The Vampire's Luna
Chapter 34: Elvis Presley - Can’t Help Falling in Love

Chapter 34: Elvis Presley - Can’t Help Falling in Love

A guard in all-black opened a door with a bow. "This way, Alpha Kyllian."

He stepped inside and found himself in the Prince’s personal wing. Kyllian hated that it looked so damn cool.

He glanced around as a steward gestured for him to wait.

Kyllian swallowed. "Well... this should be fun."

He walked through the quiet living room, his boots sinking slightly into the soft carpet. The Prince’s Castle’s interior was quite luxurious but silent. Kyllian felt like a stray dog.

He sat down stiffly on one of the elegant couches. Everything here was too plush and perfect.

He didn’t even know what he was doing there. Not really. A part of him thought Damien was trying to manipulate him. Maybe the vampire prince wanted to guilt-trip him into backing off. Maybe this was all a calculated chess move.

But... there was a chance. A slim, dangerous, maddening chance that Damien was telling the truth. And Kyllian had to know. He had to be sure that he wasn’t going crazy.

"Alpha Kyllian?"

His heart kicked against his ribs. He stood immediately, bowing with every ounce of protocol he could remember, though it felt strange doing it with her. "Princess," he said quietly, the word heavy with longing, pain, and a hundred unsaid things. He kept his eyes respectful, his posture restrained. Even though his wolf howled for her, he wouldn’t overstep. Not again.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, wide-eyed. "Did Father send you to bring me back? How did you even get past the checkpoints?"

Kyllian couldn’t help the dramatic little tilt of his head. "Relax," he said. "Your prince invited me."

Her face darkened. "He’s not my anything," she snapped, arms crossing defensively over her chest.

He wanted to say something cocky. But instead, he let it go. "Alright. I won’t push it."

There was a pause. A long, awkward silence between two people who used to fill the air with laughter. Finally, he asked, "How have you been?"

She hesitated, as though wondering how honest she could be with him. "I’m good," she said, but her eyes didn’t quite agree. Then, with a half-hearted chuckle, she added, "Did you see the city?"

"No one could miss it." fre\e(w)ebn ov.e l\. co.m

"I mean seriously," she said. "These people live like they’re in heaven. I can’t even imagine how they managed to dull the rays of the sun."

"You seem impressed, Princess Luna," Kyllian said, watching her.

"Well, I am," she admitted. She dropped into one of the sofas. "So... why did Damien invite you?"

Kyllian didn’t miss it, the soft lilt in her voice when she said Damien. It was subtle, maybe even unintentional, but to Kyllian, it was deafening. He might as well have been slapped.

"I’d like to know that too," he muttered, more to himself than to her. There was a bitter tang under his words, but he masked it with a half-shrug.

Luna shifted uncomfortably, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "How... how is the pack?"

Kyllian arched a brow. "Luna, stop it," he said. "Stop with the forcing of the conversation. We don’t have to talk. We can just sit here in silence. It’s less painful than pretending."

"I’m forcing the conversation because you won’t speak to me!" she snapped, sitting forward now, her hands gripping her knees. .com

He leaned forward too. "Why should I, huh? Why should I?" fr\eewe.bn(o)v\el.c(o)m

Her eyes narrowed. "Why shouldn’t you? We’re supposed to get married, remember? Live together for the rest of our lives and...what? Exchange cracked conversations over breakfast and pretend everything’s fine?"

"You don’t really mean that," he said with a humorless laugh. "Marrying me? That’s rich."

She blinked, stung. "Why do you think I don’t mean it?"

"Your bloodsucking mate crashed our wedding, our wedding, and you ran into the sunset with him. You didn’t even look back, Luna. Not once. And now you’re asking why I don’t believe you want to marry me?"

Her lips parted, words bubbling to the surface, but he cut her off.

"No. No. I’m not going to let my feelings be strung along. I’m not going to be your safety net. I deserve better than that. You are either in with me or out."

Then he exhaled bitterly, shaking his head. "No... no. I take that back. You’re out. You’re out, Luna. And I hope he’s worth it."

Her face paled.

"Both of us don’t have the power to make that choice, do we?" Luna raised a single eyebrow.

"I do not," Kyllian replied stiffly, his spine straight as a rod. "I answer to my king, and I obey his every word."

Luna sighed, her shoulders sagging. "I have apologized to you, Kyllian. Multiple times. What do you want me to do, bleed?"

"Yeah, yeah, sure you did," he muttered, waving a hand dismissively and leaning back into his chair.

He didn’t believe her. Or maybe he just didn’t want to believe her, because that would mean admitting he still cared.

Just then, the front doors opened, and in swept Damien.

He stopped short. "Whew... chilly in here. I thought werewolves were the warm-blooded ones," Damien commented, eyebrows raised as he took in the frosty body language of the two lovebirds.

"Why is he here?" Luna asked, eyes narrowing at Damien.

"I invited him," Damien said smoothly, not breaking eye contact with her, "because we need to discuss you, and I need both of you to listen."

He pulled a chair forward, and settled himself in.

"I need you to tell Kyllian how you feel about me," he said plainly.

Luna blinked. "What?"

"This is why you invited him?" she demanded. "To make me pad your ego?"

"Moonlight," he said, reaching out and catching her hand. The nickname still got her, it was a whisper in her chest, a tug she didn’t want to feel but did.

He looked into her eyes with vulnerability.

"Moonlight, trust me. Just this once," he said gently. "Be honest. With both of us."