The Vampire's werewolf mate

Chapter 8

The Thoughts I Can't Escape

Lyra POV

I returned to the castle long after sunset.

The moon hung high above the Nightfang Kingdom, casting its silver light over the stone pathways leading back to the palace.

The cool night breeze brushed against my face, but I barely noticed.

My mind was somewhere else.

I couldn't stop replaying what had happened by the lake.

His face.

His laugh.

The way his usually cold crimson eyes had softened whenever he looked at me.

Then his voice echoed in my mind again.

"Why are you so hard to ignore?"

Without thinking, I touched the spot on my cheek where he'd caressed me.

A small smile escaped my lips.

"...What am I smiling for?" I muttered, shaking my head.

"This is ridiculous."

"He's a vampire."

"My enemy."

"So why..."

I sighed.

"...why can't I stop thinking about him?"

By the time I reached my bedroom, Marcus and Aria were already waiting outside.

The moment they saw me, they rushed over.

"Lyra!"

"What happened?"

"Where did you go?"

The two of them grabbed my shoulders, snapping me out of my thoughts.

"Oh..."

"I just went for a walk."

I gently moved past them and walked into my room.

"I'm fine."

The door closed behind us.

Marcus crossed his arms.

He clearly didn't believe me.

Neither did Aria.

After a long silence, Marcus finally spoke.

"We heard you called off your engagement with Darius."

I stopped walking.

The smile on my face disappeared.

For a few moments, I simply stared at the floor.

"He lied."

Marcus frowned.

"He's not a good man."

"We shouldn't trust him."

Both Marcus and Aria exchanged worried glances before nodding.

"So..." Aria asked softly.

"What do we do now?"

I turned toward the window.

"We keep an eye on him."

I looked at Marcus.

"Have a few of our most trustworthy warriors follow him."

"Day and night."

"I want to know where he goes."

"Who he meets."

"And what he's hiding."

Marcus nodded.

"It'll be done."

Without another word, he left the room.

The door clicked shut.

Silence filled the room.

I stared blankly at the rug.

My thoughts drifted again.

"Lyra?"

"Hmm?"

Aria sat beside me.

"What's wrong?"

"You seem... lost."

I forced a smile.

"It's nothing."

She folded her arms.

"No."

"It's definitely something."

"Ever since you came back from your..." she made quotation marks with her fingers, "...walk..."

"You've been acting weird."

I let out a dramatic sigh.

I knew she wasn't going to leave me alone.

"Fine."

"I met Lucien."

Her eyes grew so wide I thought they would fall out.

"WHAT?!"

Realizing she'd shouted, she quickly covered her mouth.

She leaned closer.

"What?!"

I couldn't help laughing.

"Yeah."

"I know."

"It's shocking."

She grabbed both of my hands.

"What happened?"

"What did he say?"

"Did you argue?"

"Did he threaten you?"

"Did you threaten him?"

"Were there swords?"

"Wolves?"

"Blood?"

I laughed even harder.

"No."

"There were no swords."

"No fighting."

"No blood."

Her mouth slowly fell open.

"...Seriously?"

I nodded.

"We just... talked."

She gasped dramatically.

"You..."

"...talked?"

I smiled.

"Yes."

"That's somehow even weirder."

She scooted closer.

"So..."

"What did you two talk about?"

I felt my cheeks grow warm.

"That..."

"...is between the two of us."

Aria groaned loudly.

"Oh, come on!"

"That's no fun!"

"I've been your best friend since we were kids!"

"I deserve details!"

I laughed.

"Maybe."

"But not tonight."

She pouted.

"Pleeeeease?"

I stood up and pulled her to her feet.

"I'll tell you tomorrow."

"But right now..."

I opened the bedroom door.

"...go to sleep."

She sighed dramatically.

"Fine."

"But tomorrow..."

"I'm asking everything."

I smiled.

"I know you will."

She rolled her eyes before walking out.

"Goodnight, Your Highness."

"Goodnight, Aria."

The door closed.

Finally...

Silence.

I let out a long breath.

"What a day..."

I walked into my bathing room and let the warm water run over me.

But it didn't help.

My thoughts refused to leave me alone.

Darius.

His lies.

Father refusing to believe me.

My Moon Crowning Ceremony.

The alliance meeting.

Everything felt so heavy.

I climbed into bed wearing a simple nightgown and stared at the ceiling.

Then another memory appeared.

The moonlit lake.

Lucien catching me before I fell.

His hand against my cheek.

His voice.

"Why are you so hard to ignore?"

A small smile found its way onto my face again.

"Stupid vampire..."

I pulled the blanket over myself.

Within minutes...

I drifted into a peaceful sleep.

---

Lucien POV

I stood alone on the balcony overlooking the forest that separated our kingdoms.

The night was quiet.

Too quiet.

I rested my hands on the cold stone railing and stared at the full moon.

"...This is getting out of hand."

I'd tried everything.

Training.

Reading.

Meetings.

Even sparring with Damien.

Nothing worked.

No matter what I did...

My thoughts always found their way back to her.

Her stubborn attitude.

Her laughter.

The way she looked at me by the lake.

The warmth of her cheek beneath my hand.

And the way she whispered my name before I reached her.

I sighed.

"Why are you so difficult to ignore, Princess?"

"Talking to yourself now?"

I turned.

Damien was leaning against the doorway with that annoying grin on his face.

"You've been staring at the moon for almost half an hour."

"I was thinking."

He chuckled.

"Oh, I know exactly who you were thinking about."

I shot him a warning glare.

"Say one more word."

He raised both hands.

"Relax."

"I'm just saying..."

"...the Moon Goddess has a strange sense of humor."

I looked back toward the forest.

Somewhere beyond those trees...

She was probably looking at the same moon.

For a second...

The thought almost made me smile.

Almost.

"No."

"This changes nothing."

"...Right?"

For the first time...

I wasn't sure I believed myself.