Happy New Year, lovelies! Thank you for a wonderful 2024! Thank you for all the gems, comments, reviews, and gifts! ❤
KAEL.Even if I was playing poker, I made sure my eyes would roam around this vast hall, so it caught me by surprise when I found myself staring at Draco as he headed for our table. I didn’t see him or his Beta before this.And it was too late to leave. I eased back on my seat, wanting to be able to grab Adessa if worse came to worse. But the good thing was, I was sure Draco could not bring any of his men inside this palace except for his Beta. The main entrance to this whole I just needed to be wary of his actions so that he could not alert anyone of Adessa being here. “I didn’t expect to see you here, Alpha Kael.” He began as I claimed the chips that I had won just before he sat down. “Same here,” I answered curtly.“It seems you’re eager to replace your ex-wife.” I scoffed and did not say anything. I was sure I looked composed compared to how tangled my mind was. What the fuck was he playing? Did he not recognize Adessa? Adessa and Landon confirmed Draco personally met Adessa
ADESSA.“Alpha King Essak,” Kael spoke in a voice full of confidence, and the hair on my skin rose. Did the Alpha King arrive? I was torn between turning around and keeping my eyes on Alpha Draco. I didn’t trust him, not a bit. And with Kael looking in a different direction from him, someone needed to keep an eye on him.But not turning around means disrespecting the Alpha King.So I did, slowly, so as not to make a scene. The Alpha King had his back slightly to me. “Alpha Kael, is that you?” King Essak’s deep and loud voice came, and the music lowered until I could barely hear it anymore.“I feel honored that you still remember me.” Kael bowed his head in respect. “A pleasure to see you tonight, Alpha King. If I may, I would like to address this matter directly. I want to request an audience with…”Kael was not able to finish his word when another man, who must be one of the King’s Guards, spoke and interrupted him. “Excuse me, Alpha. All requests for the King’s time should go to h
ADESSA."Do you have a red mark on your back?" King Essak asked the moment he stopped in front of me. He asked in a low voice as if he didn't want anyone to hear.I saw many guards approaching and dispersing the crowd around us until it was just Kael and me with the Alpha King. I didn't see Alpha Draco anymore. "Do you have a red mark on your back?" The King repeated his question, snapping me back to the present. Then, a surge of strong current rippled through my body, and I knew he had used his King's command. I made the mistake of looking back into his eyes. I thought he would never use it on me. Only the Alpha King had this power, and from what I heard, he had never even used this to get any criminals to admit their crimes. He would leave judgment to his Court. But I had no idea why he was using this on such a trivial matter. Why was he asking me too many questions?"I do…" I answered in almost a whisper as I dropped my gaze to the floor.I had no choice; lying could cause me to
ADESSA.“Will you tell the truth for all my questions, or do I have to use my command on you again?” He began.“I will not lie, my King,” I responded. “Good.” He then motioned with his hand, directing me to the couches. “Take your seat. Is it Savannah or Adessa?”With my head down, I headed for the nearby single couch and sat there. I tilted my head and found him looking at me, still standing where he was earlier. “Adessa. My name is Adessa Quijeros.” I replied, doing my best for my voice not to crack. “I killed two people from the Knight’s Stone Pack, but if you would let me explain…”He raised his hand, and it made me stop talking.“Enough.” That was all he said, and cold sweat formed everywhere on my body. He turned around and walked toward the table where a vintage telephone sat. Is he going to call someone to arrest me?I stood up abruptly. “My King!” This time, I couldn’t stop my voice from trembling. He placed a finger on his lips after he pressed a number, and I held my bre
ADESSA.“I’ve been looking for you for twenty years,” the King said, and it kept resonating in my ears.I looked at him, and slowly, the words came out of my lips. “Looking for me? For twenty years? I’m not sure I understand.”“Your mother’s name is Adelaine.”It was the woman’s name he mentioned earlier when he first saw me. “She was taller, but you look just like her. And even with that mask on, I could tell.”“My King, you must be mistaken.” I forced a smile despite the loud beating of my heart and the sweat on my palms. “This is not my real hair. And they put too thick makeup on me. What you see…”“I know what I felt.”I swallowed hard as my stomach churned. King Essak turned away and headed for the window. He looked outside while I remained silent, waiting for him to continue.“A King’s senses are heightened. My sense of hearing, reflexes, taste, everything. And I could feel a bond. I felt it for every one of my children that came into this world. I knew someone was born twenty y
KAEL. It had been hours since she was taken, and I had no idea where she was. King Essak returned to the ballroom and stayed for ten minutes, but I was not able to get to him. Unlike earlier, he was fully guarded this time. No matter how I tried to ask politely and professionally, I was not allowed to talk to him. And regardless of whether I positioned myself within his peripherals, the King would always avert his gaze away from me. Something was off. It was taking too much of me not to snap and create chaos. I was worried, but I knew that if I let out an outburst, I would be in a bad position. The last thing I wanted was to give them a reason to throw me out of the perimeter of the Absalom Palace. After the event, there was an after-party. I also went there, hoping to find Kevin or meet someone who could tell me anything about Adessa, but I was not successful. I then proceeded to Mindorf Manor, which served as the hotel for guests. Everyone invited to the Moonlight Ball had auto
