The Royal Luna (Book 1)

39

As we prepare to conclude the meeting and depart the conference chambers, Elena bursts through the door, collapsing at my feet. Gabriel and Zion swiftly position themselves in front of me, ready to defend. Gabriel unsheathes his sword while I stand protected by the two wolves, watching Elena sobbing on the floor.

"Your Majesty, please have mercy. I am with child," she pleads, her words directed at me. I glance at Delta Isabella, whose eyes narrow at the sight of Elena. "He didn't mean it, please," Elena continues, but Gabriel dismisses her plea with a scoff.

"Your mate's intentions were clear. He chose not to apologize but instead taunted your queen with past grievances," Captain Percival interjects, his voice firm. Elena's cries intensify as she remains on the floor. "Stand up, woman. Your condition may grant you leniency, but your mate's actions speak for themselves."

"What's done is done. Begging won't change his fate," Delta Isabella asserts, her tone unwavering. Elena sinks lower, overwhelmed. Through our bond, I sense Zion's inner conflict, though he remains silent.

"Rise, Elena. Don't degrade yourself. You're the Alpha; act accordingly," I instruct, stepping between the wolves to help her up. As I do, I notice her unmistakable baby bump, and I feel Zion's tension ease with a deep breath. "We must await the investigation's findings. Depending on the outcome, we will take appropriate measures against your mate. Resisting will only worsen your situation," I console her, wiping away her tears and discreetly taking whatever she holds in her hand before guiding her to leave. Being harsh serves no purpose; she's merely a pawn in this game.

Once Elena departs, I exhale deeply. Turning, I find Zion watching me closely. Nervously, I distance myself from him. "Meeting adjourned. We'll reconvene once we have more information. You're dismissed," he states, his gaze fixed on me, indicating that his dismissal excludes me.

Once the door shuts, Zion extends his hand. "Hand it over," he demands sternly. I hesitate, shaking my head. "I won't ask again," he warns, his tone grave, his eyes flickering between their usual brown, gold, and almost black, battling his inner wolf. Before I can comply, he pins me against the wall, securing my hands behind my back. Disapproval echoes as the syringe clatters to the ground. He releases me, retrieving the syringe and fixing me with a narrowed stare. "I should have dealt with her," he mutters, his tone chilling but clear.

"She's pregnant," I murmur, to which he nods knowingly. "I'm aware," he confirms, and I exhale a held breath. "She would have risked her child to eliminate you. She thought you were vulnerable," he explains, his insight penetrating. "You can't afford to be so forgiving, my love," he adds with a sigh, his turn to express concern.

He sits perched on the edge of the table, his posture a mix of tension and resignation, his eyes locked onto mine with a weighty intensity. His gaze momentarily drifts to my flat stomach, a silent acknowledgment of our shared longing, before he turns away, the clink of ice against glass punctuating the heavy silence. "I'm sorry I cannot give you children," I whisper, the admission tinged with a raw vulnerability. His response—a humourless laugh—sends a shiver down my spine as he pivots back towards me, his eyes flickering with a turbulent storm of emotions.

"I am not with you for a child, Kallisto," he declares, his voice carrying a blend of sorrow and determination as he once again turns his back, his gaze fixed upon the tranquil scene beyond the window. Outside, the sun casts a golden glow over the lingering guests, their laughter a stark contrast to the heaviness in the room. "If anything, I should be the one apologizing for not being able to give you a child," he adds, his words laced with a bitter self-reproach that resonates in the air. My heart aches with a poignant mix of longing and regret as I struggle to find the right words to soothe his anguish.

"Well, I was never good with chi-" I begin, my thoughts scattered and tumultuous, but he continues, catching me off guard with his unguarded honesty. "When you were at the hospital, we conducted various tests, including fertility examinations," he reveals, his admission hanging heavily in the air like a leaden weight upon my chest. I hold my breath, the anticipation of his next words palpable, my heart pounding in my ears like a relentless drumbeat. "The chance for you to carry a pup exists—a slim chance, but it's there. As for me," he pauses, a dark chuckle escaping his lips, the sound a bitter echo of his inner turmoil. My breath catches in my throat, a surge of empathy washing over me as I grapple with the magnitude of his revelation. How do I find the courage to confront the painful truth that lies at the heart of his infertility? How can I bear to witness the devastation in his eyes when he learns the truth about his own mother's betrayal?

"I cannot deny the turmoil I felt upon seeing Elena, knowing that Jacob managed to impregnate her. It stirred a fury within my wolf—an anger that lingers still," he confesses, his words a raw expression of his innermost fears and regrets. My heart aches with a profound sense of helplessness, the weight of his suffering pressing down upon me like a suffocating blanket. "After all, had the pup not rejected you, your wolf's transgressions would have remained concealed, and you would likely be swelling with your fourth child by now," he adds, his voice heavy with bitter resignation.

