The Secret (2)
Alkrevas walked over to the bed and stopped at its side. For a moment, he stood still and asked Norris not to disturb Luna anymore within her mind. Then, Alkrevas examined the bracelet on his hand and muttered an incantation. The bracelet became enveloped in a dark purple light and a black mist. Finally, the light disappeared, and the bracelet returned to its original state.
Carefully, Alkrevas placed the bracelet on one of Luna’s ankles. When he finished, he gently caressed her exposed leg, ending with a stroke on Luna’s trembling back. He sighed softly and lay down, pulling Luna into his embrace and kissing the claim mark on her neck. “This is what I want, for you to be in my arms, my soulmate.”
“What did you do to me?”
“I didn’t do anything, Luna. I only did what I should do as your soulmate. I just wanted to know what you were thinking. Soulmates share not only one heart, soul, and life but also one mind.” Alkrevas smiled and began to move his hand up, exploring Luna’s body, stopping at her breasts and gently squeezing them. Luna’s entire body shivered, and a protest escaped her lips.
“Just like your personality, you also have a strong and brave mind,” Alkrevas whispered sensually. “And honestly, that’s very enticing, making me excited to see you fight against me.”
Alkrevas pressed his genitalia against Luna’s buttocks, hardened by his morning erection, a usual occurrence for a man. However, Luna’s resistance and efforts increased his desire, and he sensually rubbed himself against her buttocks.
Luna tried to resist. Her body was still tired and sore from their lovemaking the entire night, and if he touched her again, she wouldn’t be able to move. The thought of the pain and fullness she felt when he knotted inside her made her shudder.
Luna glanced at the bed sheets, which had bloodstains, reminding her again that the man lying beside her was the one who took her virginity.
Adding to that, the adrenaline she felt had vanished, leaving her weak. She didn’t want to accept her defeat and tried to break free, but all his touches and actions against her successfully made her body betray her. The electric shocks running through her body felt like growing flames, and Luna couldn’t hold back her desire. Unlike before, she couldn’t resist.
Even without any aphrodisiac or the scent of Byzantium smoke as a trigger, she was conscious and in control. Yet, she was lured and entranced by his touch. The electrifying sensation throughout her body felt so pleasurable, and Luna opened her mouth, letting out a beautiful moan like a siren’s song.
Alkrevas smiled in victory, clearly seeing that the mate bond tying him to Luna’s soul had the same effect on her as it did on him. Alkrevas purred happily and hugged Luna even tighter. “Should I give you more attention, my Luna? I think you want it so badly.”
“No-Ugh…” Luna squeezed her eyes shut.
Alkrevas inhaled deeply, taking in Luna’s natural feminine scent that filled the room. Still, it all ended when Savon contacted him through the mind link. “Alpha, your presence is requested in the meeting room.”
Alkrevas stopped moving and growled softly, causing Luna to flinch. He kissed the top of her head and whispered an apology before responding to Savon, “Didn’t I tell you not to disturb me during mating time?”
Sorry, Alpha. It’s a military situation.
What’s going on?
One of the border teams in the southern region spotted a group of Goblins. Not far from the border wall.
Damn! Those giant green-skinned creatures are causing trouble again! Alkrevas muttered as he released Luna, then got out of bed and called for the palace servants. Shortly after, the Emperor’s servant and Luna’s maid arrived and stood obediently on one side of the room with their heads bowed.
“I have to go to the meeting.” His servant nodded in understanding and began to work. “Help Luna get ready.” Then Luna’s maid also moved to work.Content (C) Nôv/elDra/ma.Org.
Alkrevas stepped closer to Luna, covering her with a blanket, then whispered, “I will attend a meeting with my generals. Get ready, and we will have breakfast together.”
Luna pressed her lips thin and said nothing. Alkrevas chuckled softly and murmured, “Trying to give me the silent treatment, huh? Luna, respond to me with your voice.” Luna didn’t budge and chose to close her eyes. “Or do you want me to touch you in front of the servants?”
“Go away!” Luna hissed angrily.
Alkrevas wasn’t offended by Luna’s sharp tone; he just laughed and stole a kiss from her lips. Then, he walked out of the room towards the Emperor’s residence.
…
Luna sat with a distant gaze in the sunroom at the Emperor’s residence. After an awkward breakfast with that psychopathic Emperor and his subordinates, Luna chose to return to the Emperor’s residence.
After all, she had no other option but to go to the Emperor’s residence to clear her mind. If she looked for another place and roamed the imperial palace, she would indeed become the centre of attention among the visiting nobles or the palace staff. At least this way, she could dress more comfortably, unlike yesterday when she had to wear a long and wide dress with an undergarment, a chemise, a corset, and a petticoat, not to mention stockings and a garter, which made her uncomfortable.
Now, she was only wearing a bodice as an undergarment, then an ivory white blouse with an A-line skirt and a green vest, not too different from her modern clothes, although with a different design. She felt like she was wearing vintage clothing on Halloween night. Luna reached for a cup of tea poured by a servant while sighing hard. Why did noblewomen in ancient times love drinking tea so much? Just drinking a cup, Luna was already so bored; what she wanted was a glass of Americano coffee she bought at a cafe near her apartment building.
