His Luna’s Vengeance

7. First kiss

My wedding date is drawing nearer.

Because of that, everything is plunging into madness in The Silver Palace.

From far and wide, decorations are brought to adorn my wedding celebration. Maids and staff are running amok in the palace, trying to get things done at the Duchess’s beck and call. Nobles from the other Pillars are also pouring into the Greater Moon Capital. Be it dragons, vampires and The Wolves from Europe, distinguished guests are coming to attend the first official wedding of The Alpha King.

Not only that, but they were coming to speculate. It wasn’t every day that the Alpha King’s first wife would not be Queen. Normally, a first wife would certainly take the Next Silver crown but I was human, and I couldn’t inherit the moon goddess’s spirit or as they like to call it, The Founding Female Alpha.

The Greater Moon Kingdom was the largest supernatural pillar in the world by population size. There were so many types of wolves like Moon Lycans, Spirit wolves, shadow wolves, demon wolves, Angel wolves, regular wolves and a few weaker factions. Each faction had Lycans that ruled over them. However, The most powerful of them all were the Moon Lycans. They were the first ever wolves to grace the earth, were direct and pure blood descendants of the moon goddess themselves and they ruled over the other werewolves and the smaller kingdoms within the pillar. If the Moon Lycans couldn’t become gods, then other wolves would rise to the challenge and fight for the great silver throne and the crown of silver gilded bones. Demon wolves were unimaginably powerful and they had tried to usurp the throne so many times that it angered The Goddess and caused her to shorten their lifespans.

The point is, The Moon Lycans are royalty and not only because of their special blood but because they are the only ones that can inherit the Power of the First ever made wolves. The Moon Goddess’s first creations were as good as gods because she had passed down her powers into them. They were four spirits namely The Founding Alpha, The First Alpha Female, The Founding Beta and The Founding Gamma.

Obviously, The present Alpha King had inherited The Founding Alpha. That was the reason King Cardan had glowing irises and unimaginable power that could barely be contained. When he rose to the throne, he inherited The Founding Alpha to become a god. If a Moon Lycan was unable to inherit the special power, then he was not fit for the throne. The same went for me. My mother was a Moon Lycan but clearly, I didn’t inherit anything from her. Because of that, I can’t inherit the Founding Alpha Female and if I can’t do that, then I cannot be Queen. The Next Duchess Victoria was a Moon Lycan from the Second most influential pack in the Greater Moon Kingdom and hence, she was the best match for The Founding Alpha Female’s spirit.

However, what people could not understand was why The Alpha King was choosing to marry a human princess so unpopular that the other kingdoms had not even heard of her. I suppose I could understand why future Duchess Victoria was so cross with me. Still, I’m human. There’s no way on earth that the people will accept a wolfless Queen.

It was the same for humans. The humans in the lower moon kingdom were so upset about a werewolf Queen that they began to rebel against my father’s rule. The rebellion grew fast and wide and they ended up infiltrating the castle to kill my mother. I barely managed to escape death when my mother’s trusted guard saved me. And this comes to why the people of the lower moon kingdom hate me. Werewolf blood runs in my veins and even though my only traits was being visibly stronger than humans, my father’s people still thought I was a freak that could turn into a wolf. To protect my father’s rule, they had to get rid of me because if I became Queen, rebellion would rise again.

Anyway, killing Queen Nesta had serious repercussions. The werewolves from The Greater Moon Kingdom were so furious over the death of one of their own that they almost razed the kingdom to the ground. Instead, the treaty that had been between the Greater and Lower Moon Kingdom fell that day. It was only then that the hateful humans realized how much the werewolves had been protecting them. For the past hundreds of years, the werewolves had been protecting our lands from attacks by the other supernaturals. But when they left us, our lands were immediately plagued by attacks from other supernaturals that saw us as a weakness and a way to infiltrate The Greater Moon Kingdom. We became so weak, our fields of grain and treasuries were burned and emptied because our economy was collapsing.

This was the reason why I was given away to the Alpha King for marriage. It was so that they could put back the treaty in place and let our lands heal from the heavy attacks our lands had suffered. This marriage meant so much to the people of our kingdom. This marriage was how I intended to win their hearts and overthrow my father’s rule.

