Chapter 70

Damon’s POV

It took only a few minutes of her absence for me to get restless. I stared at the bed she had been sitting on, anger twisting through my gut.

I was angry that she had walked away, putting a distance between us again. It only confirmed the suspicions I had of her. But part of me felt guilt. Guilt that I had pushed too far by constantly insisting she was cheating on me with Alpha Asher.

I exhaled roughly and dragged myself to my feet, reaching for my tunic. I would apologize and we would find a way around our unique problem.

Everywhere was quiet and still except for the quiet sound of my boot down the corridors. I looked at the garden, hoping she had gone to find solace among flowers as she usually would, but silence greeted my persistent calling of her name.

She wasn’t in any of the rooms I checked and the guards hadn’t seen her either. I turned a corner and nearly collided with Hunter. His sharp eyes scanned me with apprehension before settling into their usual calm.

‘’Alpha Damon,’’ he greeted, bowing his head slightly.

I looked behind him. ‘’Were you talking to someone?’’

He raised a brow. ‘’No, Alpha.’’

I had heard voices. I was almost certain. ‘’Have you seen Luna Melody?’’ I asked, looking at him carefully.

‘’I haven’t,’’ he responded. ‘’Not since after the wedding.’’

I nodded. He was studying my face too, and he could see that I was upset. ‘’You look troubled,’’ he ventured. ‘’Did you and the Luna… fight?’’

I bit my teeth hard. I couldn’t tell him that. I would never dare voice out my suspicions about Melody and Asher to my beta.

‘’No,’’ I lied. ‘’Meet me early tomorrow morning. We’ll ride out.’’ I patted his shoulder. ‘’You should have a good sleep.’’

I wandered deeper into the castle, unease gnawing at me and frustration eating at me as I lost my way. I wasn’t yet familiar with the set up of the castle. I met Isabella sobbing on the staircase.

My first instinct was to turn away and not intrude, but I found myself moving towards her. Why was she out crying by herself on her wedding night? And where was Asher?

‘’Are you alright?’’ I asked.

She raised her head to me. Her eyes were heavy with tears. I wondered what my cousin could have done to her.

‘’He’s gone,’’ she said, her voice cracking. ‘’He left me.’’

I didn’t need a soothsayer to understand what was happening. Asher was missing. Melody was missing. Rage boiled within me.

‘’Excuse me,’’ I whispered and turned away, angrily. If they were together, I was going to find them. I didn’t know what I was going to do, but the gods help me.

I walked into the night until I found myself at the temple. And there she was, standing among the ruins with her face titled towards the night sky. I looked around for Asher. He was no where around her. Relief washed over me.

‘’I was worried,’’ I said, approaching her. The wind was slowly blowing her hair.

She turned, startled by my voice and then her face relaxed into an awkward smile when she recognised me.  ‘’I came to pray,’’ she said, turning away. ‘’I heard the moon goddess was once close to the people of Crescent pack.’’

I reached her side and glanced at the crumbling temple around us. ‘’I’m pretty sure the  goddess wouldn’t be that inclined to listen to prayers in a damaged temple.’’

We both laughed, and it felt like the first time we were sharing a laugh. Laughter faded and silence stretched between us. It felt like a golden moment, a moment of peace between us.

‘’Do you think… you could restore the temple?’’ she asked, her eyes still fixed on the ruins.

It did seem it was very important to her.

‘’The people destroyed it after ..’’ my voice trailed off. But she knew what I was going to say. After Alpha Asher took over, they lost faith in the moon goddess and killed the priestess.

‘’They could begin to believe again,’’ she said, squeezing my hand. ‘’Your cousin rules them with a tight fist.’’

I laughed. ‘’He’s not the Alpha here. Alpha Nathan is. It’s just politics.’’

She scoffed gently but remained silent. I had never seen her so emotionally involved with a pack before. She barely acknowledged the people in her own pack.

‘’You are wondering why I care, right?’’ she asked, reading my thoughts.

I nodded.

‘’I’ve been called a certain name by everyone in this pack since i stepped foot here.’’’ her voice sounded playfully light. ‘’I learnt the story of her death and it was just sad.’’

I had heard the tales too. There were whispers that Melody was the reincarnated priestess. But they were wrong. She only had a striking semblance to this priestess.

‘’I’ll run it by Alpha Asher tomorrow,’’ I said. ‘’Just because it’s your wish.’’

She nodded slowly.

‘’We should head back,’’ I said.  ‘’I have a busy day tomorrow.’’

She turned to face me and just then, the moon broke through the clouds, spilling light across her face. And  I saw it. Her lipstick smudged across her face, as if it had been kissed away. My eyes clouded with anger. She hadn’t been alone.

The kiss she had escaped from me came to my mind. I was sure only our lips had made contact. No smudges. I looked around for her lover who could be hiding in the shadows, watching us. I was going to find him and I would rip his heart from his chest.

I clenched my fists at my side and forced a thin smile. ‘’I’ll see you inside.’’

She hesitated, contemplated on asking if something was wrong and then decided otherwise. She nodded and walked ahead. I watched her till she disappeared from my sight. Then I headed back into the temple, my claws out to draw blood.