7

"WHAT the hell are you looking for, Vaelora?"

Hearing Draekon's unexpected question, helpless panic rose within her.

She actually had no idea that Draekon had returned to the House of Veylor, until that maid had come to call her down for dinner, as per his orders.

Vaelora knew better than to obey and go downstairs, when their chambers was currently a desperation infested sea of law scrolls.

She had thought three days would be enough for her to find a loophole, but goddess! How wrong she had been.

Even after a whole week, she had found.....

NOTHING.

She quickly ran round, packing up the scrolls into one of the empty chests in their chambers, hoping Draekon didn't appear in their chambers before she was done covering her tracks.

Turns out she had managed to throw the lone scroll she mistakenly left out of the chest, behind the curtains, just in time for her to sit and appear unbothered, before Draekon showed up.

She was successful.

Or so, she thought.

Vaelora was completely unaware that Draekon had spotted the 'hidden' scroll behind the curtains.

"I asked a question, Vaelora." Draekon resounded, his eyes peircing holes through her face.

"Nothing." She muttered, slightly bothered he was asking such, after she had supposedly cleared the space.

What could have possibly made him ask such?

"Nothing." She sounded a lot more audible, reminding herself that there was absolutely no reason to be afraid.

Moreover, the very thing she had religiously searched for the whole week, wasn't found.

There was no point being bothered he'd catch on to anything because either ways, it had become very clear she wasn't..... she wasn't going anywhere.

There was no loophole, and there was no escape for her.

She had been going through the same stack of scrolls over and over again, for the past week. Yet, found nothing.

She was actually on her fourth round of thorough inspection through the scrolls, when Draekon had returned.

She had mostly realized that it was all a lost cause, before now. But somehow, having Draekon before her while she thought about it, hurt more.

"Ha...." A low broken sigh escaped her lips.

"Nothing, you say." Draekon muttered, an unreadable look in his eyes.

"Nothing." Vaelora answered, tears threatening to cloud her eyes.

"Alright then." Draekon nodded, his deep gaze seeming as though he knew something he wasn't supposed to.

With a sharp turn, he headed towards the bath chambers, pulling each piece of clothing from his body, as he did.

Vaelora swallowed hard, her heart beating for two different reasons now.

Didn't he have any shame? Stripping before her. His brother's ma.....

Not anymore.

Luckily for her, Draekon was dignified enough to leave on his undersash -- A black linen that hung low around his waist, before stepping into the bathing chambers.

He had left in his wake, the lingering scent of himself.

The regal combination of black amber and dark frankincense -- Just as strongly as it smelled from the royal healer's incense.

Overwhelming. Bothersome.

*****************

For the first time since they got married, Vaelora had woken up to find Draekon on the other side of the bed.

He had slept in later than usual, and she figured he was probably lagged from his trip.

Heading to the bath chambers, she observed her hygiene routine and quickly dressed up, just before he woke.

Not sparing her a glance, he made his way into the bathing chambers, starting his own day.

After a short while, he was out again.

In just a bath wrap that....

Did the damn wrap always have to hang so low?!! He was so..... vulgar!

Draekon went about his business in 'that' bath wrap, arranging the bed and pillows.

Vaelora wasn't sure whether or not to be surprised. She always woke up to a clean bed, but never really thought he did the work himself.

For a slight moment, he seemed so..... normal.

But then again, HE WASN'T!

"When can I resume my duties as Luna?"

Half dressed, Draekon turned to look at Vaelora. That was the last thing he expected to hear from her, knowing she had been looking for a way to escape their marriage, only yesterday.

For Vaelora, she had woken up with the subtle pain that she had to live in her reality.

She was Draekon's mate. Luna and queen of the werewolf kingdom. She would never run away from responsibilities, her father didn't raise her as such.

So far, she had seen how they used politics to manipulate her into becoming Draekon's Luna. She couldn't afford to keep being tossed around by those same men.

She had decided to be the Luna, and take charge.

"Whenever you want." Draekon responded eventually, thin tension in the air as he wondered what exactly she could be up to this time.

"Alright." Vaelora muttered.

"For a start, you can begin with reviewing the low ranking structure within the inner court. Danika; the Chief maid, should be able to assist you with that."

After that, he downed his outer robe and made his way out of their chambers.

On getting to his study, he was surprised to see Zayn already seated, waiting for him.

"Zayn." He called. "Why so early?"

"I guess I'm probably just interested in knowing how your investigation at Shadow Fang went. Were they really rogues?"

"Good morning to you too." Draekon muttered nonchalantly, frowning the moment he noticed a tiny speck of dust across his work table.

"Good morning, brother. So were they rogues?" Zayn pushed.

"It's funny how you seem interested in this particular case." Draekon muttered, taking a napkin from the side and wiping off the dust, before looking up at his brother.

He noticed the slight look of..... concern in Zayn's eyes, and his grew darker.

"I know you wished you had killed him."

"Not tha...."

"I know." Draekon cut him off.

Silence ensued for a couple of seconds, before Draekon continued.

"Your hunches seem to be right though. We think he is the one that led the rogue attack."

"What?" It came out as a whisper from Zayn's lips.

"Yes. But his mother isn't forthcoming. I think he had come to see how she and his sister have been faring."

"So he is gone?" Zayn asked, his tone sharper.

"Definitely." Draekon nodded. "It would be silly of him to remain. He is a rogue. Though I doubt he was able to see his sister. Alpha Damien tells me she was a part of the recent tribute sent from their province."

"His sister is here? Within the walls of this...."

"Yes, Zayn. She is." Draekon interjected. "But clearly, we haven't met her."

"What's her name?" Zayn asked.

"Damien mentioned, but.... I guess I may have forgotten..." He trailed off, his forehead creasing into folds as he tried to remember the name of the girl in question. "Zen.... something."

Realizing the entire situation was making Zayn so wound up, Draekon decided to change the topic.

"That bestfriend of yours....." He began, his eyes growing darker.

"Your wife." Zayn muttered.

"Hmm."

"What's with her?"

"It seems to be that she is looking for a way out of our union."

The place fell silent instantly, Zayn trying to keep his growing agitation in check.

"I saw a hidden scroll in our chambers. One bearing the royal seal. One on historical laws.... of marriage."

A deep sinister chuckle escaped Draekon's lips, causing Zayn to shiver with the fear of his own betrayal.

His brother couldn't know he had actually been actively trying to help Vaelora escape their marriage, this whole week.

"Vaelora is yet to realize that she can never escape me." Draekon said in a low tone.

Zayn wasn't sure how that sounded to him.

"You do realize you have constantly, consistently, and irreversibly hurt her, right?" Zayn asked.

He had expected Draekon to grow somber hearing his question, or even remorseful? Instead....

"Damien is doing a really great job in Shadown Fang." Draekon muttered after a few seconds of silence, subtly brushing Zayn's question aside.

Zayn had always thought Draekon wasn't complete 'darkness', unlike every other person thought.

But had he been wrong?

Did his brother really not see that Vaelora was hurting, and that he was the cause?

Was Vaelora truly safe with Draekon?

Had Zayn been wrong to have kept the truth away from Vaelora? A truth he recently stumbled upon.

One that he knew she was currently seeking relentlessly.