LUNA: Alpha’s Soulmate from Another World

The following day, Luna woke up feeling lighter. She yawned widely as she sat up. Her arms stretched wide, and her eyes blinked quickly to adjust to the light streaming into the room from the window. She took a moment to breathe in and savour the morning peace that filled the room. Her conversation with Norris last night had eased her wounded heart a little, and her anger had subsided, though not wholly.

Recalling all of that made Luna subconsciously search for Norris. Still, she didn’t find the Lycan, which meant Norris had returned to his human form, and Alkrevas had taken over. However, the thought vanished when she heard a soft snore at the foot of her bed. Luna slowly crawled across the bed towards the source of the sound and smiled in amusement when she saw Norris curled up like a cat, fast asleep.

His eyes were tightly shut, and his breathing was steady. However, if observed closely, the Lycan was still alert, as evidenced by his ears twitching occasionally. Luna giggled and wished she could find her phone; if she did, she could take a picture of Norris and show it to Marinka and Lucy later, proving that what she saw was real.

But then she paused, the thought bringing back the image of Lucy crying in the mirror. Luna raised her hand, clutching her nightgown at her chest where the stabbing pain felt strongest. Taking a deep breath, Luna tried to steady her emotions.

Once again, she had to suppress the turmoil within her, bury it, and act as usual-something she had done often, even when she was young. The sound of movement reached her ears. Luna blinked, then smiled as she watched Norris stretch and yawn, reminding her that the monster before her was also half-animal. She reached out and briefly patted the Lycan’s head, causing his red eyes to focus on her. “Mate. Good morning.”

“Good morning.” Luna’s smile widened at the greeting that warmed her heart. She shook her head to dismiss the fluttering feeling, realizing that she was starting to get used to Norris speaking.

Luna slowly stepped off the bed and did some light stretches, which made Norris look at her with a puzzled expression. “This is called morning stretching. I usually do it before my morning run around the city park.”

“Mate not tired?”

Luna chuckled softly. “Once you’re used to it, you won’t get tired. Besides, the city park isn’t as vast as the entire imperial palace grounds…” Luna glanced briefly at Norris and continued, “I also do this when I practice yoga.”

“Yo… ga…?”

Luna didn’t respond further because if she had to explain what yoga was, it would take quite a while. Besides, she didn’t want Norris or Alkrevas to overreact to her favourite exercise.

“Should I go for a morning run?” She felt like she hadn’t exercised in a long time; maybe that was one of the reasons her period was late. Besides, how could she exercise when her clothes were just gowns and skirts? Luna wondered about the women who lived in the past when wearing pants was not allowed for them.

Luna glanced at Norris and saw the lycan sitting with his back legs folded and his front legs supporting him while his tail slowly swayed from side to side. His red eyes stared intensely at her, and occasionally, the lycan yawned.

“Not planning to return to your human form?” Luna asked curiously. Fortunately, she was no longer at the tower and was back in Alkrevas’s bedroom, so she didn’t have to feel the chill from the strong morning breeze. She walked to the window and opened it, then stood in the sunlight, savouring the warmth that seeped into her pores.

Norris chose to observe in silence. Occasionally, he wagged his tail to show that he was happy.

“You’re truly embarrassing me, Norris.” Alkrevas grumbled irritably in his mind. Norris said nothing. He didn’t care about Alkrevas’s words or his behaviour like a puppy, as long as it meant Luna would soften towards him and be warm. No longer afraid, avoiding, glaring, or trembling in his presence.

He heard Alkrevas sigh and mutter softly, “Fine, just not in front of many people.

“I know, I’m not that foolish, mortal. I’m also an Alpha.” Norris cut off communication with Alkrevas and asked Luna, “Mate, breakfast?”

“Oh, right. I need to get ready.” Luna said with a small smile. She looked around and noticed some changes in the room. Were there repairs after Ghea had entered and caused some havoc here? “Umm… I wanted to ask, where are Judith and my personal maids?”

Norris paused as if unsure how to answer, and Luna could bet that the Lycan was debating with his human counterpart over whether to answer her question or not. Luna nervously clenched the hem of her nightgown. She breathed a sigh of relief when Norris finally looked directly at her. “All A paralyzing spell has hit all your maidsme of them didn’t survive because the magic attacking their bodies was too strong.”

“What?” Luna gasped in disbelief.

Norris let out a soft breath before stepping closer to her, but his steps halted as the sound of cracking bones signalled the lycan shifting into his human form. Luna blinked as Norris’s red eyes slowly turned into Alkrevas’s cold, deep, and mysterious brown eyes. With his body bare, without a single piece of clothing, Alkrevas reached for Luna and pulled her into an embrace.

“This is why I didn’t want to tell you about Judith and the others.” Luna’s body trembled, and tears flowed down her cheeks without her consent. “Do you remember the commander of The Shadow?”

“Damon.”

“He was also hit by the paralyzing spell, but unlike your maids, he survived and is recovering because he is half-demon, but not them. Most of the maids, handmaidens, and servants of the Emperor are omegas, whose power is not much different from mortals.”