This meant that I would have to divorce the Alpha King or leave the marriage for my own mate. If I ever became Queen of The Lower Moon Kingdom and I was still married to The King, then I was certain he would try to colonize the kingdom and swallow them whole. I needed heavy plotting, allies with deep pockets and perhaps, people that were not satisfied with the Alpha King’s rule.

So much needed to be done and I had only three months to do it.

“What are you thinking about?” Marina asks, peering up at me.

I shake my head and smile, caressing my engagement ring. I was getting married tomorrow.

After a much more calm but intense argument with the duchess, we finally decided on my wedding dress and the modiste got it ready in a little over Forty Eight hours. Like one of the maids had proposed, it would be a delicate mix of silver embroidery and cerulean blue. I had gone further to pick out my wardrobe with the maids. The modiste intended on making more clothes for me that were fit to be worn by a King’s wife. The sheerest, most exposing night wears had already been made to entice the Alpha King into my bed. It was all so annoying. The irritating man had made sure that I would spend every night in his bedroom and underneath his body to get pregnant for him. I didn’t even want to imagine how I would elude the man every night. I only hoped that my menstruation would chase him away as well so I didn’t have to device plans to run away from him when I was on my period.

“Nothing. You on the other hand, had a private dinner with Beta Nicolai. Tell me all about it,”

Marina’s eyes brighten up ten thousand fold and her cheeks flame with a bright and brilliant blush. She is absolutely smitten with this man, it is so adorable to see her fall in love with him.

“He is so kind and considerate! I told him my favorite color and flowers the other day in passing and he decorated our dinner in those themes. He hangs on to every word I say and the way he looks at me,” her blue eyes glimmer with excitement.

“I know it’s so soon, but I think he’s a really great man! We fed the ducks by the lake this afternoon because I told him I liked to do that. Everything is so beautiful here! The gardens, the roads, the towns... I’m falling in love with this place,” she chuckles.

“And the Beta,”

She blushes but nods.

My Guts twists at her confession because she doesn’t know that I will be this kingdom’s downfall, that I will raze it to the ground with my wrath and Kill The Alpha King. Her mate is a good man but he is faithful to king Cardan. There is no way he would let me do what I am about to do.

Could I still trust Marina with my secret? Would she promise not to tell her mate anything about my plans?

I still had to tell Marina that I have been reborn, that I saw the future and it was nowhere near bright.

“Eh, Marina.... I have something to tell-“

Marina’s eyes suddenly went wide with shock, her hands flying to her mouth. I followed her line of vision and soon, my eyes were going wide and my face was pale with shock.

“Marina,” my mate, Achilles says, giving her a small tight smile.

“Would you be kind enough to give both my mate and I some privacy?” He asks, green eyes softening.

I knew that Achilles was one of the best and powerful warlocks there ever was but still, seeing him suddenly appear in my bedroom was a shock worth a heart attack.

“Alright!” She nods enthusiastically before racing out of the room.

Soon, we are alone.

“Archie-“

“How could you?” His eyes are broken, helpless.

My heart was already breaking into a million pieces, tears watering my eyes. Achilles was the most breathtaking man I had ever set my eyes on.

He was tall and muscular, being a war lord and the crown prince of his own kingdom. Achilles had the most beautiful honey brown hair and sea green eyes. He had dimples whenever he smiled and there was a way his eyes lit up when he was excited. I would know Achilles when he was happy, knew the twist of his mouth when he was upset, knew the storm that brewed between his eyebrows when he was furious. Achilles never got angry, was barely ever upset. He was the most jovial person I had ever known, with a smile that stopped my heart every time it materialized.

So seeing him so upset, so heartbroken was making me cry.

“I couldn’t tell you,” I whisper, wiping my eyes.

“How?” He flails his arms helplessly, his breath constricting.

“I was with you the night before you left. You disappeared, Ada. I was so confused. I thought, I thought you were dead and your deadbeat father was trying to hide it,” he staggers on his feet as he approaches me.

“Then all of a sudden I’m hearing that you are getting married to my strongest adversary. I would never believe it. Yet here I am,” the bitterness is as clear as day in his voice.

“Even the promise ring I gave you is gone, replaced by that man,” he kneels before me, his eyes glittering with tears.

