The Vampire's Luna
Chapter 124: Lizzo - Truth Hurts

Chapter 124: Lizzo - Truth Hurts

"Then tell her the truth. Trust her with the fall."

"You really have turned yourself into the gloom to my happiness," Damien said with a huff of amusement, shaking his head as he moved toward the kitchen counter He reached for the kettle, filled it with fresh water, and flicked it on.

Veyron didn’t dignify that with a response. He knew Damien was deflecting, and he’d let it slide—just for now.

"How is the pain?" Veyron finally asked, lowering himself into the armchair.

Damien returned moments later with a steaming mug, a curl of vapor rising from its surface. The aroma was rich—coffee laced with blood syrup, a concoction that smelled oddly comforting. He handed it to Veyron.

"I haven’t felt any pain in a while," Damien said.

"That’s good," Veyron nodded slowly. "But if the pain returns—and you and I both know it will—and she asks questions... as a married couple, she’ll be living with you. Sleeping beside you. She’ll see the way you stiffen, the way your jaw locks, the way you clutch your chest at night. She might panic and say something to somebody."

Damien sat down across from him. He cradled his cup.

"She knows about the pain already," he admitted. "I passed it off as something minor. You know—stress, tension. I’ve gotten good at lying to her in the softest ways. But Luna is a smart woman, Veyron. She watches everything, and she doesn’t forget. I just...I don’t want to spend what’s left of my life making her sad. I don’t want her to look at me and see a countdown. I don’t want her to pity me. I want her to love me. Is that too much to ask?"

Veyron took a long sip of his drink. He looked into the mug.

"But she does love you," he said finally. "She’s marrying you, Damien. Because she wants to. That counts for something."

Damien offered a weak smile, though it didn’t reach his eyes.

"She says she loves me," he murmured. "But I think it’s just the mate bond. You know how powerful it is. I mean, I have to give Morvakar credit—he did a great job with the bond. It’s like... she’s wrapped around my soul."

When Luna arrived from work, the gnawing sense of unease in her gut had grown claws.

The day had started with mild confusion—smiles from the staff, curtsies that seemed extra enthusiastic, nobles nodding with suspicious warmth. Then the "congratulations" started.

But Luna had received no memo, she wasn’t the one having a royal heir or did Damien lie to the council? Even if he did, she doubted she would get any congratulations for that.

Damien hadn’t shown up at the Royal Empire all day.

Her mind had gone into overdrive. Was he hurt? Had the pain returned?

Luna burst through the entrance of her residence, heart pounding.

He wasn’t here.

Her stomach dropped as dread crept into her bloodstream. Had he collapsed from the pain? What if it had returned? What if he was suffering again?

Her breath grew shallow, rapid.

She charged back down and made a beeline to the royal guards stationed outside her building. They stood at attention the moment they saw her.

"Where is the prince?" she demanded, not bothering to hide the fear in her voice.

The taller one straightened. "He went to his castle, my lady."

"Is he alone?" she asked quickly, heart now sprinting.

"Yes, ma’am," the second guard replied, clearly bewildered by her urgency.

Her eyes widened. "Oh my God."

Without another word, Luna turned and ran toward the Prince’s castle, her heart practically somersaulting in her chest. The guards behind her exchanged a confused look, wondering if they’d missed something.

"Damien!" she yelled, the moment she breached the threshold of his castle. "Damien!"

She stormed through the hallway, yanking open doors, her eyes scanning for a limp body. .com

But then—she stopped.

Dead in her tracks.

Her breath caught in her throat as her eyes landed on the living room.

He was there.

On his knees, in the center of the room—looking maddeningly gorgeous in a fitted black shirt and slacks—with a small velvet ring box in his hand. The lighting in the room had been dimmed to a golden glow, rose petals scattered across the floor in quiet witness. Candles flickered along the fireplace mantle.

Luna was speechless.

"Damien..." she whispered, nearly breathless. "What are you doing? I already agreed to marry you." fre ewe bnove l.com

Damien smirked, keeping his eyes locked on hers from his kneeling position. "Well, that was a shoddy proposal. I had my cock out and, well... titties in my mouth."

Before she could stop herself, a loud, startled laugh flew out of her. The sheer absurdity of it shattered her tension. "You are unbelievable," she said, laughter bubbling up from deep within. "You hopeless, ridiculous, romantic idiot."

"This hopeless, ridiculous, romantic idiot has better timing now," Damien quipped, straightening his posture with the ring still in hand. "And I cleaned up. No exposed anatomy. Only raw commitment."

She stepped closer, her heart suddenly too full to speak. Her eyes softened as she stared at the man before her.

"This is breathtaking," she finally said. She took the final step that brought her directly in front of him, her chest tight with emotion. "Absolutely breathtaking."

Damien smiled, a slow, boyish grin that reached all the way to his eyes. "Then let me do it properly this time."

He opened the ring box. Inside was a ring unlike any Luna had seen.

"Princess Luna Sinclair," Damien said, "will you do me the honour of being my queen?"

"Yes... yes," Luna laughed through the tears that suddenly blurred her vision. She dropped to her knees in front of him, her arms wrapping around his face with such tenderness it made Damien momentarily forget how to breathe. Their foreheads touched, their breaths mingling, and she smiled as if the world had suddenly become a little brighter, just because he was in it.