4. She will be my Luna

 

[Zeve’s POV]

I reluctantly sat on the carriage with him. Clenching my gown into my fists. All the way, I didn’t look at him. Not even once, but I could feel his gaze on me. All the time.

The carriage stopped. I waited for a long time for someone to open the door from outside or for him to move, but nothing happened. 

I tried to open the door, but it was locked.

“What do you want now?” I scowled, looking at him. 

“Waiting for you to look into my eyes.” He shrugged. “Now we can go. Open the door,” he said, and the valet opened the door. He got down first and offered his hand to help me get down.

I landed a quick gaze at him and helped myself down on my own.

He took back his hand to himself with a faint chuckle.

In front of me was a humongous palace decorated with lights from the precinct to the garden to the rooftop. I had never seen such a vast palace before. Honestly, I had seen nothing outside my pack.

So almost everything was new to me. 

Walking through the precinct to the palace, I kept on admiring the intricacy and beauty of the architecture. Skilfully designed statues, brilliantly colour coordinated with the colours of the walls. The patterns on the marble floor were just perfect and completely in sync with the paintings on the walls that seemed to be alive and dancing on the slow music that flowed around the palace. 

“Take my hand. In the ball, you have to be in your best behaviour or else…”

“I know. You don’t need to keep reminding me of the devil you are. The only thing you should be worried about is poison in your drink.” I seized his hand.

I will find a way to escape from here. There should be many people, so it would be easy to mix in the crowd and escape. At least that was what I thought until I entered the palace.

The hall was filled with only a handful of people. I understood it was a family ball. Those kinds of balls were very intimate. No outsider was allowed in such high-end parties. 

Everyone in the gigantic dimly lit hall bowed and welcomed Amor. I kept my gaze on the floor, my heart nervously beating in my chest.

I became the centre of their attention. I had no clue what was going on.

None of them said anything, nor did Amor.

What kind of silence is this? I thought. I lifted my gaze and glanced at Amor from the corner of my eyes. His eyes were on me, along with almost twenty others. 

Only when I looked at him did he say, “this is Zeve and soon she will be the luna of the Aurora pack.”

I hurtled my eyes at him.

He looked at me with an impassive face and then skimmed his eyes across the hall, glancing at everyone. “Zeve, meet my family.”

Panting, I knit my brows. I left his hand and shifted back from him.

He glared at me, and I froze in my place. He walked to me, tucking my hair behind my ear. His hand trailed down my neck as he grabbed my arms.

“I told you to behave yourself in this ball.” He whispered with clenched teeth.

“I-I… will never marry you. Never!” I whispered, gritting my teeth.

“Do you want your maids to suffer for your insolence?”

I glared at him, bleary-eyed. He was the worst person I had ever met in my entire life.

“Why are you doing this to me…” he made some distance between us. He ignored me again. 

“Zeve, let me introduce my family to you…” he stretched out his palm. I clenched my trembling fingers into a fist and placed it over my cleavage before finally taking his hand.

I had to run from him. The thought of marrying him was scarier than being killed.

We walked to an aged lady who was beautifully adorned in a plain white gown with no ornaments on her and her hair tied in a bun. Something that looked like a gold pendant was wrapped around her bun and that was the only jewellery on her.

He knelt before her, leaving my hand and kissed on her slim wrinkled fingers. An alpha of his power and rank kneeling before a woman. She was definitely his mother.

She stroked his hair and held his shoulders as he got up. She stroked his hair and kissed his forehead.

“It’s been so long since you left.” She had tears lining her eyes. Her voice had trembles of old age. “I never expected you to show up at our family ball and that too with…” she looked at me with warm eyes. 

Something in my heart melted when she smiled at me. She was ethereal and her blue eyes could drown the entire world in them.

I lifted my gown slightly and bowed.

“... with such a beautiful young lady. She must be from a different culture.” Her lips stretched in a blunt line.

I raised my head. 

What does that mean? Did I offend her? In my pack, that was how everyone greeted the top ranks. 

Amor gave me a look, “yes, she is. She needs to learn a lot about our culture. Please forgive her mistakes today. She is oblivious…”

“And whose fault is it? Didn’t you tell her about our pack’s greetings? How rude of you, Amor? She is going to be your wife. It’s your duty to get her acquainted with the etiquettes of our pack. Of course, I won’t scold her. It’s not her fault, but yours.” She hit his arm slightly.

What the hell were they talking about? I had never been so confused and embarrassed. Did I do something wrong and offensive? Will he punish me later? I fidgeted with my finger.

Once, I made a mistake in greeting Chaz’s relatives and after the party… he made me stand in the garden and sprinkled gunpowder in a circle around me. 

“Zeve, this is only for fun, ok? Of course, you won’t get hurt,” he said with his usual warm smile.

