The Cursed Alpha's Fifth Luna

Nina stood in the middle of the room as the bathroom door clicked shut.

Her hands trembled once at her sides before she curled them into fists.

For a long moment, she stared at the closed door. Then she turned toward the bed.

She crossed the room slowly and lowered herself onto the edge of the mattress.

Her fingers dug into her palms until they hurt.

If he found out who you are... wouldn’t he hate you even more than this?

Her body went rigid.

She had no right to want more.

She was evil.

His bane.

The one destined to destroy him.

How could she be selfish enough to long for love from the very man she was fated to ruin?

A strangled breath escaped her as she slipped beneath the duvet, drawing it to her chest. She lay on her side, facing the wall. The candles had burned low, their weakened flames no longer strong enough to keep the shadows from gathering in the corners of the room.

After a long while, the bathroom door opened.

Before she could stop herself, she looked up.

Rodrigo stepped into the room with a towel draped around his neck, another in his hands as he dried his damp hair. Droplets slid from the ends of it onto his shoulders before disappearing beneath the waistband of his trousers. He crossed to the vanity without so much as a glance in her direction.

He uncorked a small bottle, poured a few drops of oil into his palms, and worked it absently through his hair. Every movement was familiar. Unhurried. Somehow, that hurt more than if he had refused to come near her at all.

Before he turned around, Nina lay back and pulled the duvet to her shoulders, closing her eyes.

She listened instead.

The quiet scrape of wood as he set the bottle down.

His footsteps crossing the room.

The mattress dipping beneath his weight.

The whisper of blankets settling into place.

Then...

Nothing.

She counted to ten before opening her eyes.

He lay with his back to her. Barely a hand’s breadth separated them, yet the distance felt impossible to cross.

Nina watched the rise and fall of his breathing until her vision blurred.

She shouldn’t.

She knew she shouldn’t.

Yet every part of her leaned toward him.

Before she could lose her senses, she moved.

Slowly enough that the mattress barely shifted beneath her, she closed the narrow space between them until the warmth of his body brushed against her skin.

She stopped.

Only a breath remained between them.

For one last moment, she gave herself the chance to retreat.

She didn’t.

She rested her forehead lightly against his back.

The instant she touched him, his body stiffened.

Nina closed her eyes.

She waited.

For him to move away.

For him to tell her not to.

For something.

The silence stretched long.

Then, without a word, he turned to look at her.

Nina didn’t move.

The candlelight had nearly burned itself away, leaving only the faintest glow between them. It caught in his grey eyes as they searched her face.

"I..." The word caught in her throat.

She swallowed.

"I wanted to thank you."

His expression didn’t change.

"For saving me today."

Rodrigo remained silent so long she found herself counting her own heartbeats.

"Is that all?" he asked quietly. "Is that all you wanted to tell me?"

Nina froze.

His brows drew together almost imperceptibly as he watched her.

She looked away.

"Yes." The word was barely more than a whisper.

She felt his gaze on her for another moment before he gave a small nod.

"You don’t have to thank me," he said.

Nina looked back at him, her eyes blurring at the edges now.

"Anyone would have done the same."

The words made her breath hitch. Something crossed his eyes, but it disappeared almost immediately.

Her heart slammed against her chest.

He didn’t want her anymore. The thought of it made her eyes water.

She should tell him.

She should tell him she was going to die in six full moons if she didn’t regain her powers. She should tell him she was Annalise and...

The thought of it made her laugh internally.

If she did, she would lose him forever.

Nina drew a shaky breath as her eyes dropped to his chest. She couldn’t bear to look at him.

Rodrigo reached up and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. His fingertips lingered for only the briefest moment before falling away.

"Go to sleep, Nina."

Then he turned his back to her.

Nina stared at his back for a long moment and then she turned around, curling herself into a ball. This was for the best.

It would hurt more if he was in love with her and she had to hurt him in the end. Better that he hated her now. She nodded to herself.

Yes.

This was the right thing to do.

Then why did it hurt so much?

The ache in her chest was so painful she could barely breathe. She tightened her hold on the sheets until her knuckles turned white. She buried her face into the pillow, squeezing her eyes shut even tighter, willing herself not to think about him, about anything.

Nina didn’t know how long she lay there; the next time she opened her eyes, it was morning.

The sound of birds chirping outside the tall glass window woke her up. She lay quietly for a second, staring at the ceiling.

A second passed, and her eyes widened as everything from the night before came flooding back.

She turned immediately to her side and her hands stilled on the sheets.

His side of the bed was empty.

He was gone.

...

Nina ate breakfast quietly, the oats tasting bland in her mouth. She pushed them around with her spoon more than she actually ate them.

