Chapter 20: X Ambassadors - Unsteady
The crowd held its collective breath in scandalized horror.
The Vampire King, seated imposingly raised one elegant brow but made no move to interfere, clearly interested in seeing where this chaos would lead.
Damien didn’t so much as glance at the king. His laser focus was entirely on Luna as he strode up the aisle.
"I need a word with the princess," Damien said. He took another step forward.
And Kyllian shifted again, standing even more firmly between Luna and the approaching vampire prince. His posture screamed mine, every line of his body coiled and ready for a fight he couldn’t afford to start.
Behind Kyllian, Luna fought the whirlwind of emotions roaring through her. This couldn’t be happening. Not now. Not today of all days. Was this the moment she had feared? The moment everything unraveled?
"What is this, Prince Damien?" Kyllian asked, vibrating with an alpha’s warning. His hand never loosened its grip on Luna’s, as if he was half-afraid she might be ripped away if he blinked.
Damien had the audacity to look bored. He ran a hand through his perfectly tousled dark hair and gave a half-shrug. "Seriously?" he said, cocking a brow at Kyllian like he was the one being inconvenienced. "You do realize she isn’t some helpless princess locked in a tower, right? She can defend herself from vampires just fine." He leaned to the side to catch Luna’s eye, flashing a crooked smile. "Right, Princess?"
Luna, heart hammering against her ribcage like it was trying to escape, stepped out from behind Kyllian with shaky legs. She looked at Damien, her eyes pleading. "Stop this, please," she whispered, voice trembling.
Damien’s face softened. "I once told you," he said, stepping forward, "that if you didn’t say it, I would."
"Damien, please." She hated how pathetic she sounded but this wasn’t just about her anymore. Kyllian, her parents, her entire kingdom—everything was on the line.
The Vampire King, Lucivar, finally rose among the audience, his presence immediately demanding attention. "Damien! What’s going on?"