'I'll always be with you, Chloe.' Astra had said to me. I couldn't hear anything, only my heart pounding, and even that started to fade into the distance.
The knife came for me fast, a flash of silver slicing through the dim air between us. For one frozen second, my body forgot how to breathe. I remember thinking, absurdly, that it would hurt less if it was quick.
It never touched me.
There was a sharp sound, metal striking metal, so loud it rang through my skull. The blade jolted sideways mid-strike as if it had slammed into an invisible wall. The force snapped my head back from the rush of displaced air alone. I felt cold, not from the knife, but from the realization of how close it had come.
It hovered there, trembling, the point suspended inches from my neck.
My whole body was shaking, and I had fear paralysing me. How?
I turned to my side to see if Arc was hurt too, but saw his eyes turning a bright brown.
"Y... you... you.." The words were caught in my throat.
Arc finally held the knife and removed it. Still, I couldn't breathe.
"Are you alright?" His eyes furrowed, a slight emotion showed, but I didn't care. Fuck.
I didn't even know if I nodded.
Arc turned to face the crowd that was now watching with apprehenshon. "Who did this!?" His voice carried, and everyone heard.
No one stepped forward.
"Let me make myself clear: this woman here is your Luna! So which one of you fools decided to take her life!?"
Goddess. They thought me weak. Now, still, I was shaking. One thing wolves hated was weakness, so with all the strength Cassie could muster, it stood with my back straight. The stance I usually took when my 6th graders were behaving naughty or stubborn.
Yet I couldn't help my hands shake uncontrollably.
Before I could say anything, someone stepped out from the shadows, and my breath stopped short.
He was beautiful. Carved from stone. His eyes were darker than obsidian, and they seemed to shine. And his hair, long and reaching his neck, was let down in beautiful waves. He had lean muscles and wore a leather jacket. However, his eyes were pure abyss.
He spoke, his voice raspy and almost whispery, "I threw it. An accident." His drawl on accident as his eyes flickered over me, my body disagreed.
Even Arc didn't seem to buy it with his narrowed eyes. He wanted to say something but stopped. Kai.
The Kai I met and the Kai I was seeing were two different people. This Kai seemed larger, his eyes still grey-blue were blank. It wasn't possible the goddess could create someone like him. He was magnificent. If the man who stepped out before was beautiful, Kai was sculpted by every god known to man. His jawline was defined, his nose a little bit crooked at the bride, but it was perfect on him and those eyes. Goddess, those eyes.
I couldn't take my eyes off him for even a second. Nor did I even notice when the mate bond started tugging me forward. I just kept walking towards him as if I was spell bound.
Finally, I shook my head and stopped just a few paces in front of him. The rest of the people here bad bowed their heads, "Alpha," they all intoned.
His eyes ran over my body, and our eyes met. Electricity coursed through the contact, alive and pulsing. My chest stuttered. It took all my self control to not rush over and smell him, touch him, but I couldn't.
I frowned. He left me, his wife, his mate, his Luna. So, I looked away. If he wanted to act indifferent, then let him. Soon, his rut would start. With my head held high, I ignored him.
I failed to still get a reaction from him. It stung and ruffled my furs. Cassie whined.
He asked me, voice clipped and eyes lingering on my neck, "Are you hurt?"
I nodded curtly.
"Regulus." The man from earlier came to his Alpha's side. Kai was taller and bulkier, and his silver blonde hair shone brighter. He turned to Arc and said, "You were meant to be protecting her."
Arc lowered his head, "I apologise, Alpha. I was not cautious enough -"
Why was he apologising? Regulus, the demon, was the one who threw the knife at me to what end!?
"You don't need to apologise, Arc. Regulus here was the one who was careless." I said pointedly, not glancing at either of them, only Arc.
He saved my life. He should not be keeling over for Regulus. How did he even redirect the knife? Telekinesis? My brows furrowed.
Kai finally had a reaction. His eyes narrowed, "It was an accident, and Arc was on duty. He failed."
"Failed to predict that a skilled warrior, and if he isn't, why was he using a knife, that would almost kill me? Like Regulus said, it was an accident, and Arc did do his duty. He protected me." I defended, eyes challenging him. Did he think I was going to just listen to everything he said? Why, then, was I even Luna?
I huffed. "Let's go, Arc, we've not finished the tour."
"I didn't dismiss you." Kai spoke, and I could feel the anger through the unconsumated bond. I glared at the Alpha. Was he serious? "Training's done for today." He said to everyone on the field.
I turned to leave but he stopped me. "Not you."
People hurried to leave. Regulus stood there. However, one look from Kai made him leave, too, though reluctantly. Arc glanced at me, hesitating, but still left.
We just stared at each other. I mostly glared at him.
"You can't do that." He said at last.
"Do what?" I questioned, scoffing. "Can't question your authority?" It was not right for me to do it in front of his pack, but he just abandoned me, when he was the one who said he wanted to marry me from the first day we met. When he was the one who caused my engagement to be dissolved. I lost my family because he said he would protect me!
Kai came closer, but not close enough to be touching, but still close enough that I could smell him: lavender and a distinct male cologne with his natural scent being of the.... ocean? That was strange.
"I would not ask that of you. You are my Luna, my equal, so you are the last person that should heed me when I am in the wrong."
Huh? That completely shocked me. He didn't just say that. My mouth fell open. "Arc was meant to protect you with his life. If his Arcana wasn't what it was or if he didn't have an arcana, what would have happened? You were lucky, and he was even luckier because of his powers, or else you could have been badly injured. It's not to shame him."
If my jaw hadn't been on the floor before, it was now. I had so many questions.
I wanted to say something else, but Kai had already gone, and my brain wasn't fast enough to react.
The walk back to my room was sullen. This was my mate. Cold. Distant. He didn't even ask if I was okay. He just... didn't care. He called me princess. He... I almost choked on my tears.
Goddess, I had been played a fool. After everything. He knew I trusted him, even after Shawn betrayed me, and he went ahead to do the same thing.
I stepped inside, walking around, and Cassie became alert. Something was wrong. My neck tingled, and all the hairs on my body stood as my heart beat accelerated.
Eyes were on me. Cold and sinister. My stomach dropped fast. I just couldn't shake it off.
I dashed to the door, but someone grabbed me and harshly threw me to the wall. I screamed, but a hand covered my mouth. My eyes widened when I saw who it was.
Claws elongated and at my throat.