The Making of an Alpha King

Chapter 6 – Absence of a bond

“Not personally, but I know their story. I know things. They just come to me. Don’t ask how as I don’t know.” She explained, which made him raise an eyebrow. He couldn’t understand something unexplainable.

“What? They just appear in your mind? You suddenly just know something?”

“Yes. It’s like that.” Luna moved to her left and reached for a door knob.

“This is my room. Come in.” She happily presented the room to him and he entered first.

Once again, he was surprised upon entering. It’s a majestic room, fit for a royal.

“I thought the palace was ransacked when the last werewolf king died? How is this room intact?”

She gazed at him with intensity, making him a little uncomfortable. She might have seen people and places in her visions and dreams, but to personally see someone in the flesh… it was an excitingly wonderful experience for her.

“Don’t forget, I spent years in this place. When I woke up in this very room, everything was dusty and dirty. Everywhere was a mess. When I realized I couldn’t step beyond the perimeter, I had all the time in the world to clean up every room, every section I wanted.” She sounded cheery but he could distinguish the longing in her voice. His heart ached a little.

“I couldn’t imagine…”

“Then, don’t. I’ve managed to adapt. All is well now. You’re here. I can finally leave.” She’s looking forward to it. She spent years being confused and afraid, resentful… it took her a long time to accept herself and her fate. The knowledge that come to her, she slowly embraced them. When she started seeing visions of the future, she had hope. She truly looked forward to it, especially when she saw other people in her life.

Her gaze on him was filled with emotion. She wanted to touch him. To hug him, but she knew he’s wary of her presence.

He has many questions but stopped upon turning to look at her. Her gaze kept him feeling a certain discomfort but he could see an array of emotions in her eyes. She fidgeted, which he clearly noticed.

Frowning, he asked, “What’s wrong?”

Luna straightly looked at him and for a moment, they simply stared at each other. After a while, she bit her lip and his eyes widened as she jumped on him. He dropped his bag as he supported her back. Damn it. He was unprepared and slightly stumbled. He was sure he heard a feminine squeak a few seconds earlier.

He was about to push her away but he felt her arms tightening around him in a hug.

“I’ve waited a long time...” She uttered, making him freeze. Her voice trembled and he felt bad for her situation. He doesn’t know much but he believed what she said that she’d been alone for a long time.

Alex took a deep breath as he tried to wordlessly comfort her. He doesn’t exactly hate her proximity, or her touch. There’s no disgust. He’s fine with it so he let her.

She was light and her body was soft against his. There’s this unique scent coming from her, but he’s sure it’s not the kind you get with a bond. It would’ve made him crazy with need already if it was. Still, she smells nice. He awkwardly patted her back and caressed her silky brown hair. That silvery glow remained enchanting.

It’s true that he has misgivings, but right now, he couldn’t bring himself to be mean to this beautiful woman.

“You’re no longer alone.” That’s all he could say without betraying his own thoughts. He doesn’t want to utter empty words. He’s not that guy.

He waited and was glad she didn’t cling to him for long. He felt her giving him another squeeze before distancing herself. She showed him a shy smile, but it’s clear she’s very happy. Luna understands his temperament. She half-expected him to push her away but was immensely glad that he didn’t. She just took the chance and was rewarded with a mild reaction. It’s great.

“You must be tired. You should rest first.” She insisted and tugged him towards the bed.

He was reluctant, wanting to speak with her first. But should he? He took a moment to contemplate. They just met and she seemed really happy to see him. He inwardly sighed. Right. So far, she hasn’t shown anything which he might consider threatening or negative. She’s just plain mysterious at the moment and he’s curious about her. He wanted to know more about her.

They stood beside the bed, facing each other, and Luna reached for his shoulders, pushing him to sit on it.

“Go ahead. I’ll prepare new dishes for you and your companions. My choices are limited, though. I hope you won’t find it lacking.” She grimaced, already knowing they wouldn’t be impressed.

“It’s fine. We also brought food. We can share later. I’d like to see what you usually eat in this place and how you manage.”

She smiled at him. “Thank you, for coming.”

They spent a minute staring at one another before she decided to leave him in peace. She did want to watch him rest, but she knew he would find it intrusive. She reluctantly left and headed towards her kitchen.

She can roam various places, as long as they are within the perimeter of the palace ruins. In the back, there’s a garden where herbs and flowers grew. She uses those to put flavor in her food. A bit farther along, a small stream flows through the place. That’s her source of water and allowed her to do a lot of things.

As she was busy with her tasks in the kitchen, a young man appeared and politely greeted her.

“Hello.”

“Hello.” Luna replied with a nod and a small smile.

“My name’s Carl. I’m responsible for the food. Thought I can start preparations now…”

“I see. I’m not sure what you’ll need, but everything here is as you see.”

“That’s alright. I just need to heat them up. Add water to the soup ingredients. Maybe we can use utensils for this meal.” He eyed the rack where the plates are.

“Of course. Feel free to move around and do your task.”

It was a bit awkward. She’s not used to having people around. Carl almost exclaimed when a silver wolf moved from a corner. He doesn’t know how he could have failed to notice its presence.

“This is Killian. He’s my personal guard.” Luna fondly introduced her wolf.

Carl tried to calm himself. “I see. Nice to meet you.” Upon saying that, he realized he doesn’t know her name yet.

“Uhm, you are?” He hesitantly prompted her. He did hear that this person is supposedly Alex’s mate. He doesn’t want to be subjected to his wrath, if that guy is the same as the others who easily get jealous when their mates are around unrelated males. His lip twitched. Let’s make sure to keep our distance. This is his first mission outside of the territory and he doesn’t want to mess up.

“My name? It’s Luna.” She beamed at him. It’s been so long since she wanted to introduce herself to other people. She likes it.

“Luna? That’s your given name?” So, what? When she becomes their Luna, will she be called Luna Luna? It sounds absurd.

“Yes. You don’t need to worry about what to call me in the future. Luna is fine.”

“No, it’s not. Wait, is it?”

“If I don’t mind, then it’s fine. No?”

“Is Alex fine with it, too?”

“We haven’t discussed anything yet. He’s resting.” She began to grill the meat from this morning’s hunt. Killian moved closer and sniffed delightfully. Luna smiled and stroked his head, slipping a small piece of meat into his mouth.

Carl coughed before taking out the packed supplies and laying them on the long table. Luna got curious and watched him work. She began to ask about the packages and the young man gladly explained their contents.

As he began cooking, she was fascinated by the different smell. He let her have a taste of each dish and she was pleasantly surprised. She hasn’t tasted anything like them. She grinned, looking forward to having more of these dishes and the spices they use.

Carl was respectful so she began to feel comfortable with his presence. He’s only nineteen and have recently finished training to be a warrior. He wanted to prove himself and make sure he has learned enough. He’s younger than most, but he’s a fast learner.

“There’s still a lot to learn. The world is so vast, there’s plenty of things to learn every day even at an old age.” She reminded him.

“Are you as old as Alex?”

“Maybe. I think he might be a couple of years older than me.”

“He’s already thirty.”

“Ah. Five years, then.”

“So, you’re twenty-five?” A different voice startled them and Carl immediately greeted Alex while distancing himself from the woman.