DUSK'S POV
I looked at Lucius, reluctant to go with him to Dumaine. He had said it was going to last two weeks; was I going to spend two weeks with Lucius, being the only one I could talk to?
As I thought it over, a thought came to mind. I needed a break from the Palace, from the people in it, from the events that had happened in it. Two weeks with Lucius wouldn't hurt, and since he was probably going to be very busy, I could give it a chance.
"Two weeks? Is there anything special I'd have to do?" I asked, and he seemed surprised.
"Not at all. The only thing you need is to go as my Luna," I said, and she gave a little sigh.
"I guess I could do with a little break from the Palace. I'll go with you," I said, and he smiled brightly.
"Pack up your things; we'll make the journey tomorrow," he said, and although I was shocked at how soon it was, I decided not to say a word.
I told Seline about the journey immediately, and although she was reluctant about me leaving for such a long period of time, she was happy because I was going to be with Lucius.
~
The next morning, I made sure I packed all the things I'd need to make me feel at home before going down to the large entrance hall. The guards there took my luggage and directed me to where the carriage was waiting. I waited a bit for Lucius before he came out.
"I've been waiting," he said, and I was confused.
"I've been waiting for you here," I said, and he held out his hand.
"We should eat something before leaving. I've been waiting for you at the dining hall," he said, and I got down carefully from the carriage. We walked back into the Palace and had our breakfast.
~
It was afternoon, and we were still on the road when all of a sudden, Lucius exclaimed, "What's wrong?" I asked him, and he looked at me.
"I forgot to give orders to my guards to continue the search for Athena," he said, and I turned to him.
"I know you want justice for the men. I do too. But I think it's time you let go of Athena. The men are already stressed out as it is, and all they want to do is mourn for their loved ones, not search Kingdom after Kingdom for a vampire that could be anywhere in the world right now," I said, and he scoffed.
"So, they're just going to die? No one's going to do anything about it?" He asked, and I shook my head.
"There's nothing you can do about it. They're gone. You can't bring them back. You're only causing more harm to these men by not letting them go. I'm sure if they were still alive, they'd understand you. Athena has gone far. What you really need to do now is to leave these men to mourn," I said, and it seemed like he was thinking about it.
"It just seems unfair to me," he said in a tiny voice, and I took his hand.
"It's an unfair world," I said, and he looked at me for a while before putting his arms around my waist and his head on my shoulder. It felt like I couldn't move anymore because I hadn't expected it.
"There's just a lot on my head, Dusk," he said, and that was all he said. I stayed there for a long while before realizing he had fallen asleep.
I didn't like how it made me feel. Staying there with him so close to me reminded me of the last time we made love. It had actually been better. At that point, it seemed like each time we made love was better than the last, and it was puzzling to me.
It was late at night when we got to Dumaine, but the whole place was still lit up.
"Oh welcome, Lucius, once more, I'm sorry for the loss. Is this your Luna?" The man who seemed to be the Alpha said.
"Yes, she is," Lucius said, holding my hand.
"Ah, I just asked because I didn't see her by your side during the funeral," he said and turned to me. "I am Alpha Roland, and it is a pleasure to meet you," he said with a smile, and I curtsied.
"I am Dusk, and it's a pleasure to meet you too."
We went to the breakfast hall, where he introduced us to his beautiful wife, Martha. After eating, I asked for a separate room, and they gave it to me.
"She loves her privacy," Lucius said, and Alpha Roland and the other Alphas that had been introduced to us laughed.
I got my room and slept while reading a book I had brought from the castle.
~
The next morning, some other Alphas and their Lunas had arrived, and Alpha Roland spoke to them.
"So this invitation is for a two-week program. We have two days to get familiar with my Palace, three days for the parties, two more days for relaxation after the heat of the parties, and a full week to discuss how to make our armies stronger, how to make our alliance work. Are you ready for this?" He asked, and everyone cheered and clapped.
After the brief introduction, I wandered around the Palace since it was to get to know the Palace better.
I walked for a while but stopped when I saw a door that had a large painting of a tree, and the tree seemed to be glowing. Not only that, the door was half-open and it seemed to be calling me.
I walked to it and pushed it open gingerly.
I saw a reading table behind which were rows and rows of books arranged on neat shelves.
The place was the ideal place for me. I could sit there all day and read away. As I took a step further into the room, the door closed with a bang, and I turned back but dismissed it, thinking I had accidentally closed it.
However, before I could take another step, I felt a slight cut, and my eyes widened in shock as I realized a sword with a shiny blade had been positioned at my neck.