His Shadow Luna

Chapter 3: Game-changer-1

Bia? She called her wolf, but could sense that her beast was as startled as she was.

Could they really be mates?

The Southerner held her gaze for a minute until he threw his head back again and let out a hearty laugh.

“You should see your face!” He snorted through tears.

“You know what I feel?” She seethed. “I feel you are an enormous jerk!”

Elene turned back away, trying to calm down her racing heart. That was close.

“Oh, come on! Lighten up, Princess. Have some fun!” Romero leaned over the edge of their basket. “At least we can relax knowing we are not mates, right?”

“Bullet dodged.” She commented dryly.

“Don’t be too upset.” He teased her.

“Why would I?” She arched her brow at him. “I would have rejected you, anyway. Royals don’t mate with—”

The smile faded from his lips. She didn’t say it, but he knew what she meant. His mother was an Omega and a lover of an Alpha from the South. Although he was lucky enough to have Alpha blood as a result, he was still lowborn and was not considered pure by shifter standards.

“It may come as a shock to you, but I don’t dream of being mated to a stuck-up princess who is hung up on someone else’s husband either.” He retorted, watching with delight as she pressed her plump lips together in annoyance.

“Don’t worry. I’m sure the Moon Goddess will mate you to an equal.” She sneered at him and turned away. “A Tau, or maybe a Sigma if you are lucky.”

“You mean someone nice and hardworking?” He chuckled. “Yes, please.”

Elene decided not to grace that with a reply. What could he know about her life? Nothing. Just like everyone else, he assumed she only had to look pretty and smile when required, maybe run a charity or two. He did not know the extent of what she had to go through when her parents died, and her brother became a young King without proper advisors. So many people tried to take advantage of them that Elene had to mature very quickly... Although Kai was always protecting her, she had to protect him too. No matter the price.

To her relief, Forrest found something interesting to look at on the other side of their basket. They landed in about an hour, and Elene threw off her shoes to be able to escape first. She jumped off the basket even before it touched the ground.

Not thinking twice, she picked up her shoes and stormed towards King Devoss, determined to get what she came here for.

Not too princess-like, but desperate times called for desperate measures.

Elene found him in a lavish tent, talking to the most beautiful woman she had ever seen, with long brown hair and eyes anyone could lose oneself in. However, the princess did not care because she had been there for days, and the King brushed her off every time she tried to speak to him. Tomorrow was time to leave, and she couldn’t return to her brother empty-handed. Not when her country was accused of terrorism and attacking its neighbour while they were completely innocent.

“Your Majesty,” she interjected right in the middle of their conversation. “May I speak to you in private?”

“Could this—” Devoss was about to brush her off again.

“Wait?” She guessed his answer with an indifferent expression painting her face. “No, absolutely not. I am afraid it’s an urgent matter.”

“But we are in the middle of celebrating!” He looked at her with begging eyes, as if he was a child and not a King responsible for so many lives.

“We’ve been celebrating five days, and this is officially day six now since the sun is rising,” she pointed out. “Time to work.”

“You Northerners have to learn how to have some fun!” He muttered but then nodded toward his enormous modern palace built into a mountain. Elene still struggled to understand how this was built so well because it definitely defied a few laws of nature her tutors taught her, but she knew better than to waste the precious opportunity on trivial matters.

She finally felt confident that she would have a chance to negotiate a deal after all.

From the corner of her eye, Elene noticed Forrest walking in their direction, but the woman King Devoss was just talking to stepped in his way, stalling him. She turned to glance at Elene just briefly and winked at her, which made the princess send her a grateful smile.

King Devoss tried to distract her with conversations about the interior design and some paintings on the walls, but she politely reminded him of the urgency of her matter each time, bringing him back to business.

Finally, they reached his private office and only when the doors behind them closed did Elene breathe out in relief, realising they could finally speak privately.

“Your Majesty,” she started, but Devoss waved his hand to stop her.

“No formalities, please.” He shook his head, his tone shifting from its usual playful cadence to one of solemnity in mere seconds. “I know why you are here, so let’s not waste any time.”

That was a change for the best.

“Well, I can assure you that no one in the North is responsible for the explosion in the capital of the Eastern Republic, and—”

“I know that,” he sighed. “I was there when it happened, and I am sure the North had nothing to do with the explosion. The projected flag was just a decoy to make you guys look bad."

Elene exhaled a sigh of relief—the situation was in her favour now. Or was it? Despite knowing the truth, the King of the East behaved like he knew nothing in public. He conducted himself as if the unfolding events bore no connection to him or his country. A doubt crept to the depths of her mind. Could the East be behind the explosion?

“If you know the truth, why do you simply watch when the South accuses us?" She asked sternly. "Their General struts around here as if expecting our contrition."

"Because it doesn't matter what any of us say since we don't have any proof to back it up." Devoss interrupted her, and she pursed her lips.

How could one prove they didn't do something when everything was pointing at them? Besides, the signals the King was sending her were very hard to read.

"On the contrary, your support would be incredibly valuable for us," Elene argued. "If the South knew whose side you are on—"

"Oh, they know," Devoss assured her. "The problem is — they don't care."

For the first time, Elene wasn't sure what to reply. She moved to the seat before her and settled into it uninvited.

"They will have to care." She furrowed her brows. "A war isn't good for anyone. We don't want to fight, but if we are put into a position where we have to, the South will be the one regretting their choices. My only concern is the people."

"Don't be too rash, Princess." Devoss tilted his head. “Everyone knows how many Changed Ones there are in the North and the West. Don't you think it's suspicious that the South is still not afraid of going to war against you?”

She and her brother had already been thinking about this. The South was too arrogant and too persistent. Surely, they had to know that the Changed Ones possessed powers above and beyond regular shifters. Why weren’t they afraid of the confrontation?

Elene slowly raised her eyes back to the king, arching her brow slightly. “You know something.”

“I suspect something,” he admitted.

"Care to share?" She tapped her fingers nervously over the armrest of her chair, swearing inwardly at herself for not being able to hide her anxiety.

"I am afraid if I tell you now, you wouldn't believe me." Devoss shrugged.

"Try me," Elene suggested calmly. She was used to people underestimating her.

“Maybe another time,” the King smiled and leaned back against his seat, stretching his arms. “But for now, I have something better for you.”

“How so?” The princess arched her brow.

“Please note that I went into a lot of trouble to get it, and technically, I am not asking for anything in return.”

Now he had her attention.

“Go on.” Elene held the Easterner’s gaze confidently and his lips stretched into a smirk.

“I like you, Princess,” he said all of a sudden, standing up. “I’ve spent days wondering if you were the right person to trust, and I think I made the right choice.”

She said nothing since she was still puzzled by his strange behaviour.

“Follow me,” he added and strolled out of the room, his long red cape with golden ornaments rustling over the floor.

Elene bit her tongue so as not to comment on how uncomfortable walking around in that ridiculous thing must be. However, Devoss didn’t seem to struggle with it at all. He moved like a swan on water, putting her, an actual trained princess, to shame with his grace.

“Where are we going again?” She asked when he turned into his private wing, the place that was forbidden to any guests all this time.