His Forsaken Luna-Chapter 52: True Friend or Foe

My steps faltered, and I flung myself to the wall, peering over it to watch Soren. It really was him! I couldn’t believe my eyes. He must have shifted recently or... I stopped my thoughts and leaned over the corner of the wall more to see him.

Every time I’d asked Theo about Soren, he’d stated my knight had been called away. He never said anything more about it, leaving me to wonder about my only guard. Alaric would never call him away without having him replaced, even if it was for ten minutes.

Once Soren took a left, another corridor that leads closer to Deyanira’s quarters, my legs started to move before my brain could properly function. Damn, my curiosity. No, it wasn’t just curiosity, I realised.

My gut was twisting, and paranoia was clutching at my chest and mind. I had to stop my thoughts from spiralling. However, one question was too loud and did remain.

Was he going to the Queen Mother?

My steps were quiet—I knew this to be so because Soren hadn’t looked around as I followed him inside the palace. I tried to keep my heart from pounding so loudly in my ears, but it didn’t work. When I drew closer, I held my breath altogether.

I felt paranoid about Soren and Deyanira. She’d obviously taken a few lovers, no matter their station, slaves, guards or potentially a noble. I think I’d be sick if Soren was a part of that little harem.

Soren was a knight led by honour, though. He wanted to prove his loyalty to me. Would he return to me with critical information like he promised? I won’t assume anything until he returns to me.

I rounded another corner, and a gasp almost burst from my lips. Soren’s back was to me, standing outside Deyanira’s door. Now that I was closer, I could see better. There was a recent wound slowly healing on the back of his neck.

A wound I knew already I’d inflicted. I must be seeing things. That wound was from something else. It didn’t look exactly the same.

Oh, but it did. Nausea really did rise up my throat. I covered my mouth, backing away. My legs shook and almost crumbled beneath me.

I need to get out of here. I need to... I swallowed the bile, blinked away the blurry vision of my unshed tears and sprinted down the hallway in the opposite direction.

I need air.

I need space.

I need to hide.

Was there anyone I could truly trust in this goddess-forsaken world?!

Pain as sharp as any knife stabbed me in the chest and began cruelly twisting.

Soren tried to kill me.

Soren tried to kill me.

This wasn’t real. No, they were Deyanira’s orders. Soren couldn’t decline her order. That had to be it. It had to be.

I burst through the doors and gasped like my life depended on the cold air. That gasp turned into ragged breaths, and I squeezed my eyes shut, hoping to dim the pain and rationalise what I’d seen.

The wound was exactly the same. There was no need for Kharis and Cohnal to look into this further. I’d shared my bed with the man who’d thrown not one but multiple knives at my head. I even have a scratch on my neck where it scraped me.

I’d barely registered the sting before, but now it throbbed like a constant reminder that I needed to be smart with who I trusted. My breaths calmed as I focused on the pain in my neck. My eyes dried as I let the cold wind sweep over me.

This was no time to wail like a baby. Soren was and most certainly still is Deyanira’s spy. If I’d forgotten that, then I was a fool. I cannot blame my heat. I’d been cosy with him for years, comfortable in his presence.

No, I need to think logically. Will Soren return to me and pretend like he hadn’t thrown a blade at my face? Or will he tell me everything?

If it is the former, then I will kill him myself; if it is the latter, I will never trust him. I know this to be true. I will always doubt him.

"Lia!"

My head snapped up at the nickname. Eryx was scowling as he marched towards me, his long strides eating up the distance in seconds. I saw him but didn’t register the Alpha Prince. My mind was still reeling with what I’d seen.

I cannot involve him in this. Until I know for certain where Soren stands, I cannot tell Eryx that I discovered the assassin.

"You ran off and..." He stops before me, trailing off, his scowl deepening as those green eyes flick between mine. "What happened?" His hands clamp down on my shoulders, jolting me from my daze. "Are you hurt?"

A flicker of what appears to be concern flashes across his features. "Lia?" He shakes my shoulders, and my entire body almost flops over. Eryx realised his own strength and stopped the action.

"I’m fine," I say, sounding more confident than I felt.

Slowly, the fragments of myself that had shattered only moments ago were being built again as I straightened my shoulders, my gaze hardening. "I am completely fine," I say again.

Eryx searches my gaze a while longer, his scowl deepening before he steps back and nods once. "Good. Next time, hyperventilate indoors away from prying eyes," he scoffs, but there is no bite in it. It was merely a suggestion. "Now, let me walk you back. Faidon informed me that your guard has yet to return to the palace."

Yes, he does. My knight was with Deyanira, still naked from shifting back into his human form from earlier’s assassination attempt. He would most likely return when she was done with him and his wound had healed.

So lost in my thoughts, I allowed the Alpha Prince to take my hand and, slip it into the crook of his arm and guide me back.