The Last Vessel (The Chronicles of Luna Moon Book 1)

by Winter Rose

  Nobody in the room moved, but I did feel each of their powers awaken. Vulcan pressed his nose against the crook of my neck and inhaled deeply. Several shouts of protests sounded before Magnar raised his hand to stop anyone from moving.

  Vulcan walked around me, as though he was assessing me for wounds. The entire inspection, I could not take my eyes away from the fire in his own. He towered over me, forcing me to strain my neck to keep my eyes on him. He then shocked me by pulling me into his arms and against his chest. My spine stiffened, everyone in the room was on a knife’s edge.

  He smelled of fire and heat, and if I wasn’t busy fearing for my life, I would have reveled at being so close to him.

  “Mine,” he growled as his breath heaved out of him. “Nobody touches her.” My argument came out as a strangled jumble of words; Vulcan used this as an indication my back needed stroking.

  “Brother, you know nobody can promise you that,” Magnar said hesitantly, which didn’t give me much confidence. My chest vibrated as Vulcan’s beast growled once more. “Brother, stop! You know our vows, none of us will hurt Luna.”

  “Mine,” he ground out once more. I had enough.

  I pushed against his chest, when he did not move, I pushed some more.

  “Let me go, you big lizard!” I shouted, and to my surprise, he did. Though he didn’t move too far, he did release me. His eyes flickered. “I am nobody’s.” They turned to fire once more.

  “Mine,” he ground out. His energy wrapped around me like a lover, caressing my very soul. I melted into him—wait. I took a large step back, almost crashing into the table.

  “I am not anyone’s, Vulcan.” He didn’t move.

  “I am also capable of fending arseholes like Ehre off. I’ve been doing it my entire life!” He growled once more. “Stop it!” I shouted. “We have to rescue Balhar, and we will not work out where he is by fighting.”

  “Sure, that’s what’s stopping us,” Ehre muttered under his breath. Naturally, Vulcan growled once more.

  “You’re not fucking helping,” Eros hissed, and I was pulled into Vulcan’s arms once again.

  This sometimes happened with the Wolves back at The Estate, when their animals battled for dominance. It usually happened when they experienced strong emotions, or when themselves or their family were threatened. Their wolves also came out when they claimed their mate. A shifter’s animal is always battling for dominance, and when the shifter is particularly emotional, they usually win. Some shifters have never come back from their animal state.

  My instinct was to fight him, but I knew this wasn’t his fault, so I attempted something I saw mates do back at The Estate. I stepped back,

  “Please let Vulcan come back to me.” I stroked Vulcan’s forearm; his tattoo danced below my hand. Those fiery eyes looked down on me, Vulcan’s breath heaved, indicating he was having trouble taming his Dragon. “Please let Vulcan come back out; I need him.” He closed his eyes and steadied his breathing. I continued to whisper pleas for Vulcan, the man, to be let back out.

  At some point, I had ended up in his arms again. Once he opened his eyes, I could have cried with relief.

  “Luna.” Vulcan looked down on me, his black eyes swimming with pain. “Forgive me.”

  He took a shaky step back and looked over to Ehre, who nodded. His sorrowful gaze then returned to me before he practically bolted from the room.

  The last look that he gave me was one of regret.

  Chapter Eighteen

  “How the hell did she do that?” Eros laughed at the closed door. “In all our years, I have never seen anyone tame his Dragon.” They all looked at me incredulously; I placed my hand over my hammering heart.

  Ehre sat back at the table and continued to eat, and offered,

  “It’s obvious what has happened, his beast has already claimed her as his mate. Dragons revere their mates above all other. She tells him she needs Vulcan, he gives her Vulcan; fuck, if she told him she wanted all of our heads on a platter, his beast would do it without a second thought.”

  The room fell silent, and the blood drained from my face.

  “His … but I can’t … I mean, he doesn’t even know me.” I could feel myself going into shock.

