CHAPTER 167: YEMI ALADE - TRUE LOVE

Morvakar stared at him in silence, heart heavy.

"I’m sorry, Damien," he said at last. "I wish there was something I could do."

"Yeah," Damien exhaled, staring blankly. "Me too."

Unbeknownst to them, in the shadows, William had been pressed flat against the wall, invisible beneath the cloak of his spell. Every word he’d overheard buzzed in his ears. His eyes gleamed with glee. A lot of things made sense now.

A lot of things.

Silently, he slipped out of the castle. The spell would wear off in minutes, but by then he’d already be gone, halfway to Gabriel with news that would shift the tides of this war.

And maybe, it would help Gabriel gain a kingdom but with the child being a true blood indeed, Williams doubted it.

Back in the house, Damien sighed. "I should go."

"Damien," Morvakar said again, more softly this time, "If you truly want to make sure Luna and her child will be protected, only you being alive can do that."

Damien grumbled, "Then let’s hope you find some other way to save me before death comes knocking."

*****

THREE WEEKS LATER

The castle buzzed with gentle excitement. A calm unlike the storms of the past.

Luna was seated on a settee in the entertainment room, dressed in a flowing robe, her fingers moving delicately over the edges of several ornate invitation cards.

Damien’s butler bowed respectfully as he accepted the stack. "These will be delivered by noon, Your Highness."

"Thank you." Luna quipped.

The butler bowed again, and disappeared down the corridor. Luna leaned back and exhaled.

She was just about to stretch when Doctor Thessally came down the hall, bag slung over her shoulder, clearly ready to make her escape before anything else was asked of her.

"Doctor Thessa..." Luna called out. She reached for one last invite sitting beside her.

Thessa turned, brows slightly raised, but paused with a curious tilt of her head.

Luna smiled, walking over to her. "I’d like you to be there." She handed her the card, fingers lingering just long enough to make the invitation feel intimate.

The doctor chuckled. "Your Highness, I think the entire city’s going to crash that wedding, invite or not."

Luna laughed.

"Thank you."

Luna shrugged, brushing a hand over her stomach. "We want to keep the temple service private. Just the Lords, close family, friends. Everyone else can party themselves into oblivion at the castle square."

Thessa looked down at the card in her hand. "You sure you want your doctor at something so intimate?"

"Oh, absolutely. Plus, you will be quite handy if I pass out again." Luna said with a sly grin.

Thessa chuckled. "Fair."

The two shared a light laugh before the doctor’s gaze shifted to Luna’s midsection.

"Just... please, take it easy with the stress, Your Highness," Thessa added gently, adjusting her bag. "Even with the transfusions, you’re still walking a fine line."

Luna straightened, defiant yet soft. "Don’t worry about me. I feel great."

Luna placed a hand gently over her belly. "But really... you said the baby’s growing nicely. Better than expected."

"Yes," Thessa said.

"Good," Luna replied, chin tilting proudly.

Thessa turned to leave, pausing only to glance back with a smirk. "Good luck with the peace talks."

Luna nodded. "Thank you."

Thessa walked away. Goddess help her the day the princess finds out what they’d done behind her back, feeding her baby more than the legal limit.

Luna adjusted her gown. A soft smile tugged at her lips as she walked to the bedroom, opened the door and peeked inside. Damien stood at the full-length mirror, buttoning the last of his formal jacket. His cufflinks gleamed, and his hair—wet from a recent shower—curled rebelliously.

"Hey, husband-to-be," Luna purred, walking up to him and sliding her arms around his waist from behind.

"Hey back at you, wife-to-be," Damien replied, smiling as her chin rested lightly on his shoulder. He covered her hands with his, relishing the warmth of her presence. "You seem ready to conquer the world."

"I am," she whispered against his neck. "Aren’t you?"

Damien paused, meeting her gaze in the mirror. "I am," he said slowly, "It’s just..." His jaw tightened slightly. "Kyllian has a gift—an infuriating, consistent gift—for pushing my buttons. I’m afraid the war might begin at that meeting."

She released a small laugh and turned him around to face her fully, placing her hands on either side of his face. "Which is exactly why you aren’t going to say anything. You’re going to sit there, and smile. The peace talks will happen between both sitting kings. We invite the werewolf king to our wedding, drink celebratory wine, and have a blissful honeymoon. Sound like a plan?"

That drew a genuine laugh from him. The tension in his shoulders finally loosened. "I never said this before..." he began, lifting a strand of her hair and tucking it gently behind her ear. "But your father did a great job preparing you for the court. You would make a magnificent queen."

"You think so?" she asked quietly, a rare hint of vulnerability flashing in her eyes.

"I know so," Damien said with absolute certainty. "You’ve got a knack for diplomacy, a terrifying ability to read people, and the backbone to make the likes of Gabriel nervous."

"I love you," Luna said softly.

Damien felt his throat tighten. It was such a simple sentence but coming from her, it always struck him like a first kiss.

"I love you more," he replied, wrapping his arms around her. He buried his face in her neck for a second longer than necessary, inhaling the unique scent of her skin. It soothed him.

But as his arms tightened around her, a pang of guilt stabbed through him. You’re lying to her. About the blood. If Luna found out that he, Veyron, and Thessa had all been complicit in breaking one of Blood City’s oldest and strictest laws... well, there would be hell to pay.

Still, he couldn’t risk losing her or the child. If lies were the currency for their survival, he would pay them—again and again.