THE ABANDONED LUNA

CHAPTER 4

"The prince has killed every servant he has caught. Ten, so far."

Jade placed her palm on her beating chest, calming herself. What was it, kill? Killing in cold blood? Jade slowly let go of the broom she had carried to clean and took three steps backwards. Aubry had expected this. It was clear the innocent girl knew nothing about the character of the prince. They too, wouldn't have known, if not for the cleaning. They always had to clean up after him. Blood, blood and blood, every time.

Aubry wondered how Rachael let this happen. Naturally she knew she had no choice, especially when it came to the Luna but if Aubry had been Rachael, she would have sent her daughter to a clan far away. The Luna always did this, looked for ripe apples for her son, hoping his wolf would learn to satisfy itself before finding it's mate but how wrong she was. The alpha that lived inside the prince wanted it's mate and nothing but the mate. And these days, it has gotten worse. The alpha is slowly dominating the soul of the prince. And the prince hardly gets to be himself now. It was his wolf, most times.

Jade felt her heart drown each second. This couldn't be it for her. So the Luna just hoped to kill her by her son's hands?

"I can't." Jade whispered, more to herself than to Aubry.

Aubry walked hurriedly towards her and gripped her arms. "You either do this, with extra care and survive or you die by a guards sword immediately you walk out that gate."

Jade gasped in terror, her eyes filling with tears. She was having a hard time swallowing this horrific pill. She felt her knees give up on her. The two were not options she wanted to choose for the better part of her life. She couldn't imagine herself dead. She hardly had a life that she had lived. She was yet to even find her wolf.

Aubry knelt close to Jade and wiped her tears with her aged hands. "You will be fine. I will try my best to protect you but you will need to try harder."

Jade scoffed. No matter how she harder she was to try, she would eventually get caught one day. Nothing could stay hidden forever.

"It's not possible. There's no escape way to this." Jade admitted. "Mistakes are inevitable."

"Yes, they are." Aubry sighed. "But it's the best we can do. The very best."

Jade sighed. She wasn't supposed to allow this get to her. She was stronger than this. Mama had taught her better. Weakness and fear was what got people killed. And if by now, she feared the prince, then she was already dead. Jade felt her soul emitting immense strength in that second. She quickly wiped her damp face, stood up and placed a smile on her beautiful face.

Aubry was surprised at the sudden change of energy. Her mouth was left hanging. If she hadn't seen Jade cry a minute ago, she wouldn't have believed Jade had cried.

"Let's get to work then. We need to be done before His Majesty comes back." Jade said cheerfully as she bent low to retrieve the broom she had abandoned.

Aubry shut her mouth slowly as she watched the dust rise from the furnishings. Together they cleaned till the room was sparkling again.

"Hurry now. We must leave. It's almost noon." Aubry advised as she picked up the brooms and bucket.

Jade nodded. "When he's out most mornings he comes back by noon?"

"Yes dear. His Alpha hates the heat." She replied.

Jade nodded. She knew long ago that some wolves loved the heat whilst some hated it. Some loved the cold whilst some hated it. She hoped hers loved the cold not the heat.

"Am i free to leave after I'm done with my duties?" Jade asked.

Aubry chuckled. "You already wish to retire to your room?"

"No. Home. Seeing as I'm done with my duties."

Jade was already tired of the palace honestly. Years ago, the palace was a place she wanted to visit and now she had already had enough.

Aubry smiled. "You hardly stayed for hours yet. You can only leave the palace in the late evening dear, if you do not wish to spend the night here."

Jade nodded. "That will do too."

Aubry excused herself from Jade, telling her she had other duties to attend. She showed Jade another route to go back to the servants quarters. She said it was quiet and safer for the prince hated the smell of cherries.

As she walked, she looked around for the cherries Aubry said the prince hated. She would make sure to have a good amount of the fruit everyday. Jade giggled. Soon enough, she saw the giant cherry tree and released a small gasp. Under the tree was two love birds wrapped in a warm embrace, showing their love by kissing. Jade smiled. The lady was lucky. It looked like she had already found her mate.

Jade walked silenty past them. She doubted they would notice her intrusion in their heat of passion. Times and times Jade wondered how kissing someone felt like. Every time she encountered two people in the act, they looked like they enjoyed themselves. Even when her Papa and Mama kissed, they looked unsatisfied. To her, she thought it disgusting. She would hate for her saliva to get mixed with someone's in her mouth.

Jade felt her stomach growl as she laid down on her hard bed after removing her gown. The gown felt suffocating enough and she guessed she would take a nap seeing she had nothing to do.

As she observed the room, a knock sounded on her door. Jade wondered who it would be. She doubted it was Marie. Before she reached the door, the visitor had opened the door.

"Cara." Jade greeted cheerfully. She was happy to see Cara with a tray of food. Jade quickly collected the tray and placed it on the side table by her bed.

"Thank you."

Cara nodded. "Mother said you would be hungry. You used up so much energy."

"Mother?" Jade asked curiously.

Cara nodded as she sat down. "Yes. Aubry."

Jade was left shocked. She hadn't noticed the resemblance before but now. She slowly observed Cara's eyes and small plump lips which looked exactly like Aubry's.

"Well you have an amazing mother, Cara." Jade complemented. "I like her."

Cara laughed. "Everyone does. Wait till she bakes you milk cookies."

"Oh! I love cookies." Jade exclaimed. Jade had a sweet tooth. She loved everything sweet.

Cara observed Jade for a second. "You should eat. You look hungry. You looked weak when you walked too."

Jade scrunched her brows. "When i walked?" She asked.

"Yes. When you passed us earlier." Cara explained. "Under the cherry tree." She further explained.

Jade blushed. Cara clearly wasn't shy that she was caught in an intimate position with a man. "It was you?"

Cara chuckled. "Yes."

"You're mated." Jade said, speaking more to herself. Jade wondered how cara was so matured. Now she knew. She had a man, was why.

"Aren't you?" Cara asked Jade.

Jade bent her head low, opening the dish to reveal potatoes and dry steak with a little soup. "No. I am not. I've not even found my wolf yet."

Cara nodded. "You will, soon enough. Your mate will be someone great."

Jade looked up quickly at Cara with that sentence. "Great? Why do you say that?" She asked as she stuffed her mouth with the food.

"Look at yourself. The moon has clearly blessed you already and it will keep blessing you."

"I hope so." Jade prayed. "How does it feel? Having a mate, being with a man?" Jade always wanted to ask this question. But she couldn't ask her mama. Now she had a good opportunity.

"Thoroughly satisfying. He will take you to the moons with pleasure. You will have love, power and lots of ...sex."