Chapter 25

I kept quiet at dinner and tried not even to meet the elf's eyes, just in case. That combined with the how looking at the vampire across from me made my stomach turn, I barely looked up from my food when I didn't have to. It was a pasta with more vegtables than I was used to. We must be catering this meal to the elves taste. I risked a quick glance at the plate across from mine. The Vampire king hadn't touched his food at all, but he didn't seem to mind whatever he was drinking from his glass. No, it couldn't be. My appetite vanished at the thought of him drinking blood at the table. Surely that isn't allowed and he's just fond of wine. Nevertheless I soon found reason to excuse myself to get some fresh air. 

Even in the winter, I prefered the outdoors to the indoors and the night air on the patio settled my nerves. A winter hush lay over the grounds where most living things were hibranating, but the silence was a comfort. Only the whispers of pasing servants and the crunch of their footsteps over the glistening lawn could be heard. I turned around and leaned against the patio's thick wooden railing and lifted my face skyward to look up at the stars above me. It was a beautifully clear night and even the wind seemed to be taking the night off. Maybe my brothers were looking up at the same stars from wherever they were sleeping tonight. They could be with the other warriors hudled around a campfire or perhaps prowling through the woods as wolves on watch. I hoped they would be warm enough.

"I never figured wolves cared much for the stars." A carefull masculine voice pointed out and I snapped out of my trance to see the blond elf entering the patio the torch light flickering of his shiny hair.

"I thought your love was mostly reserved for the moon." he continued reaching my side and peering upwards.

"We are bound to the moon in unexplainable ways," I agreed, "but you will find that there are many other things we recognize as worthy of love. And we are the best lovers, afterall."

He raised an eyebrow.

"Is that what they say around here? I must confess that the tales of werewolves' love that reach the elven province differ slightly."

"Do they?" I ask. I started to worry that the stories I had heard of the pride and self rightousness of elves were proving more than fiction."

"Loyal, and passionate they say, but also merciless, unforgiving, and rough. In my opinion, not the best."

I shivered as a chill seemed to penetrate my evening gown to bring ice to my bones. I looked up to notice a long shadow I couldn't make out at the door. It was as though I could feel that monsters eyes on me still. My first act as Luna will be his banishment.

The elf looked at me curiously,

"I don't mean to offend." he said in practiced manner that made me think that he was used to offending people. 

"Not at all." I said tearing my eyes away from the menacing shadow in the corner,

"Perhaps we are unforgiving, but our values are so strong that anything less would be hypocritical."

The elf's thin lips turned into what was almost a smile.

"Spoken like a true wolf," he replied. I bowed my head accepting this as a compliment.

"One day maybe even a Luna," I said. He should know who he's dealing with, but it didn't seem to impress him. The shadow seemed to also catch his eye and I saw his expression shift just slightly to unease.

"Maybe so, You must excuse me," he said and in three long steps he had rentered the party leaving me once again alone with the night.