Semua Bab The Stand-In Luna: Bab 11 - Bab 20

AshleyI held my breath. There really was no turning back. Like a common criminal, I was dragged away from the Healing Grove, even though Alicia had tried to diffuse the situation. Her worried pleas had fallen on deaf ears as the general and her men took me away. I was taken down a long corridor that seemed to go on for hours, or maybe I was just too out of my mind to understand orientation anymore. The men that held me didn't seem to care that their hands sunk harshly into my flesh, and I knew that I was going to be badly bruised afterwards. The downsides of the pale skin I possessed.Finally, we entered a large room with ceilings so high that you couldn't reach them no matter how high you jumped. With power-white pillars placed at equal intervals down both sides of the room. Violet drapings clung to the walls, oozing opulence. And right at the end of the room, seated in an ornate chair that looked crafted by gods, was a woman whose aura filled up the large room; steady and firm,

AshleyIf everyone hadn't been looking at me before, then they definitely were at that point.Another man joined us. His eyes showed age and experience, and even before I heard his name, I could tell that he was likely the older Healer the Queen had asked of earlier.“Healer Francis, what's the matter with Daisy?” Zane asked, turning to the man and waiting for a response. I could feel the agitation rolling off him in waves, and I wondered if anyone else could feel it. It vibrated in and around me, making me even more aware of his presence. He didn't answer, instead the healer caught sight of me standing beside the bedridden girl and walked up to me. “Who are you?”“She's a healer,” Zane said the exact same time I said, “I'm a healer.”“And what, you think that perhaps you can perform the miracle that we all have been unable to?” His voice was full of annoyance. “We have some of the finest healers here already, and they have all tried their best.”“I can try,” I said calmly. I could

AshleyIn my throat, I could feel a lump building. The urgency in Zane's voice was enough to fully convince me to stay . . . and much more than I wanted to admit.“Since you’ve agreed to stay with us, I swear by the Moon Goddess that you will be protected,” he said gently, using his thumb to brush over my knuckles momentarily.My cheeks got even hotter. These subtle touches. The little jolts I felt against my skin every time his thumb moved over my flushed skin. He was so gentle, so calm . . . So much different than what I had been told about the Lycan King. But of course, all those stories had probably been lies as well.My lips parted. “I . . .” What did I even want to say? My eyes dropped to the perfect bow of his lips, and I looked at it for a moment before chastising myself. “I appreciate your offer but you don't have to go out of your way to keep me safe. I'm . . . of little importance.”“I don't believe that. And neither should you. A woman of no importance wouldn't have foun

AshleyI decided to tell Zane about the strange marks on Daisy’s body. Maybe this was related to her poisoning.I found him in the grove. Before I took another step, he lifted his head, catching me mid-stride. “Ashley.” The way my name dropped from his mouth made my cheeks heat up. The slight accent in his voice made my name sound . . . interesting. “Alpha Jace and Carina’s mating ceremony is today.”His eyes searched my face as if looking for a particular reaction. “Just like I said, Carina is the one they really want,” I said, trying to sound calm.I walked up to where he stood. “Actually, I’m here because I found something -” “Excuse me,” he held up a hand and closed his eyes, he was receiving a message through the mindlink. “I'm sorry, but we have to go and check on Daisy. We can discuss what you want afterwards.”“Okay,” I said, a little nervous on hearing Daisy's name again. What happened to her?We got to Daisy's in minutes, and I was surprised to see a small crowd consisting

AshleyInitially, I thought I had taken Zane's offer because of the possibility of being close to Daisy, but the moment I got back to my little room in the Grove, I knew that I was merely lying to myself.I wanted to be close to Zane, too. There was a lot about him I didn't know, and I was eager to uncover every layer of him, piece by piece.The next day, I got up extra early to get prepared to go and see Daisy at the Grove. I quickly made the batch of healing salves and tinctures requested of me by Alicia, and turned them in before setting off.Daisy, as usual, was excited to see me. “Ashley! You really came!” She practically jumped onto me. “Zane said you'd still be coming to see me but I wasn't so sure.”“Why weren't you sure? Don't you trust me?”She nodded, shaking her little blond pigtails. “I do. I just don't have many people that have been coming to see me. My mother stays away because she says that seeing me here makes her sad. And Bryce and Clara are very busy—even Zane too.