Chapter 51

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I sat at the foot of my bed, grinning like an idiot. Every now and again, I would think of had had happened between Azriel and I, flushing red. I could still vividly recall the graze of his fingertips against my skin, the way his tongue had felt against my--

I pulled my face in my hands, letting out a low squeal as the heat of my cheeks burned into my palms. He'd reduced me to nothing more than a squealing fan-girl, god forbid. 

But that wasn't the only thing I was happy about. The ceremony to crown me as Luna was officially set to go through, where Azriel would mark me as his mate and officially claim me as his. Butterflies did somersaults in my stomach, just like they had every time I'd thought about it. Part of me still didn't believe it; how lucky I was. 

I smiled. But not only would I be at Azriel's side, but I would be ruling over the court. The thought in itself was daunting, but at the same time I was eager for the privilege. I recalled Zion's words, about how he'd gone from hated to loved, and that those who once despised him were now at his feet.

How right he was. Well, I didn't like to think people were at my feet -- but I supposed that was just Zion's massive ego showing through. I just wanted people to accept and respect me, and more than that, I wanted to be at Azriel's size; lead by his side.

Only a couple of days now, I reminded myself, trying to calm the racing beat of my heart. Just a couple more days and all these fantasies would come true. I squealed to myself, flopping back on the bed. I started to wonder how the ceremony would progress, or even what dress I would wear. Raina had promised me she'd had several tailored for me to pick from. I'd never been in a proper gown, but I could bet that any dress that I received from her would be better than any American high school prom dress.

My heart twisted. Prom in the human world would have happened a couple of days ago, and Alia would be due to graduate soon. I hoped she'd gotten through high school in one piece, especially with people like Jane around. I wondered if she'd made any friends.

I wondered how much her life had changed; now that she'd forgotten about me.

I shook my head. She'd remember me soon enough, I reminded myself. Azriel had told me I was ready to restore Alia's memory; that he would guide me through the mate bond. I was looking forward to talking to her again. I'm sure she'd understand my situation, and maybe we could even continue being secret friends while she continued to live in the human world. Perhaps we could meet at the barrier from time to time, enjoying little picnics in the enchanted woods. 

I frowned. But I was being overly hopeful. What if she was appalled by my new identity? Or scared of me? What if she ended up wanting nothing to do with me anymore?

I frowned towards the ceiling. I hoped that wouldn't be the case, after all the work I've put in to get this far, but it was certainly a possibility I had to consider.

The sound of my door swinging open bought me out of my sullen reverie. I sat up, my brows knotting into a frown. Who would be barging into my room now?

There, standing at the door, was the disheveled figure of Zion. His eyes were wide, cheeks pink from breathlessness. I jumped off the bed and shot him a grin. "Zion!" I greeted. "Did you forget to knock?"

He opened and closed his mouth, and it was only upon closer inspection did I recognize his worry. His shoulders were tense, eyes darting about the room as though afraid someone were listening. "Zion?" I questioned, worried by his reaction. "What's wrong?"

Without saying a word, he stalked over to me, gripping my arm. "We need to go," he began, his voice strained. "Now."

I blinked. Go where? Training? And why did he sound so urgent?

"Zion," I said again, shrugging my arm from his grip. "Go where? Can you please tell me what's going on?"

Debate flashed through those emerald eyes. I watched as his throat bobbed, the vein in his temple ticking like a timebomb as sweat beaded upon his forehead. "You're in danger," he ground out, grabbing my arm. "We need to leave."

I blinked. I didn't have enough time to process his words before he started dragging me away. "Where are we going, Zion?" I said, hearing the uncertainty in my own voice.

"Away from this court. We are never coming back -- ever."

That was enough to shock me back to reality. I jerked my arm from his grasp, and he whirled on me, eyes narrowed and angry. But there was something else there, too -- something close to desperation. I ignored it. "Leave the court? Are you delusional?" I sputtered, staring at him in utter disbelief. "I'm being crowned as Luna in less than two days and you want me to leave? No way!"

"Didn't you hear me the first time?" Zion snapped, stepping into my personal space as though to intimidate me. He and I both knew I could easily disarm him if I wanted to, and, as though remembering that, he took a step back. "You're in danger. If you don't leave now, you're screwed."

"Why?" I asked, exasperated. "What danger?"

Zion opened and closed his mouth a couple of times before looking away. "I can't tell you that," he muttered, shame burning his cheeks. "You just have to trust me--"

"Trust you?" I scoffed. "What the hell, Zion? You're asking me to abandon this dream life on the basis of trust, when you went even tell me why I'm in supposed 'danger'?"

"I can't tell you," he hissed, frustrated. "I--" he paused, falling silent again. I gave him a glare that would send any man running. However, checking myself, I pulled back and sighed. 

"I'm fine, Zion," I said steadily. "And if I was in danger, I know I can take care of it myself. You've seen how powerful my Emotional State is. You needn't worry about me."

Zion shook his head in frustration. "No, no, no, Kyra! You don't get it!" he boomed. Then, realizing yelling wouldn't help, grabbed both my hands and lowered to one knee. My back straightened with shock. "Kyra, please, you just have to trust me. Just this once, that's all I'm asking--"

"What's going on here?"

The two of us stiffened. I turned my head towards Azriel, who was standing at the doorframe. His arms were folded across his chest, eyes narrowed upon us, and it only occurred to me then how strange the sight must've looked: Zion kneeling before me with his hands in mine. I quickly pulled away from his grasp, whirling to face my mate.

"Nothing!" I stuttered. I stole a glance towards Zion, who of which looked like a deer caught in the headlights. He wasn't in any position to come up with an explanation, so I did. 

"I was nervous about becoming a Luna," I began, my gut twisting as I lied. I didn't want to lie to him, but I knew Zion would get in a lot of trouble if I didn't. "Zion was just giving me a pep talk to make me feel better."

Zion shot me a grateful look. 

"Hm," Azriel said, skepticism radiating off him in waves. After a few moments of silence, he turned towards me, his face softening. "Kyra, dear, if you're nervous about becoming a Luna, come to me. Zion's not very well-versed in the matter."

I gave him a slow nod, using every inch of my being not to look at Zion.

"Zion," Azriel addressed, a little sterner. He turned to face his Beta. "I must talk to you. Come with me."

The male hesitated for a moment, clamming up on the spot. I watched his face pale. What was wrong with him?

Slowly, the male stood, giving me a long look that rooted me to the spot. It sent waves of dread through me, and for a fleeting moment, I realized something wasn't feeling right. It looked almost as if he were begging me -- but for what? To leave? He hadn't even told me why.

After what felt like an eternity of silent staring, the red-haired male finally stood to one knee and sauntered over. Azriel placed a guiding hand on his back as he lumbered past, and with that, they were gone. 


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