The man smiled at Ren. His long legs skipped to her, and he grabbed her wrist, kissing her knuckles.

"Get off me, Augustus!" Ren yelled, pulling away.

The prince of the vampires, his skin perfect, zero starvation. His attitude told me everything I needed to know: arrogance and narcissism.

"I am the king now. I can be arrogant, and what did you think?" he asked, leaning closer. "Narcissistic?"

Hiro growled, shoving him away. "I said out." He kicked the vampire's chest, sending him to the ground and slamming the door.

"Sorry about that, Enya," Hiro said, helping me into my maroon dress.

"He read my thoughts."

"Yep." Hiro tied the strings on my back. "I have known Augustus since we were boys and been able to read minds, but only of ones who are weaker than him." He gripped my shoulders and spun me around. "Once you are Luna, he cannot read them, but until then, keep your thoughts about him to a minimum."

Hiro swung the door open to see Ren with her foot on Augustus's chest, pinning him to the floor. Her heels dug deep into his pecs, but his expression of excitement wanted her to dig deeper. His red eyes flickered at me, and he winked.

"Maybe Hiro will share you, little witch."

I glared, crossing my arms. "Seems the bat doesn't fall far from the cave. Like father like son, maybe Hiro will take your heart, too."

Augustus stiffened, the horns on his brow line growing, his nose scrunched, and rows of intense teeth pronounced as he bit the air. A snarl rumbled in his chest, but quickly, his face faded back, and he laughed, grabbing Ren's ankle and twisting her to the ground. He promptly stood in a smooth motion as he had flown, but Hiro stepped between us.

"You should have ripped his heart out years ago," Augustus said, clapping Hiro's hand and bringing him into a hug. "Nice to see you again, Alpha Hiro."

"You too, King Augustus," Hiro replied, smirking at Ren, fixing her hair from being thrown to the floor. "I will have to get used to calling you king."

"Wait?" I questioned, stepping back. "You are friends?"

Hiro shrugged his shoulders. "Yes, but in secret. We didn't want the other naturals to know about our treaty."

"Also, my father," Augustus said with a nod, but tilted his head. "Well, before, you know." He wrapped his arm around Hiro's shoulder. "Let's discuss our next action and expose the secret to the fairies."

They walked away to the end of the hallway. Ren watched me as I observed their interaction with one another, the vampire and werewolf friends.

"Surprised?" Ren asked, braiding her hair over her shoulder.

"Yes," I replied, nodding. "The legends of them being enemies, even though they listen to the same goddess."

"It's not all false." She motioned for me to follow them. "King Lazarus and my father were enemies, but Hiro and Augustus had been secretly friends."

"But King Lazarus said the vampire population is dwindling. Wouldn't Augustus be on his father's side?"

Ren giggled, running her fingers along the wall as we walked. "Yes, Lazarus thought his kingdom had fallen, but Augustus has a village on the seas. They live on ships, hidden from the crazy king until Augustus was strong enough to take over." She leaned closer. "My brother needed to do the job for him," she whispered.

"Shut it, Ren!" Augustus yelled, his voice echoing from an out-of-view room.

"You know it is true," she replied as we stopped at an open door, looking into a space with a vast table.

Hiro gripped my wrist and slid his hand into mine, interlocking our fingers. "Come, sit as we wait for Lilac."

Augustus whistled, leaning back into his chair and swinging his boots onto the table. "Got to love ourselves a fairy. Can't wait to get my hands on her."

I glared at him, and Hiro growled, swooping his legs off the table. "You will not try to get with Lilac. This meeting is about Enya's future with the pack. Not your sexual desires."

"Do you go after everything with a set of breasts?" Ren asked with a snarl.

Augustus smirked at her. "I would stop if you gave me a chance." He perked up, looking around. "Speaking of that, where is Jude, the rejected lover boy?"

Ren hit her fist on the table. "No rejection. We agreed."

Hiro smiled at my expression as I sat with wide eyes, observing the conversation between Ren and Augustus. Their tension was high, and their body language unmatched their words. Augustus quickly peeked at me with a brow raised.