Author's Note: This is officially part 2 of Adessa and Kael's story. The title will change to THE ROYAL LUNA from this chapter forward. ✨✨✨ADESSA.After they swabbed something inside my mouth, I was allowed to leave the room. The woman that came with the two men was named Danielle, and she was to be my handmaid. I was still trying to get a grip on what was happening. A part of me wanted to wish the Alpha King was wrong with his assumption that I was his missing daughter and that I was a princess so I could be free to look for Kael again, but making that wish reality could only mean more trouble for me. If I were not his daughter, he would surely have ordered me to go to prison. Either way, I was at the losing end. But maybe, if I were his daughter, not allowing me to see Kael would just be temporary. If I could explain to him our history, he would surely understand. I kept my hopes and head high as I followed Danielle along the long corridor until I realized we were heading for
ADESSA.“But I think you are the missing royalty,” Danielle added.“Why?”“This mark on your back. It looks exactly like the one that…” She paused, and when I tilted my head to look at her, her eyes widened, and her face turned red.“Like the one that? Like the one that someone has?” My brows furrowed. The King told me in passing that the birth marks on the backs of the royalties were not public knowledge. But maybe workers in the palace knew this thing. “Never mind.” She replied. “We should rinse off your body.”“Have you seen a mark like this?” I asked as I stood up, pointing to the red mark on my hip bone. She swallowed, and her face was turning more red. I already assumed many things. “From my father?” I teased her, and she immediately shook her head. “No. Of course not.” “So… from one of my brothers?” I leaned closer, enjoying the blush on her face. Despite the discomfort on her face, I could say this was the only thing that felt natural in my fairytale life at the moment.
KAEL.I moved on to the green drink—the one for Adessa. Like the first two, I just let my hands move on their own while praying to Selene that I would not lose my concentration and momentum. I didn’t care anymore if someone was watching me. I hoped the first two drinks would be enough to confuse them if I actually knew what Adessa’s favorite drink was. Gratefully, my hands kept moving as if they knew what they were doing. My mind was telling me different measurements, but it seemed my hands knew and had their own calculations on how I should prepare and handle this drink. Also, I initially thought I would use a martini glass for it, but I subconsciously picked up the coupe one. I strained the mixed drink from the shaker and poured it into the glass. There were three cocktail drinks in front of me, and Landon was beaming as if we had already won. I was leaning on the counter, my fingers tapping on the marbled top, as I stared at what I had prepared before my eyes caught sight of a
KAEL.“A simple game of chance…” I murmured, repeating the words of the host.I listened as the task was given, and even after we were asked to begin, I remained in my place, staring at the counter in front of me. The challenge was to fix a cocktail drink for the princess, and whoever owned the drink she chose would get a chance to have breakfast with her. Simple as fuck, right? Well, it wasn’t. Because I had no fucking idea which drinks she liked. “How the fuck will we win this when her ex-husband is here? He obviously knows what she wants!” Alpha Randolf blurted it out, and I could hear the others agreeing. “Instead of complaining about something you cannot change, why don’t you move forward and do the task given and give it your best shot?” Prince Vaidas spoke with a calm demeanor before he walked over to the main bar, followed by his second in command.“At least there’s one person in here who still has the right frame of mind,” Landon said in a hushed tone.I had no idea if I
KAEL. I thought Adessa’s brothers would corner me, but it didn’t happen. In fact, I was ignored the whole time. Their attention was drawn to Prince Vaidas, so I could already tell they wanted him for her.But I didn’t give a fuck, because that whole time they were rubbing elbows with him, Adessa’s attention was only on me. I couldn’t count the number of times we smiled at each other and shared a toast of our drinks despite the distance. I felt like a teenager flirting with a girl behind her parent’s back. I knew my reality was more serious and too far from the simple life I was imagining. But instead of sulking, I reveled on this night, taking one step at a time and creating memories with her since I still couldn’t remember if we ever had moments of flirting like this. “Landon,” I called his attention as he was talking with some women. Yes, aside from the unlimited drinks and the loud music, there were also women who came and started taking our attention. I didn’t entertain anyone