Luna sobbed softly and returned Alkrevas’s embrace. Sadness, guilt, and loss all mixed within her, overwhelming her. Luna, who had just begun to feel a bit of peace and relief, now felt heavy and suffocated once more. Her body trembled. Tears streamed down her cheeks and soaked Alkrevas’s broad chest. “This… is my fault…”

“Luna…” Alkrevas gently stroked Luna’s head, trying to soothe his soulmate’s wounded heart, then murmured, “If you wish, I can take you to Moon Lake. Those who served well, their ashes are scattered there as a final honor for their service to the empire.”

Moon Lake is a beautiful and mystical lake located to the west of the Selene temple. It is said that the lake was formed from the tears of the Moon Goddess when she wept after killing her creations because of their betrayal. All werewolves believe that Moon Lake has a bridge connecting the world to where the Moon Goddess resides and waits, which means paradise. However, not just anyone’s ashes can be scattered or buried near Moon Lake. There are specific criteria, one of which is the service the werewolf provided to the Vasilos Empire, the land created by the Moon Goddess.

With a lifespan so long that it’s almost immortal, werewolf deaths are rare, so when a death occurs and that death involves significant service, a sacred funeral ceremony is held. Alkrevas himself did not attend the ceremony because the funeral coincided with the public mating event, so he sent Beta Savon as his representative. Alkrevas had to wait for Damon to recover to ask about the incident’s chronology because the only living witness at the moment was the commander of The Shadow.

“Moon Lake…?” Luna asked softly. Alkrevas nodded and nuzzled his face into the crook of Luna’s neck, briefly kissing the two claim marks adorning the right side of her neck, making Luna’s body respond with a shiver. A strong jolt surged through both their bodies, signifying that the mate bond was strengthening like steel chains. “May I?”

“You are my soulmate.”

Luna slowly pushed Alkrevas away and turned around, then hugged herself. Alkrevas’s words made her realize something. “If I am your soulmate, why did you treat me that way?”

Alkrevas sighed heavily. “You already know the reason.”

“You could have told me.”

“I didn’t want you to be disappointed in Vasilos. Not after you tried to protect Vasilos.”

“I…” Luna paused for a moment. The council demanded that the public mating take place, and Alkrevas couldn’t refuse because he was concerned about her life and had to comply to prove his loyalty by doing so. Luna bowed her head. She could show her loyalty by standing by Alkrevas and being a good and wise Luna and empress.

Still, it would take a long time to prove that, and the accusations of betrayal, punishment, trials, and even death were imminent. With the only living witness still unconscious, Alkrevas had to save himself from the threat of death. Luna didn’t know that the man’s harsh decision had a reason centred on her, but why didn’t he say anything? Even after the ritual was over, the fact that the man used magic during the public mating process left Luna feeling disappointed and hurt. “… could handle it on my own, at least explain it to me.”

“Is that really true?” Alkrevas asked with a look of disbelief, while Luna bowed her head deeply, as she wasn’t sure herself. After all, this world was still relatively unfamiliar to her. All this time, she had relied on Alkrevas and the imperial palace. The fact that Alkrevas didn’t trust her-she knew that-but it still hurt. Luna was suffering from all the emotions that gnawed at her heart. They could be somewhat healed with an explanation from him, but instead, Alkrevas chose to remain silent, and Luna had to go to great lengths to get answers.

Luna opened her mouth to respond but then closed it again. Just then, the Emperor’s handmaidens and servants, led by Zyne and Annabeth, entered the room. Alkrevas stepped back from Luna and accepted the night robe that Zyne handed him. After that, he inspected the breakfast laid out on the table and said to Luna, “Come here and eat your breakfast.”

Luna’s brow furrowed slightly, and she chose to remain standing. Alkrevas, seeing Luna’s rebellious stance, just sighed in frustration, pinching the bridge of his nose. He stepped towards Luna and grabbed her hand, intending to pull her to the chair for breakfast, when a mind link entered his head, coming from Thymos. “Your Majesty, sorry to disturb you, but this is an urgent matter.”From NôvelDrama.Org.

Alkrevas released his grip on Luna and asked, “What is it?”

“Goblins. There’s something different about them. We can’t kill them. Every time we do, they rise again, and the wounds on their bodies start healing on their own.”

“Like werewolves?” Alkrevas cursed inwardly and said, “Alright, I will send some of the best Royal Pack knights and a few mages from the Magic Tower right away. Can you hold out until they arrive?”

There was a brief silence. “Yes, Alpha. We can hold out.”

Alkrevas immediately cut the communication and ordered Zyne to summon Beta Savon. After that, he got ready, and within just ten minutes, Alkrevas was fully dressed. Luna, noticing the change in the atmosphere becoming tense, looked at him with worry, especially as Alkrevas prepared to leave and told her to take care of herself.

“Alkrevas? Is everything alright?”

“There’s a minor emergency. You don’t need to worry. I’ll be back soon.”

“But-” Luna couldn’t finish her sentence as Alkrevas gave her a brief kiss on the lips before stepping out of the room, leaving her standing in place, stunned.

…..