"Maybe you are right, Luna Enya," Augustus said, leaning over the table closer to Ren.

Ren glared at me. "What did you think?"

I raised my palms, cheeks burning. "I didn't."

"She thinks you and I are—"

"Jude is with Enya's friend Cecily, showing her the garden. Okay, Lilac is here, so come with me, Augustus, and we can welcome her together," Hiro interrupted the conversation, saving me.

Augustus laughed, blowing a kiss to Ren. "I'll be back, my love," he said, spinning out of his seat and jumping on the table, walking across to leap off and tumble toward the door.

Hiro shoved him into the hallway. "Guard informs me that Lilac is skeptical about entering the gates. It may take some time." He bowed his head, eyes on me.

"What did you think?" Ren pointed her finger on the table, knuckles whitening while leaning toward me.

"I-I-I—"

"Stop stuttering." She stood and strolled around, sitting in the chair beside me. "You will be our future, Luna, so you must be more direct and confident." A low growl rumbled from her throat.

"I didn't," I whispered, glancing down.

"Enya!"

"I—"

"Enya!" She hit the table, rattling the lit candles.

"I don't want to tell you!" I screamed at her, the enlarging flames tinting the room. "But maybe stop controlling what I do and start controlling your forbidden feelings with that vampire." I rotated so my body faced her.

"Okay," Ren replied nonchalantly, standing and leaning against the brick wall nearest the fireplace.

Brushing my hand over the maroon dress, I straightened in the wooden chair with whispers in the hallway. The vast table made of apple wood appeared to broaden as nerves filled my soul, and the fireplace tinted the space blurry orange like the night was upon us, but the curtains masked darkness in the smoky area.

"Calm down," Ren said, her hand on my knee, sitting beside me again. "Stop that," she hissed, glaring at my tapping hands.

"What is taking them so long?" I asked, looking at the cracked door and seeing shadows of Hiro and Augustus.

"Well, convincing Lilac to be on our side."

I exhaled. "I knew it." My voice cracked with doubt.

"Why are you nervous?" She peeked at the door, eyes bobbing like Hiro's when his mind links with the other wolves. "Oh, she thinks you are working with dark magic," she said and looked at me. "And you knew."

"Yes, she mentioned it the last time I saw her." I shifted, scratching the chair legs on the wood floor. "But my covenant is not using black magic."

Ren tilted her head with a devilish grin. "Sounds like you need to convince yourself before you can convince Lilac."

Ren stood from her chair, opening the door for Hiro to walk through. I straightened with a sweet smile while Lilac and two other male fairies entered. My body shook with nerves, telling me Ren had been correct. How do I get the fairies on our side when I believe them about my covenant being toxic? The red ring on my finger pulsed its heat, a physical manifestation of the scorching thoughts that seared my mind.

"Welcome," Hiro said, gesturing to the open chairs. "Please sit down as we persuade you to be part of our side."

Lilac raised her nose, picking the seat farthest from me. Her purple hair, like seaweed in a current, swirled as she moved, then stilled into a smooth, dark sheet when she sat. The two guards she had with her stood behind in the darkness.

"This is a waste of my time," her voice chimed like bells. "But I saw the brightness from the Star Goddess, the same glow of agreeance that night when she spoke to you." Her eyes brightened, glancing at me. "So tell me, Enya, is the Rosa Covenant corrupt?"

Hiro placed his palms on the table. "Of course not, so back to our plan."

Lilac didn't glance at Hiro as he pulled out a map showing the lands. Augustus pointed at the areas Hiro had been cleaning the vampire caves out with a nod. He whispered to Ren, and she glared but agreed.

"Now that we have the king of vampires on our lands to the north, living in the caves, we just need your lands to be our shield from the south." Hiro pointed at the area of sprite maple trees, but Lilac studied me as I sat still with no movement. "That means we only need to guard the other sides with the witch's land and ours."

"And what does this do?" Lilac asked, brows raised, still observing me.

