Darkness (II)

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

"I was wondering when we'd get to meet our true Luna, Phoenix." said the larger of the two. He folded his arms across his chest and grinned at me. "No wonder you kept her from us, though. She's rather beautiful."

I tried—and failed—to keep the blush from my cheeks. Phoenix loosed a furious growl but the man looked unperturbed—in fact, it only seemed to spur him on, for her approached me quickly and, before I could utter a word, pressed a feather-light kiss to my knuckles.

He was handsome; almost unbearably so. If I hadn't met Phoenix, I would've thought him the most beautiful man I'd ever seen. He had blond hair that curled slightly at his ears and bright, ocean-blue eyes. Traditionally handsome, yes, but those eyes were like half-shuttered windows, and as I peered into them I caught a glimpse of something else—something far less superficial, something dark and wild and ready to strike.

"How about you introduce yourself to the poor girl?" the other man said dryly. His russian accent was much thicker than his friend's was.

"Where are my manners? My name is Anton. I command the pack warriors here at Nightfall." he said, pride clear in his tone.

"It's nice to meet you." I replied, offering him a smile. "My name's Isa."

"I know." he said smugly, shooting a glance at Phoenix. The Alpha didn't so much as look at him.

The second man walked forward and bowed his head in both respect and greeting. He was shorter and less bulky than Anton but power was still present in his lean build. He reminded me of an elf, slight yet strong. His hair was dark brown and his eyes, large and deep-set, were of a similar hue; chocolate brown but spliced with forks of green.

"Hello, Luna." he said, smiling warmly. "I'm Eric. I'm the Head Diplomat, meaning I clear up his mess." his eyes settled, not too discreetly, upon Anton, who merely smirked in return.

"Boys, boys." drawled a voice from inside the room. "Are you going to allow us to meet our Luna or not?"

The two men looked at me apologetically. Phoenix took my arm, lips twitching upwards, and led me inside.

Two women were sat, legs crossed, on the sofa. My self esteem plunged off a cliff and died. Why did these Summum Lycans have to be so damn ethereal? The first woman was clad in a red jumpsuit and watched me approach, curling a lock of her blonde hair around her finger. She was disarmingly beautiful and appeared, at first glance, to be rather docile; however, the look about her green eyes was so sharp that it'd cut you if you came too close. As if sensing my thoughts, she smiled and rose from the chair. 

"Hi, Luna!" she greeted. She gave my outfit a quick-once over, eyes lingering on my slightly baggy jeans. I stood taller. "My name is Valeriya. I'm the Head Warrior and operate just beneath Anton. I take command over smaller units of High Warriors—"

"In other words," intervened Anton, who came to stand beside her, "she's my subordinate."

She quirked an eyebrow. I felt the temperature in the room rise several degrees. "You wish I was your subordinate."

Phoenix coughed. "He sure does, Val."

Eric choked on a laugh. Even I managed a nervous smile.

Before Valeriya could shoot back a reply the other woman, who was yet to speak, slid gracefully from the sofa. My eyes widened. Her hair was midnight black, and her eyes, as deep a brown as her flawless skin, were so cold and calculating that a shiver crawled up my spine. Her beauty was dark and dangerous, sure and seductive; even the way she moved was different to anyone I'd ever known.

"Luna." she greeted, narrowing her eyes. "I'm Alya, the lead assassin and spymaster. It's a pleasure to meet someone of your...kind."

Assassin. That made sense. She had that look about her—the kind that spoke of underlying power, ready to be unleashed on a moment's notice.