  “His beast doesn’t care about such mortal things like getting to know a person’s likes and dislikes. They form bonds with energy, the person’s soul.” What Ehre had said so casually had shaken me to the core. I placed my hand on the back of a chair to stable my legs.

  “Where did he go?” I asked.

  Taking my elbow, Eros led me to sit back down while Magnar explained, “Vulcan is an extremely proud man. His Dragon is one of the most powerful beasts alive. With any other man, his beast would have taken dominance, but Vulcan manages to keep it at bay. The way that he has just acted, would have upset him deeply.” My heart ached for him.

  “But it wasn’t his fault,” I replied to Magnar.

  “Aye, but he is not the type to forgive himself. He will be back, but you must be delicate with him little thief. You denied his mating … his beast won’t be happy,” Magnar almost ended on a whisper.

  “I didn’t …” I protested.

  “You as good as did. When a Dragon mates, it is for life. There will be no other, you refused his beast and now Vulcan the man must battle to keep it under control. His beast will fight for you until his dying breath. It’s safer for all if he remains away until he has managed to do so.”

  I could have been sick.

  “Do not fret, Luna,” Magnar continued. “He will need to lick his wounds, but Vulcan will be back soon.”

  Eros took up the seat next to me.

  “Don’t try to make sense of it all. Instinct and animal desires dictate Vulcan’s Dragon, but the man is extremely honorable. Nobody here will ever make you do something you’re not ready to. We have nothing but time. For now, we need to just concentrate on Balhar and freeing him.”

  I nodded, thankful for the conversations change in direction.

  “What can I do?” I asked, “I’ll try anything.” The rest of the men sat, and the tension in the room lessened considerably. Ehre was still throwing me dirty looks, but nothing was new there.

  “Luna, how many visions have you had?” Magnar got straight to business.

  “Before yesterday? None.” I thought back to when I was younger at The Estate. “Sometimes I could tell when bad things were about to happen to me.”

  “Care to explain?” the arsehole asked.

  “I used to dream of conversations that people would have about me. The Estate wasn’t kind to a mutt who could best most of them in the ring.”

  “You’re not a mutt,” Eros almost growled.

  “It doesn’t matter. I was an outsider and a girl; I was also capable of beating most of their trainers.”

  “Not hard,” Ehre spat. “The pack is only as strong as their Alpha, and Kingsley is a worm.”

  “Agreed. When I was fourteen, I had a dream that his son and some of the other guys from our training were plotting to attack me.” Eros gripped onto the side of the table so hard you could see the white of his knuckles. “Luke, my friend, was there. He defended me, told them all he wouldn’t stand by, and allow me to be attacked. He told them that there was no honor in their plans.”

  “Sounds like a smart man,” Magnar chimed in.

  I nodded and continued,

  “They attacked him and left him to drown in his own blood.” I looked out toward the window, lost in a forgotten memory. “The next day in combat they were all there, including Luke. He was covered in bruises.”

  “Wolves heal quickly, for him to bear bruises the next day he must have been badly injured. What happened then?” Magnar smirked as though he already knew the answer.

  “I took it upon myself to challenge each and every one of them that day. They were all far too wounded to attempt their plot.” I smiled as I recalled the sound of James’ nose crunching under my fist. “Luke never spoke of what happened, and neithe
r did I. I convinced myself that it was all a coincidence.”

  “She needs to be trained by an Oracle. If she can call visions at will, she will be able to find where he is,” Ehre insisted.

  “Once an Oracle comes into contact with a person, they are able to find out all there is to know about them. No, it’s too dangerous.” Magnar replied to Ehre.

  “So, you will be leaving our brother to rot for eternity then Eros?” Ehre snarled.

  A knock sounded at the door, followed by a large man dressed in battle armor.

  “More arrivals, Sire,” the red-haired man with a thick accent bowed toward Magnar.

  “I will be out shortly, Douglas.” Magnar waited until Douglas nodded and exited the room.

