Act 2 - Losing Control
1559 Words
“Somebody is in a good mood today,” remarked Nessa as she placed another letter from my uncle on the long table by the window where I was inspecting the flowers and potted plants that my female buttonemen had bought.
The crisp paper was white as first snow until I had carefully heated it up with a candle.
Dearest Rosy,
I hope that you’re keeping well. Don’t trouble your pretty head over a new letter. I don’t have a new task for you even though I’m still quite upset to know that my dearest niece has yet to become a widow.
I’m writing to you today to give you some amazing news about your brother. He has finally completed his training as a warlord and I’d be officially inducting him into our Clan Army this weekend. From now on, both you and your brother are no longer civilians in our Clan. Congratulations, my dearest niece.
Your Uncle
My lungs felt like they were being crushed by a mountain as the words of my uncle stared back at me, mocking everything that I had done to try to save my family from our Clan. Despite being criminals, we had a strict code of conduct and civilians were off limits. Of course, collateral damage couldn’t be prevented but civilians would never show up on a reaper’s list.
That was also the only reason why we weren’t executed after Papa’s betrayal of the Clan as Chief. We were put under effective house arrest, but we couldn’t be executed. Those were the rules.
I was only 9 when Papa was cut down in front of my eyes and even at that tender age, I had a vague understanding of how things worked within our Clan. At the very least, I understood that Papa had only tried to leave the Clan and he didn’t deserve to die.
My little brother was only 7 at that time, an impressionable age, and after we were taken to my uncle’s house, my little brother and I were put under the care of my aunt. Only my little sister was allowed to stay with my mother as she was barely 2 years old then. My mother was only allowed to see us on the weekends and needless to say, my little brother became easy prey to the lies of the Clan.
It had always been a thorn in my heart to know that my little brother was the only one in what little family that I had left, who was not of one heart with us. He truly believed that Papa had deserved his end, going so far as to believe that our uncle had been merciful in sparing us.
When he began his training with the rest of our cousins and chose the path of a warlord, I knew that he was gone. He was no longer the son of Papa, even though the same blood flowed in his veins.
Yet, blood was thicker than water and my mother’s relentless begging for me to try and watch out for my little brother made it impossible for me to turn my back on him. Even though we were in the training program for a different purpose, I’d always try to check up on him from time to time, to ensure that he was doing fine.
Like Papa, my little brother was smart and a great strategist, but he was also young and wet around the ears. He didn’t understand that the camaraderie of our Clan was just a facade used to enforce loyalty to our uncle and further his interests. He didn’t understand that everyone in our Clan was just an expendable chess piece, our sole existence was to sacrifice ourselves to protect the king.
“I believe congratulations are in order, Luna,” said Nessa smugly. “I’m sure William will make a great warlord.”
Rage surged through my body like an unstoppable fire and I had to take a deep breath to prevent myself from losing control. I needed to focus on my plan and that disappointing brother of mine just had to take care of himself, until I was strong enough to get all of us out of this cursed Clan.
A knock on the door snapped all of us out of our thoughts and I nodded at the female buttonman to let my visitor in. To my surprise, a familiar face entered the room.
“I’d like to speak with you in private, if you please, Luna,” Levi said respectfully.
I nodded my approval and watched with a sick sense of satisfaction as suspicion flashed across Nessa’s eyes. Small victories, baby steps!
“What is it, Levi?” I asked as I eyed the packet that my husband’s personal bodyguard had removed from his pocket.
“The Alpha has ordered that you take this, now,” he said in the same respectful tone but I had no doubt that the werewolf would force it down my throat if I didn’t do as he had said.
I laughed humorlessly at the packet that he had placed on the table and looked intently at him, causing him to shift uncomfortably on his feet. His gaze dropped to the floor and I took it as my cue to follow my instincts.
“Tell your Alpha that there’s no need to make such preparations. I’ve been on birth control since puberty. The pups that I had promised him will come from his harem, but only from an Omega,” I said calmly, allowing a tinge of sadness and helplessness to seep into my voice.
“I-I’m sorry, but I need-”
Before Levi could continue, I stood up and walked over to my dresser, pulling out the top drawer and giving him the evidence that he needed.
“Here, take a photo and get on with your day,” I sighed softly.
A light shade of pink crept up his cheeks, making his dark blue eyes stand out even more, and for a moment, I nearly lost myself in them. They were like magnets, pulling me in and all thoughts of putting up a pity show in front of Levi to try and gain his trust fell away.
I wanted to get closer to those round blue orbs, to do exactly what, I had no idea, but there was something in them that was calling out to me, and unconsciously, my hands had already risen to cup his cheeks.
His adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed hard but I was so lost in those dark blue eyes that I had forgotten to be surprised that Levi was just standing there like a statue, allowing me to caress his face.
Time seemed to stand still as I held his face like it was the most mesmerizing thing in the world and it dawned on me that this was the first time that I had really noticed this man. His lips looked so soft and I wondered if they would feel the same against mine. I wondered how Levi would react if I tried to find out.
Like a moth drawn to a flame, I found my body acting with a mind of its own, inching closer and closer to the man before me, so close that I could smell the scent of his body wash and something else, something that I couldn’t quite put my finger on.
It wasn’t an actual scent that I could smell like the fragrance of a flower or the refreshening smell of coffee. It was more like an odorless smell but I knew that it was there because every single cell in my body was reacting to it, and from the stunned wide eyes before me, I could only guess that he smelled the same odorless smell on me.
My heart hammered against my chest like it had done when I kissed a fellow reaper trainee for the first time, and I could hear a ringing in my ears as my body went into overdrive, pooling all of its energy into one thing and one thing only.
Without closing my eyes, I pressed my lips gently against Levi’s and the most amazing sense of joy spread throughout my body like a spark igniting a dry forest. There were no words to describe the fullness in my heart or the dizziness in my head, and for the first time in my life, I felt a serenity that I had never thought possible.
I felt whole. I felt content. I felt like I had finally found the home that I didn’t know I was supposed to be looking for. It was so surreal and absolutely crazy that I didn’t even know how to begin to question it, until a gasp of shock and pain escaped Levi.
“Mate!”
****
A/N
Dear readers, I'm getting my eyes lasered today so no screens for me for a few days :( but don't worry! I've written a little more as preparation and you'd continue to get one chapter per day!
I'm sorry, that I'm not doing a bulk update because daily updates is a task in the app if you're a writer, and I get coins if I do daily updates LOL, yes I read on the app too and need coins hahaha xD
****
- Writer