ADESSA.After dinner, I was given time to rest before I was informed there was a cocktail party in one of the pavilions—a welcome celebration for the participants of the Royal Games and I would be attending. While they were dressing me up, I voiced some complaints about the lack of advance notice. Of course, I was excited. Anything that would let me see and talk to Kael was always something I looked forward to. So I was glad this was a cocktail party setting and not some formal dinner or such.I was presented with many dresses, and I finally chose the color red. This was the first time I would be wearing one as I always thought this color was too bold, and I always felt unworthy to wear it. But not anymore.Aside from wanting to look good in front of my husband, I want the others to see me as a strong female, and if they think they could use me for the title I hold, then they need to think twice. I was so excited for tonight, but then someone came to my room and briefed me on the eve
ADESSA.I never wanted to stop talking about my mother because I had so many questions, but I didn’t have a choice. The King refused to answer more questions. He said he was tired and we could talk about her some other time, but he made me swear not to repeat our conversation with anyone. During dinner, I tried to sway Esegar and Esaias, my two youngest brothers, who were seated on my sides, if they had an idea of what the task might be. They didn’t want to say anything, but in the end, Esaias told me there was a part where there would be a duel, and the loser’s head would be cut off in the end. He also added that even if the challenge was not a duel, there was still a chance of a head being cut off for every stage.My mouth hung open, and I felt my face burn as I listened to him. A part of me wanted to believe it was a joke, but he looked so serious when he said that, and he talked in a loud voice so everyone at the table heard him. I was dumbfounded as tears pooled in my eyes.
ADESSA.“And you did nothing to help her?” My voice was accusatory.The King’s eyes remained closed with his head leaning back against his seat. If I hadn’t seen his hand coiled into a tight fist, I would have thought he drifted off to sleep because he hadn’t replied for a long time. “So that was it. She got pregnant, and she had to solve that on her own.” I said in a bitter tone. “She was just as hard-headed as you are. She told me she didn’t need me, and before I could discuss things with her, she was gone.”“Please tell me you looked for her.”“My hands were tied…”“You are the King of this Kingdom! Your word is everyone’s command, and you got terrified?” Ironic that I was pointing out how powerful and respected he was, and yet I was raising my voice at him. “The other Guardians asked me if we had an affair. I denied it. I denied I was the father of her child.”My hand clamped over my mouth as I shook my head.“I thought I was protecting her. No one could command me to tell the t
ADESSA.My feet felt like they were gliding in the air as we walked out of the arena and were ushered into a coach that would drive us back to the palace. My brothers were in different cars, and I was the only one sharing this vehicle with the King. Despite my father’s dark expression, I couldn’t help but smile.“If you think I will allow Kael to finish the game…” he began. “Of course you will, Father!” I exclaimed sweetly, not letting my anger for him surface. I had to play smart if I wanted to make sure Kael stayed in the game. I slightly turned to face him, both hands clamped over his forearm. His gaze lingered on my hands before he tilted his head to meet my eyes. “He earned the right to be included, like all the other eleven dashing men out there. And if, in the end, he wins, then it means he is the rightful husband for your only daughter.” He scoffed before turning his gaze back to the front while my hands remained holding him. “A King will never resort to cheating and will
KAEL. “Kingdom of Absalom, welcome! Let the Royal Games begin!” The King’s voice roared around the arena, and the crowd applauded while goosebumps rose from my skin. This was it. There was no turning back.Never did I imagine I would be part of something I only read about while I was studying at the Alpha University. The other Alphas and I used to joke about this game. We wondered what the men had faced in the challenges and if they made it out alive. No one knew. As to what we’ve learned, they were not allowed to discuss it outside after the game was over.So, we joked about dragons and orcs and laughed about how we would decapitate their heads if we were there.But they didn’t look funny anymore. This was real life, and I had no idea what awaited me inside.All I knew was that we were asked to sign a non-disclosure agreement stating that none of the things that would transpire inside should be made public and a waiver that we entered of our own accord, knowing the possibilities of
ADESSA.“His second in command, Beta Landon Crawford of the IronCrest Pack.” The speaker continued, and I was left stunned.I was not able to stop my eyes from growing bigger this time, and Kael had seen that. A smirk tugged on his mouth as he stopped on the spot where he was to wait for his Beta. As soon as Landon was just a few feet from him, he began walking again while I was still trying to make sense of everything. Did Kael realize Dexter hated me? That taking him meant he would jeopardize him from winning? How was he able to fix everything in just a few days? Did he fly home to fix this and fly back here? How did he complete the registration for the games if he had been traveling? But how was he able to make Landon his Beta if he wasn’t home?There were too many questions in my head, and I knew I would never get an answer. But it certainly didn’t matter anymore. He was here, and Landon was acknowledged as his Beta. If there was anyone I could trust besides Kael, it was this m