Moreen sat across from her, reading from a list Lady Gina had handed her earlier that morning. She spoke without looking up, going over preparations one after another while Nina stared blankly into her bowl, hearing every word yet understanding none of them.

"Luna, did you hear me?"

Nina blinked and looked up.

"Mm?" she asked. "What did you say?"

Moreen lowered the parchment and looked at her.

"I asked what color you wanted your ball dress to be."

Nina stared at her, perplexed.

"What ball?" she asked.

Moreen blinked once.

"You haven’t heard anything I said?"

Nina slowly shook her head.

"The Hunt is barely two weeks away. Lady Gina asked me to inquire about the colors you would prefer for your outfit and the Alpha’s."

Nina lowered her gaze back to her bowl.

"Anything goes," she murmured.

"I don’t have—"

Her words caught in her throat.

An idea slipped into her mind so suddenly that her eyes lifted.

On second thought...

"I think I have to ask the Alpha what he wants," she said, a small smile appearing on her face. "I wouldn’t want to make such an important decision for him."

She quickly stood from her chair. Moreen stared at her, perplexed, the entire conversation in her mind written plainly on her face.

Nina ignored it.

"Do you perhaps know where the Alpha is?"

Moreen blinked once before shaking her head.

"I’m afraid I don’t, Luna."

The smile on Nina’s face faltered for the briefest second before she cleared her throat.

"I’ll find him then."

Without waiting for another answer, she turned and walked toward the door, her hands grabbing fistfuls of the sides of her dress.

Nina scrambled out of the dining room and hurried toward the east wing of the palace.

"Luna," Moreen called after her, gathering her skirts as she rushed to catch up. "Luna, wait!"

Nina didn’t slow down. She barely spared her a glance as she continued down the long corridor, her footsteps echoing against the polished marble floor. Servants quickly stepped aside when they saw her coming, bowing their heads as she passed. The knot in her chest had loosened ever so slightly after the idea came to her, and now all she wanted was to see him.

She rounded the corner leading to the east wing and came to a stop when she spotted a group of guards standing at attention.

The moment they noticed her, they bowed.

"Luna."

"Where is the Alpha?" she asked without wasting a second.

The guard straightened.

"He’s at the riding house, Your Grace. He’s practicing for the Hunt."

Nina nodded.

"Please, lead the way."

"At once."

The guard stepped forward.

Nina turned to Moreen, who had finally caught up beside her.

"Moreen, you can return. I’ll send for you when I need you."

Moreen looked as though she wanted to argue, but after a moment she simply sighed.

"Very well, Luna."

She dipped her head before turning back the way they had come.

Nina followed the guard through the eastern grounds. The palace slowly gave way to wide stone paths lined with towering oak trees. Stable hands crossed their path every now and then, carrying saddles or leading horses toward the training fields. The closer they got, the stronger the smell of fresh hay and leather became.

When they reached the stables, Nina stopped in front of the rows of horses.

Her eyes moved from one stall to another until they settled on a beautiful white mare. Its coat was almost silver beneath the morning sun, smooth and spotless, while its long mane fell neatly along its neck. The horse stood taller than the others, calm despite the activity around it, lazily flicking its tail as it watched them approach.

She pointed toward it.

"Can you bring that along?"

"At once, Your Grace."

The guard bowed before entering the stall. The mare nickered softly as he slipped the reins over its head. It followed him without protest, its hooves making quiet thuds against the soil as they left the stable.

They continued toward the riding house.

Long before they reached it, Nina could hear the pounding of hooves against the packed earth. Men’s voices echoed from inside, followed by the sharp crack of wooden practice spears colliding. Every sound made her heart beat a little faster.

Her fingers twisted together at her sides.

Now that she stood in front of the riding house, she realized the reason why she’d come to see him was pathetic, and yet...

Nina bit her lower lip.

She wanted to see him.

She drew a breath as the large wooden doors pulled open.

The guard stepped aside, allowing her to enter first.

Nina walked in beside the white mare.

Almost immediately, the sounds inside died.

One conversation after another faded into silence as every head turned toward the entrance.

Her eyes swept across the arena.

Several men sat astride their horses, dressed in training leathers, wooden spears resting against their shoulders. Dust hung in the air after the morning’s drills, drifting lazily through the shafts of sunlight that poured in from the open roof above.

She searched through them.

Her eyes scanned their faces one after the other, until they found him.

He sat atop his black stallion near the center of the arena, his back turned to her. His dark hair, tied loosely behind him, spilled down his back in soft waves. One hand rested easily on the reins while the other held a practice spear.

For a brief moment, he didn’t notice the silence.

Then, slowly, he turned.

A faint frown settled on his forehead as he looked around, wondering what had brought the training to a halt.

Then his eyes found her.