16. Zain

SIXTEEN

zain

I t was well into the night when we finally retreated to our rooms, the sounds of the party still audible from the balcony.

How had so much happened in such a short period?

This felt like the longest day of my entire life.

Sinking onto the couch, I closed my eyes, loosening the tie from around my neck and unbuttoning the top few buttons of my shirt.

"Well," I said, heaving a sigh. "That went better than I expected."

Luna turned in a full circle, gaping at me. " Zain ."

"Hm?"

Her eyes widened as she took in our surroundings. "These are…"

"My rooms," I confirmed. "There are eyes and ears all over the palace. We can't be too careful." If we were going to talk, I certainly wouldn't do it in the throne room, after all.

I used my head to indicate to the door on the other end of the room. "That one goes through to yours if you're wondering. "

"We have… adjoining rooms?" She raised an eyebrow, and I nodded.

"It's customary. For royalty." Plus, it had the bonus of keeping her safe. And I wanted her right next to me. "Do you want help taking that dress off?"

"Oh. Right." Luna looked down at her attire as if she'd only just realized she was still in that beautiful gown and crown. "I can get Novalie…"

"Don't bother," I said, standing up and coming to stand in front of her. "I'll do it."

Her breath was shaky when she asked, "Are you sure?"

"Luna," I murmured, my voice low as I pressed a kiss to her jaw. "No matter what's happened today. I'm still me. We're still the same people we were in your town."

"Are we?" Her words were a whisper.

Spinning her around, I slid down the zipper—a helpful invention that we'd stolen from the humans—and let the dress fall down around her hips. She helped me wiggle the rest off, leaving it in a pile on the floor.

A strangled sound came from my throat at the little lace panties she wore.

"It was the first thing I found earlier," she said, pink rising to her cheeks as she wrapped her arms around her body.

"I see," I responded, a strangled sound coming from my throat as I summoned a robe, handing it to her. Part of me wondered why we were bothering to cover up that body I'd spent so many nights exploring. Was she uncomfortable with me now?

"Thank you," she gave a quiet murmur as she turned back to me, messing her hair.

I went to the little beverage cart in my room, pouring myself a few fingers of scotch, throwing the beverage back before pouring another. Returning to my spot on the couch, I ran my tongue over the rim as I watched her.

"I just… wow ." Luna laughed, the sound a little nervous as she smoothed her hands over the black silky fabric. It was one of my robes, and the sight of her wearing it did things to me.

Fuck. I needed to be more careful.

Was she as nervous as I felt?

"What?" I rested my arm against the top of the couch.

She just shook her head, pacing back and forth as she removed pins from her hair. "I'm so in over my head here. Because at the ball, I think I just realized what marrying you really means."

I quirked an eyebrow. "Which is?"

"Do you know every little girl's dream is to be a princess? At least, for the humans." She thought about that for a moment. "Maybe it is for the demons, too."

"Oh, yeah?"

She hummed in response. "That's going to be my life. Literally, I'm going to be a princess. I should be ecstatic. But I think I'm a little…" Luna sighed, sitting on the couch diagonal to me, depositing her handful of pins on the side table before bringing her knees to her chest. "Overwhelmed. I just never imagined it would be like this."

Her scent hit me as she moved closer, and fuck, if it didn't do things to me.

"Like what?" I leaned back, my hand gripping the armrest. Did she know I could see her panties from the way she was sitting in front of me? I quickly re-adjusted myself, hoping she wouldn't notice the bulge in my pants.

She waved wildly around us. "I don't know. This."

Unable to resist the temptation of being closer to her, I slid right next to her on the couch—so close that there wasn't an inch between us .

"Everything's going to be fine," I said to her, placing my hand on her bare thigh.

Though it felt like anything but.

I couldn't ignore the call in my blood that wanted to have her. Claim her. Taste her skin.

I shut my eyes, blocking out the urges. She would let me claim her without even knowing what it would mean , how it would tie us together for eternity.

When I opened them, her eyes were full of questions. Shit. I'd run out of time, hadn't I?

Pulling her down into my lap, her legs parted as she rested on one of my thighs.

"Ask me," I finally murmured, brushing a strand of her hair back.

Her voice was a low whisper. "Why am I really here?"

