DANCE IN THE MOONLIGHT

The Awakening of a Lady

After everyone fell asleep that night, Valeria saw Lucian waiting for her by the back door. Normally, she would go to a place she discovered with eagerness and excitement, but now she didn't want to go at all. She hated this state of Lucian.

When Valeria reached Lucian's side, he started walking without saying a single word. He knew Valeria would follow him. However, when they got a bit away from the school, Valeria stopped. "I don't think I can come."

Lucian could feel the distress inside her. He was the reason. "Why?"

‘You must go there, Valeria. Interesting things will happen.’

"I don't feel well."

‘Liar! Why isn't it working?’

Valeria had just turned around when Lucian grabbed her by the wrist and turned her toward him. "Please, Valeria."

Valeria looked at the hand on her wrist. She should have felt excited by this contact. "Will you let go of my wrist?"

Lucian quickly pulled his hand away. These attitudes of Valeria were tearing him apart. "I'm going back." Valeria turned and started walking. She didn't want him to stop her.

Lucian could feel the anger in her. He grabbed her wrist again. The woman let out a patient sigh. "Let go, Lucian."

"Why are you so angry, Valeria? What happened?"

"Lucian. Let go of my wrist." Instead of letting go, Lucian held on even tighter, wanting to turn Valeria toward himself.

"I TOLD YOU TO LET GO!" Angrily, Valeria pushed Lucian to free her wrist.

Lucian fell much further than he should have and rolled on the ground. Valeria looked in shock first at her hand and then at the man lying on the ground. She immediately ran toward him. "I-I'm sorry. I-I don't know what happened; I just pushed you so you'd let go of my wrist. I swear I... are you okay?"

Lucian smiled at her rambling. He could feel that she was truly regretful and surprised. When Lucian smiled, Valeria took a deep breath and felt relieved.

"I'm fine... You're just stronger than I expected," Lucian said as he got up.

Valeria immediately helped him up. "I'm sorry, I swear I just wanted you to let go of my wrist."

"It's okay, I'm fine."

Valeria still couldn't believe it. It was impossible to knock down someone as tall and broad-shouldered as Lucian so easily. "How did that happen?"

"You would never believe me if I told you how. But just as I proved your trust in me, I will show you this too."

Valeria's breath caught when she saw the blood flowing from the side of his hand. "Your hand!"

"It's not important, it'll pass."

"No, it happened because of me, let's go to the infirmary." This time, she was the one holding the other's arm. She was practically dragging the big man behind her.

They were moving with quiet but fast steps between the stone walls to reach the infirmary. Both had the same thoughts in different ways. How did this power appear? Adrenaline, Valeria thought; something like this happened when the fear of getting caught at night and the low morale emerged. But for Lucian, this power was thanks to her other side that was beginning to wake up. Maybe if I make her even angrier... Then she could fully wake up?

Upon entering the infirmary, she started looking for tincture with the help of a flashlight to avoid drawing attention. Lucian sat quietly on the bed, watching the panicked woman. When she found the necessary materials, she stood over him. They both looked at each other silently.

"You need to take off your jacket."

"There's really no need for this, Valeria."

Valeria angrily grabbed the collar of the other's jacket. "I'm already dying from the fear of being caught at any moment, don't you make it difficult too!" she shouted both quietly and angrily. "Take off your jacket and roll up your sleeve."

Lucian swallowed hard first. He shouldn't be this close; he shouldn't care this much. Because right now, neither the pack nor the alpha... he wanted to throw everything away.

He did exactly what Valeria said. He calmly took off his jacket and rolled up his shirt sleeve with the same slowness. Valeria was looking from the man's arm to his eyes with eyes experiencing multiple emotions. Her gaze was practically weaving back and forth. She turned his arm over thoroughly with her hand and looked with the flashlight, but no—while the bloodstains were still there, there was no sign of a scar.

"Where is your wound?"

Lucian laughed nervously. "My wounds heal fast."

"Why are you nervous, Lucian?"

"What makes you say that?"

"Could it be because you're standing in front of me as if you're about to run away at any second?"

After looking at his posture, Lucian smiled again, but his smile vanished after seeing Valeria's gaze.

"Lucian. I'm going to ask you something, but you will answer truthfully."

The man was breaking into a cold sweat where he sat. Could Valeria... have understood?

"You appear in front of me suddenly. You say 'I can't break my bond' and leave. When I take my eyes off you for a second, you vanish. Your wounds close in about five minutes. Most importantly, I can swear you didn't hear my name while I was talking with my friends. Because I'm as sure as my name that you were never close enough to us to hear us." As Valeria approached him, Lucian reflexively pulled back. He swallowed audibly. His heart was beating like crazy. For a moment, his eyes caught on her full lips. "You're a vampire, aren't you?"

Valeria was looking at the man seriously. After looking at the woman in shock, Lucian began to burst out laughing. "Va-vampire?" He was trying to talk while laughing. Valeria got angry that her guess didn't hit the mark and hit the man on the head.

"Be quiet, someone will come!"

Even though Lucian tried to stop laughing, his laughter intensified as he looked at Valeria's angry face. My God, it's impossible to stay angry at this man!

Valeria was glad that he was laughing like that. She loved his smile so much, but damn it, she had asked something serious!!

After partially controlling his laughter, Lucian spoke. "I'm not a vampire, sorry." Even though he wasn't laughing out loud, the smile was still on his face.

Valeria realized she could watch this smile for a lifetime.

"Pardon?" Lucian asked.

"I didn't say anything."

Had Lucian just heard what she was thinking? Had the bond now become impossible to break? He quickly stood up and took his jacket. "I should go now, someone might come."

"Wait!" Lucian stopped right at the doorway. "Since you're not a vampire, what are you?"

"An ordinary high school senior." Lucian regretted saying this because he had heard her thoughts. Valeria had already talked to his classmates and learned how he had changed.

"I don't believe you." Valeria shook her head.

"Why are you so curious?"

"Why are you so mysterious?"

"Do you really want to learn?"

"Yes."

"Then meet me at the cabin tomorrow night. Alone."

***

Valeria was waiting for Lucian inside the cabin. Was she afraid? Yes. But there were things she needed to learn. She hadn't even told her closest friends what was happening. She had to find out for herself first.

She held her fast-beating heart. It was stupidity to come here!! Just as she was thinking of giving up and turning back, the door slowly opened. It was Lucian, and he was in all black from head to toe. He was shrouded in black in the darkness of the night. He also had a black bag in his hand. Her fear increased even more. She had truly been stupid to come here.

"Are you really ready?" Lucian asked to be sure.

Valeria nodded. "I want to know who you are, Lucian."

"Or what you are."