A knock came at the door, and Soren stepped inside.
"Alpha. Luna," he greeted with a respectful nod. "Everything is ready. They're waiting for you."
With those words, we headed for the door. As we left the room, one of my hands was holding Arkan's, while the other was clasped in Kongar's.
As we passed Soren, I caught him quietly smirking at the sight of us. At least one of us seemed to be enjoying himself.
The closer we got to the party hall, the tenser my shoulders became. Without realizing it, I tightened my grip on both their hands, and they turned toward me at the exact same moment.
Embarrassed, I lowered my gaze. The weight of their attention was enough to make my cheeks burn. Taking a deep breath, I tried to calm my racing heart.
"Everything's alright, Kayra," Arkan said. "Just don't leave my side."
I was about to nod when Kongar spoke.
"I will always stay by Kayra's side," he said, turning his gaze to Arkan. "I will never leave her alone."
By the time I heard Arkan's quiet growl, a massive door had appeared before us. It was pitch-black, with two crescent moons engraved upon it, facing each other like mirror images.
Just like the mark Arkan and I shared.
The two guards standing at the entrance pulled the enormous doors open at the same time, and every sound inside the hall fell silent.
Was it too late to turn back?
"Are you alright, Kayra?" Kongar asked. As he spoke, his free hand rested over his heart.
The fact that he could feel every beat of my heart was unbelievably irritating. I couldn't hide my emotions from him properly. I just needed to find one of the witches inside and solve this problem.
Or... at least, I hoped I could.
"I'm fine," I said, taking a step forward, but Soren quickly moved in front of me.
"Luna, I'll announce your entrance first," he said before walking into the hall.
"Honored guests, welcome, and thank you all for joining us on this special evening."
Applause filled the hall as soon as Soren finished speaking.
"Please welcome Alpha Arkan, the last Alpha of the Crescent Pack and the Lycans, along with his Luna, Kayra."
Why hadn't Soren mentioned Kongar?
As applause filled the hall once more, my nervousness only grew.
"I'm by your side."
"I'm by your side."
Arkan and Kongar spoke at the exact same moment.
When I turned toward them and found them both watching me, I took a deep breath and smiled.
"Let's go."
Doing my best to keep the smile on my face, the three of us stepped through the doorway together.
Hand in hand, we walked between our guests as the applause gradually faded. Whenever their eyes fell on Arkan and me, their smiles widened. But the moment their gazes shifted to Kongar, those same smiles slowly disappeared.
Kongar shouldn't have been here with us.
But in a crowd like this, he was the only one capable of stopping me from throwing myself at Arkan. I needed him. If I had to, I would cling to him like a koala all night.
As we walked across the crimson carpet stretching through the center of the hall, a woman in her forties stepped out of the crowd and blocked our path.
The entire hall seemed to hold its breath, every eye fixed on the woman staring at Kongar. Arkan let out a low warning growl, but she didn't react. She simply continued staring at Kongar with wide, unblinking eyes, as though trapped in a trance.
Kongar, meanwhile, looked back at her with an unreadable expression.
"Sister!"
A man hurried over from the crowd, calling out to her. Two guards followed close behind him.
"My apologies, Alpha Arkan. Luna Kayra," he said, bowing his head. "My sister is ill."
"Ill?" I asked, looking at the woman.
She still hadn't taken her eyes off Kongar.
Just as the two guards reached for her arms to lead her away, Arkan stepped in.
"There's no need. Let her be."
At Arkan's command, the guards immediately stepped back and waited a few paces behind her.
"Yes," the man said as he gently took hold of his sister's arm, trying to pull her away.
At that very moment, she reached out and took Kongar's free hand.
"Kutay."
Kutay?
"Sister, that's not Kutay. Kutay is dead," the man said, pulling gently on her arm. "You're making a scene."
She pulled free from her brother's grasp and stepped in front of Kongar once more. With a trembling hand, she reached up and touched his cheek.
"You're alive... aren't you?" she whispered as a tear slipped down her face.
"My name is Kongar," he replied with his usual smile. Then, turning to me, he added, "Kayra is the one who gave me that name."
"Kayra?"
She spoke my name in a voice caught somewhere between shock and hatred.
"You opened your heart to everyone!" she shouted, slamming her fist against Kongar's chest. "But there was never a place for me."
What was this woman talking about?
I looked at Kongar, expecting some kind of reaction. Instead, he simply tilted his head slightly and watched her in silence.
As the silence stretched on, whispers began spreading through the crowd.
"Sister... did you forget to take your medicine today?" the man asked, his voice growing noticeably firmer.
"I'm not sick! Let me go!"
As she struggled against him, the man pulled a small red pouch from his pocket. He poured a handful of fine, sand-like powder into his palm, took hold of her arm, and turned her toward him.
"Let me go!"
The instant she shouted, he blew the powder into her face.
She thrashed even harder, as though she knew exactly what it was.
But only a few seconds later, her eyelids grew heavy and slowly drifted shut.
"What did you do to her?" I asked, unable to hide the concern in my voice.
"I put her to sleep," the man replied.
She now rested against his shoulder, her eyes closed.
How was that even possible?
"He's a witch," Kongar said, as though he'd read the question on my mind.
"Yes," the man said as he lifted his sister into his arms. "I don't wish to disrupt your celebration any further. With your permission, I'll take my leave."
