เจ้านายคนนี้ห้ามรัก

#1

Camilla

“Kael!" I screamed, as he made a sharp turn driving the horse further into the forest.

I clung to Kael's sturdy arms, the leaves scratching on my face.

"Kael, stop! What are you doing? You're scaring me!”

Eventually, the horse burst out of the cluster of thick trees, and came to a stop at a clearing that ended in a cliff.

I was able to breathe again.

Kael got down from the horse. The wind tossed his chin-length hair across his face. He held out his hand to me, and gave me an exasperated smile.

“Come, Cami."

I looked around, the breeze whispering as it went through the pine trees, “Kael, why are we here? The mating ceremony is in two hours. Why are we here? Also, I'm without my veil. What if someone sees my face before the revelation ceremony?" I asked, but his hand remained stretched out to me.

"Do you trust me?”

I pouted and took his hand.

His other hand wrapped around my waist, and I slipped down from the horse.

"Look up,” he said, and my eyes found the moon, “I wanted to show you this."

The moon glowed golden in the sky, spreading rays of light in all its beauty.

I smiled, and took in a deep breath, embracing the earthy scent of pine needles, "You're being so rebellious, aren't you? We could have made it here after the ceremony.”

Kael slowly brushed my hair out of my face.

He looked exceptionally striking that night. Even the light scar across his eye seemed to add to his beauty, and those midnight eyes of his. I longed to sink in them.

“Nicasia's having her mating ceremony today," he said, his arm now around my waist.

“Nicasia? Your maid? Is she allowed? I thought…”

"She is allowed if her counterpart is strong enough to free her from her position.”

"Ooh, so who is he?”

"Me.”

"What?” I laughed, "What are you saying? Did you take wine? Kael…”

My smile abruptly faded as the sudden stab of blades sank into my flesh. I stared at him, my eyes dilating.

What just happened?

My breath came out nice and slow, and my eyes gradually lowered to see Kael's claws buried within me.

At first I couldn't feel much until the pain struck.

I gasped.

It was sharp, blinding, and impossibly deep, as though someone had driven a shard of molten iron straight through my body.

My breath caught in my throat. My knees buckled, and I gave a low grunt. My fingers found his wrist, and he twisted, sending another wave of agony tearing through me.

“Agh!"

Blood spilled past my lips as my eyes slowly lifted to meet his.

What was happening? Was I dreaming?

Kael's eyes were filled with tears, but he had a maniacal smile on. The wind scattered his hair across his face, but they could not conceal the darkness in his eyes, "I can't be with you, Camilla. You're weak. Look at me, and look at you. We're so different. Why don't you give the throne to someone who can handle it? An Alpha like me only needs a Luna like Nicasia, don't you think?”

I looked down again as throbs began to spread around my belly, blood pouring out of it. How was I supposed to believe what just happened?

My eyes filled up with tears. Kael yanked his claws out, and with a thud, I landed on my knees.

My hands pressed onto the wound, dark blood pouring down my fingers.

“Nobody will ever know. They don't know what you look like anyway," he rasped.

Kael took me by the puffy collars of my dress and began to drag me across the rocky surface.

“Ka…”

I placed my bloody hands on my neck, trying to breathe while tiny jabs of pain radiated from my stab wounds.

I could hear water slapping against rocks, as the sky began to change, dark clouds approaching the moon.

“Ka…Kael," I grunted, unable to free myself.

My vision flitted in and out, and if there was anything I remembered vividly, it was the cold moon staring down at me.

I tried to hold on, as Kael suddenly raised me. I couldn't even balance my feet properly on the ground.

“Don't…!”

He was still smiling, his canines pointed as his eyes flashed red. Kael's tears had fallen, yet they'd painted the red of his eyes with beauty, and then he pushed me.

A wrangled cry escaped my lips, as I fought to grasp onto something. I landed hard on a branch with a sickening thud, and for a few seconds, I thought it was over, focusing on the burning sensation spreading through me.

I couldn't breathe, and darkness was clouding my vision.

Crack… split…

The tree branch split apart, sending us both into the evil waiting waters. Darkness swallowed my vision.

As my mouth parted in pain, water gushed past it, choking me. Bubbles erupted from my nose, and my mouth, rising as I jerked.

My hands fought, my heavy legs struggling to push me to the top.

As my head bobbed out, I gasped for hair, coughing and choking. I never knew air was something I'd be so grateful for.

My eyes spotted a faint outline of the tree log that I'd fallen with. It wasn't so far. I reached for it, wrapping a hand and a leg around it.

The rocking water pushed the log across, but I could barely keep my eyes open.

I was here, and there. Like, standing at the entrance of two worlds. Strength had left me completely, and my soul seemed to be waiting for death to rescue it.

I don't know how long I managed to float on that log, but just when I felt so light, and so empty, a hand pulled me out.

Was it sand? Yes, sand covered my legs, warm and rough.

“Can you hear me?"

Strong hands pulled me up, and then suddenly, they stopped.

“Luna?"

Luna?

Nobody had ever seen my face.