Chapter 37: Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell - Ain’t No Mountain High Enough
Kyllian dragged a hand down his face. "So let me get this straight. You want me to go back and tell the King...your father...that his only daughter needs more time... with her vampire mate... surrounded by other vampires?" He let out a dry chuckle. "Lovely. Fantastic. I think you mentioned something earlier about squeezing a man’s family jewels? Because I’m pretty sure the King will do a lot worse to mine."
Luna laughed a belly-deep laugh that made Kyllian’s heart flutter in spite of the doom clouding everything. "I can already picture his face. That vein that pops in the middle of his forehead when he’s trying not to shout."
"You think that’s funny?" Kyllian raised a brow, but his lips twitched at the corners. "You’ve never actually seen the King mad. Not real, soul-leaving-your-body mad. You’ve only ever seen the doting, frustrated version of it."
Luna rolled her eyes affectionately. "He is my father. I’ve seen him mad plenty."
Kyllian scoffed. "No, princess. You’ve seen him paternal. You’ve never seen the King of the Wolves, the ruler, that guy. When that version gets mad? It’s like watching a volcano warm up. First, there’s silence. Then that terrifying twitch in the corner of his eye. Then a slow boil, like his blood is turning into lava. You can actually see the transformation on his face. And every instinct in you says, ’Run. Just run and hope to the high heavens he doesn’t chase you.’"
Luna giggled, though a melancholic haze glazed her eyes. "Sounds dramatic."
"It is. But he never shows that side around you. Not once." Kyllian smiled, softer now. "You’re the only one who brings out his soft."
That pulled at Luna’s chest. Her smile wavered, and she looked down at her hands. "I miss him. Goddess, I miss him so much it hurts."
Kyllian’s brow furrowed. He reached out, brushing his fingers over hers. "He misses you too."
Luna shook her head, voice quiet. "I feel like I’ve failed him. He always wanted a son. Someone to take over the pack, carry the mantle. And instead, he got me. A daughter with the most ridiculous love triangle in history."