Found you
Luna held her breath and pressed her back against the wall as she heard footsteps outside the door of the room where she was hiding. She guessed it was the sound of the imperial guards running to find her on their Emperor’s orders. She bit her lower lip and glanced out the window, noting the pitch-black sky, indicating it was already late at night.
Won’t that man ever give up until he achieves his goal? Luna asked herself irritably.
She stayed still until the sound of footsteps gradually faded away. When she was sure it was safe, Luna stood up. She returned to the window to check if the two men she remembered as Savon and Mathias had left, but luck was not on her side this time. The two men were still there, looking around cautiously. It seemed one of them had sensed her presence and searched for her using their sharp hearing.
Luna cursed inwardly. Those two were the psychopathic Emperor’s lackeys, and if they spotted her, they would undoubtedly report her whereabouts to Alkrevas. With that thought, Luna returned to her position. She weighed whether to continue hiding in the room or leave her hiding place and find a new one.
But if I stay here, sooner or later, that bastard will find me, she thought anxiously. Luna nervously bit her lower lip and decided to leave.NôvelDrama.Org exclusive content.
She couldn’t just stay put and let him catch her so easily. Finally, Luna removed the objects she had used to barricade the door, then opened it slightly and peeked out. She looked left and right to ensure no servants or imperial guards were around before fully stepping out of the room and running in the opposite direction from where she had come.
Luna ran and stopped when she reached an open area, an ample space resembling an exhibition hall or ballroom. Unlike the palace’s exterior, which showcased grandeur and elegance, this open area focused on highlighting the dignity of the Imperial family with majesty and bravery. The high ceiling was filled with artistic paintings depicting the Empire’s past and legends, with statues and portraits of former emperors proudly displayed on the walls.
In several places, the hall’s walls were adorned with luxurious marble, precious stones, and gold, reflecting the wealth and prosperity of the Vasilos Empire. Beautiful crystal chandeliers hung gracefully. All this was complemented by large windows framed with high-quality wood and draped with the finest fabrics, allowing sunlight to enter freely.
Luna walked to one of the paintings of a former emperor, the ancestor of the psychopathic Emperor. She observed the painting momentarily and frowned at the red eyes depicted. Luna turned in the direction she had come from and started running again as she heard the approaching footsteps of the guards. She ran away from the hall, not knowing where she was headed, but the only thought in her mind was to get as far away from the psychopathic man as possible.
At the same time, Alkrevas stood on his bedroom balcony, his anger growing. Unable to hold back Norris any longer, he finally allowed his wolf spirit to take over partially. His dark brown eyes quickly turned red, and a loud growl escaped his lips.
He took a deep breath and suddenly turned his head to the side, where another balcony from an empty room was located, and that’s when he realized the trail left by Luna, the scent of her body leading to the balcony on the right. A slight smirk appeared on his lips, and he jumped to the opposite balcony with ease.
A mix of admiration and annoyance filled him because of his soulmate’s reckless and daring actions. She was just a fragile mortal. If she had done something this extreme and fallen from such a height… Alkrevas couldn’t imagine the possibility. He could only thank the Moon Goddess for protecting his soulmate from harm.
Alkrevas stepped into the room and headed straight for the exit. He could easily follow his soulmate’s trail with his sharp sense of smell.
“Does she think she can escape me so easily?” Alkrevas smiled sinisterly, eager to hold his soulmate again.
…
I can’t waste any more time, Luna thought as she approached a large door. She looked left and right before opening the door. Her steps halted, and her eyes widened.
“Oops?” Luna whispered as she accidentally entered the palace kitchen area. Many kitchen staff and servants were still bustling around, seemingly unaware of the current situation, as they ignored her presence and continued with their tasks.
Luna nervously rubbed her neck when one of the servants looked at her with a frown, and before the servant could comment, Luna quickly closed the door and walked to her right. Unlike before, when she had to run to avoid the imperial guards and servants, she chose to walk this time. Not because she wasn’t afraid of getting caught but because her feet were tired and starting to blister from not wearing shoes.
