His Forsaken Luna-Chapter 12: Sweet Gifts (1)
’You’re playing with fire, Princess.’ The words are a whisper in my mind. The voice was familiar, smooth, honeyed, and a concealed threat. Yet I can’t place it.
"Your Highness." My body shakes gently, snapping my eyes open, allowing the bright light of the morning to sweep away the darkness and the slight spookiness of what occurred in my sleep. The longer I stare into blue eyes with thick lashes any woman dreamed of having, the more it melted away.
What had I been so nervous about?
"You’re awake?" I blink away the fog around my mind and realise Theo is hovering over me, his hands on my shoulders. Today, he is wearing a shirt, but the touch of his skin on mine makes my cheeks blush, reminding me of how intimate we’d been the night before.
Well, we hadn’t done anything besides what we used to do for each other when we were young, I tried to convince myself. It didn’t work.
My mind finally scrambles together his words. "Yes. Please get off me," my voice is raspy, full of sleep.
Theo backs away, hands raised. "I thought you might like my wakeup call better than the maid’s." He was grinning, showing heartrending dimples. My eyes narrow anyway.
"Or would you prefer her instead of seeing my face when you first wake up?" He winks, and my mouth drops open. What happened to the angry man from last night? Since when did he act so carefree?!
I sat upright, realising before I could comment on it that we weren’t the only ones in my bed chamber. Soren is by the door, arms folded, glaring at Theo while said maid is sitting on my usual chair at the table next to the window, feet propped up on the other chair, sipping on a cup of tea.
"The cheek of it," I murmur beneath my breath but shake my head anyway.
Theo followed my gaze and leaned on my bed again, hands beside my thighs, whispering a little too closely to my face. "Is it not better to keep her in a good mood?" His gaze was mischievous, and his playfulness was contagious.
I smirked, understanding what he was doing. "Yes, but I like to annoy her as well," I pout. Theo’s grin slips back on his face, eyes crinkling at the corners, looking at me conspiratorially, like we are sharing a secret or plotting a scheme. Technically, we were.
Theo then glances at Soren, raising his eyebrows, almost like he is goading. But what about? It’s Soren’s shirt he wears. So why are they looking at each other like they are sworn enemies?
My pout drops, realising I was acting a little too familiar with Theo. Soren was frowning at us but when I glanced at him, he looked away, expressionless once more.
"Oh, my days!" Margarette gasps loudly, feet dropping to the ground as she almost tumbles off the chair. "Who is that?! Goddess, he is petrifying!"
Soren marched over to the window, and Theo rolled off the bed, his expression curious. "Is that a Southern Were?" Theo asked as the trio leaned close to the window.
At the mention of a Southern Were, I tumble out of the bed, sheets tangled in my feet. After catching myself on the ground before my face hit the floor, I stumble forward, pushing Theo aside. My breath catches. I knew who it was before I’d made a fool of myself falling over to get to the window: It was Alpha Prince Eryx.
He was strolling towards my palace, head high, two guards behind him. They were all so large, but the Prince’s size was unmeasurable.
A low growl rumbles in Soren’s chest in warning, and the low sound makes something stir inside of me. I back away from them, ignoring the conflicting emotions in my body. "Margarette, help me change," I ordered quietly, stopping in front of my wardrobe.
My heart raced, apprehension tightening a knot in my stomach. After returning last night, my attention had been drawn to Theo. I still didn’t know how I felt about what happened between us. The lavender oils and the soothing balm on my skin also made me pass out pretty quickly.
Any thoughts about the Alpha Prince haven’t crossed my mind until now. He’d blackmailed me and was following up on his promise.
"Do you two plan on watching?" I snap out of my reverie to Margarette’s voice. She arched an eyebrow, and I followed her gaze. Soren and Theo were still in the room. At her words, though, they left the room.
Once the door closed behind them, Margarette whispered, "Be careful with them."
I look at the maid who had never shown any interest in me and my life. Now she was warning me? "It almost sounds like you care, Maggie," I comment and smirk when her entire face grows red, and she scowls at the dresses in the wardrobe.
She never liked that nickname or wanted me to believe there was anything more than a master-servant relationship between us—one where she reported my actions to the Queen Mother unless I offered her something shiny. I don’t blame her. The North was a cruel place. Everyone did what they had to survive.
I sigh as Margarette grabs a yellow dress I never liked wearing. "No." My gaze flicks to another outfit.
"Your Highness!" Margarette gasps. "That is not fitting to see a guest or possible future mate!"
The woman reads the room well.
"It’s perfect," I grin.
𓆩:*¨༺✧ ♛ ✧༻¨*:𓆪
I tug on the black leather gloves, boots clicking along the hallway, platinum blonde hair pulled back in a high ponytail, black ribbon adding to my ’edgy’ assemble. The boots lace up to my knees, black breeches tight against my legs, black lacey corset with sleeves that fall from my shoulders, leaving them bare. There wasn’t enough time to add any makeup, but I felt better in this than any dress when facing that Southern Prince.
This meant war. Maybe that was a little dramatic. No, it wasn’t; a girl needs to prepare for what is next to come.
"What are you wearing?" Theo questioned as he caught up to me.
The slave walked by my side, peering down at me while Soren mumbled expletives and followed, eyes scanning our surroundings in case of any threats. The threat is in my study, Soren!
"Armour," I clipped back, focusing on the door of my study Margarette led the Alpha Prince into. His guards stood by the doors with hardened gazes. The audacity to set them up outside MY study and act like I was a guest in his home!
"Against...?"
I stared at the guards and raised my brows. One banged once on the door, waited a moment and pushed it open. Sarcasm was on the tip of my tongue, but it dissipated when I saw the Alpha Prince sitting behind my desk, making my chair look tiny.
The room seemed smaller than before, like it shrank to his sheer size, and the power crackling in the air demanded any who entered to submit and bow down—that’s an Alpha Prince for you. It didn’t stop my irritation from the man occupying my space like he owned it.
I marched inside the room, intent on confronting the Prince and his behaviours when my boot hit something, and I tripped inelegantly over something on the floor. The desk rushed up to greet me in a blur, but Soren held my arm before my face could smash into the desk; so much for looking cool and collected.
"Thank you." I nodded my gratitude to the knight. Soren released my hand and stepped back, bowing his head. I glanced behind to see what I’d stumbled over and stilled. Bloodied animal carcasses were sprawled across my rug, staining it crimson.
"Idalia." Prince Eryx rose to his full height, once again dwarfing me. On my next inhale, cloves and pine swirled around me, then the copper tangy taste and smell of blood.
"Prince Eryx," I bared my teeth, barely keeping my blasé attitude together before him.
The Alpha Prince shook his head, rounding the desk, and gripped my hand in his, lowering his face to my knuckles; he frowned at the gloves but kissed me anyway. "Call me Eryx," he purred smoothly in that honeyed accent that made my insides melt a little.
What in the Goddess? Clovers and pine grew more potent as his gaze held onto mine. Those pale green eyes and that heavenly scent couldn’t distract me, though. I refused!
Taking a step back, my hand slipped from him swiftly, and I pointedly looked at the carcasses. "How romantic, Your Highness," I replied dryly.
A low growl reverberated through his chest, and he took another step towards me, closing the distance I’d put so much effort into putting. "Are they not enough?" He asked with a rumble, his pupils dilated and eyes glowing lightly.
"Huh?" I was dumbstruck.
Prince Eryx tilted his head, assessing me with a frown. "It is customary for a Were to bring their mate kills."
