The Dead Luna
Chapter 21- No Need To Worship

Chapter 21: 21- No Need To Worship

I stood in front of the mirror, staring at my reflection like I was trying to see something that I hadn’t noticed before.

My face was without a mask, and I was counting the holes that were scattered on my cheeks. Small ones, large ones.

Jai’s magical salve did cure the burn marks on my back, but it could never cure my face. There were still worms that needed regular cleaning, or they would start eating the rest of my face.

It was no more about the way people looked at me. It was how they didn’t want to glance my way. The way they used to pull their kids closer in my initial days of joining this pack had left a lasting impression on my heart.

I was trying to forget my past, but the way Luna Raya kept her kids away from me...

I sighed and leaned in a little closer, brushing a finger across my cheek, feeling the holes and uneven, patchy skin.

I was too engrossed in observing my pretty face when suddenly the door burst open without a single knock.

"Jai!" I snapped, turning around with a glare, "Seriously? How many times should I ask you to knock?"

Jai was acting like he had turned into a deaf person. As always.

"Hold this," he pushed something cold into my hands, wrapped in a napkin.

I blinked down at the jumbo cup of ice cream with swirls of Vanilla and a mountain of crushed nuts and raspberry syrup on top.

"What... why... what is this?" I asked with a frown in confusion.

"I know you’re upset about Luna Raya," he said, still slightly breathless, "Honestly! Forget her. She’s not worth your time or mood."

The look he gave me with those black eyes was something he did when he was annoyingly right.

"Also," he filled his mouth with a spoonful of ice cream, "we both know you hate chocolate. So I made sure to bring this. I had to reach you with supersonic speed so that it doesn’t melt."

He wasn’t even giving me a chance to utter a single word. There was crushed pecan topping on his ice cream.

I looked at the cup again, then back at him. A laugh slipped out of my mouth, "You’re unbelievable. By the way, I think I love pecans more."

I focused my sight on his ice cream, and he took my ice cream from my hands and handed me his cup, "How old are you? Seven?"

"Five!" I started eating ice cream.

I was assigned this room in the Warriors building, and Jai pulled me to the rooftop so that we could have our ice cream in peace.

"Who made you a doctor?" I teased him after plopping beside him on the tilted rooftop.

"Shut up! Even doctors have a heart!"

There was a carefree smile playing on his lips, and a thought crossed my mind. What would happen after he found his mate?

I had seen people taking a one-eighty turn in life.

Would he stop treating my face? Would he stop having fun with me?

For me, he was a genie who could give me anything without me asking for it.

"Hey. Your ice cream is melting," he poked his elbow lightly in my ribs, "And you’re welcome."

I took a long breath and then started gobbling spoonfuls into my mouth. The plan was to snatch his cup once mine would be finished.

***

"Sebastian King is ruling the Valmore Kingdom, and we haven’t invited him even once. Don’t you think we need to make sure that he counts us as his ally?"

I was attending the pack meeting as a top warrior, and alpha and beta were constantly mentioning his name.

The name always brought bitterness to my tongue, but I couldn’t avoid hearing his name. One year ago, he became the king, and now my pack was planning to invite him in.

What will I do if he decides to come here? I asked myself.

Nothing. Someone in my head answered for me, "You can do nothing. And what are you so worried about? He doesn’t even know you. He never really saw you. Moreover, he thinks you are dead."

That gave some comfort to my heart.

I was getting worried for nothing. All I needed to do was not panic and face him confidently. At all the official parties I had attended, I took care of my dressing and my contact color lenses. After wearing masks, the only thing visible to others was my eyes.

"Phoenix! Warrior!" Alpha Blake’s voice startled me slightly for a second. "Are you alright? Where are you?" A faint smile played on his lips.

"Umm. Nothing Alpha... I..." I couldn’t use any silly excuse when there was a good chance that I was a strong candidate for the next head warrior of the pack.

I straightened up quickly and gave him a small grin, "Sorry, Alpha. Just lost in thought.. probably imagining how impressive it would be to serve the royalty when they were here. What do you think I should wear?"

A few chuckles floated around the room, including one from Beta Brian. Alpha Blake raised a brow, clearly amused, "Ahan. In that case, share your thoughts. What do you think about inviting King Sebastian?"

This time, I was ready for the question and didn’t hesitate.

"I know our pack is not so popular, nor is it as big as others. But?" I leaned back into my seat, "We are slowly gaining members. If we are serious about expanding alliances beyond our borders, then yes, inviting him makes sense. The Velmora Kingdom must be in good hands. He seems a man who has influence, and whether we like it or not, Sebastian’s rule is stable... but," I pursed my lips and ran a glance at all the faces sitting around the table, "We don’t need to worship him, Alpha Blake."

I paused and let that sink in.