CHAPTER 8: Call Me Luna
1412 Words
FORSYTHIA’S POV
I was an outsider. It was no wonder the people in this palace hated me. That girl named Unila was right; Mak should have a better lover than me. And I didn't mind sleeping alone a few days a month.
Thinking about having to sleep with Alpha Mak after the wedding, I unconsciously pursed my lips and shrank back in shame.
"What’s wrong?" Mak asked.
He was walking beside me. We had just finished our s****l health checkup. It was already past nine o'clock in the evening by the time we finished.
"Nothing." I shook my head, my hands clasped at my waist.
Two omegas stood at the entrance to the upper floor, guns in hand. They bowed to us. It took a lot of self-control not to bow back.
"Have you visited the pack yet?" Mak asked, his hands clasped behind his back.
"Not yet."
The entrance was guarded, but the hallway was not. I saw cameras placed everywhere, indicating that this place didn't need many people to keep it safe.
"You should go."
"After I’m officially the Luna. I don’t like being bullied for being an outsider." My statement probably ended the conversation as we reached my room. However, curiosity led me to ask, "There aren’t many betas in the hallway. Aren’t you afraid of intruders?"
"My betas will appear when you need them most. They don't need to do this kind of guard duty." Mak smiled, a military secret lying behind that smile. Clearly, I didn't need to know what that secret was.
"I thought you would protect the person you swore to protect more thoroughly." I crossed my arms, not forgetting to appear as a haughty young lady.
"My Luna, I should be protecting my people from you instead." Mak leaned his upper body toward me; I automatically stepped back.
He smiled with satisfaction at having teased me, his hands in his pockets. Straight back, chest puffed out majestically. "Well, to answer your question about protection, you should know that after the wedding, you will be staying in the same room as me. And that is the safest place you can be."
Footsteps sounded, and my nose picked up the faint scent of the girl from this morning. The one who clearly showed her affection for my mate.
An idea popped into my head.
"Alpha Makarios, may I ask a favor?" I spoke up.
Mak raised an eyebrow, his ears twitching slightly, clearly listening.
"Can you kiss me? To prove to everyone that I am truly protected by you."
"With pleasure, my lady." He wrapped an arm around my waist. His other hand lifted my chin.
When his lips touched mine, there was a clear struggle happening inside me. On one side, my wolf growled in satisfaction at being loved by its fated mate. The other side was disgust. I tried to focus on the disgust. His saliva, his tongue, and his sharp teeth made my lower lip ache like crazy.
The important thing was, even when dominated by pain and physical disgust, I still felt complete and safe in his arms.
When we let go, both Mak and I looked clearly startled.
"I didn't think you would use your tongue," I said as I stepped back.
"I didn't think you would welcome it." Mak rested one hand against the doorframe. His body suddenly appeared larger than before in my eyes.
Unila and her friend had just entered my room to set down the food; they blushed and bowed to us as they left.
"Goodbye." I slammed my bedroom door shut.
My stubborn heart pounded in my chest. I grabbed the doorknob, realizing once again that it was locked.
Unable to do anything else, I threw myself onto the bed. Face buried in the pillow, I writhed while remembering the kiss with Mak. I had only met him a day ago; why was I so drawn to him?
"Jack, Draco, revenge," I muttered for a while as I drifted to sleep.
***
While waiting for the health check results, I was unwillingly taken by Ema to tour the pack. My conclusion after the tour was: Vanguard was wealthy, owned vast lands, and cared about the most urgent issue right now—the ecosystem.
Mak’s words about the value of something that causes death echoed in my head day and night. I began to train my own power, aiming more toward killing than making plants grow quickly.
There was one more extremely important thing to do: trying on wedding dresses. Ema insisted I spend time choosing wedding dresses. Eventually, she ran off to work, leaving me with the gorgeous dresses and omegas who were constantly wary of me.
"Ms. Greenwood, what do you think of this dress?" A petite girl asked. She had wheat-colored skin, extremely unique red eyes, and brown hair neatly tied behind her back.
Looking in the mirror, swaying in the strapless mermaid dress with a tight waist, I replied, "It's quite pretty, Olivia, but it seems a bit tight on me."
"You are fatter than the previous Luna." Omega Unila, the girl who had a crush on Mak, spoke up.
"What do you mean?"
"That was the dress of the previous Luna. Alpha Michael’s wife, Luna Charlotte."
"What happened?"
"The Alpha killed Michael, felt no interest in Charlotte, so he killed her too. In. Bed."
She stepped forward with a large pair of scissors, pushing Olivia aside. The corner of her mouth curled up with amusement. "I’ll make a few adjustments."
She thrust the scissors straight into my waist. I was startled, thinking the tip had pierced straight into my stomach. It was close.
"Oops, I’m sorry. I’m so clumsy. But you’re fine." Unila giggled as she began to cut away the tight fabric.
"Unila, be careful, Ms. Greenwood will be hurt." Olivia gently reminded her.
"I am being careful, Ollie!"
The omegas beside us were pale with fear but huddled to the side. That was when I realized, here, Unila was Jill.
When Unila raised the scissors, she intended to stab the other side and was stopped by me. I grabbed the tip of the scissors, wresting them from Unila’s hand.
She was startled, eyes widening as she stared at me. "What’s the matter, Ms. Greenwood?"
"How much money do you get per month?" I asked, slowly gripping the handle of the scissors.
"Five thousand dollars." Unila replied, her eyes tracking the tip of my scissors.
"Olivia, how much do you get?"
Olivia lowered her head, stammering. "Um, since my whole family lives outside the palace, not serving the Alpha directly. And I get food and drink covered here, so my salary is five hundred dollars a week."
"Is it the same for the others?"
They nodded. Unila stepped forward defiantly. I growled, and she backed away. Quickly, I lunged forward, using my hand to pin her neck, pointing the scissor tip straight at her throat.
"Ms. Greenwood!" She roared.
I pushed the scissor tip deeper into her throat; drops of blood began to flow.
"Call me Luna!" I commanded.
The remaining omegas knelt in unison. "Luna Forsythia, please calm your anger."
I pushed the scissors deeper. Unila finally had to moan. "Lu–Luna..."
"Good girl." I smiled with satisfaction, loosening the scissors. "You are Unila Klein, aren't you?"
"Y... yes... Luna." Unila still hesitated.
"Because you are the highest-paid but act the clumsiest, I’m cutting your salary this month. You will stay in your room, no going out, no eating, no drinking until you sew the most beautiful wedding dress in the world for me. Understand?"
"You can't..."
I pushed the scissors into her again.
"Yes, yes, Luna, I understand." She burst into sobbing tears.
"So, this dress..." Olivia asked tremblingly.
"Why should I wear an old dress of an out-of-date Luna? Unila will sew another dress for me. And it must be so beautiful that anyone will turn their head to look." I let Unila go.
She clutched her bleeding neck, crawling into the arms of the other omegas. Their faces were now filled with panic.
"Well?" An exclamation escaped. I looked toward the door and saw Mak leaning against the doorframe. His lips were curled high.
"They hurt me. I..." I tried to repeat his words coldly. "...punished her. Do you like that?"
"My little cruel mate, I love how you use your power to bully my people." In that sarcastic tone, I knew that he was angry.
- Writer
