Rejected Luna, Vampire Queen

chapter 10

Alpha Damon stepped into the hall like a god of death. He didn't run, but every slow, heavy footfall made the floorboards groan. He ignored the crowd, his gaze locked solely on the center of the room where I stood shamed and exposed.

His dark eyes burned with a cold fire. As he reached the circle, the guards holding my arms recoiled so fast they nearly tripped over their own feet. They stood back, trembling.

Damon towered over Mary and the elder. His face twisted into a mask of pure, lethal rage. "What is the meaning of this?" His voice wasn't a shout, but the weight of it made my ears ring.

Mary’s face drained of color. She shook like a leaf in a storm, her throat working as she struggled to find words. "Alpha... I... she was lying!" She pointed a shaking finger at me, desperation high in her voice. "She claimed to be your Luna! She said she was the bride, and we knew she was just a human spy, so we were—"

Damon didn't let her finish. "She is right," he countered. The words hit the room like a physical blow. "She is my Luna. And you dared to treat her like this?"

An instant, suffocating silence filled the hall. You could have heard a pin drop. Hundreds of eyes darted between us in total shock. The "Devil Alpha" had chosen a human?

Damon stepped further into the crowd, forcing them to shrink back in fear. "Even if she were not my Luna," his voice dropped to a terrifying growl, "is this how you treat the weak? Is this the pride of my pack? Attacking a girl because she has no claws?"

He turned his head slowly toward Mary. She looked ready to faint. "I will forgive you once because you are weak yourself," Damon bit out. "But understand this: there is no second chance. If you touch her again, you will not live to see the sun."

Before I could breathe a word of thanks, he reached down. He tucked one arm under my knees and the other behind my back, lifting me as if I were made of feathers. I felt small and fragile in his massive arms.

My heart nearly jumped out of my chest. Why was he holding me like this in front of everyone? I looked up at his jaw, which remained tight and hard as granite.

"But... Alpha," the elder stammered, stepping forward with a trembling voice. "The prophecy. A human girl cannot... she won't handle the—"

Damon stopped. He didn't even turn around. "Who is in charge of this pack?"

The elder immediately dropped to his knees, pressing his forehead to the floor. "You are, Alpha," he whispered.

"Then do not dare question my choices. You are to do exactly as I say. Is that understood?"

"Forgive my tongue, Alpha," the elder pleaded from the ground.

Damon didn't wait for more. He raised his voice until it echoed off the high rafters. "This ceremony is dismissed! Everyone, out!"

He marched out of the hall with me in his arms. I felt hundreds of eyes burning into my skin—confused, angry, and curious—but no one dared to move until he was gone.

We moved through the long, dim hallways of the mansion in silence. I could feel the heat of his body through his shirt, making my head spin. I wanted to thank him, but his expression was a dark storm cloud.

Finally, he reached my door and set me down. My feet hit the floor, and I gripped the handle to keep from collapsing.

"The instruction was simple." He didn't look at me; he stared at the wall as if I weren't there. "Buy the dresses. Come back on time. That was all."

A lump formed in my throat. "I can explain... I was trapped. Logan and Miracle, they—"

"Keep your excuses." He cut me off, his voice turning into ice. "Any more words will only make me angrier. I have no interest in your petty problems."

He finally turned his gaze to me, but the protection was gone. His eyes were cold and distant.

"I am disappointed in you, Amanda. I thought you were different. Instead, you are just a girl who cannot follow a simple order without causing a disaster."

He turned on his heel, his cape snapping behind him as he vanished into the shadows of the hall. I stood there alone, shivering in my torn dress. The Devil Alpha had saved my life, but I could feel the bridge betw

een us burning to ashes.