The Slave Who Owned The Moon

CHAPTER 10

LUCIAN

Darian is hiding something.

I’m sure of it.

This is the first time he hesitates to answer a question I pose to him. Darian is a straight shooter. He doesn’t mess around or mince words.

He’s also the master at maintaining a straight face, and I’ve always found it hard to decipher what’s going on in that mind of his.

This is the first time I have ever thrown him off.

Don't get me wrong, he's still able to keep a straight face, but not before I notice the cracks in his expression when I mention Amaya. I don't know what it is about her that makes both of us act out of the usual, but I'm going to find out no matter what.

Darian is able to dismiss me, but I’m still not satisfied. My wolf is already searching and won’t be satisfied until he gets his desired answers.

My day would have been good if I hadn't bumped into Evelara in the dining room.

She looks angry, like she wants to kill someone, but immediately she sees me, her frown turns upside down into one of her fake smiles.

Ugh, I just can’t stand her.

“Hey, Lucian. I haven’t seen you all day,” she says.

“I don’t know why we have to see each other. Last I checked, I’m not your mate,” I reply, making sure she understands that I’m in no mood to make conversation with her.

But classic Evelara. She either doesn’t get what I mean or she does and chooses to ignore it.

“I… I know, but I thought it would be best for us to catch up. You could tell me about your travels and the fun things you did. It would be like living vicariously through you.”

“Well, I have no desire to make conversation with you. I mean, as Luna, I should imagine you have better things to do than sit down and chat,” I tell her.

She flinches in shock at my words, then finally asks, “I don’t recall ever doing anything to wrong you, so why don’t you like me?”

I shrug. “You shouldn’t be shocked that I don’t like you because if I have to guess, you’re well aware that a lot of people don’t like you,” I say.

She scoffs. “That’s because it doesn’t matter if they like me or not. They are lowly wolves, and by law, they are supposed to obey me.”

I chuckle in disbelief. How could one person be so full of herself?

“Why does their rank matter?” I ask.

"It matters because it shows that they aren't up to par with me," she responds, like it's the most obvious thing, and I'm silly for even asking that.

"Then, going by your logic, it means I don't have to like you since you aren't up to par with me," I say.

"Well, I'm your soon-to-be sister-in-law," she says. "The mating ceremony is complete; we just have to make our marriage official."

“I don’t smell my brother’s scent on you,” I say. “And that can only mean that he hasn’t imprinted on you. I don’t think you even have the right to talk to me when you aren’t yet a Luna.”

If eyes could kill, I would be six feet underground with the way she’s looking at me. Not only that, I can see that her wolf is itching to come out by her low growl.

My brows raise in curiosity. “What, you want to attack me?” I ask. “I can promise you that attacking me will be the last thing you ever do in your life because I’ll snap your neck faster than you can let your wolf loose.”

“This isn’t over,” she murmurs. “Don’t think I’ll let go of this disrespect.”

“I imagine you won’t. I don’t care what you do with your time, Evelara, but stay away from me and everything that concerns me,” I warn.

Then I walk away from her before she has a chance to say anything else. My initial plan is to grab a quick meal, but she already makes me lose my appetite.

I’m close to my bedroom when I get ambushed by yet another woman, and no, it isn’t the woman I want to see.

“There you are! I’ve been looking for you all day,” she says, and I sigh in frustration.

I really don’t have the energy for this.

“What do you want, Lirra?” I ask.

“I came to see you! I miss you so much,” she replies. “I thought you deserved your rest. That was why I decided to let you be yesterday.”

“I don’t have the energy for this, Lirra, so please leave my way.”

Her smile dims a bit at my words. “I thought you would be happy to see me.”

“And I don’t know what would possibly make you think that.”

“I mean, you know who my father is. It’s only a matter of time before our mating ceremony is arranged, and you and I are the most suited for one another,” she says.

“That’s where you’re wrong, Lirra. There is no you and I. In fact, the first mistake you make is thinking that I would agree to take an arranged mate,” I tell her. “I’m not my brother, so the earlier you get that, the better for you.”

“But I want you,” she pouts like the spoilt child she is. A child I have to deal with.

“Didn’t you hear a word of what I said? I don’t want you. I have never wanted you, and I’ll never want you. The earlier you get that into your thick skull, the better for you.”

She pauses and stares at me in shock, not believing that I could say things like that to her, but I’m done tiptoeing around her feelings.

Then she steels her expression and says, “I want you, Lucian, and I always get what I want.”

With that, she walks away.