Rejected Luna, Vampire Queen

chapter 12

"Okay," I whispered to the guard. My voice sounded like a tiny mouse. As soon as the heavy boots of the guard faded down the hallway, I turned to Ava. My hands were shaking so much I had to hide them in my skirt.

Ava! What am I going to do? I hissed. My eyes I h were wide with panic. "Is my dress bad? Look at my hair, is it messy? Everything about me is just a total mess! Do you think he is calling me to punish me for being late? Is he going to throw me in a dungeon?

Ava grabbed my wrists to make me stop moving. "Take a breath and calm down, Amanda. We will fix everything. Just breathe."

I took a big gulp of air, trying to stop my heart from jumping out of my chest. Ava started moving fast. She took a small brush and started applying makeup to my face, fixing the spots where I had cried.

"You don't need to be scared of anything," Ava said. She sounded very calm, almost too calm. "And besides, we are all going to die someday. Why worry about today?

I froze. My eyes went even wider. "Wait! What do you mean by that? Do you mean he is going to kill me right now? Is that why you are saying everyone dies?"

"No, he is not going to kill you," Ava replied. she finished putting a light pink color on my lips and stepped back to look at her work. "There. You look like a Queen. Now go. I believe in you, Amanda. And listen... if anyone tries to talk bad to you on the way there, just punch them in the face! Tell them, 'Don't you dare talk to your f*****g Luna Queen! This b***h owns the world!'"

I couldn't help it. I burst out laughing, even though I was terrified. "Ava! This is a serious situation! Don't make me laugh right now, I'll ruin my makeup!"

I gave her a quick hug. "Thanks, Ava. For everything." Then I turned and walked out the door.

The walk to the Alpha’s private part of the castle felt like a mile. The building was so big it made me feel like a tiny ant. The walls were made of dark stone and gold. Every guard I passed stood up straight, but I kept my head down. I followed the signs until I reached his massive wooden doors.

I pushed them open slowly. My breath caught in my throat. The room was beautiful but in a scary, ancient way. It smelled like old books, expensive wood, and... him. That dark, spicy scent that made my head feel dizzy.

Alpha Damon was sitting on the far edge of a giant bed. He wasn't looking at the door. He was just sitting there, his broad shoulders hunched over. I stayed by the door, frozen. I was admiring how the moonlight hit the furniture, making everything look silver and gold.

"Come," he said. He didn't turn his head. His voice was deep and rumbling, like thunder far away.

I walked toward him, my heart thumping against my ribs. When I got close enough to see his face, I stopped. His eyes were red. Not like he was angry, but like he was in terrible pain. He looked like he was fighting a monster inside his own body with every bit of his strength. He was trying so hard to hide it, but I could see his muscles shaking.

"Sit," he commanded.

I immediately sat down on the edge of the bed, a few inches away from him.

"No. Not there. Here," he said. He looked at me then, his gaze heavy and hot. He reached out and tapped his own lap softly with his large hand.

My brain stopped working. Did he mean... did he really mean I should sit on his legs? My face turned bright red, hotter than an oven. But I didn't want to make him angry again. Without thinking twice, I moved. I sat down right on his lap.

Suddenly, his arms wrapped around me. He held me so tightly I could feel his heart beating through his shirt. It wasn't a mean grip; it felt like he was a drowning man and I was the only thing keeping him afloat. He held me like I was his girlfriend, or like I was something precious he didn't want to lose.

Then, he leaned forward. He buried his face in the crook of my neck. I felt his nose brush against my skin. He started inhaling, taking deep breaths of my hair and my skin, like he was drinking me in.

I felt a strange heat start at my waist. The Serpent Mark under my clothes began to glow. It was a soft, warm light that only he could feel. He let out a long breath, a sigh of relief. It was the same thing that happened in the hospital. My scent was doing something to him. It was taking away his pain.

We stayed like that for a long time. I was too scared to move, but part of me liked the way his strong arms felt around me. I felt safe for the first time in my life.

But then, his body went stiff. His voice changed, turning cold and sharp again.

"Stand up," he said.