Chapter Four - Yes, Alpha. Indeed You Gave Her Hickeys

Valeria's POV

I stood under the shower, muttering curses and praying to the goddess that the coppery smell of blood would leave my hair. How long had I been in here? I didn't know. But I'd rather stay in here and kill time than be out there and talking to the woman who brought me in here.

"Hello? Luna... what is it you're still doing there?"

I shut my eyes and thought about something to say. But nothing came to my head. I wanted to yell at her to not call me Luna again. I mean... what were the odds that her brother... I mean Diego would accept me as his Luna? And apart from that, Diego was a freaking monster. Running bloody hands through my hair and kissing me forcefully?

The kiss! The kiss stirred up feelings that I did not want to feel. How could I feel desire and hate at once? I touched my neck and shook my head.

Damn Diego.

"Luna!!! I'm coming in there if you stay one more minute..."

"It's Valeria." I said as I walked out of the bathroom, not minding that I was naked and had water dripping on the expensive rug.

"My name is Isobel."

"Yes...?" I replied nonchalantly. I couldn't care less.

Isobel brought me clothes from her closet. Thankfully, these were normal dresses that she laid on the bed for me to pick. I picked a purple dress with sleeves. After getting dressed, she had me sit in the vanity area and she worked on getting my hair scented.

I wondered why she was tending to me. Was it because of Diego? Did he threaten her to take care of me? Would he kill her if she didn't?

"I know you must have a lot of questions running through your mind, Luna."

I snorted. You have no idea.

"I think you should know a bit about Frostwind Pack and it's leaders before you judge."

I looked at Isobel through the mirror. "Yeah, because the pack members do not know the history. I met with a witch when I came here and she said a lot of things about your brother... I mean... Diego." I shuddered just by saying the name on my lips.

"What did she say to you? Did she tell you that our Alpha sacrificed our both parents just to make the land safe for his people?" Isobel held my gaze.

I was tongue-tied.

"N...no, she did not."

"Did she also tell you that Alpha Diego was kidnapped at age four and he was given a..." Isobel stopped talking, shutting her eyes and sighing softly.

"What?" I probed.

"It's his story to tell, Luna. But I just want you to know that behind every monster, there is a story. Have you ever thought that maybe he is not as evil as the world thinks? I mean... what did you think of him when you first met with him?"

I looked down at my hands. "I thought that he was a monster. Like... with horns and stuff. But then I saw that he was h..." I stopped when I realized I was gonna say hot. My cheeks flushed.

"Hot? Tell me something else. Not the fact that my brother is hot. Makes me wanna barf." Isobel said and I giggled.

"You look so beautiful, Luna. You should smile more often." Isobel said grinning at me.

Right. This was the first smile I'd had in days.

"What would you like to do? Do you want me to take you around the palace?" Isobel inquired.

"N..not yet. I'm not ready to meet with the new people. Do they know that I'm the King's mate?"

Isobel nodded. "Yes. They could feel it. The pack members can feel that you are their Luna." She explained.

My brows furrowed in confusion. "But Oana couldn't tell. How is that?"

"Oana is a witch. I've heard that witches have their ways of knowing. I think she didn't know because her magic isn't strong yet. She has been practicing, though. She is one of the good ones."

"Can I see her?" I requested. I could really use a familiar face at the moment. I was enjoying Isobel's company but I had to see Oana.

"Sure. I will get a maid to bring her over. Meanwhile... do you want to eat something? Would you like to have a meal in the general dining room or would you prefer I have them bring it here."

"I'll eat here." I said.

Isobel nodded and she left the room. I was now alone and had a chance to collect my thoughts. Fine. This wasn't weird at all. I was betrayed, used, sold to a kingdom where I barely knew anyone just to find out that the king was my mate.

'It's a good thing, don't you think?'

I stilled, realizing I just heard Leila's voice.

"Leila? Leila is that you?"

'Yes, hornygirl. It's me. I am here. I have always been here. You were just too weak to realize it.'

I opened my mouth to say something but the door flung open and Oana entered. She was fidgety and wouldn't meet my eyes.

"Oana?" I called, not sure why she was acting this way.

She bowed her head. "Luna..."

"Can people stop calling me that and call me by my name? Oana... look at me. Why won't you look at me? It's me... Valeria."

Oana met my eyes. "You are my Luna. I... I was mean to you."

"Let's see... you fed me, bathed me, dressed me in your clothes and told me horrible stories about the king. You are my friend, Oana."

Oana managed a small smile. "Yeah... but how are you still alive? You looked the king in his eyes, called him sir and..."

I smiled, a little proud. "You think he'd murder his fated mate? Really?" I laughed a little.

Oana moved to sit beside me on the bed. "Tell me about it. I have never seen the king act out of any emotion other than anger and hate."