  “I need to greet the new Recruits; we have two days until the castle is brimming with them. Tonight, we need to devise a plan. Until then, I will leave you in the hands of my brothers. Eros, see to it she is shown the east wing.” The king gave me one last dazzling smile before turning on his heel and retreating from the room.

  “What is in the east wing?” I asked Eros whose eyes twinkled with mischief.

  “The training grounds; would you care to view them with me?” Eros answered.

  I almost wriggled with pleasure at the thought of blowing off some steam.

  “I would love to.” I stood up straight away, making Eros chuckle at my eagerness.

  “I believe that Miss Moon has already got a date, brother,” Ehre’s smug voice gave me a sense of dread in the pit of my stomach.

  “With whom?” Eros replied; his expression guarded.

  “I will allow you both an hour; then you will meet me at the armory. Miss Moon has a date with pain,” Ehre smirked.

  Shit.

  Chapter Nineteen

  At the front of the castle, everything is pruned and perfect. Exactly how you would imagine the home of a great king should look. As we neared the east wing, the immaculate gardens began to taper off, replaced by rugged beauty that the highlands are famed for.

  In the highlands, a permanent cloud of mist hangs in the air, never allowing your clothes to dry. The cold seeps into your bones, forcing you to forget what heat felt like. Everything was green, from the rolling hills to the climbing vines that attempted to choke the ancient stone walls. From this side, the mountain looked as though it were a giant, attempting to swallow the castle whole.

  “How are you feeling after last night, Luna?” This was the first thing Eros had said to me since we had begun our walk. I had often felt his turquoise eyes burning into my side, but I didn’t have the courage to face him. Not after what I did.

  “I am well. Thank you, Eros … for saving me. I’m … sorry about how things turned out.” I dropped my gaze to the grass, beads of dew ran across the toes of my leather boots, making the brown appear almost black. I felt Eros’ hand on my shoulder, forcing us both to ground to a halt. I still couldn’t bring myself to look at him.

  “Luna, please, do not turn your face from me.” Treating me as if I was made of glass, his fingers lightly lifted my chin. “Please,” he begged when my eyes still refused to level with his own. I filled my lungs with the crisp air and leveled my gaze. Two endless pools of turquoise held me captive; they beckoned for me to dive into their bottomless depths.

  “Luna,” he crooned my name as though it were a love song or a devout prayer. “Do not be ashamed.” I had never been more thankful for the cold that stung my cheeks. “Was yesterday your first feeding?” His face softened when I did not reply, his fingers moved from my chin and grazed my cheek before returning to his side. “We thought as much … Yesterday you were clinging to life; feedings are not usually as … intense.” He cleared his throat, and my skin flamed.

  “You must no longer deny your Ouisa, Luna; I cannot imagine how painful it must be.” I held onto my throat. Since I fed on Eros’ blood, it was as like shards of glass had scraped it raw. “Not a supe alive could live as long as you have without theirs. Blood is not my Ouisa as it is Magnar’s, but since we bonded, my brothers and I still need it to survive.”

  “Since yesterday, I feel as though something has awoken within me. I feel as though I am starving,” I whispered, unable to meet his gaze once more.

  Eros took another step toward me. “Luna, the wine was laced with blood at breakfast. We thought that would be the most palatable way to ease you into feeding. We know how difficult this must be for you.” I looked up, shocked.

  “How do you normally drink it?” I asked, almost terrified of the answer.

  “I’m a straight up man myself,” he chuckled. “Don’t look so scared; we have donation schedules here at the castle. Sometimes we drink in a chalice, other times from the source. Sometimes we drink one another’s. The point is, here, it is extremely normal.”

  “It’s just … does it always feel so …”

  “Euphoric?” he asked. I swallowed, nodding. “Not usually, but then I have never fed someone for the first time in twenty years. It will get easier, I promise.” He was so beautiful, even in the dull sunlight, his skin glowed. The drizzle clung to his lashes, making them stick together.

  “Wine,” I said before I would do anything stupid, his eyes moved away from my lips.