She immediately put the cup back and looked out the window, her hand unconsciously playing with the translator bracelet on her wrist while thinking about yesterday morning’s events when Alkrevas removed the bracelet from her hand.
Luna tapped her foot wrapped in heels at a fast pace, having a bad feeling about yesterday’s events, especially with… Luna looked down and observed the ankle bracelet that the man put on her ankle that morning. She saw a dark purple light shrouded in black mist before raising her head and gathering her courage to address her head maid, Judith. “Judith, can I ask you something?”
Judith immediately stepped closer to Luna and bowed, asking kindly, “What is it, Luna? Is there something you want to know about the imperial palace of Vasilos?” Luna winced inwardly.
If only they all knew that Luna was her real name and not just a title, but at least Luna felt less stiff or uncomfortable with the call. She just had to think that everyone calling her Luna wasn’t addressing a companion title of Alpha but her name. That’s why she didn’t force the servants to call her Luna.
Luna shook her head and asked, “Does His Majesty the Emperor know magic?”
Immediately, the servants looked at each other as if the question was a secret or taboo topic that couldn’t be discussed with just anyone. Judith pressed her lips thin and stepped closer, then knelt beside the chair where Luna was sitting. “Actually, Luna, His Majesty the Emperor is not just an ordinary Alpha King for the werewolf race and the Emperor for Vasilos. He is an Alpha King with special abilities.”
Luna blinked in confusion. At the same time, Judith bit her lip hesitantly. “His Majesty the Emperor, he is a wizard.”
That meant the psychopathic Emperor was a wizard. Luna snorted inwardly. “A wizard?”
Judith nodded briefly. “But that fact is kept secret from the public, and only the palace inhabitants know about it. We also signed a magical contract to keep that fact secret and not talk about that topic carelessly.”
“If so, why can you say it so easily to me?” Luna asked, her eyes sharp.
Judith answered Luna’s question with a glance at the new claim mark Alkrevas had given her during their lovemaking last night. Instantly, Luna understood the meaning of that look. Because of Alkrevas’ claim mark, she was now officially part of the palace and no longer an outsider.
Immediately, Luna felt the area where Alkrevas’ claim mark twitched, signalling that the mark was there and genuine on her. Ensuring she wouldn’t forget the existence of that mark, Luna quickly covered the claimed mark with her hand, then nodded in understanding. “Why does he want to hide that fact?”
“Because wizards are dangerous to most regions in Rhodes. Wizards are born with vast mana and contain dark powers. If a wizard cannot control that mana, then…”
“Besides becoming feral, the Emperor of Vasilos will cause destruction not only to Vasilos but to the entire continent. That’s what you mean-a great threat.” Luna pinched the bridge of her nose in frustration. Judith nodded, the weight of the burden evident. Luna looked out the window, seeing the bright sky contrasting with last night’s storm. If not for Alkrevas’ magic, Luna might have been terrified by the thunderclaps.
“But, His Majesty the Emperor is a great man. He can control the vast mana, and with his power, Vasilos is spared from the Goblin terror. If you want to know, Vasilos is protected by a shield created by His Majesty. That’s why, once a month, the Emperor inspects the border points to ensure the shield works well. The Tower of Magic, where the Mages reside, also highly respects His Majesty.”
Luna didn’t care about that; what she cared about was the bracelet on her ankle. She had to find out what kind of bracelet Alkrevas had put on her, its function, and how to remove it before she left. If what Judith said was true, it would be difficult to remove the bracelet from her ankle, and when Ghea came, all her plans would be ruined. “How can he control the vast power you mentioned?”
“The former Empress. She had wizard blood in her veins, and her uncle and great-grandfather were proficient wizards.”
“Can you tell me about it?”
“But…”
“Don’t worry. His Majesty the Emperor has permitted me to ask you and the other servants anything about him.” A lie. Luna knew it was wrong and inappropriate to learn about someone’s past from others instead of the person. Still, she wanted to find out about Alkrevas without having to talk to him. She was sure that if she asked, that psychopathic Emperor would interpret her curiosity as interest. At the same time, Luna just wanted to find any weaknesses of Alkrevas to use later.
“I don’t know much. The head maid, Mrs. Annabeth, knows because she has been in the palace for a long time.” Luna pressed her lips thin and nodded. Unlike her maid, that woman seemed very loyal to Alkrevas and would not be easily tricked. So, if she tried to find out through the head maid, it would not be easy.
“Thank you, Judith.” Luna paused for a moment and looked at the door. It was still a long time until nightfall, so wouldn’t it be better for her to find out more about werewolves? Like knots, mates, and other things. If she was lucky, she could also learn about the wizards in Alkrevas’ blood. After all, compared to Ghea’s explanations, information from werewolves themselves would be more accurate, and there was one option where she could find out this information herself without having to ask.
“Judith, can you take me to the imperial palace library? I want to read some books to pass the time.”
“If you want to read-”
“No. No.” Luna quickly cut Judith’s sentence. “I want to go by myself. Staying in the Emperor’s residence all day is starting to bore me. May I?”
“Of course, Luna.”
Luna stood up and walked out of the room, following Judith, who had walked out first to guide Luna to the library.
…