I raised a brow. "He has a good sense of humor."

Oana gasped. "That's a lie."

"He called me sexy... Ran bloody hands through my hair and..." I took a deep breath and bared my neck for Oana to have a look.

"He... he knows how to give hickeys? I'm gonna have a heart attack. The king is... something close to human? This is great news. You came and he's acting normal."

I smiled just as the door opened and two maids entered holding trays of food. After setting it on the bed, they bowed and exited the room.

"I could get used to that." I laughed and I asked Oana to eat with me. As we ate, we talked and laughed and I forgot all about Leila.

It was dusk when Oana was called for a meeting by her coven. I was left alone in Isobel's room. I decided to have a walk. Since it was night, I wasn't so scared of the new faces.

I was halfway through a corridor when I heard voices. I tiptoed to hide behind a pillar as I listened to Isobel and Diego talk.

"You didn't have to kill the vampire, Diego."

"It was a moment of anger and emotional lapse. He talked about my mate. They knew she was coming. Something about a witch knowing she'd be my redemption. I couldn't let him live. Serves as a warning to whoever thinks they can mess with Valeria."

I couldn't help the smile that played around my lips.

"Fine. I'm having her room ready at the moment. Do you think she could spend the night with you?" Isobel asked him.

"I'm having a whore over for the night."

What the... A whore? I frowned, my nails digging into the pillar.

"Diego..." Isobel called.

"What? How'd she know?"

"It's fine. I'll go and meet her in my room. Just be careful." As Isobel left, I watched as Diego looked around and his eyes locked on mine. He held my eyes for a while before turning and walking away.

A whore? Wow... I knew he saw me. He held my gaze and just walked off without saying a word. Was that how things would go from now on?

Very well then.

Game on, Diego.

~~~

I woke up coughing, definitely from the smoke that filled Oana's room. I spotted her muttering some words with her eyes closed. I had never seen a witch do magic. The thought of it always thrilled me.

But today, a singular thought gnawed at my heart. Diego had a whore over for the night. He had another woman in his bed, in his arms... he'd give her hickeys... he'd run his fingers through her hair and... Argh!

I think I'm going crazy. I grabbed my hair and willed Leila to speak. But she was silent. Rolling my eyes, I got up from the bed and went to clean up in the bathroom. I wrapped a towel around my chest when I was done.

"You're awake. Did I wake you?" Oana said when she saw me.

"Smoke. What were you doing?"

"I was practicing my magic. I was trying to light up these candles with magic." She smiled at me. "Just watch..." She looked at the candles for a while and a flame lit up on one, then it spread to the others.

"Oh my goddess... That's amazing but freaky." I mouthed.

Oana looked pleased with herself. "Alright, my mum did a locator spell and realized you spent the night here. I'm guessing the King or the princess got scared that you ran away." She said with a straight face.

"Or... maybe they're terrified that I'm a lesbian." I rolled my eyes.

"Come on. Let's get you to breakfast."

I dressed up in her clothes and followed her to the general dining hall. We were at the door and all I smelled was food. I frowned. This was so unlike me to be crazy over food.

But I needed food.

The urge to eat made me forget about the other people in the dining room. Oana sat beside me and when she touched my arm, I looked up. My cheeks flushed. A lot of people were staring at me.

"Uh... Is this the part where I make a speech?" I asked Oana.

She smiled softly. "No. Alpha..." She bowed her head at the sight of Diego.

I looked at him, taking in his domineering build. I could get used to him. He looked like he was in a good mood. Did he have fun last night? When he saw me looking at him, he raised a brow and I looked elsewhere.

"Good morning, Valeria." He said shocking everyone around the table.

"Good morning, Diego. Did you have fun last night with your whore?" I smiled widely, a fake smile he could tell.

There were gasps from the people. Eyes darted from me to Diego. He looked amused but shook his head and sat at the head of the table.

"When you put it like that. Did you have fun sleeping with a witch?"

My cheeks burned and I glared at him. How dare he say that in front of so many people? And what was he implying? I slept in Oana's room but I didn't sleep with her. I pressed my lips into a thin line.

"I'm sure you gave the whore hickeys." I murmured under my breath. I looked down at the cloth on my lap, then at the different arrays of food. Damn. When do we start eating?

"You mean like the ones I gave you yesterday?" Diego said, not looking at me but at his meal.

A few wolves held back laughters.

"You didn't... you didn't give me hickeys." I spoke through gritted a teeth.

Diego raised his eyes to mine, then he looked at Oana. "I gave her hickeys, didn't I?" He asked her, a faint smirk on his face.

My face was burning from the embarrassment. I turned to glare at Oana. "Don't you dare..." I said to her.

"Oana..."

"Yes, Alpha. She showed the hickeys to me. You are right. Indeed, you gave her hickeys."