"Oh, no. It's really no trouble," I said quickly. "Please take her to one of the empty guest rooms. Then you can come back."
I couldn't let that woman leave. I'd finally found a witch, and she seemed to know Kongar.
"Right, Arkan?" I asked, looking at him.
Arkan watched me in silence for a few seconds. At last, he gave a slight nod and gestured to the guards. Together with the man, they escorted the woman out of the hall and toward one of the guest rooms.
The three of us continued down the crimson carpet until we reached two thrones standing side by side. They were pitch-black, adorned with the same silver crescent emblem as the doors, while their edges were decorated with intricate gold engravings.
Soren handed the microphone to Arkan before quietly stepping aside.
Releasing my hand, Arkan took a step forward.
"Thank you all for being here with me on this joyous day," he said. "And please accept our apologies for the disturbance a moment ago."
As applause filled the hall, he extended his hand toward me.
"It is my great honor to introduce my mate, Kayra."
He gently guided me forward. Kongar moved with us, but instead of standing beside me as usual, he remained one step behind.
The applause had only just begun again when a voice from the crowd cut through it.
"What is that creature holding your hand?"
Murmurs immediately spread across the hall.
Without the slightest hesitation, Arkan stepped in front of me, shielding me with his body.
"He's her servant," he replied. "Nothing important."
I turned toward Kongar and found him staring at Arkan with a blank expression. The moment he noticed me looking, however, his usual smile returned.
"Let Luna's welcome celebration begin!" Arkan declared, raising the wine glass in his hand.
I hadn't even noticed when he'd picked it up.
Everyone in the hall followed his lead, raising their glasses before taking a sip together.
Arkan wanted me to accompany him while he greeted the guests, but I was already exhausted from meeting one new person after another. Besides, the moment people noticed the mark on Arkan's neck, the way they looked at me changed completely. According to Soren, what I'd done was considered a grave offense against the pack.
I didn't even understand what any of it meant. I'd simply followed Kongar's advice... and my instincts.
Besides, whenever I caught sight of the mark on Arkan's neck, I found myself wanting to bite him again.
Was that such a strange urge?
Apparently, biting Arkan had bound our lives together. If one of us died, the other would follow.
And that was exactly why everyone blamed me.
Learning all of that in the middle of the party had completely crushed my mood. Ever since Arkan had left my side, I'd been drowning my frustration in wine.
I was holding my fifth glass now.
The floor seemed to sway along with the music.
"Kayra, are you alright?"
"Oh, Kongar... I'm wonderful," I giggled, holding my glass out toward him. "Would you like a drink?"
Kongar looked at me first, then examined the wine glass in my hand.
"Is that a command?"
"No," I said with a hiccup. "But I'm really curious to see what you're like when you're drunk," I added, giggling again.
I was definitely drunk.
Kongar gently took the glass from my hand, raised it to his lips, and, without taking his eyes off me for even a second, drained every last drop in a single gulp.
"There," he said, showing me the empty glass. "I finished it. But I don't know if I can get dru—"
Without warning, Kongar staggered.
Instinctively, I caught him, but his full weight collapsed against me, forcing me to brace myself against the table behind us. The people around us began muttering as Kongar rested his head against my shoulder without moving.
"Kongar," I said, gently shaking his shoulder. "Are you alright?"
I was starting to get genuinely worried.
When he finally lifted his head and looked at me, those dark eyes were back. His expression had changed, and that unsettling grin had returned to his face.
"Kongar."
The moment he heard my voice, the darkness in his eyes melted away, giving way to their familiar golden color once more.
"Are you alright?" I asked, reaching up to touch his cheek. "Your eyes darkened again just now."
At my words, he gently took my hand and moved it away from his face.
"It happened again?" he asked, his brows knitting together.
"Yes."
"You're not safe," he said, taking a step back from me. "I am a defective product."
"Why am I not safe?"
Kongar parted his lips as though he were about to answer. His eyes darkened again for a brief moment before returning to normal a few seconds later.
He really didn't look well.
"Find Arkan," he said, releasing my hand before disappearing into the crowd.
He had let go of my hand.
He had left me here.
"Kongar!" I called after him. "I command you to come back here."
I waited.
He didn't come.
The people around me were staring, and I could clearly feel the contempt in their eyes.
The moment I stepped forward to go after him, my foot caught on the hem of this stupid dress. My balance gave way, and the nausea churning in my stomach only grew worse.
"Ah!"
Just before I hit the floor, someone caught me around the waist and effortlessly pulled me upright with inhuman speed. My hair had fallen completely over my face, so I couldn't see who it was.
"Hello," a deep male voice said. "You must be Luna Kayra."
There was something strangely hypnotic about his voice.
Brushing my hair back, I extended my hand toward him.
"Yes. I'm Kayra."
The moment he took my hand, I felt how ice-cold his skin was.
Then I looked into his eyes.
They were crimson.
I tried to pull my hand away, but his grip tightened ever so slightly.
Then he bent down and pressed a gentle kiss to the back of my hand.
Just like a prince.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Luna Kayra."
This time, I managed to free my hand and took a step back.
He let out a soft chuckle at my reaction.
As he smiled, a pair of long, sharp fangs came into view.
"Ah, how terribly rude of me," he said. "I forgot to introduce myself."
He placed a hand over his chest.
"I am the King of the Vampires..."
A vampire?
"Valen."