"What do you mean?" I kept my voice steady. "I'm going to keep you safe."

Luna's head shook. "No. The truth, please. I… need it. The night we first met. You were looking for something, weren't you? You said Damien would be upset with you."

Shit. I nodded my head. What the hell had I been thinking, bringing her here? I hadn't .

"What were you looking for?"

The truth. I reminded myself. She deserved that much. If she was going to marry me, I should at least tell her this. "You," I admitted.

"Why?"

My thumb brushed over Luna's bare leg, the one that peeked out from the opening in the robe. "I needed you." I rubbed back and forth over the skin, glad that she was at least letting me hold her like this. "No, I need you. That fact hasn't changed."

"But… why me?" She sounded surprised. Didn't she know ho w incredible she was? "Novalie said something earlier. That you'd been waiting for me for a long time, is that… true?"

Longer than you know. I nodded. "Damien was only in the human realm because I'd sent him there. To look for you." Those big green eyes widened. "A powerful witch was foretold to be my queen."

"But I'm not powerful ," she admitted, her voice low. "Not really. I don't even know how to control my powers. I hid them my whole life." Her hands spread open, little bits of light filtering through her palms. "It's nothing more than a party trick." Her throat bobbed as she paused. "I mean, I still see things—sometimes. Brief flashes of the future. Dreams I can't explain. But mostly…" Luna's shoulders slumped. "When those demons attacked me, I froze. Froze. I should have been able to do something. But my legs wouldn't move."

Tracing a finger over her brow, I cradled her face with my free hand. "It's okay," I murmured softly, trying to soothe her.

"It's not." Luna sprung to her feet. She huffed a frustrated sound that seemed to echo through the empty room. "I should be able to take care of myself. I feel like I'm always depending on someone, and I'm so over it. First Willow, and now… you." A furrow formed in her brow like a thought had only just occurred to her. "The demons who attacked me," she started, her body trembling slightly. "Did you send them to find me, too? To convince me to come back here with you?"

I raised an eyebrow. "Do you really think I would do that? Risk you? After all the trouble I went through to find you?"

"I don't know !" She practically shouted the words at me, throwing her arms up. There was fire in her eyes, burning brighter than normal. They were almost white. "That's the problem. Because I thought I knew you, and now what? Everything's changed. And I don't even know who I am anymore." Her arms slid around her middle like she was trying to make herself smaller.

"You're still you," I said, voice soft. "My moonbeam. Nothing has changed. Not really." Luna's eyes connected with mine. Endless emotion swirled in those once again bright green depths. "Does this change anything for you?" I asked because I needed to know. If it made a difference.

"I… Just answer this first. Was any of it real?" Her face sagged, her eyes brimming with unshed tears. "I gave up everything . My life. My sister. My home. So I need this to be real. " Tears filled her eyes. "Because if this is just a game you're playing…" She shook her head, brushing the wetness away. "Was it real? What we shared at the bar? All those nights at my apartment? Us?"

"Of course it was. All of it," I said, standing at her side and cupping both her cheeks with my hands. "You have to know that. I've always wanted you," I admitted. "Regardless of who you were to me, from the moment I saw you sitting there, all my plans went out the window."

"And now?"

I rested our foreheads together. "I want you still. In any way you'll have me. I want you , Luna. Your body, mind, and heart. Just as I always have."

Her eyes fluttered shut, and I watched her pulse beat in her neck.

My teeth ached. Clearing my throat, I forced out the next question. "Do you still want to do this, Luna?"

She blinked. "What do you mean?"

"To marry me. If not, I'll take you back to Pleasant Grove. We can forget any of this ever happened. You can forget about me ."

"But then…" Her finger fidgeted with the ring on her finger. She stared off into space for a moment be fore her gaze connected back with mine. "You promised to keep me safe," Luna said, though it sounded more like a question, so I nodded. Of course I would. I'd sooner die than let her get hurt.

"Yes," she answered finally. "Yes, I'll marry you."

It was a promise, the answer to a question I'd been searching for long before I'd known of her existence. It was one I'd waited a lifetime for, and I'd do my best to earn every single day.

"Thank you," I whispered, brushing my lips over her forehead. "You have no idea."

How much I wanted her. Needed her.

And that I'd never risk her slipping from my grasp—never again.