My Oblivious Luna

Chapter 5: Damien's Fury

Mara POV

Dante and the mutt are finally out of the way. I was blinded by Damien’s false promises of power and riches if he got what he wanted, but deep down I knew I wasn’t part of those plans. He only needed me to tend to the girl since I’m the only “gentle hand”around in the palace.

I don’t know why I didn’t think of getting rid of her sooner. Although I wouldn’t have been able to get away with it alone, if I would have known Dante was against all of this, I would have teamed up with him long ago and we could have avoided this whole Damien against Dante ordeal. On the bright side, it should be easier to get Damien’s attention now that she’s out of the picture.

Damien wouldn’t dare break the treaty and trespass into the human realm over some puny she-wolf. After all, no one suspects it was the demon king himself who kidn*pped the girl 5 years ago. I'm positive I can convince him my heir would be more pure and stronger than that of a werewolf w***e. A demon-werewolf hybrid would be an abomination to his royal lineage. I could never comprehend what was so special about this one.

I make my way back into the palace after a well deserved pampering at the salon. After all, I have to look my best if I plan to seduce Damien and make him forget that girl. I have to take back what’s rightfully mine.

As I turned the knob of the palace door, beginning to walk through, I stop dead in my tracks at the sight before me. The palace is unrecognizable. It looks as if a tornado made its way through the palace, leaving no corner untouched by its destruction. I knew Damien could be hotheaded, but this… this reaches a new extent. I slowly crept through the front entrance, looking around at the once beautiful halls of the palace, finding bits and pieces of the once exquisite murals that lined the walls, the burnt leftovers of the satin curtains, and massive fist-sized holes in the brick walls of the palace.

With every step I take, the crackling of glass can be heard underneath my heels. I hesitate to continue down my path as I reached the roars of the perpetrator, coming from the kitchen. I begin to turn in the opposite direction, preparing myself to make a run for my bedroom just as a plate flies past me at an incredible speed, hitting the wall in front of me, causing it to litter the floor in millions of tiny pieces. I slowly turn back towards the direction of my assailant, coming face to face with the wrath of a king who had just lost his would-be mistress.

“D-d-damien, m-my love… is t-there anything I can do for you, my king?” I struggle to get the words out as he only stares at me with his glowing eyes, illuminating a bright red I have never seen before.

I stumble backwards out of fear as he slowly stalks toward me, pointing an accusing finger in my direction. “YOU!” He growls menacingly.

“You had one task! And it was to ensure the girl never leaves her room! How did she get to Dante!”

“I don’t know your majesty! He must have taken her before he left…” I all but manage to whisper the last part, cowering in fear at the pure anger spewing from Damien.

If he suspects that I had some part in her escape with Dante, I’ll surely be punished, or worse. He leans closely to me, searching for any sign that could have something to do with her disappearance. I cower further in a feeble attempt to hide my guilt. He takes a step back, his eyes piercing my soul and his words spoken in the most cruel tone he has ever used with me.

“If you were involved in Dante’s scheme, the punishment is death. You and anybody you care for will suffer the same fate, regardless of their involvement. You and your loved ones will be made an example for the whole community to witness what will happen to anybody who dares to cross the demon king.”

I nod hesitantly, excusing myself without uttering a single word, scurrying to my chambers, locking the door behind me. This did not go as I thought… I fumble for my phone, looking up at the door to make sure I really locked it. I punch in Dante’s number, only to get his voicemail. Over and over, I attempt to call him, leaving voicemail after voicemail. As a mid-level demon, I have no power to communicate telepathically with those of royal blood. I decide to open a link with my twin brother… warning him to stay away from the palace until I can figure out an escape plan or until I know for sure Damien doesn’t suspect me.

I could care less about my mother or what becomes of her. The w***e abandoned Malachi and I when we were born. We were taken in by a palace slave, securing our entrance into the royal palace. Malachi showed how useful he is in combat and, since he was about ten or eleven, he was trained by the best royal warriors assigned to him by the previous demon king. He secured a position as one of the most respected warriors in the royal army. When Malachi proved himself worthy, he was assigned to the demon king himself, later continuing to work under Damien when he overthrew his father at just 19 years old.

I, on the other hand, used my talents in a different way. I worked my way up the ranks from a palace servant, managing to seduce the younger prince in the process, becoming his play toy. This allowed me to get closer to who I was really after, and that was Damien. I knew he was next in line to become the demon king, so I dedicated myself to proving I was worthy of the throne beside him. Once Damien became king, I was able to come up with a way for Damien to benefit from our marriage for political gain. He seemed more trustworthy with a woman by his side, and he couldn’t yet reveal that he had that mutt hostage until after she conceived. I lay back on my bed staring at the ceiling, worried about what is to come. I felt like helping Dante would have favored me, but damn was I wrong.