Vampire Luna

So Wrong But So Right

Nova

I was stuck at this stupid dinner that my father insisted we have between our family, and Xavier’s. I smile as they talk about the wedding, and Xavier’s mother, who is actually human, talks on and on about the details. Xavier’s mom is just like mine. She found out about the existence of vampires, and whenever that happens the person gets two choices. They can die, or they can be wed to one of our own, and turned once their spouse chooses. I’m not sure when Xavier’s dad would want to change her, not now though. She was pregnant with his third child.

She really was beautiful though. She had such a glow to her dark skin, and her light brown eyes had such life. I couldn’t imagine why anyone would want to give that up. 

Everyone at the table suddenly looked at Xavier and I. I tried to figure out what happened. My mother realized I wasn’t paying attention because she gave me a small recap, “Is that what you want Nova? Do you want us to invite other covens to the wedding, or are you both okay with just our coven?”

They were looking at me mostly, so I acted like the perfect Vampire Queen in my fathers eyes. I turned to Xavier and said, “Oh honestly whatever you think is best. I know you always have our best interest in mind, so what do you think?”

Xavier gave such a repulsive smile, like he was glad that I was asking him what he wanted. He turned back to the table and answered, “Let’s invite everyone that we can. I want them all to know about the wedding, and about me. We just have to make sure the wolves don’t hear about it, because they’ll be able to hurt any of the vampires not from our pack.”

My father pointed at him happily. “See, I knew Xavier’s perfect. He’s already thinking ahead, and knowing we have to look out for those dogs.” Everyone at the table nodded and smiled at Xavier.

I hated it. I wanted to run out of there so fast. But instead I just smiled right along. Xavier flashed me his fangs. I wish I could just rip them out of his stupid mouth. He can’t even be humble for one second. If only I could have had at least a little say about who I married. Then I’d be a little happier. Yes, I hate the idea that I need a husband in order to rule, but maybe if I liked the guy it would make the pain from the sexist rule hurt a little less. The rest of the dinner went on, and I managed to make it without yelling, or rolling my eyes even. I was glad my father wanted to take Xavier into a meeting with the royal guards, because I didn’t want to give him the chance to try and come after me. 

I went to my room, and Gale was there sitting on my bed.

“You’re off to meet wolf boy right?” she asked.

“Yup. I just need to change out of this gown. I am not going into the woods like this again.” I complained as I started to shift through my closet. I pulled out jeans, and a plain grey blouse. I started to change with Gale in the room. I didn’t care that she was here, Gale is like a sister. 

“How long do you think this is going to take? You know, until he leads you to the Alpha or whatever?” she asked. 

I shrugged, “I really don’t know. All I know is that I have to focus when I’m with him, and try to ask all the right questions.”

“Which is?”

I shrugged again, “I don’t know, but I’ll feel it while I’m there.”

For some reason I knew when I was with him I tended to get a little distracted. Maybe it was because it was my first real time seeing a werewolf, and interacting with one, but I couldn’t let that cloud my mind. I had a mission, and I had to honor that. No matter what it felt like to hold his hand, or how nice it was that he opened up to me. If I let myself get caught up with the wolf it would be bad news. 

Once I was dressed Gale sighed, “Just please be careful.”

I walked toward the door and turned back to her, “I always am.”

Jett

Connor and I had been practicing fighting for about two hours, and before I knew it we were too tired to continue. I headed back inside to clean up to get ready to meet Morgan. I could tell Connor wasn’t too happy about that because he had kept asking me if we could do anything else, or if I would just change my mind, but I didn’t want to. Sure I kept replaying what happened the last time we met up in my head, and I definitely didn’t tell Connor about that. Yet, I knew I had to keep my head clear. Our pack hasn’t had any knowledge from the vampire coven for the past couple of years. Even when my dad became Alpha he didn’t really get to know anything about them. He and his Beta met up with the Constantine royal family once, and that was it. 

I know we haven’t had any problems with the coven and the treaty, but I knew I had to do something to get an upper hand for when I became Alpha. The truth was I’m scared the vampires will realize that I’m not really a strong Alpha, or that I don’t really know what I’m doing. If I don’t have something to prepare myself, then I might end up dooming my pack. Morgan was my chance to ensure my pack’s safety. 

Once I had cleaned up, I told Connor I was leaving, and to tell anyone who asked that I was just taking a walk. I had only been to the spot in the woods twice, but it already felt like an instinct to follow that same path. When I got to the opening where the boulder was, she wasn’t there yet. I wondered if she was even gonna show. She could have changed her mind. She doesn’t seem like the kind of person to go back on her word. Then again it’s not like I know much about her. She is a vampire after all. 

I suddenly picked up a scent, the faint smell of roses filled me. I panicked for a quick second, making sure that she wasn’t late because she was bringing back up, but she was the only scent I could pick up. She came into the opening, and her red eyes locked with mine. She gave a small smile that I returned. “Hey. Good to see you again.” she said. 

I walked closer to her but not too close, “Yeah same here. So how have you been? How’s the whole fiance thing?”

She blinked, then shrugged, “The same. I hate him. He hates me. He tries to kiss me, I make excuses.”

I didn’t know that he actually tried to kiss her, even though she visibly hated him. I felt a scowl grow on my face, “That’s disgusting.” I said out loud, at first not meaning to, but then not regretting it. It was gross that he was trying to force a kiss on her. She may be a vampire, but that didn’t mean that she deserved that. By what she’s told me before I know she can at least have some emotion, and that she actually did want to know what love felt like. Yet, she was stuck. 

She walked over to the boulder and sat up on it. She leaned on her hands and kept her eyes on me. “Yeah it is. They’re already talking about wedding details and it makes me want to run away.”

