The Alpha's Luna in a Strange Land

CHAPTER 27: THE TRUTH IS OUT

**NATASHA'S POV**

"Who is it, Natasha?" His eyes were fixed on me.

I opened my mouth to speak, but no words came out. I dropped my gaze down to my lap, trying to collect myself. I hadn't meant to let it slip through my lips. It just happened.

I knew Desmond is a kind person and he had never looked like a gossiper to me, but I had a hard time trusting people. After my Alpha Husband was betrayed and killed by his own Beta, I knew that people should not be trusted. Zoe was different. I felt connected to her. It was easy to open up to her as it felt like a burden was lifted off my shoulders.

"Natasha," his voice was gentle, "I promise not to tell anyone. You can trust me. You have my word. I swear it."

I lifted my head and met his eyes once more. I could see the honesty and sincerity behind them. He was telling me the truth. The eyes never lied.

I looked around the cafeteria, making sure that we were far enough away from everyone. There were only a few staff members in the area, but they were on the other side of the room.

It was now or never.

I took a deep breath and whispered, "I tried to deny it at first. I thought, maybe I could fight the pull and keep my wolf at bay. But with each passing moment I spent with him, saw him, and spoke to him, I felt a pull grow stronger. We haven't even kissed or fully accepted each other, yet our bond is like this siren call that keeps drawing me closer."

I took another deep breath, gathering my thoughts, and continued, "I haven't been able to think straight. My mind always wanders back to him. What he is doing and what he is thinking. I'm completely consumed by him."

"It's Alexander, isn't it?" Desmond asked.

My heart skipped a beat from the way he asked the question. I knew that this was something that has been on his mind. He must have known long before he even started questioning me.

"Natasha, don't lie. Just tell him the truth," my inner voice said, trying to convince me not to try lying to Desmond again.

"Yes, it is Lord Alexander," I finally confessed. I couldn't help the small smile that graced my face at my confession.

Desmond mirrored my smile.

"How long have you known about this, Desmond?"

Desmond scratched his head as he chuckled, which made me nervous.

"I started to suspect something was going on with you and Alexander from the first day you woke up. The way he was looking at you while you slept was not necessarily creepy, but it was intense. Then, when you woke up, I saw the way you looked at him. It was a gaze I've seen in Morgana so many times. Also, Alexander might be a good and kind lord, but he had never spared the life of a wolf who trespassed into the Vampire land except for you. Should I talk about how he protected you against Jorge or how he fought for you against the pack of wolves? My dear, it is obvious to me that he was your mate, and I was waiting for a moment like this when you would confess to me about this so that I could confirm my suspicions."

My eyes widened, and my jaw dropped as I opened my mouth widely in shock. "So, you've known this entire time, and you didn't say anything?"

He shrugged. "I knew Alexander's situation already, and yours was not any less complicated, either. He was arranged to marry Cynthia, and you stumbled onto his land out of the blue. I knew that your relationship was complicated from the get-go, so I figured you both needed time to sort through your feelings and emotions. You guys are pure s**t at sorting through your issues, by the way."

I couldn't help the small laugh that escaped my lips. The smile slipped off my face when I saw the look in his eyes as he stared at me.

"I'm sorry, Natasha."

"Sorry for what?" I asked.

He went over his next words in his mind before he finally spoke. "Cynthia."

That was just what he needed to say for me to understand what he was getting at. My situation is not an easy one that can easily be solved with professions of love. Lord Alexander gave his word to Cynthia that he would marry her. I was a rogue who is running away from my past - a past I was not fully aware of.

I bit down on my lip, then released the painful hold I had on the soft skin.

"There is nothing I can do about Lord Alexander and Cynthia. As it stands like this, I know I have lost my mate, therefore I am equal to a rejected mate."

My voice cracked as I said all this. I wanted to cry but held myself. The pain is too much to bear. The pain of getting rejected by your mate. I have finally told Desmond one part of my life story, but I am not ready to tell anyone yet the other part of the story. I need to sort things out in my head before finally letting the cat out of the bag.

"You can't give up on him," Desmond reached out and placed his large hands on the table, with my smaller hands nestled between them. The gesture didn't seem intimate, but rather friendly and warm. It was a welcome change.

