The Vampire's Luna

"I learnt something in all these months about fated mates—more than I ever thought possible. Take for example Kyllian. He was your fated mate, bound to you by the goddess herself. That bond was severed, yet look at him. The man still orbits you like a lost moon. You are his star, the only constellation he bothers to trace at night. The bond broke, but his love didn’t. If that doesn’t teach us something, I don’t know what will."

"Yes, but—Damien marked Isolde. He didn’t just touch her hand or kiss her cheek in a moment of weakness, Morvakar. He marked her. They had sex, Morvakar." Her throat tightened, her chest heavy with the truth she hated to admit aloud. "How do I fight that?"

"With all you have." Morvakar’s answer came simply.

Luna’s lips pressed into a thin line. "And how do I do that without being a bitch?"

Morvakar raised a brow. "You don’t have to be a bitch, Luna. You are already terrifying."

(Laiconhopkins, Addicted2fantasy, rocksteady. I see you)

Before Luna could even roll her eyes at him, the door creaked open.

"Hey, Morvakar," Lucivar said casually. "Haven’t seen you since last night."

"I needed a lot of rest," Morvakar said. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

"Lord Lucivar," Luna called. She kept one hand cradling her son, as if drawing strength from his presence, while the other rested lightly on the back of the chair. "I was on my way here when I realized there is a new occupant in the Royal concubines’ castle. I was informed it was according to your instructions."

"Uh, yes—Isolde, you mean," Lucivar replied, shifting slightly on his feet. "Yeah, she is a royal concubine, just not officially proclaimed yet. I was thinking, after all of this—the heir, the council’s upheaval, and maybe a long-deserved vacation for you and the king—you could visit that." He offered a shrug.

"Why would I do that?" Her gaze was fixed on Lucivar now, piercing through the layers of civility he had draped over his smirk. The very idea that someone—anyone—could be labeled as Damien’s concubine while she still bore the king’s heart and heir was infuriating.

"Well, she is Damien’s ma...woman," Lucivar said, his attempt to hedge his words only making them sound more ridiculous. He cleared his throat nervously. "I mean, not officially, but she—well, she was instrumental in the plans, and..." He trailed off, realizing he was on thin ice.

"She isn’t Damien’s anything," Luna interjected. Every inch of her radiated authority and territorial protectiveness. Her hands gripped the baby a little tighter as her mind raced. This Isolde woman, would not take even a fraction of Damien from her—not in spirit, not in loyalty, not in love. What she got was enough.

"I think I shouldn’t be here for this conversation," Morvakar muttered, shifting uncomfortably in his chair.

"Sit down, Morvakar," Luna said. "We are just talking." Her eyes returned to Lucivar. "So tell me, why would you even consider her for this position?"

"I gave her my word to convince her to do what needed to be done to save the king’s life. She was instrumental. Without her cooperation, Damien could have...well, we might not be standing here right now."

"And you promised her the position of Damien’s royal concubine? Of all the things to offer her," Luna said, the disbelief and fury finally breaking through her measured tone. "Do you even understand what you’ve done? You’ve placed my husband in close proximity to a woman bound to him, and in exchange, you grant her a ridiculous title?"

"What’s done is done," Lucivar said simply. There was a certain finality in his tone, as if the past and its choices could not be rewritten. Yet the very simplicity of his words only made Luna bristle. To her, some things were not done—not when they affected her husband, her child, and the fragile peace they had just fought to secure.

"No, what’s done isn’t done," Luna snapped back, a controlled fire in her eyes. "She cannot be anywhere around Damien. Not in the same rooms, not in the same corridors. She cannot exist in this castle."

"I agree that she cannot be anywhere around Damien. But being a royal concubine doesn’t threaten you. I have concubines I haven’t been with in years," Lucivar said. "The title alone doesn’t diminish the bond Damien has with you."

"Threaten me?" Luna’s laugh was short and bitter, a flicker of incredulity flashing across her face. "No one threatens me. Not by status, not by title. Damien and I—our family—comes first. Always." There was no edge of uncertainty in her tone; it was conviction forged in love and blood.

"Okay. I am feeling very uncomfortable right now," Morvakar said from his corner. "Can we just get through the heir’s ceremony first and then let the queen handle this however she sees fit?" His gaze flickered toward Luna, reading the storm in her posture, the subtle flare of her nostrils, the unspoken warning to anyone who dared challenge her claim over her family.

Lucivar turned to Morvakar. "I gave her my word," he said softly.

Luna got to her feet, the heir snug against her chest, his tiny fingers curling over hers as if sensing her determination. "I will proceed with the planning of the ceremony, and I truly hope you will rethink this, my lord. Isolde’s continued stay in Blood Castles is going to tear my family apart."

Lucivar put his hands gently on Luna’s shoulders, steadying her, and yet asserting the authority of a man who had weathered countless storms. "I love you, you know that, right? I love your strength, I love your courage. But do you really have so little faith in your husband that you would let an insignificant maid frighten you?" He let the words linger.

Luna let out a soft, weary sigh. "I...I’m sorry. I...You’re right," she admitted.

Lucivar’s eyes softened. "Lay the baby down. He’s going to be with me 24/7 until I leave for Silver City," he said. There was no room for argument; he had been through enough battles to recognize when his guidance was needed, and this was one of those times.

(ErinGoodwin, Jreilley, tishypoo, AnnHarper, Giuls: Thank you)