Lunar Temptations

Ch 47

Sighing, I turned around after reaching the last door and found a small staircase. It was quite rustic compared to the one I had climbed a while ago. The wooden structure was a stark contrast to the rest of the house, which was built of bricks, and that made the staircase look even more out of place. I would have stayed away from there if I hadn't felt him close by. I was surprised that I hadn't found the stairs before, considering I had been staying here for weeks. Placing one foot in front of the other, I took a step up but paused when the stairs creaked. In the darkness of the house and the chilly winds, I suddenly felt grateful that the entire house wasn't made of wood; otherwise, finding my mate in the creepy part of the house would have been a lot creepier than it already was.

I reached the top of the stairs, where a door awaited me. The noises from the stairs probably announced my arrival to him because now he felt almost as close as if he stood behind the door. I swallowed the knot forming in my throat. I had found him, but my guts felt like they were losing it as they twisted and turned, making me nervous as hell. I pushed the door open, and in the silence, it creaked like an old door on some abandoned hut. Gulping, I opened it wider and walked in.

A hiss escaped my lips when my hair flew back from an unexpected gust of wind. I was greeted by a strong breeze, ready to tumble me back down the stairs, and what I had imagined to be an attic turned out to be the roof.

This house had a freaking roof all along, and I didn't know? - I thought, staring at the huge area, dimly lit by the moon above. It looked heavenly, but what actually took my breath away was the man standing in the centre, staring out into the open like he owned the whole damn world. The moonlight was magnificent, but it looked godly falling onto him and casting his huge shadow on the floor. He was perfectly illuminated yet hidden at the same time. Everything about him screamed danger and dominance, and I couldn't help but be drawn to him.

"Found you," I said, and it took just a tilt of his head towards me for my body to be set ablaze.

"Took you long enough," he said, and I swear, I saw a hint of a smile on his face that was gone before it even appeared completely.

I narrowed my eyes, anger coming to the surface once again. He looked scary, very scary, but that didn't mean that I would forget about his actions.

"Well, it definitely didn't take you long to believe a liar," I taunted, knowing I was playing with fire. I could get burned, hell, I might even turn into flames myself, but nothing was worth letting the lies prevail. I took a step towards him to emphasize my point and folded my hands above my chest.

"Come here, Red," he said, or more like stated.

Was he really going to pretend that he didn't just believe his lying mother not only that, he went ahead and praised her as well.

I let out a scoff and gave him a half-smile. "Why would I do that?"

Silence reigned for a while until he finally turned around, making my breath hitch. It wasn't his back anymore but a breathtaking face with the most perfect stubble to ever exist. Those brown orbs glistened in the dark like two small flames. His face was barely lit by the moonlight, but it was enough to make me drip.

Get a hold of yourself, Raya! - my conscience screamed at me.

"Didn't I tell you," he said, taking a step towards me, "that your little stunts will get you punished?" His voice was cold but heating me, nevertheless.

My eyes must have widened because his gaze on me only intensified. The emotions burned raw in them, resembling the fire in them. Sometimes, I couldn't decide which of his eyes was more intoxicating - the red ones or the ones that were staring into my soul right now.

Even though he wouldn't punish me, and I didn't care about his threats, I tried to reason.

"It wasn't a stunt! She is the one who stole it. You can hate me all you want for it, but I wouldn't stay quiet anymore. Yes, I should have told you sooner; then I might not have been humiliated today, but my intentions weren't wrong, and neither was I. Esther had the evidence all along, and it is the truth, no matter the fact that she framed Danna to get away." I paused, running a hand through my hair, frustratingly. "Danna is innocent. She raised you, Zayden. How could you have her taken away based on false accusations?" I finished, panting lightly.

He was unmoving, and just when I thought my rant was useless, did he finally speak up. "I know."

The words made my already widened eyes widen even more. I looked at him for what felt like forever before I opened my mouth to speak and closed it again, unable to form any words.

"I believe you, Raya. I never stopped believing you," he continued.

"I-I don't get it," I finally mustered the courage to speak up. Maybe I had gone insane and lost my mind, which was making me imagine all the things I was wishing he had said instead. But I had never imagined him doing any of it before, especially not this genuinely. His eyes held mine like he meant every word of what he said.

"But you," I tried to make sense of it, with furrowed brows, but was unable to do it.

"I know Mother is lying," he said, taking a step towards me, "I know Danna is innocent, and..." He paused to take a few more steps, slowly closing in but still far. "I know you're right." He finished, taking one last step and continued to stand like a God once again.