Chapter 34: The Luna Fights Back

[Cole]
"I'm surprised that you brought her along. I thought Owin had told you," Jave leaned over and whispered when Dove was out of earshot.

Cole kept a straight face and watched Dove as she went about the room, admiring the rich tapestry. He knew that she was really trying to listen and hoped she didn't hear this damn conversation.

Jave continued in a quick whisper. "I hope you haven't mated with her. That cursed thing."

Cole felt his fist tighten. He had to hold his anger in. As much as he wanted to shove a fist in that large round face, he knew that Jave was merely a blind follower of the rumor.

But he didn't like what he heard.

Worst, he wanted to take Dove to bed then and there, but something in his mind held him back.

Cole glared at the weak moonlight that had found its way into the room and managed a calm voice. "That thing's still my Luna."

He forced himself to turn to the wide-eyed hulk and smiled, "I appreciate all your help, Jave. Your next month's supply is on me."

Jave widened his gaze, gave a hard slap on his back and threw him a thumbs up with a big grin. He walked off laughing merrily.

Cole returned to Dove who now had a puzzling look and sighed.

As she was calmly getting ready to retire for the night, he was fighting a raging swarm of images of Dove sans clothes in his mind. His fingers and lips tingled with an overwhelming need to feel her softness again.

He wanted to take her to bed. But the thing from earlier was still anchored in his mind, holding him back.

It didn't help when she, again, asked her damn questions. They always managed to weave out his thoughts.

In the end, he decided to leave the bedroom. The air was fresh again when the door closed.


******


[Dove]
Cole returned to the room only at daybreak. He quietly went about his morning routines as I lay in bed, pretending to be asleep.

I didn't sleep a wink.

I kept pondering over Cole's absence and prayed hard that he was at a waterfall nearby, not in another woman's room. At the thought, a dreary feeling rose in me.

He didn't explain his whereabouts and, strangely, I didn't ask him.

Staring at my reflection, I mentally slap myself. What are you afraid of, Dove? You are his wife; you have the right to ask.

Do I? The moment the question came up in my mind, my heart fell.

"Are you practising the defence moves in your mind?" Cole stood behind me, grinning with amusement.

I glared silently at his reflection in the mirror.

He chuckled and said, "We need to go now."

I opened my mouth to ask where we would be going when he beat me to it and added, "I'm showing you around before Saul arrives."


******

Saul was a serious man, who constantly wore a stern expression, a golden helmet made out of his tightly gelled hair, and starched shirt and pants.

A man of fewer words than even Cole, he spoke only when necessary so Cole did most of the talking, which was an unusual sight. Saul listened intently as Cole repeated what he had said to Jave.

I found it strange that Saul only greeted Cole and kept his gaze on Cole the whole time, like I was invisible.

But then, he wasn't the only one.

Moving around with Cole earlier, people were pointing at us and whispering with frowns. When we do meet, they would focus on Cole and avoid my gaze or any interactions with me.

A familiar dread crept up my neck.

“I’ll bring Oscar aside and talk to him.”

Cole was finishing soon. When they stood, I went over to Cole and walked beside him as we moved downstairs.

The waiting room fell into a pin-drop silence at our entrance. All eyes were on us and I tried hard not to read too much into the facial expressions.

At the instant, a woman taller than Saul, with long, red curls and fierce green eyes, appeared before us and took Saul's arm. Slowly, the chatter began to fill the air again.

The woman gave me a threatening stare and spoke in a husky voice, "Saul dear, who is this pretty silvery thing? Not your lover, I hope."

Cole coughed and said, "Helia, this is my wife, Dove Summers."

Helia rounded her eyes in surprise and then relaxed her features. Thrusting a hand out, she apologized and grabbed mine for a firm handshake.

Watching Helia fussing over Saul's stiff collar, I understood Saul's coldness from earlier - it was intentional to avoid confrontations with his wife's jealousy.

Jave appeared and whispered into Cole’s ears. Then, all the men excused themselves and left. Cole stealthily disappeared behind another door with a mean-looking lanky man with tall spiky hair.

Left alone with Helia, I continued smiling and sipping my ale as the other Lunas quickly flocked around me and introduced themselves.

Edgar's wife - a petite woman with a face of unnatural fairness, heavily outlined features and a glossy, red smile - peered at me from behind her exaggerated lashes. "I'm surprised that Cole brought you along,"

Not knowing what to say, I sipped on my drink.

The glossy red lips continued, "I mean, you are a curse to Cole so I thought he'd keep you in the village."

"Narci." Helia sipped her ale and battered her lashes at me. "Aren't we being rude?"

Wesley's wife laughed politely. "Well, Narci was just stating the fact, Helia." With a flick of her lavender curls, her light blue eyes shone at me. "Cole will never put us in danger." She stepped closer and lowered her voice. "Maybe he's cursed."

"Then, you all may want to excuse yourselves and stay away, in case I accidentally curse you." I sipped my drink nonchalantly and smiled at their stunned faces. Take that, I barked silently.

After casting scowls in my direction, they sashayed away.

"A feisty little thing, aren't you?"

I turned to the charming voice and a good-looking man with a sharp nose and side-swept platinum blonde hair grinned back at me with a cautious eye.

Remembering Cole’s description, I figured that this man must be Wesley, the sweet talker.

He tinkled his glass with mine, then put it to his lips and drank from it, keeping his gaze on me. I stood firmly and watched on quietly.

His thin lips stretched into a slick smile. "I apologized on Florin's behalf. Women are jealous creatures."

Slightly put off by his smile, I gave a guarded response. "Why would she be jealous? We've just met."

His voice fell into a low whisper. "Well, you are indeed a rare beauty." His gaze turned unpleasant as it traveled slowly up from my bare knees to my chest.

Watching those leering eyes on me, I was inwardly seething but I maintained a blank look and watched him closely.

He gave a flirtatious smirk and took a taunting step forward. Leaning in with his face next to mine, he purred into my ear, "Your slutty heat must be dying for a man's touch. Cole might be afraid of your curse but I'm not."

My angry hand was ready to smack the daylights out of this lecherous wolf when a colossal warm body came up behind me.

A familiar scent enveloped me and then Cole's voice sounded loud and clear, echoing above the chatters.

"I see you've met my wife, Wesley."

Wesley’s smile froze for an instant. Then, he relaxed and slowly straightened.

"I apologized if my wife had offended Florin," Cole said politely as Wesley retreated from us.

Suddenly, Florin was at Wesley’s side, hugging her husband's arm.

Cole's arm went around my back. His body pressed close to me as Wesley flashed a bright smile and said in an equally polite rhythm, “Not at all, Cole.” He glanced at his wife, who gave him a knowing nod, and then returned to us. “Florin was rude first. Weren’t you, darling?”

Florin apologized and the odd couple hastily moved away.

“Don’t talk to him again,” Cole snapped under his breath. I looked up at him, hoping to get some comfort, but he refused to meet my gaze. Bothered by his hostility, I wanted to explain myself and get him to smile again but he stomped off before I could find the right words.

Swallowing the incoming tears, I stepped towards the dining area alone.