“Why don’t you?’ I asked. 

She shrugged. She looked so sad. I’ve seen her sad so many times, I wonder if she’s sad all the time, or if she really is just that open with me. I chased the thought away, because knowing that she trusted me made it a little harder to use her. I needed to figure out a way to use this conversation to my advantage. I just didn’t know how. Maybe I should just focus on building her trust, then I can get something useful later. 

“It’s hard. Getting by on my own might seem easy. I know some people think vampires are lonely creatures, but...I’m not at least. I don’t know. I have a friend I couldn’t leave.”

A friend. If she literally had only one friend she cared about, then it would be easy for me to insert myself as one of her friends. “Well that is difficult. So do you have a plan? Or are you just going to deal with it?” 

She raised an eyebrow, “Sort of, but not really. I thought I could prove that I don’t really need a husband, but I don’t think that will be easy.”

I was trying to be in her good graces, but I really had to know, “Are all vampires really that sexist?”

She chuckled, “No. Trust me it’s complicated. I don't want to get into it all, but the answer is no, not all.”

“So you don’t have a full plan really?”

She shook her head, she still had a smile on her face from her chuckle earlier. Like she was in a playful mood, and I couldn’t help but like knowing that she wasn’t all that sad anymore.  “Nope. I wouldn’t even know where to begin. I mean do I find like a mistress or something.”

I couldn’t help but laugh, “Yeah sure, I bet that will be fun. You seem to already be good about sneaking out.” I gestured to the area around us, to let her know I was talking about our secret encounters. 

She giggled, “Yeah that’s true. I can use this as practice. See how long I can go without my fiance looking for me.”

“Should we start timing our meetings so you can know?” 

Her eyes were still filled with a playful twinkle in them, “Oh yes please. I’ll have to remember next time.” she let out another small laugh and it slowly faded, and so did the twinkle in her eyes. She was sad again. “But I don’t know. What if I fell in love with the mistress. It would suck even more to know I couldn’t be openly involved with them.”

She really did want to know what it was like to be in love. I may not know many vampires, or any really, but I think she’s still really pretty. I don’t know why there wasn’t any vampire who liked her, or wanted to be with her. Maybe there was, but it was complicated like she said. I thought the vampire dating world was much like the humans. They just found someone they liked, and asked them out. But apparently there were arranged marriages still. Apparently she was stuck with it. 

“I know you have a girlfriend, but is it usual for wolves to date even if they’re not old enough for a mate bond.” she asked. 

“It’s half and half really. Some do, some don’t. Some don’t see the point, and others think it’s good to experience choice before the Moon Goddess chooses for you. Not that we don’t want that. When I decided to go out with my girlfriend, it’s because I really felt like I loved her, like there was no way she wouldn’t be my mate, so why wouldn’t we go out.”

Morgan shifted, and asked, “But you don’t really love her anymore?” I shook my head and she continued, “Does that ever happen like with high rank wolves. I mean I imagine it would be even more awkward if the Alpha dated someone, and someone else came out as Luna.”

I almost started off the sentence with ‘my parents’, but I caught myself, “The current Alpha and Luna both didn’t date, but I know it’s happened. It is a little weird, but there is nothing they can do. Especially if it’s between Alpha and Luna, the Moon Goddess chooses the Luna for a reason. Rejecting a mate has happened, but in my pack it hasn’t happened with an Alpha and Luna.”

I felt like I gave enough information to ask, “What about you with the King and Queen, how does that work.?”

She hesitated, then spoke, “The King gets to choose really. Since we live forever basically, he can even choose to divorce and remarry. The current King has only done that once, but I don’t know to me it sucks”

“Can the girl say no to marrying him?”

She was stopping a lot while talking like she was watching what she was saying. “Yes. But it’s disgraceful to do so, some have no option though.”

“Why do some have the option and others don’t?” I asked. Her entire demeanor changed. She was more serious, and she was staring at me like I was lesser than her. She was intimidating, but it didn’t particularly work on me. Maybe if I was an Omega, but to me it didn't. Instead I respected the fact that she was at least trying. 

I didn’t think she would answer the question, but she still did, “Because some of them are human.” 

Human? They actually took humans as their royalty? I didn’t know that one. I didn’t even think my father knew that one. “That’s interesting.” I said slowly.

She nodded, and slipped off the boulder. “Is the current Queen human?” 

Her stare was hard, “I think I should go before they start looking for me.”

Damn it, I asked too many questions. She was detaching from me. She started to walk away, I needed to apologize or something. The only thing I thought to do was go toward her, and grab her arm. She spun around, and looked like she was going to shove me away, then she just stopped. She stared at my hand on her arm. I did it again. I touched her, and I made myself feel the way I did last time. My mind felt foggy when I touched her. Like every decision I would make with her near me, would be stupid. I knew she was feeling something too because she didn’t step away. 

She instead walked closer to me, and put her hand on my arm, mirroring how I was holding her. She blinked as she looked from one arm to the other. She looked back at me, “You know, we have to stop doing this. It feels...nice, but on the surface, I feel like it’s wrong.”

She wasn’t letting go still, but I knew she was right. It was exactly how I felt about it. But when I was with her like this, I felt any barriers I had, go down; I wanted to be honest with her, “Even talking to you feels wrong. If we’re already doing that, why not just do this. It’s not like we’re kissing or anything romantic.” The idea of kissing her crossed my mind, and what surprised me more was that I didn’t particularly feel grossed out. 

“So what? We keep meeting here, and just hold hands or something?”

“Sure why not. Would you want that?” I had never hoped she’d say yes more than I did right now, and I got my wish, as she whispered, “Yes.”