Chapter 36 Chapter 36
ELIJAH’S POV
The night refused to calm down.
Even after Damon left to save Anna, the palace still felt like it was burning. I stood by the window, staring out at the sky, unable to breathe. I had done the one thing I swore I’d never do—ask my brother for help.
And I’d done it for her.
Anna.
I didn’t know if I’d made things better or worse. Damon wasn’t someone you trusted. He was danger in flesh. But at least she wasn’t going to be standing naked before fifteen kings tonight. At least she wasn’t going to be crying, broken, and humiliated the way Amanda planned.
Amanda.
My hands curled into fists at the thought of her name. The woman I’d made my Luna. The woman I was supposed to love. The woman who had once called Anna her best friend.
I turned from the window, anger filling every corner of my chest. I didn’t even think about what I’d say to her as I started walking towards her quarters.
The guards outside her chambers looked startled when I approached. None of them dared stop me. They stepped aside instantly, heads bowed low. They knew better than to meet my eyes when my anger was this strong.
I shoved the door open.
Amanda was standing before her mirror, still dressed in her silver gown from the feast. Her jewelry glittered in the candlelight, her hair perfectly pinned as if nothing had happened tonight. She looked up slowly, meeting my reflection in the mirror.
“Elijah,” she called out softly. “You know you shouldn’t barge in like that. It’s late.”
“Late?” My voice came out rough. “You almost destroyed someone’s life tonight, and you’re worried about the time?”
She turned, a slow, practiced smile spreading across her face. “If this is about Anna, I suggest you lower your voice at me.”
“Don’t!” I warned. “Don’t say her name like that!”
Amanda raised a brow. “Like what? She’s just a maid, Elijah. She should have known her place.”
My hands slammed against the table beside me. “Her place? Her place isn’t on her knees in front of fifteen kings, Amanda!”
She flinched at the sound but quickly recovered, folding her arms. “You’re exaggerating. I was only trying to teach her respect. She’s been walking around this palace like she owns it—”
“You tried to make her strip in front of those bastards. You wanted her humiliated, Amanda!”
She tilted her head in amusement. “And if I did? Maybe she needed a reminder of who she used to be before she thought she could take what’s mine.”
“What’s yours?” I took a step closer. “You mean me?”
Her smile didn’t fade. “Who else?”
I stared at her, the weight of every word pressing against me. “You think you can hold on to me by hurting her?”
“Don’t act like you didn’t already do that, Elijah. You chose me. You crowned me Luna in front of her. You’re the one who hurt Anna, remember?”
Her words stung, but I didn’t show it. “You think I don’t know what I did? You think I haven’t punished myself for that every single day?”
Amanda’s lips curved, slow and cruel. “So you admit it. You never wanted me. You only picked me to protect her.”
I didn’t deny it.
I couldn’t.
Something flickered in her eyes—jealousy, rage, maybe both. “You disgust me,” she hissed. “You stand there acting noble, pretending you care about what’s right, but the truth is, you’ve always been weak for her. Even after everything she cost you.”
“She didn’t cost me anything,” I shot back in anger. “I lost myself the moment I let you stand beside me instead of her.”
Amanda laughed, a sound so sharp it made the air feel colder. “Then why are you here, Elijah? To confess? To make yourself feel better?”
“No,” I said, stepping closer until I was inches from her face. “I’m here to warn you to stay away from Anna.”
She stayed silent at first, as if she was in shock.
Amanda’s voice broke into a whisper. “You still love her?”
I didn’t look away.
She took a shaky breath and forced a laugh. “And yet she’s alive tonight because of your brother. Damon, of all people. I wonder why that monster saved her. Maybe he wanted her for himself.”
My chest tightened, but I stayed still.
“It’s almost poetic, isn’t it? Your brother saving the girl you love while you do absolutely nothing. It definitely makes you look like a coward.”
“Enough!”
“Why? Does it hurt?” she asked, stepping closer toward me. “Does it hurt to know that he was saving Anna while you stood in your chamber doing nothing? Does it hurt to know that the girl you love will probably thank him instead of you?”
My claws itched to come out, but I forced them back. Quickly, I grabbed her wrist before she could turn away. My grip was tight enough to make her gasp. “You will never speak about her again!” I threatened, my voice shaking with fury.
She stared up at me, eyes blazing. “Or what, Elijah? You’ll kill your Luna? Go ahead.”
For a second, I almost did. My claws pressed against her skin—but I let go. She stumbled back, glaring at me.
Her lips trembled as she spoke—not from fear, but anger. “You think she’s innocent? She’s not. She’s the reason everything fell apart. You would have been fine with me if she hadn’t existed. You would have loved me if she hadn’t come between us.”
I shook my head slowly. “No, Amanda. I never would’ve loved you, not even for a second.”
That stopped her.
For the first time all night, she looked like I’d hit her. I stepped closer again in anger. “You want to know the fucking truth? I picked you because it was the only way to keep her safe. That’s all. There was never love between us. There was never even a chance.”
Her jaw tightened. “And what now? You’ll throw me away for her? You’ll break your vow to the Elder Council? You’ll risk war for some forgotten maid?”
“I don’t care what it costs anymore,” I said simply. “Because tonight I realized something. You may be Luna, but you were never my choice. You were just a mistake I made, Amanda.”
Her hand flew, slapping me hard across the face. The sound echoed through the room.
I didn’t move.
Her voice cracked with anger. “You’ll regret saying that, Elijah. You’ll regret ever making me your enemy.”
“Maybe,” I whispered, turning toward the door. “But not as much as I regret making you my Luna.”
I started to walk away, but her voice stopped me. “You think she’ll ever forgive or want you back?”
I didn’t turn around.
“She won’t!” she continued. “You’ll be the coward in her story, Elijah.”
I didn't reply.
By the time I reached the hall, my hands were shaking, and I didn’t know if it was from anger or guilt. I’d done everything I could to save Anna. I’d chosen the one man I hated most to protect her.
And still, somehow, it felt like I’d failed her.
I leaned against the wall, closing my eyes, as the truth cut deeper than I expected.
I loved Anna so much.
I always had.
And for the first time, I wasn’t ashamed to admit it.