Chapter 63: The Explosion
1118 Words
Luna's POV
He dropped me the moment Elena walked in.
Like literally dropped me.
I landed hard on my bum, wincing as the cold tile met my bone. I scrambled to my feet, brushing down the elegant fabric of the gown, pretending like that fall hadn’t just knocked the last breath out of me.
Elena raised a brow, her eyes flicking between us.
“Uhm… am I interrupting something?” she asked, arms crossed.
"No!" Ray and I blurted out in unison.
The silence that followed was so awkward that it could cry. Ray cleared his throat and stepped back, eyes looking everywhere but at me.
“I should head to the men’s section,” he mumbled and disappeared through the curtain.
I let out a shaky breath, refusing to meet Elena’s gaze.
She tilted her head at me, then smiled. “The dress really suits you, Luna. But…” She reached for something behind her. “Your hair’s not really fit for the outfit.”
I blinked. “What do you mean?”
Before I could say more, she placed a long, sleek black wig on my head and adjusted it gently. “Voila!"
We both turned to the mirror. Our reflections stared back—eerily similar to one another.
“You know…” Elena started.
“…We do actually look like each other,” I finished.
Our eyes locked for a second in the mirror, both of us processing the thought. Something tickled in the back of my mind. Not the first time I’d felt this way—if I didn't know any better, I'd say Elena and I were sisters.
I pulled the wig off and shook the thought away. “We should probably get going.”
We gathered our selected clothes and met the Queen and Ray at the counter. The Queen flashed her card and gestured for us to head out.
“I’ll join you in a moment,” she said, smiling.
The air inside the car felt thick. Ray sat beside me, his gaze glued to the window. I didn’t dare look at him either. Elena, seated between us, seemed to be enjoying our little game.
After a few minutes, her nose started twitching. “Do you guys smell that?”
I frowned. “Smell what?”
Before we could get an answer, Elena’s eyes widened. “Out! Get out of the car now!”
Ray didn’t hesitate. He grabbed me, pulling me through the door just seconds before—
BOOM!!!
The car exploded behind us in a blinding flame, pieces flying everywhere.
I hit the ground hard, coughing from the smoke. My ears rang. I pushed up to see Elena bolting after a fleeing figure in the distance.
“Ray!” I turned, finding him unconscious next to me. “Ray! Wake up!”
I shook him, yet nothing.
Then the Queen’s voice cut through the chaos. “Luna! Are you okay?!”
She rushed over with armed men, her expression frantic.
“I heard the explosion,” she panted. “Thank the Moon you’re alive.”
“I think Ray… I don’t know, he’s hurt.”
“Get him in the car!” she barked at the guards.
Another vehicle pulled up. We climbed in and drove back to the mansion at lightning speed. Once we arrived, a guard carried Ray into a room. I followed, refusing to let him out of my sight.
“This is Dr. Ricky,” the Queen introduced. “Our family’s doctor. You can trust him.”
The doctor was mildly middle-aged with silvering hair. “I’ll need some space,” he said.
“Please,” I said. “Let me help. I’m a healer.”
He studied me, then gave a short nod. “Fine. I could use an extra pair of hands.”
He pulled a strange device from his bag, placing it on Ray’s chest. I stared.
“What… is that?”
“A stethoscope,” he said. “Let me hear his heartbeat.”
Fascinating! The world outside the woods was very different.
He checked Ray’s pulse and gave him an injection. “He’ll be okay. Just unconscious. Mild concussion.”
I nodded, pulling out a cloth and starting to clean the blood from Ray’s wounds.
“You’ve got steady hands,” Dr. Ricky said.
“I was trained,” I replied. “Where I came from, we only have healers.”
“Well, no healers here, Luna. Only doctors and surgeons.” He smiled gently. “But maybe your world could teach us a thing or two.”
I tilted my head. “Are you a werewolf too?”
He laughed. “No. Just human. But the Alpha trusts me. I even helped recommend a good specialist for the prince.”
A specialist? For what?
He checked his watch. “I have to go now. Don't worry about your friend here. He’s in good hands.”
The door clicked shut behind him. I knelt beside Ray, brushing hair from his face.
“Come on,” I whispered. “Don’t leave me hanging.”
His eyelids fluttered. Then he opened his eyes—slowly.
“Luna…?” His voice was rough.
I smiled, nearly in tears. “I’m glad you’re okay.”
He pushed himself up, wincing. “Where’s Elena? The last thing I remember was us getting out of the car before it exploded.”
“Relax. She’s fine. I'd be more worried about myself if I were you,” I giggled.
Ray was the kind of guy who always put others first before himself.
Ray groaned and clutched his head. I reached out to support him, and he grabbed my hand.
Our eyes met, and once again, I felt his warm touch.
And then, with no form of hesitation, he pulled me in.
His lips met mine.
Soft yet almost hard. Like he’d been holding this back for far too long.
*********
Elena's POV
After the car had exploded, I saw something run past, and I immediately got up to follow.
I chased the figure down the alley, my heart thundering in my chest.
He turned a corner and stopped. It was a dead end.
“You’re trapped,” I said, stepping closer. “You have nowhere else to run. Better start talking!”
He turned around slowly. Then I saw his eyes… they weren’t normal.
They were pitch black.
“What the hell—"
Then I heard a whisper behind me. "Gotta!”
It was too late for me to turn.
A cloth pressed over my mouth.
I struggled, kicking and clawing, but the scent hit me. Poisoned.
My limbs grew heavy.
And then everything went dark.
- Writer
