“Fine, you forced my hand!” Lucas grumbled, throwing an apologetic look my way. “Please tell me you're not serious about… this.” He waved a hand towards me like I was some dirty object.

“Elaborate,” Damian said, his tone icy.

“Look, I know I said you needed a Luna, but this is unacceptable! Do you even know who she is or what she's claimed to have done?”

“How is that relevant?” Damian asked.

“It's relevant because people say she's a murderer. Would you want the Luna of the wolf Kingdom to be a murderer? Have you thought about what the council might say or how the people would see you if they find out?”

A long stretch of silence descends, whereby Lucas and Damian engage in a stare-off.

“Well, I don't know what you want me to say, Lucas.”

“I want you to choose someone else.” Lucas instantly responded. “Someone more appealing and presentable to the court.”

“Unfortunately, it's too late for that. I've made up my mind, and I'm not changing it.” Damian came close to me. “Aviana is going to be my Luna, and that's final.”

Lucas turned to face me like I could change Damian's mind.

“This is not going to bode well for you, Lady Aviana.” That was all he said before spinning around on his feet and walking out.

I breathed an audible sigh of relief when he left. It felt like I could breathe better, too, like he sucked out all the tension in the room with him.

“Don't worry about Lucas, he'll come around. He's always a little dramatic when he doesn't get his way.” Damian tells me as he beckons me towards the couch I saw earlier.

I followed him, mostly because I didn't know what to do or say.

Sure, I knew that agreeing to this deal wasn't going to be that easy, but I didn't expect instant opposition… especially from his close friend.

I perched my bottom on the edge of the couch, and as I thought, the soft foam sucked in and made me feel like I was floating on a cloud.

As soon as I got comfortable, he picked up my feet, brushing aside the tattered sandals on my feet.

However, the moment his skin came in contact with mine, I felt a spark of electricity which made my breath catch in my throat.

My lashes lifted to look at him, but he appeared oblivious, systematically dipping a wet rag into a dishbowl and running it over my feet.

He repeated the action several times, his touch so calming and soothing that I actually relaxed for the first time in months.

I wished the treatment would keep on going, but after a few minutes, it changed.

Damian's head snapped up, his white hair swishing to the side as he moved. His eyes narrowed, and his body stiffened.

Almost immediately, he stood up, gently placing my feet on the floor.

“If we're going to do this, then we need to do it now.” He mumbled under his breath, moving around the room in search of something.

I placed my palms flat on my lap to hide my agitation as I struggled to make sense of what was going on.

I tried to keep quiet, but after two minutes of watching him turn the place upside down, I had to speak up. “C-can you tell me what you're looking for? Maybe I can help?”

He kept on rummaging through desk drawers as if he hadn't heard me, but after a minute, he replied. “I've been thinking about what Lucas said, and even though I hate to admit it, there's a reason why I made him my assistant; he's almost always right.”

“Right about what?” I queried.

“The Council will never let someone with your history be Luna, so we need to blindside them.” He popped his head out of a box. “I was checking these trucks to see if there's anything the women who were here left behind.”

I revolted. “So you want me to wear something one of your mistresses wore?”

He grimaced, probably hearing how it sounded.

“You don't have a choice, and trust me, if this were under better circumstances, I could have had the maids take care of you, but we don't. In less than ten minutes, the Royal Guard will blow the music meant to usher me out. You need to be by my side when I step out.”

I wanted to stubbornly refute, but I knew he was right.

This was my one chance to get out of this pack and secure a better future for my unborn child and me… and I'm going to seize it!

“Okay, fine. I'll clean myself up, but you'll need to give me some privacy.”

“Sure.” He walked towards a wall, which turned out to be a door, stopping a few inches away. “If you need me for anything, just yell.”

I nodded, waiting until he disappeared through the door before stripping out of my clothes. They were filthy, and I desperately needed a bath, but I didn't have the time.

I found a jug with water, which I poured into another bowl, cleaning my body as best as I could.

Next, I wet my hair with the remaining water before starting at the opposite end of the room.

I combed through each box before stumbling upon a dark blue dress.

I gasped when I ran my fingers across the material. It felt like raw silk, and the tiny stones pressed on the fabric glittered in the sunlight.

Running out of time, I poured my body into the dress and, save for a few lapses, it fit perfectly well.

Sure, it smelled a bit moldy, but it made me look like a queen, fit to stand beside Damian.

To finish things up, I managed to tame my hair into a bun atop my head.

By the time Damian emerged, I felt like a whole new person.

Luckily for me, his reaction only amplified that.

“Wow…” he breathed, his eyes widening in surprise when he saw me. “You look amazing.”

“Yeah, I guess I managed to clean up pretty well,” I whispered, locking eyes with him as he came to a stop a few metres away.

On cue, the music blared, and just like that, it was time.

“Are you ready?” He stretched out a hand, searching my eyes.

I sucked in a deep breath, mentally steeling myself for what was to come before sliding my hand into his. “Yeah, I am. Let's do this.”