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 chamber 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 chamber before she was done covering her tracks.

She had managed to throw the last scroll behind the curtains, just in time 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?

"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... going anywhere. There was no loophole, and there was no escape for her.

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

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

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

With a sharp turn, he headed toward 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.

Luckily for her, Draekon was dignified enough to leave on his inner braies, before stepping into the bathing chamber.

He had left in his wake, the lingering scent of himself. A regal combination of black amber and dark frankincense. Overwhelming and 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 bath chamber, 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 brief 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, so she decided to truly become 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 lower 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.

"How was your investigation at Shadow Fang? Were they really rogues?" Zayn asked.

"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 replied.

"Hmm." Draekon grunted. "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 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 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?" he asked, expecting Draekon to grow somber at hearing his question, or even remorseful at least.

But instead...

"Damien is doing a really great job in Shadown Fang," Draekon said 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.