CLAIMING HIS RELUCTANT LUNA

CHAPTER 6: SUBMIT TO THE LUNA

SAVINA'S POV

Our fake union had kicked off the very next minute.

Right after our deal that night, a soldier escorted me to a newly furnished room at Heath’s order, and unlike the rest of the house, it had a white theme that gave it a delicate yet luxurious look.

Having lived an ordinary life since I was twelve, returning to that of Royalty would take a lot more time than I had. The numerous curtsies from the maids and bows from the soldiers were things I had yet to get used to, and it was sacrilege to bathe myself - a bigger one to brush my own hair.

As much as my anxiety remained, it was obvious things had just taken a quick turn for the better. However, my mind changed the next day.

Sitting in front of the mirror, I could feel my heart slam hard in my chest. Just last night, I had dared to think a month of being Heath’s Luna wasn’t the worst thing that could happen to me, but now, while my maids were busy getting me dressed, I started to rethink my decision.

A few curls of my red hair dangled beside my face while the rest was styled into a messy bun. It was far more effort than yesterday’s session, and as much as I dreaded dinner with Heath, I would pick it a thousand times over today’s event.

After a faint layer of makeup, I was treated to an omelet and wild berries, and while at it, I wondered what the outcome of today’s introduction would be. Heath couldn’t order his people to accept me - but I wish it were that easy.

He was moving fast. Too fast for me to keep up.

When breakfast was over, the maids helped me into a sky-blue dress with sleeves that revealed a decent half of my shoulders, and to ensure perfection, final touches were made at every angle until standing before the mirror was a damsel in distress.

Pierce patiently waited for me at the door, but unlike the others, he didn’t look surprised when he saw me. Instead, when I finally joined him in the hallway, he dipped into a small bow and silently gestured for me to follow.

A small entourage came behind us, a safe distance away, and for minutes, we walked side by side without a word. The only sound in the silence was the sound of my beating heart. Just as we approached the courtroom, I sucked in some needed air.

“Do you think they’ll accept me?”

Hiding his surprise, Pierce regarded me for a moment.

“I don’t think they have a choice.”

Before I could understand what that meant, he walked into the courtroom, and with a hard lump in my throat, I followed suit.

A little over fifty people were present in the large hall, most of whom were servants in the pack house. The rest were distinguished wolves of noble origin, primly dressed men and sophisticated women, and their gazes on me were a mixture of contempt and disapproval.

With my eyes on my feet, I felt confidence slowly escape me, and given the situation, I wasn’t sure I could catch it.

“Vina,” Heath’s familiar voice forced me to look up.

There he was upon the dais, seated on a magnificent throne. A few things were beautiful and dangerous simultaneously, and Heath Valsad happened to be at the top of that list.

“Come here, darling.” He waved me towards himself with a hand.

Carefully, I followed the aisle to where the floor rose to form the dais and felt as the uncomfortable glares followed my every step. News like this escalated quickly, and for someone hiding from Alpha Hensen, perhaps saying yes to this was a bad idea.

The Alpha stretched out a hand to me when I reached the dais, and for a split second, our gazes locked, but then he smiled mischievously. Who knew what went on in that mind of his?

I received his hand and let him pull me to himself. Gently, he settled me on his thigh, then refocused on his subjects.

Among the women present was a particularly beautiful one who stood in the corner. Her hair was shard black and her eyes a gorgeous hazel, and when she looked at me, it wasn’t contempt I saw. It was anger.

But there was no time to wonder who she was.

“I’ve called you all here to make an important announcement,” Heath began, and as though he sensed my fear, he squeezed my hand in support. “Since my coronation, you’ve all wondered when your Alpha will present his mate to you. The woman who is to become your Luna.”

A murmur spread through the crowd, but he stopped it easily with a raise of his hand.

“And now,” Heath sighed dismissively. Unlike me, his acting was flawless and unabashed. “I believe it’s appropriate that I finally bring an end to your wait.”

He turned to me with adoration in his eyes, and if I didn’t know better, I’d have thought it was real.

“Here with me is the woman I love, the one I am mated to. As from now henceforth, Vina Connor will be your Luna.”

He ended his statement, and a noise rose from the subjects. Servants whispered among themselves with visible shock and hisses spurred from the nobles. All in all, I saw the disapproval coming.

Standing still amid the entire ruckus was Pierce. His stern look made it obvious he’d seen this coming, but what I couldn’t tell was how much he had known.

One of the nobles quieted the gathering with both his hands, and I could tell he was an elder by the way he was dressed. Finally, when the noise subsided, he turned to face Heath and me.

“Your Majesty, we are all aware of how important this decision is to you and the rest of us. However, don’t you think it’s a little too soon to install a stranger as Luna?”