Luna stopped for a moment. She bent over, leaning against the palace wall. Her breathing was ragged, and sweat dripped from her temples and back. She closed her eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath, and when she opened them again, her gaze fell on the torch used for lighting at the end of the corridor.
Why is there a torch there instead of the usual lighting? Luna wanted to investigate but felt too exhausted to walk any further, especially after her daring stunt of jumping from balcony to balcony and descending with a bed sheet. Tonight had been more action-packed than her entire twenty-plus years of life. It was a miracle she hadn’t fallen and broken any bones due to her reckless actions.
“At least I can hide here, and that psychopathic Emperor won’t find me,” Luna said to herself with relief.
“Psychopathic emperor?” Luna’s body tensed upon hearing the deep, baritone voice she knew so well. A voice filled with freezing coldness and anger made her heart pound fiercely. Her body flinched as her shoulder was gently squeezed. Slowly, Luna turned around. Her breath caught when her brown eyes met terrifying red ones.
“Y-Y-Your… M-Majesty…” Luna stammered nervously. She was so shocked that the psychopathic Emperor had found her so quickly.
How could this happen? I made sure to run in circles, to hide. Whatever it took. How did he find me so quickly? I’ve only been standing here for less than five minutes! Luna felt a surge of anxiety.
Damn! she cursed inwardly, and to make matters worse, he heard her just now! What would happen to her now? Luna bit the inside of her cheek and tried to step back, but Alkrevas’s grip on her shoulder prevented her from moving.
“I didn’t know you had such a unique nickname for me. Psychopathic Emperor…” Alkrevas murmured as he stepped closer, reducing the distance between them until it disappeared completely.
“If you weren’t my soulmate, I would have already cut out your tongue for mocking me,” Alkrevas murmured with a sharp, deadly tone. Luna winced as his grip on her shoulder tightened.
“And how dare you run away, making me search the entire palace for you.” Alkrevas then lowered his gaze, examining Luna’s body, which was only covered by his oversized shirt.
“And on top of that, you’re wandering around the palace in that attire. Showing off what’s mine to everyone’s eyes?” Luna swallowed hard and gave an awkward smile.
“I wasn’t running away! Yes! I was… umm… I was looking for you… Yes! That’s right! I’ve been waiting too long!” Alkrevas raised an eyebrow, clearly seeing through Luna’s lie, and her formal tone amused him even more.
Alkrevas’s ears twitched as he heard the sound of running footsteps approaching their location. He pulled Luna close, holding her tightly, ensuring his body blocked her from anyone else’s view.
Alkrevas leaned down and whispered something in Luna’s ear that made her face turn pale before pressing her face against his broad chest.
Sure enough, moments later, his Royal Beta-Savon, Zyne, and several palace guards appeared and stopped a few meters behind him.
“Alpha!”
“Your Majesty!”
Savon and Zyne spoke worriedly at the same time. Alkrevas looked down at his tiny soulmate’s body, which fit him perfectly like puzzle pieces. One arm encircled her tightly while the other hand gently stroked her soft, long brown hair. Alkrevas smiled smugly, feeling her body tremble before gazing at his subordinates.
“Prepare the nearest bedroom for me and my soulmate. We’re both too tired to return to my quarters.”
“Yes, Your Majesty,” Zyne replied promptly, carrying out the order without question. He turned and walked away, leaving Savon with several guards and the Emperor, holding the mortal woman claimed to be his soulmate. Savon glanced briefly, but due to Alkrevas’s large frame, he couldn’t see the mortal woman’s face.
“Alpha, I just heard-”
“I’m not here to listen to your chatter, Savon.” Alkrevas interrupted coldly, accompanied by an irritated growl.
Savon bowed, pressing a fist to his chest. He stared at the stone floor coldly before murmuring, “Forgive me, Alpha.”
“Go.” Savon obeyed and signalled the guards to leave. Once alone with Luna again, Alkrevas chuckled softly.
“Do you regret your decision, Little mate?” he whispered before nuzzling into her neck, inhaling her natural scent that grew stronger from her body. Luna could only grit her teeth.
…