Chapter 95

Chapter 95: Chapter 95

Chapter 95

I’m still awed by the fortress. The sun trapped my vision toward the top, causing me to narrow my eyes. I turned my focus to the field, a fountain meeting my gaze as we approached the large double handled doors.

Trees lined the pathway, adorning either side, with a small garden flourishing near the entrance. The flowerbeds caught more of my attention, my lips parting at their beauty.

The air was potent with the fruity scent of flowers. Just pure bliss.

Finally, we entered, Clawface pushing the door open. I had expected some sort of chill, but to my surprise, it all felt warm.

Welcoming even.

I strolled deeper in, my eyes wandering about as though trying to observe everything at once. A few maids walked past with my luggage being wheeled behind them.

"Where’s my room?" I said, turning my face to the side.

Clawface was next to me, one hand clasped behind his back. He looked more like an inspector than my supposed bodyguard.

And speaking of guarding, I’d thought this place was some ruin where I’d require constant safety measures, but being physically here, it felt like the opposite. The radiance was comforting, in fact, reassuring.

"Follow me, Luna," he replied and began to walk down a corridor.

As we passed by, I watched the portraits hung along the walls. The beauty they held wasn’t something one could simply overlook. They called for attention. Whoever the artist was had poured all his love into the work. The brushstrokes against the canvas were remarkably detailed.

Beautifully done.

I made a mental note right there to take a stroll later today or tomorrow. I needed to see more.

We continued down the hallway, and I began to hear the chatter of maids in the near distance.

"My Luna..." Clawface beckoned, taking a step across my path.

I raised my face, blinking up at him.

"Is something the matter?"

"You’re mad at me," he said, and I groaned inwardly.

When did Clawface start caring about whether people liked or disliked him?

"You are soft toward Marcellan, but a different person toward Alpha Kai and me," he continued. "You think we don’t care about you because of the decision that was made, but I’m here to keep you safe. What else is more loving than that?"

I mulled over his words, biting the inside of my lip before a response came to mind.

"Oh, let’s see. Maybe not keeping secrets from me." I stepped to the side. "And don’t speak to me, Clawface. Your actions already prove you’re more comfortable being a soldier than my friend."

"That’s not..."

I hijacked his words and continued.

"Your dutiful nature always surpasses any subtle feeling. You’d rather follow orders than actually think for yourself."

"My duty is to protect the crown. Are you blaming me for agreeing to protect that?"

I wanted to speak. My lips parted, but nothing seemed to make sense. My resolve needed maintaining, and having a conversation about this was starting to make less and less sense.

Instead, I turned toward the doorway and left Clawface standing there.

Inside the room, I had the maids leave my things for me to sort through. It was only midday. There were still plenty of hours to get through before boredom settled in and I’d have to see Clawface again.

A break was much needed.

After they all scurried out, I started with my clothes. There was an archaic wardrobe built from timber and carved with celestial patterns.

Minutes soon brewed into hours by the time I finished arranging my clothes and dusting away cobwebs here and there. Then I moved on to everything else.

Genuinely, it was a surprise and beyond the limits of my knowledge when I’d acquired all these accessories. I didn’t think I’d ever done that much shopping.

Oh, perhaps the times Kai bought me gifts. He was a man whose love language was acts of service.

My feet hurt and my legs felt as though they weighed a ton by the time I was done unpacking. I struggled to make the bed, and when I finished, I almost threw myself onto it until my stomach protested and I carefully sat instead.

"Heavens, I can’t wait," I muttered to myself as I looked down at the bump.

My tummy was getting bigger, though not as much as one would have expected, and that was exactly why I’d never thought I could be carrying twins until the doctor confirmed it.

I patted my stomach, using my hand to trace the stretch of skin around my navel. I continued the gentle caress until my eyes drifted shut.

???

I had no idea when I fell asleep.

The sky was maliciously devoid of any light. It was a clear night, but there was neither moon nor stars.

Completely empty.

The candle lamp beside the bed became my saving grace. Shadows came alive, stretching like spikes as the flame flickered.

I hurried to shut the curtains myself to stop the air blowing into the room. Then I picked up the lamp and used it to guide my way out.

My stomach hurt from hunger. That was the very reason I’d woken up. I retraced my steps from the hallway back to the lounge Clawface and I had passed through hours earlier.

The entire space was quiescent. Even the dropping of a pin would have sounded loud. The soft thump of my flip flops guided me down a particular path. I remembered smelling the aroma of food from that direction earlier.

My steps carried me through a doorway. I held the threshold for a moment as I searched for a switch. Thankfully, the dim light in my hand helped me find one.

The chandelier overhead cast a warm incandescent glow across a long table laden with food.

"Definitely the kitchen," I murmured, the words barely louder than a thought.

I found the fridge and picked out a box of cereal and some milk, ready to drown my hunger with that, when the other lights in the kitchen came on.

The room brightened as though it were daytime, and my eyes widened at how unbelievably large the kitchen was.

But first, my attention shifted to the entrance.

An elderly woman stood there, her eyes squinted. Her skin bore the lines of many years, each wrinkle telling a story of a life well lived. She adjusted the spectacles perched on her nose before gasping.

"For goodness’ sake, it’s you, Luna," she greeted and began approaching me. Her back was slightly bent, though not enough to rob her of her grace.

She must have been a breathtaking beauty in her youth.

"You know me?" I asked, puzzled.

Of course, she knew me. I’m the Luna of SilverFang...

My tendency to forget my position was a battle all on its own.

"Take a seat here," I told her as I pulled out a chair.

"You’re very kind," she said, touching my arm as a warm smile spread across her lips.

I settled back into my seat, still holding the cereal, as she spoke.

"I’m sorry we missed your welcome. Oh, forgive me. Where are my manners? I’m Mrs. Locke. The house hasn’t had a visitor in years, so we were quite surprised when we received word of your arrival."

She stood again and promptly snatched the cereal from my hand.

"Oh, no, no. This isn’t healthy for a pregnant Luna."

Her tone was firm and gently nagging. She was being the grandmother I’d never had, and funnily enough, all my life I’d wished for one. Maybe now it wasn’t so bad that I hadn’t.

"I’m famished."

"My husband and I are the Watchers of this house. If you need anything, you only have to ask, and we’ll see that you have it," she told me. "So, if you’re hungry, all you needed to do was tell us."

"Oh, I didn’t know."

"Yes. We never had the chance for introductions until now," she said, stating the obvious. One of my brows lifted before I even realized it.

Within the next few minutes, she returned with bowls of food. They held warm soups and delicacies, though I found myself craving lighter meals and chose the dishes that caught my attention.

I dug in without restraint, my hunger on full display, and it made the woman laugh.

"Sorry. I slept after I got here. I didn’t get the chance to eat since this morning."

"Oh, I’m so sorry about that," she said, her warm smile never fading before another question settled into my mind.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Sure," she replied, surprisingly brisk for her age.