Their forced luna novel Chapter 52
Aren casually curled his arm around my shoulders. "Alessa, I'm pleased you've become friends with Cee." He looked over my head. "Cee, get to the dining room and prepare everything. We will catch up to you."
The demon woman nodded and fell into a graceful curtsy before scurrying down the hall and leaving me with my new tormentor.
"Amanda," I replied softly. I was willing to put up with this, but I refused to lose my name. No matter how many times he called me that name, it wasn't mine and I wasn't answering to it.
"You are a stubborn little pup," he scolded, clucking his tongue at me. "No matter. I know how to punish those that disobey me no matter what they are. I suggest you start listening to me now or your stay here might be quite unpleasant. I'll be willing to overlook your offenses for now, but you'll learn my good will only stretches so far." He leaned close and the tip of his nose grazed my neck. "You'll be wearing my mark soon, and once you do, there will be nothing from you but complete and total obedience."
"Aren?" I said the name while resisting the urge to shudder at it. From everything I'd learned, I hated this creature with every breath in my body. He glanced over at me and raised a golden brow. "Please, let me keep my name."
He chuckled. "If i did that how would it be fair to your sisters? All of them had to shed the people they were before they entered these doors. You've been reborn here, Alessa. You are no longer Amanda the mate of a Prime. You are Alessa, the mate of Aren the one and only warrior for the Moon Goddess."
"How did you come to be that?" I faked enthusiasm, leaning toward him. My body pressed closer to his and a small triumphant smirk played across his lips.
"She chose me. Out of everyone on this planet, she reached her hand out and plucked me from my poor poverty-ridden beginnings. She shaped me into the ultimate warrior for her. She's sent me mentors and those that have been able to hone all the blessings she's showered me with. In return, she's granted me the ultimate gift, all the Lunas that I could ever want."
I forced myself to look up into his eyes and smile at him as I pressed my chest against his arm, causing us to come to a standstill in the hallway. "But why do you need so many? Wouldn't just one great one be worth it?" I gave him a shy smile. "I'm sure there's a lot of things I could do that no others could."
He chuckled. "I've never met a Luna that was able to keep my interest for longer than a single night in succession. If you change that, who knows, maybe I'll raise you above the others, Alessa. But that won't be happening anytime soon. Come on, the others are waiting and I haven't let them touch the meal until we get there."
Why was I not surprised about that? I had hoped he would have fallen for my charms, or at least been interested in me. I needed to finish my mission and get out of there.
We continued our wall down the hall but he paused at the threshold of the dining room and put a hand across the doorway, stopping me. "Don't think I don't know what you're up to, Prime. You won't be the first to try to organize a coup against me, but no one has ever succeeded and no one ever will. I see how you're acting now, though when I first brought you here you screamed and tried to run. You think you can pretend to be obedient and I'll let my guard down."
Shit. "No, why would you think that?"
Aren chuckled. "Well then, Alessa. Tell me. Why did you have the sudden change?"
He was onto me. I had to think of something that would be believable, or that he might fall for without solid proof. "The Moon Goddess told me too," I answered.
"The Goddess told you to give in to me?" He smiled. "I should have known that was the answer. She's done much the same for my dear Cee. Even though that sister of yours is a demon, the Moon Goddess still chose to speak to her and tell her that she belonged to me. Just like you do."
"Alessa," Cee greeted with a small smile. She was already sitting at the table, at the head position from the look of things and another chair waiting by her side. I could guess who belonged there.
"Sister Cee," I replied back with a respectful little bow.
Aren chuckled and guided me into the room with a heavy hand on my lower back. I took a seat next to Cee's side. I needed to think of something else. There was no way this Moon Goddess thing would last. She would tell him the truth, unless I could get to her and beg for her help.
Aren shook his head. "No, by me, Alessa." He snapped his fingers like I was a pet and biting my inner cheek I obeyed. He leaned toward me, his lips grazing my earlobe. "Even if you are trying to betray me, there's no chance you'll get away with it. You are mine now and no one will ever be able to take you away from me."
I didn't answer to his comments and stared straight ahead. Around the table was at least twelve other women, but they weren't finished coming in. Lines of women dressed in various revealing clothing hiding their baby bumps entered through two doors on either side of the room and took their seats at long benches farther away from the chair portion of the table.
Aren chuckled again. "See, Alessa?" he whispered. "My army is right here beneath my roof and any of those women would be willing to give their life for me. No matter what you try, you'll never leave this place until I'm done with you."
Comments
The readers' comments on the novel: Their forced luna