When a cheer of acceptance came from the others, the elder found his confidence.

“She doesn’t even have the qualities we need! As far as we know, strangers such as herself might have a history we do not know about. A spy, maybe!”

I shrank as the words came, perhaps because they were slightly true. Heath sensed I was about to move and held me still, and given the look on his face, we didn’t share the same sentiment towards the elder’s words.

“Elder Rye,” he spoke too calmly for the anger he felt “I appreciate your opinion in everything but whom I choose to love.”

“Unfortunately, Your Majesty, that decision affects the best of us,” Rye’s pitch rose dangerously. With disgust, he pointed at me. “This woman looks nothing more than a slave in the docks!”

Laughter rang across the room, muffled and quiet. As much as I’d expected disapproval, getting insulted wasn’t part of the deal.

Hot tears stung my eyes, yet I refused to give them the satisfaction of seeing them fall. Little did I know I was about to discover the meaning behind Pierce’s words.

“Come forward.” Heath’s words brought the laughter to an abrupt end.

There was confusion on Rye’s face as he pondered on the Alpha’s statement. Just for clarity, he exchanged glances with the elders around him. Hopefully, just hopefully, it wasn’t what he was thinking.

However, with Heath Valsad, his hopes were about to get crushed. “Come forward, Rye. Let’s see how much of a slave you can be yourself.”

Once again, Rye struggled to find meaning in those daring words. “Your Majesty, I’m not sure I -”

Sadly, patience wasn’t a virtue Heath had, and he made a swift movement with his fingers that only I saw. I and an armed soldier who stood in the corner with a metal whip clutched tightly in one hand.

At Heath’s silent order, he squeezed through the gathering and towards where Rye stood. It took a while to understand what was happening, but it was already too late when I finally did.

My attempt to change Heath’s mind fell on deaf ears, as he was too focused on Rye - who was trying to give an explanation - with a cold and sinister smirk.

“I was only saying -” The elder was cut short by the hard lash of a whip on his back, and the hall went dead with silence as shock rippled through.

Whipping an elder was the most embarrassing punishment one could think of, especially one of Rye’s status.

The elder fell drastically to his knees, his cry filling the quiet room. I’d heard the shards of metal pierce through his skin, drawing blood, and for long moments, he writhed helplessly on the floor, weak from both shock and pain.

Eyes wide, I tried to speak. “Heath, please -”

However, Heath was lost in his own world of euphoria as he watched the sulking man. There was a sign of a smile on his lips that showed his satisfaction, and in all my life, I’d never seen anything so twisted.

Raising a hand, he stopped the soldier who manned the whip and regarded Rye.

“Tearing your skin to shreds is only one of the many things I can do to you, Rye. Do not make me repeat myself. Come forward and show your submission to your Luna.”

Weak from the pain, the elder hesitated. His face was red from anger, an effect of both the pain in his back - as well as his ego. In the end, he began to crawl slowly along the floor, but his King didn’t seem too impressed with his speed.

Giving a simple nod, he gave the soldier another order - this time more openly than the last.

“Please, Your Majes- Ah!” The lash had already landed before Rye could stop it.

This time, I flinched visibly at the force, one twice as hard as the first. Indeed, Pierce was right; they had no choice.

The elder cried out with a voice laced with pain as deep scars formed where the whip had touched, blood marring his skin.

A third strike might result in him passing out, and he knew it, so he forced himself along the floor and up the dais with everything he had left.

Shame. Precisely what Heath wanted to take from him.

I went stiff as the elder’s lips kissed the tip of my shoes. It was the worst form of submission anyone could get subjected to. He still shivered from the pain that spiked through him, and his face was filled with veins.

Something stopped him from holding my gaze - weakness, shame, or a blend of both - and, like a leaf, I shivered with guilt.

Heath, on the other hand, wasn’t exactly helping.

“Bold of you to think your opinion is welcome,” he sneered darkly at Rye, who shrank back shamefully after being disgraced not only before his counterparts but also the servants.

The rest of the gathering watched in silence. None of them were willing to taste the deep waters like Rye had.

When Heath spoke again, there was an edge to his voice.

“As for the rest of you, I hope this passes my message. When I presented Vina to you, it wasn’t because I needed your permission.”

Mute with shock, they said nothing, but it was apparent his message was passed.

This was a first-hand experience of how far Heath Valsad could go when his authority was questioned, and frankly, I wasn’t sure if I wanted to be part of the tyranny.

I immediately came to my feet, and this time, Heath wasn’t prepared enough to hold me back. After descending the dais, I fled the courtroom and the tension it brought.

Walking out on him was a gamble with death, but I’d made it anyway.