"We never stood a chance, Desmond. Everything is stacked against us right now. There is no easy way out of any of this."

"True love is never easy. If it were, everyone would experience it. Love is work, Natasha - it's sacrifice, perseverance, and faith. You are going to need all those attributes to help your bond with Alexander weather the storms of life."

"There is nothing to fight for, Desmond," I suddenly said. "Even with Lord Alexander knowing I am his mate, he still called the Alphas of the wolf kingdom to find out which pack I come from. He doesn't want me to stay."

His eyebrows furrowed. "What are you talking about? Alexander wants you to stay. If he never wanted you to stay, he would have sent you out of our kingdom all these days, or he would have let you run away when you tried to escape. Also, he is not calling any Alpha to inquire about you. He wants you to stay."

"But Zoe said..." my voice trailed off.

"I don't know what Zoe heard, but Alexander was not calling anybody asking about you. He wants you to stay. When he woke up today, you were the first person he asked about. He even asked me to keep an eye on you so you won't try to escape again. All this shows that he truly wants you."

I wanted to believe his words, but I needed to hear it from Lord Alexander himself. He had acknowledged that we are mates, but he hadn't taken any action to claim me, while I had taken the initiative to claim him. It felt like we were tiptoeing around each other, trying to see who would make the first move. I didn't want it to be me because if he rejected me, I wouldn't be able to handle it. But then I wondered - if he did take the initiative, would I accept him?

I had no intention of rejecting Lord Alexander, but I also didn't have any intention of becoming the Vampires' Queen. The more I thought about our problems, the more complicated they became.

An awkward silence fell over us, our hands still connected. Desmond was watching me with cautious eyes while I was lost in thought.

"Natasha, do you love Alexander?" Desmond asked, pulling me out of my reverie.

Zoe had asked me this kind of question before, and at first, I tried denying it. But now I knew better. The truth was finally out - there was no use hiding my feelings for Lord Alexander.

"I love Lord Alexander with all my heart, and I can't wait to finally mate with him."

"Then fight, Natasha," there was no room for argument in his voice. "Fight for your love. Fight for Alexander, fight against anyone who opposes your union with him, and fight for the destiny that rightfully belongs to you."

"But you didn't," I interjected. "Your destiny was to be the second in command, but you chose to be a healer."

Desmond shook his head, a knowing smile on his lips. "Being the second in command in the White Vampire Kingdom may have been my destiny, but only if I answered its call. Destiny wanted me to be a healer. Our fate is written by the Moon Goddess, but it is our decision that determines if we fulfill our destiny or not."

"What if this isn't my destiny? What if I am not destined to be with Lord Alexander?"

"If it weren't, would you have mistakenly trespassed into the White Vampire Kingdom? Think about that. Everything leading up to this moment has brought you and Alexander closer to one another. Destiny has called - it's now up to you to answer."

The truth was, I was scared. I didn't even know if I wanted to answer Destiny's call. There were still so many things Lord Alexander knew nothing about me, and there were still things about myself that I didn't know. I wanted to be safe, especially with Damien looking for me. Becoming the Queen of the White Vampires would only make me more visible, and that was something I didn't need.

If Damien discovered that I was living a good life in the Vampire Kingdom, he would declare war between the wolves and the vampires, and that was another thing I wanted to avoid. My mom once said, 'Show me who benefits from war, and I'll show you the man who benefits from death.' I couldn't let Damien find me, no matter what.

I had become skilled at hiding and blending into the darkness. Being with Lord Alexander brought too much light and attention, and that was the last thing I wanted. Damien hadn't stopped hunting me after all these years. I had gotten good at evading him, but it seemed like my luck had run out.

And yet, with all these reasons to leave, I had a dozen reasons to stay. The first was that being with Lord Alexander didn't feel scary or wrong. It felt right, almost natural. Not being with him felt like betraying a part of myself, and I hated that feeling.

The second thing was that I didn't want to see him with anyone else. Forget Alexander's promises and whatever consequences there were for breaking his promise. He was mine, and I couldn't bear the thought of someone else taking my place.

I made a decision then and there - I was going to at least try. I needed to try. I could only hope that I was making the right choice.