"It's our way of being together and connecting our bond, but if the council visits by surprise, we will have a warning, and Enya will take a trip off the lands."

"What about being High Priestess?" Lilac responded, tilting her head. "Enya, what about the position the Sun Goddess picked for you? Wouldn't the council want to visit with the leader of the Rosa Covenant when they enter your land?"

Hiro shuffled the map. "Yes, we will ask the covenant to pick a new High Priestess."

"Is that even possible?" Augustus asked, glancing at the maroon ring on my finger. "Doesn't the Sun Goddess have to agree, too?"

"This brings us to Lilac, who also needs to agree to be on our side. We will bring the chosen one of the Star Goddess and me, the alpha from the Moon Goddess, and ask the cauldron to let Enya be the Luna. Ask the Sun Goddess to pick a new High Priestess."

Hiro had made a plan without me, my answer still not escaping my mouth to let him know I would be his Luna, but I sat, not protesting his words, eager for him to continue to save me. Had the Moon Goddess saved me the first night, knowing Hiro would pull me from my duties as High Priestess. Did she select a man to represent my thoughts when I could not express them because of external pressures?

"Has that even been done?" Ren asked with unsure eyes.

"No, but the Moon Goddess hasn't picked a witch to be a Luna before, so I'm open to alternative paths." Hiro peeked at me.

"Does she want it?" Augustus asked, knowing my thoughts. "Have you gotten a yes from her, Hiro?"

Hiro stiffened. "Well, not completely with words, but with actions." He peeked at me with an unsure expression. "Enya, will you be my Luna? Will you express our bond together to the Moon Goddess on the next half-moon?"

I scanned all the eyes on me, face burning.

Augustus slammed his hands on the table. "Hiro! Not here!" He winked at me. "Your good looks can't get you away with everything. You need to be romantic."

Hiro growled at him, but I leaned on the table, grabbing his hand. "Yes," I finally said, feeling my heart explode with love and relief. "Yes, I will be your Luna and fight for what the Moon Goddess granted us."

Hiro squeezed my hand with a smile before I leaned back and relaxed in the chair. I hadn't tasted Hiro's lips on mine, but I agreed to be his future. Augustus tilted his head at me with widened eyes and laughed under his breath at Hiro.

I watched Lilac scrutinizing me. Her eyes, round and intense, hadn't left mine since she entered the room. The ring felt heavy and hot against my skin, a constant reminder. She sensed a deep, unsettling darkness within me, a malevolence that chilled her to the bone. A toxic trait of an evil queen, but what would my pursuits be?

Augustus leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms. "The fairy thinks the witch had cast a dark spell on the wolf to become the leader of two naturals, plans to take over as one queen."

"What?" Hiro growled at Lilac. "What is wrong with you? You saw the Star Goddess endorsed our mating bond."

Lilac stood, brushing the front of her dress. "Yes, but something is telling me not to trust the Rosa Covenant, and I have to trust my bells."

"Lilac, we need you for this plan. We strive to show the Star Goddess is on our side to convince the cauldron and Arian." Hiro burst from his seat, kicking the chair across the room. "Saying my Luna is evil is disrespectful!"

"I didn't say she was," Lilac calmly responded, as if Hiro hadn't destroyed a chair. "I said—"

"She's right," I said, clenching my jaw.

"What?" Hiro's sadness washed over him.

"I don't want to believe my covenant could be dark, but I can't tell her confidently we aren't." Shifting back in my chair, I stood. "I will return to my lands and spy on the High Priestess and Priest. If there is dark magic, I will let you know."

"No!" Hiro yelled, shaking his head.

"This is the right thing to do." I pleaded with him. "We need to convince Lilac."

"But that is not safe."

"It's necessary."

Jude rushed into the room, Cecily close behind, their footsteps echoing. His gaze swept across the room, lingering on various details before finally focusing on Hiro.

"The witches need to get back to their lands urgently." 

Chapter Word Count = 2,245

Total Read Word Count = 23,294

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