I reach out to him, my hand trembling with unspoken tenderness, but he retreats, his sudden withdrawal leaving an aching void in the space between us. "But I love you so intensely. No, it's more than love; it's an obsession with your very existence," he confesses, his words a poignant testament to the depth of his devotion. "I am too selfish to release you, to allow you to seek someone who can offer you what you desire and deserve," he admits, his voice thick with emotion, his vulnerability laid bare for me to see.

"The mere thought of you with another tears me apart. I would sooner perish than witness such a fate," he declares, his tone laden with desperation, his anguish echoing in the hollow chambers of my heart. He inhales deeply, his claws retracting as if in a silent plea for forgiveness, while I exhale a breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding, the weight of his confession settling like a heavy stone upon my soul. "You may claim to be indifferent, but I heard the palpitations of your heart when I spoke of your prospects for children. I apologize, my darling, but you are bound to a tormented wolf and a man who will never possess the capability to sire you," he concludes, his voice trembling with unspoken anguish, his plea for understanding hanging in the air like a fragile thread.

I reach out to comfort him once more, my fingers brushing against the rough texture of his skin, but he whirls around abruptly, his sudden movement startling me into silence. "I do not require your pity, Kallisto!" he bellows, his outburst catching me off guard, the raw anguish in his voice a stark reminder of the depths of his pain. It is the first time he has ever raised his voice to me, and in that moment, I am overwhelmed by a profound sense of empathy for the man who stands before me—a tortured soul caught in the throes of an unending struggle between love and despair.

"I do not pity you, Zion! I love you, and whether you can give me a child or not, my love for you will never waver. I will never see you as anything less than the man who has saved me time and time again, the man who loves me unconditionally, and the man I have chosen to spend the rest of my life with—not because of Aega, not because of Aphrodite, but because I chose to do so!" My voice reverberates with a fierce passion, each word infused with the depth of my unwavering devotion. But as he turns away, a pang of hurt lances through me, seeing the doubt shadowing his eyes, his inner turmoil laid bare.

"Please, leave," he murmurs softly, his voice weighted with a weariness that tugs at my heartstrings. Yet, despite the ache in my chest, I refuse to yield, anchored by the steadfast commitment to stand by him through every trial and tribulation.

"No," I whisper, my voice trembling with determination, though I know he hears the resolute resolve beneath its fragile veneer. As he turns back to face me, a primal intensity ignites in his gaze—a raw, untamed fire that sends a shiver down my spine. But even in the face of his inner turmoil, I stand my ground, refusing to be swayed by the tempest raging within him.

"Why, hm? You did it once, why not do it again?" His words cut through the silence like a sharpened blade, each syllable laced with a poignant ache that stirs a wellspring of emotions within me. But I steel myself against the sting of his words, refusing to let his pain drive a wedge between us.

"I do not care, Zion. I will remain right here, by your side, where I belong. As your queen!" I declare, my voice ringing out with unwavering conviction, though beneath the surface, a torrent of emotions roils within me—a tumultuous blend of love, fear, and fierce determination. "You can ask anything of me, but to leave you. I will never, ever leave you again. Have I made myself clear?" My words hang in the air, a steadfast promise woven with threads of unyielding loyalty and unshakeable resolve.

As he draws closer, the air crackling with tension, I hold my breath, bracing myself for whatever may come. His eyes shift, the colour morphing into the primal hues of his wolf, and my heart quickens in response, a rush of adrenaline coursing through my veins. But even as the intensity of his gaze threatens to consume me, I refuse to look away, meeting his stare with an unflinching defiance born from the depths of my soul.

He stands before me now, his presence overwhelming, his breath hot against my skin. Though I must tilt my head slightly to meet his gaze, the strain on my neck pales in comparison to the strength of my conviction. I refuse to submit to him this time, determined to stand firm in my love and loyalty, no matter the cost.

His growl reverberates inches from my face, but I hold my ground, refusing to flinch or falter. I sense the primal force of his wolf attempting to breach the barriers of my mind, but without my own wolf's presence, his efforts are futile. His hand grips my throat, the chill of his rings sending a shiver down my spine as he applies pressure, causing me to bite down on my lip and instinctively tighten my legs. With each passing moment, I can feel the tension escalating, the air thick with the electric charge of his dominance.

A deep inhale fills the space between us, and I witness the precise instant when Zion relinquishes control to his inner wolf. "Wolf or not, you will be mine tonight!" he growls, his voice dripping with primal desire as he manoeuvres my body onto the table, the fabric of my dress tearing apart under his relentless grasp. His hand remains firmly at my throat, the lack of oxygen causing stars to dance at the edges of my vision.

"Do you see me complaining?" I retort, my words laced with a defiant edge, a testament to my unwavering resolve in the face of his dominance.

--

I know, I know, I apologize, but in my defence, I got married a month ago and everything was hectic around me, I will do my best to update more regularly from now on. 

-V