Kill The Luna

69

My entire mind went completely blank, a massive wave of pure shock crashing over me. I stood frozen against the stone wall, my eyes widening to the size of saucers. Was Ella actually kissing me right now? Were her soft lips literally locked onto mine in the middle of a public pack hallway? It felt completely unreal, like my brain was playing a wild trick on me.

The very second my brain processed what was happening, I instinctively pulled my head back, breaking the contact immediately. I lifted my hand and gave her a small, gentle tap on her flushed cheek—not hard enough to hurt, but just enough to snap her out of whatever spell she was under. "Are you completely crazy, Ella?" I gasped, my voice a frantic whisper as my eyes darted up and down the empty corridor. "You just kissed me right out in the open! I don't know what on earth you are trying to do right now, but I am absolutely not a lesbian. And even if I were into girls, you are literally my worker, for goodness' sake! There are rules about this!"

Instead of looking embarrassed or frightened by my scolding, a beautiful, serene smile broke across Ella’s face. She adjusted her grip on my waist, helping me balance against the wall so we could keep walking slowly toward the staircase. "I am very well aware that you are not a lesbian, Fedora," she chuckled softly, her tone completely relaxed as if she hadn't just turned my entire world upside down. "But I have honestly just wanted to see what your lips taste like for a very long time now. At least now I can rest easy knowing that I finally got to kiss you once before I die."

A sharp frown marred my forehead at her dark words, and I leaned a bit heavier on her shoulder to show my disapproval. "You are absolutely not going to die anytime soon, Ella," I countered firmly, my voice turning deeply serious. "How many times do I have to remind you? I have always told you that you are going to be the one burying me when I am old, not the other way around. Don't speak about death like that."

Ella’s smile softened into something incredibly tender, her eyes shining with a deep emotion that made my breath hitch. "You know, Luna... I have truly always liked you," she confessed quietly, her voice dropping into a gentle murmur as we shuffled down the hallway. "And I don't just mean as a friend or a boss. I like you, like *really* like you. But I know the world we live in is incredibly cruel, and things can't be that way. If I had the chance, I would honestly kiss you all over again, that is just how much I truly love your soul. But since I can't have you that way, I will just make sure to prove my love to you every single day by being right here by your side, no matter what horrible things happen to this pack. Just promise me you'll always know that I am your loyal shadow."

A warm, thick lump formed in my throat, my heart swelling at her beautiful confession. "Wow... that is incredibly nice of you to say, Ella," I whispered, a genuine smile gracing my lips as I looked at her side profile. "And I promise that I will always be here to protect you too. But right now, you seriously need to be here for me today because my legs feel like literal jelly."

Ella let out a bright, mischievous giggle, the heavy romantic tension completely evaporating as she gave me a wicked little wink. "Well... just keep in mind that in the future, if you ever happen to completely hate dealing with d***s, I will always be right here waiting to be your—"

"Shut up!" I shouted, cutting her off at the top of my lungs before she could finish that incredibly dirty sentence.

The pure absurdity of her timing made both of us burst into a loud, ringing fit of laughter that echoed off the stone walls. The heavy stress of our upcoming meeting with the Alpha completely melted away for a brief moment. Moving on pure impulse, I leaned over and pressed a warm, lingering kiss directly onto her cheek.

"We will take this specific cheek kiss as my official promise of love to you," I stated softly, my expression turning deeply earnest as I looked into her sparkling eyes. "I love you too, Ella, more than you will ever know. But I am begging you from the absolute bottom of my heart, don't you ever dare to love me more than you love your own self. Do you hear me? Never take massive, dangerous risks for my safety again. If things get bad, you save yourself first. I am always going to be okay because if I ever truly leave you, I would die anyway. But seriously... don't you ever try to kiss me on the mouth again."

Ella let out another happy laugh, nodding her head obediently as she squeezed my waist. "Okay, okay, I have fully heard you, Luna. No more mouth kissing, I promise."

We finally turned the last corner of the long hallway, our slow steps bringing us right to the front of the massive, dark wooden door that led into Michael’s private quarters. The sheer size of the entrance was completely intimidating, radiating a cold, heavy power that made my stomach instantly drop. The playful, happy bubble we had built completely vanished, replaced by a cold wave of reality.

I stopped walking, detaching myself from Ella's supportive grip so I could stand entirely on my own two feet. I smoothed down the front of my fresh clothes, trying to ignore the frantic pounding of my heart against my ribs. Closing my eyes for a brief second, I drew a very deep, shaky breath into my lungs to steady my nerves. Once I felt my face mask slip into a cold, expressionless stare, I raised my bandaged knuckles and knocked firmly against the heavy iron dooors.