CHAPTER 11: He's Not For Me…
1285 Words
Aviana's POV
I have never felt so angry in my life.
After Damian's weird behaviour and instructions, I went back to the pack to search for Lucas.
Unfortunately, I couldn't find him, and just as I wanted to hide out in Damian's quarters, Patricia showed up.
I had planned to ignore her, but she knew just the words to piss me off and coax a reaction out of me.
I've always believed myself to be level-headed and patient, but after what I've been through the past few days, I was ready to fight back.
That was why when Patricia said,
“How much of yourself did you offer to the King to make him pity you and make you a Luna?”
I didn't hold back and retorted, looking straight into her eyes.
“I don't know. Probably the same amount that you offered to Phillip.”
By now, a small crowd had gathered, eagerly waiting for drama to erupt, but luckily for us, Damian showed up at the right time, his face twisted with annoyance.
“What the hell is going on here?!” He bellowed, looking for me to Patricia.
I was too angry to speak, so of course, Patricia took over, folding her lips in a pout to appear innocent.
“My King! It appears to be a slight misunderstanding.” She smiles widely, one of those soft deceiving ones that makes her appear nice, cutting her eyes to me.
“It seems that Aviana has forgotten -”
“Queen!” Damian interjected coldly, his tone as sharp as a whip.
The smile on Patricia's face faded. “I'm so-sorry?”
“She's your Queen, so the next time you're addressing, endeavor to attach the right prefix,” Damian ordered in a commanding tone, coming to stand beside me and slip a hand around my waist.
“She is Queen Aviana, understood?”
Anger flared up in Patricia's eyes, but she stuffed it down and stretched her lips in a thin smile, looking at me as she bent low in a stiff curtsey. “My sincere apologies, Queen Aviana.”
It sounded like she was biting the word out, but she acquiesced to Damian's orders, and that was all I needed.
“You're forgiven.” I looked to Damian, whose features were quite severe, and just like that, an idea popped into my head.
I turned fully so my back was to Patricia and gazed deeply into his eyes.
If there was one thing she hated, it was being belittled, ignored, or being inferior… so I did it.
I sank into Damian's chest, and standing up on my tiptoes, I closed the distance between us, planting my lips on his soft mouth.
I had planned to get back at her, but the moment my lips touched his, I lost all train of thought, and if it wasn't for Damian pulling away slightly, we would have kept on kissing.
“Are you…” I stopped to clear my throat when my voice came out husky. “Are you ready to go, my King?”
“Yes.” He murmured, slipping his hand into mine, and together we walked away, appearing united in front of everyone.
As we walked, I sidled up next to him, greedily sucking up the heat and inhaling how sweet he smelled.
I know that this whole thing is temporary, but I couldn't help getting drawn to him.
Sure, I'd heard a lot of evil and scary things about him, but so far, he's quite different from that.
If it weren't for this huge secret I had… I thought, my hand straying towards my still flat stomach and the fact that he was still in love with someone else, we might have a chance at this.
“Is everything okay?” Damian's voice cut through my musings.
“Hmm…?” I looked up distractedly at him, once again struck by how beautiful he looked… even in the dark.
His eyes dipped down. “You were holding your stomach, so I was wondering if you're okay. Or do you feel hungry?”
My cheeks heated, and I dropped my hand so fast as if I had just touched something hot.
“N-no, no! Uh, I'm fine.”
“So you're not hungry?” His eyes narrowed.
“Oh, I am. I was actually talking about… You know what? Never mind.”
Damian pushed open the doors to his quarters, and as soon as I walked in, I was hit with the scent of many mouthwatering dishes.
My stomach rumbled, and I was instantly ravenous, craving a bite.
I took a step forward, heading towards the first stack of food trays I saw, when Damian's voice stopped me in my tracks.
“We need to talk.”
“Talk?” I queried. “About what?”
“This…us…” He waved a hand between us, his face blank and devoid of emotion. “I want to be clear on these terms of this…Union.”
Suddenly, I got this strange feeling in my stomach, but I powered through it. “What do you mean?”
“I meant what I said earlier. My heart is taken by another, and you're just here to solve a crisis.”
He declared calmly. “I can't have you developing feelings for me and complicating matters. Because of this, we need to have rules in place.”
The warm, cuddly feeling I had in my chest just moments before was starting to run cold. “What rules?” I managed to bite out.
“Tomorrow, we'll be heading back to my pack where we will consummate our union and prove to the Council that by all appearances, you're truly my mate.”
He keeps talking, unaware that every word that leaves his lips makes me feel hollow.
“When it's necessary, we'll put on shows for everyone to believe, but aside from that… we'll sleep in separate rooms, no forms of touching or s****l intimacy unless it's required, and lastly, no feelings.”
He paused to take in a deep breath.
“There will be exceptions, of course. We can both take other partners as long as we're both discreet and the Council doesn't find out. Once the three years are up, you'll be free to leave. Is that fine by you?”
I nodded, the action pure reflex rather than a response.
“I need a verbal agreement, Aviana.” He presses as if he didn't just say harsh things.
“Yeah, of course, I agree,” I reply coolly, doing my best not to let my emotions get the best of me.
“Good!” He heaved an audible sigh of relief, stalking over to a good tray.
“Bacon?”
My eyes moved over the food that I was practically salivating over a few minutes ago, and my stomach curdled in disgust.
“No, thanks.” My feet started to move in the other direction. “I think I'm uh… I'm going to rest. It's been a long day.”
My feet trudged on the carpeted floor, and with each step I took, I started to wonder if I hadn't made a mistake.
Sure, being under Patricia's and Phillip’s captivity was hell, but so was staying with a man who only looked at me like a means to an end.
“Aviana?” Damian called out, making me stop and turn slightly.
“Yeah?”
“Thank you.” He said softly, his eyes glittering from afar. Something flashed past his eyes, but it was gone before I could figure it out. “For helping me with this.”
“You're welcome.”
- Writer