“We can run away. Let me take you to my kingdom. I don’t care what war he brings. I don’t care the repercussions. I just want to take you away from here. Please Ada, let me take you away. I would die if I saw that man marry you. That is what I’ve wanted to do for years. Why should he have you? It’s not fair, he can’t take everything from me,” he cups my face in his hands, pressing his forehead to mine.

“I can’t,” I say weakly, shaking my head.

“Ada please,” he begs.

“I’ve decided it. I will marry him,” I say, even though it hurts, even though it’s breaking my heart.

Achilles leaps away from me, confusion, fury and helplessness shining in his eyes.

“But you don’t love him! You love me,” he tries to knock sense into my head.

“I want to kill him for you,” I say, wiping my eyes and rising shakily to my feet.

“What?” Disbelief shines in his eyes.

“It’s not going to work. Just come with me, my mother would love you. You would be happy there. You look so miserable here,”

It sounds so tempting but I’ve already thought about it.

The past would only repeat itself. If anything, it would make it easier for the King to have me. He will Kill my mate in front of me and gather me as his war spoils before forcing me to marry him.

“It is. I’m going to prove myself to you. That I am worth being your Queen,”

“You’re worth the moon and stars to me. You’re already my everything. Knowing that you want to marry that psychotic monster to help me is enough! Don’t let him take you away from me,” he begs and still, I shake my head.

“Adeline,” he holds my shoulders, begging.

“Do you know what he would do to you? He would kiss you, he will Mark you-“

“He can’t,” I say icily, my body freezing.

“You can’t mark someone that is not your mate,”

“But he will try to- he will force you into his bed. Can you imagine the agony I would face? That you would face if you betray our bond?”

“I’ve made my peace with that,”

“You’re not thinking clearly!” He snaps furiously.

“What are you doing Addy? What in the world do you think you’re doing?”

“You will not change my mind,” I scowl.

“I will marry him and I will destroy his kingdom. Before I am a wife I am a Princess. You don’t know what I can do,” I say sternly.

“I know... but is it enough?” He is quiet, brooding.

He knows I’m serious.

“It will be enough if you help me,” I say softly.

He’s already shaking his head, bitter and angry.

“I need money. I need something that will ensure I do not get pregnant-“

“He wants to make you conceive?” His eyes are wide blown with fury.

“Adeline that will kill you! You can’t carry a Moon Lycan’s child! What in the world? What is wrong with you?”

“If you get me herbs that prevent me from conceiving, then I will not,” I snap at him.

“Now help me get my money stored away in my room. Change the currencies to the Greater Moon Kingdom’s currency. Well the money that isn’t yet exchanged-“

“You’re really doing this?” His voice still holds disbelief.

“It’s the only way,” tears are steaming down my cheeks.

“I will poison this kingdom from the inside out. I will bring his head to you, I give you my word. How hard is it to kill a man that sleeps beside me?”

Achilles is completely repulsed by my ideas and the hatred that oozes out of his eyes make me twist with uncertainty.

“So help me. You must,” my voice is a broken whisper.

Achilles lets out a sigh and removes a bracelet from his hand before taking mine.

“You will need this. If you need any help, if you want to run away, then touch the white beads and call my name. I will send my people to help you or I will come myself,” he says, his voice devoid of emotion.

“Thank-“

Achilles grabs my face in his hands and suddenly kisses me, his heart drumming steadily against mine.

I stagger at the intensity of the kiss but he wraps his arms around my waist and pulls me into his frame to steady me. I try to kiss him back but I can’t match the hungry pace of his lips, the intensity in which he drags my lips into his mouth.

When he stops kissing me, I am panting heavily and my cheeks are flushed. The realization that I will be kissing another man tomorrow makes bile Rise up my throat.

Why can’t I just be with this man without the world standing against us?

“Cardan,” he growls the name of his worst enemy.

“He has killed my family and he has taken from me. Nothing hurts more than him taking my mate too,” he pants against my lips.

“Archie-“

“He’s taken you from me. It is only fair to you that the man you love gives you your first kiss,” he whispers sadly.

And then he vanishes, leaving me to remember his phantom lips on mine.

I fall into a heap on the floor and cry, realizing just how heavy the burden I carry on my head is.