  “Pardon?” he laughed,

  “I think I would prefer it in the wine for now before I …” When Eros smiled, it was as though the sun had broken free of the clouds.

  “Wine it is.” He pointed. “That is where the new Recruits will be living for the next three years.” Thankful for the immediate change in the conversation’s direction, I followed his gaze. Rows of buildings made from the same stone as the castle haloed its original structure. As we walked closer, you were able to see that the buildings formed a square shape with a court at its center.

  Unlike the other courtyard, this was free from roses and water fountains. Instead, fire pits, surrounded by tree trunks for sitting, dotted each corner. In the middle of the square, the earth had been dug out into a ring, the grass in its center covered in sand. I liked this one, much better.

  “Is this where they train?” I asked.

  Eros smiled mischievously. “No, they use this for wagering.”

  I lifted my brow. “So, the supes fight, and the winner gets money?” I asked, excited by the prospect.

  “Not only the winner but anyone who has bet on him … or her. I wouldn’t recommend you get any ideas just yet, Luna. Only powerful supernaturals join the elites. In this ring, they are allowed to shift, cast spells, or use any other magic they may have in their arsenal. It may be best to wait and see what powers awaken in you first.” I bristled, having no doubt that I could probably beat most of them just with my fighting skills alone. He chuckled as if he could read my mind.

  “Will I be moving here?” I asked, bending down to see what looked like a scorched hole in the earth.

  “I highly doubt that; we need to keep you safe, Luna.”

  I swung around to look at the Siren.

  “I am more than capable of protecting myself.”

  “I do not doubt that, but without sounding possessive, we have waited a long time for you to exist. You came to us with no idea of who or what you were, having never tapped into your Ouisa.”

  “I don’t need magic. I lived with wolves and still managed to beat them … even when they shifted.”

  “You misunderstood me, Luna. I am not saying that you’re not powerful. I’m saying that you will eventually be the most powerful being the realms have ever seen. Power like no other will awaken in you, and we have no idea what that will look like. You could be dangerous to the new Recruits; you could give away your existence. Some supernaturals can sense species and energy signals. Supernaturals with mixed ancestry have a less powerful energy signal. You … well, let’s just say others don’t need to be around you for long to feel the power that you hold.”

  “Can’t someone just cloak me?” I asked. “I’m extremely good at keeping myself to myself.”

  “We don’
t need for you to be cut off from your powers right now, Luna. The next few days you will be awakening your magic, and your only focus right now should be mastering your new gifts as quickly as possible. You are not here to be a wallflower, don’t forget that you are here for a reason.”

  The weight of that reason bared down on my shoulders.

  “But what will the other Recruits think? I mean I can hardly be expected to be treated as an equal if I am sleeping in the royal wing.”

  Eros smiled.

  “We have devised the story that you are a Princess from a distant realm.”

  “And people bought it?” I asked dumbfounded.

  “Of course. A lot of the Elite Warriors are of royal birth. Their privilege means that they are usually the ones with the best training, allowing them to qualify when the time comes. Nobody will give it much thought; it will also mean the men here will treat you with more respect. We have already started a rumor that your father will not allow you to stay in the barracks.” He pointed to the building around him.

  “We have never had a Princess in the Elites before, so nobody should challenge that. A lot of Princesses are hidden away in their palaces, learning to dance or sew. In some cultures, if a man gazes on an unwed Princess, they have their eyes cut out, so your solitude should not seem too out of the ordinary.”

  “Me, a princess?” I snorted. “Nobody will believe that.”

  “Why not? Besides, people already have. You’re beautiful and intelligent. Not all women are scholars. The Benhga pack are matriarchal and are famed for their prowess on the battlefield. You will just have to remain an enigma, which unfortunately means you cannot get too close to anyone until we figure out who knows what.”

  I sighed, “Nobody is going to believe I am royalty.”

  “Trust us, Luna, each of us is from royal birth lines. We have known our fair share of Princesses.” Why did I not like that statement?