“But Chaz…”

“Shh! You aren’t allowed to speak. Just reflect on what mistakes you made at the party. I am the alpha of the pack now and you are going to be my luna. You need to learn these things. A lady never takes the hand of another man when she comes to a ball with a partner. She must stay with her partner at all times. Of course, her partner may allow her to dance with someone else. Remember that…” 

“I know, Chaz. I am sorry. He was of a high rank. I thought it would be rude to deny him and you weren’t around, so…”

“Shut up, Zeve. You don’t cut me in the middle when I am talking. Keep that in mind,” a soldier handed him the torch and my heart stopped for a few seconds.

“Chaz, please forgive me. It won’t happen again. I promise. Please don’t… ah!” I screamed, covering my head with my hands as he set the gunpowder around me ablaze.

I panicked, standing in the middle of the flames. I squatted and hugged myself. Tears. They had become so normal that I stopped keeping the count of how much I cried.

“I am sorry, Chaz! Please don’t burn me! Please Chaz! This is scary! Please! I am sorry!”

I shook my head, stopping those memories from storming into my head. I clenched my gown, holding back my tears and my trembling body. 

What do I do now? Chaz saved me later from the flames and even helped me relax after that, but Amor was a heartless man. He wouldn’t think before actually setting me on fire alive.

“I-I…” I gasped for air. “I…” my voice trembled and so was my whole body. “I… a-am… s-sorry… it won’t happen… again. I am sorry, p-please forgive me…”

I was shivering and panting badly. I couldn’t control myself and keep up with my act of being strong and normal. Not with the glass of memories throbbing my soul, emotions, and body.

“Amor!” His mother snapped at him. “What is this? How have you been treating her?”

She came to me while I shifted back.

“Oh, my… Zeve… it’s ok dear. I won’t hurt you. Calm down. You didn’t make any mistake… my dear…” she cautiously approached me and softly hugged me.

My shivering gradually stopped in her embrace.

“It’s ok. It’s ok.” She stroked my back and that helped me calm down. I didn’t know why, but I broke into tears as if it was ok for me to be weak in front of her.

She looked at me and wiped off my tears.

She glared at Amor. “You! I will talk to you later. Zeve will be with me. I will introduce her to the others. You better be ready with answers.” Anger was clear in her words and expressions. She pulled herself from the hug and that was when I noticed everyone in the hall was looking at us. But none of them stepped in.

“Mother, I…”

She glared at him, and he dropped his gaze. After that, he didn’t get close to me. For the first time in my life; I felt safe with someone. She was warm, gentle, and strong. Really strong. 

“I am Ella Aurora Blaze. I am the former luna of the Aurora pack and Amor’s mother,” she said. “And you?”

“I am… Zeve. Only Zeve.” I said, and she contemplated me. 

“You don’t have a family name?” She asked, and I shook my head. From as long as I knew, I had always been Zeve.

“Never mind! Zeve is a beautiful name. No other name needs to stand by it. It is strong as it is. Let me introduce you to…” one by one she introduced me to everyone. The rest of the time, I bowed slightly. 

From the introductions I came to know that Amor’s father, Diell Blaze, was dead, and that was why lady Ella was dressed as a widow, but I didn’t understand why she wore the pendant around her bun.

I also found out that Amor was their only son and was twenty-six years old. Since his father was the former alpha of the pack, the title passed on to him. His father had two brothers (Elio and Sulien) and two sisters (Helene and Lozbi).

He had no one on his mother’s side. Sir Elio was younger than the late Alpha Diell. Lady Helene was younger than Sir Elio. Sir Sulien was younger than her, and Lady Lozbi was the youngest. 

All his uncles and aunts had their partners and their children as a result of political marriages. It was too difficult for me to memorise so many people and their relationship with Amor at the same time. I didn’t feel the need to because I wouldn’t be marrying him.

After the formal introduction was over, there was only one person I remembered and felt the most comfortable with — lady Ella. Others were all too formal and cold. Maybe because of Amor always standing behind me all the time. He stayed back and didn’t interfere, but he didn’t leave me alone either. 

I wanted to ask lady Ella for help, but didn’t. She was his mother, after all. Why would she favour me and stand against her son for me? Amor was the alpha. She couldn’t stand against his decisions for political reasons.

“Zeve. Can I ask you something?” she asked. We were sitting on intricately designed chairs with velvet purple covers and golden cushions.

“Yes, your highness.”

She smiled. “I am glad you are comfortable with me now. Your voice isn’t trembling like before.” She said gently, placing her hand on my shoulder. I dropped my gaze.

Amor was talking to his brothers about some political matters by then, and we were alone. “Has Amor ever hit you or tried to hurt you?”

She said, and my body went into a passive state. I recollected all the memories I had with him. He did worse things. He killed everyone I knew, my mate, my pack. He brought me to a royal inn against my will. He placed the dagger to my throat, but physically he neither hit me nor hurt me.

Even when he grabbed my wrists and pulled me, it never left bruises on my skin. He treated me gentler than I had ever been treated. 

I shook my head, “no, he didn’t hit me or try to hurt me physically.” I said, looking at him. His brother’s eyes met mine, and then he turned, his gaze caught mine.

He placed the wineglass on the table and walked to me. I averted my gaze, taking a quick breath.

Why is he coming this way? I thought.