Chapter 19
Chapter 19
Liliana
In the past few days, I have found different things extremely dit cult, and smiling is one of them. I have been greeting guests for the past twenty minutes with a smile that has started to tremble now,
The Festival has started today and tonight is the night of the first ball held at our mansion.
Even more surprising is that I can’t believe Damian has not gotten tired of doing it alongside me. He is even natural and better at it than I am.
“What is it? You have something to say?” I jolted when Damian suddenly spoke while I was staring at him.
“I was just wondering how long are people going to pay respect to us. Shouldn’t we start the ball now?” I asked after composing myself and he just smirked.
Does he have an obsession with them?
“Did you get tired so soon?” he asked with a laugh entangled in his words.
“It isn’t like that. I was just saying so that people won’t get bored is it that obvious that I want to go back already and fall asleep?
“How meticulous. Thanks to you, the preparations were also done smoothly and beautifully. You look like someone who is experienced with things like this”
“I haven’t planned such a big event before but I have helped prepare for small parties and halls as well so it wasn’t anything new.” I was suddenly feeling proud when he complimented me.
That’s right. Praise me a lot. I worked hard for these five days.
“Hmm, then you must be prepared for a dance as well, no?” He asked and I was about to nod when I suddenly stopped.
Dance? As in dancing?
“Dance? We will dance?” I asked slightly anxious and he nodded,
“We will have our first dance tonight. Why, is that a problem?”
“No. It isn’t” I said so but I was tense.
I am not comfortable with dancing in front of so many people. I have a dance fright. I get nervous and conscious when there are so many eyes on me while dancing and tonight, there is no end to them.
How will I manage dancing now?
“Liliana, what—
“Alpha! Dear Luna! What a wonderful night! The ball looks absolutely eye–dazzling” An elder’s loud voice interrupted Damian while he was speaking and both of us soon shifted into our graceful modes.
This elder was somehow familiar.
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“It sure is, Elder Owen and nothing pleases me more to hear that you liked it. Everything has been designed as per my wife’s choices. Isn’t she amazing?” Damian suddenly started complimenting me in front of the old beardy man and his family, wrapping his hand around my shoulder.
My heart picked up pace when he was showing me off to others proudly.
“Oh, our Luna has such a great eye. I never knew that we could joy such opulence because of her highness” The elder said in his loud voice making me squirm shyly.
“My, both of you are looking so pretty together. May goddess protect you from the evil eye” The old lady beside the elder Owen said, who was probably his wife.
I thanked her and greeted all of them, thinking about her complament while Damian got busy with Elder Owen and his family went away to mingle with others.
We were wearing a matching set. I was wearing a foliage gown with a shiny real golden hue of designed taffeta fabric. It was an A–line silhouette with a leg slit and a boning off–shoulder neckline embroidered with golden crystals and pearls.
The gown had short puffy sleeves and it was nowhere less than a royal charming ball gown. Damian was wearing a similar brocade golden three–piece suit with a richly embroidered golden robe with pearl details making him look majestic.
The gold has suppressed his usual dangerous charm a little and tonight he was setting an example of a regal Alpha king rather than a menacing warmonger.
Damian was still talking to elder Owen and I wondered what was so exciting that they couldn’t stop talking about it. was thinking of eavesdropping a little when the guests I was hoping to never greet arrived.
“My child, it’s such a beautiful party. The great Luna gushed taking both of my hands in hers as she congratulated both of
However, tonight, Adrian and Lucia weren’t beside her like always. Instead, she was standing with another Elder I hadn’t seen
before.
“Damian, my son. Congratulations on finding your mate and continuing the pack’s legacy” Her wishes were ignored since Damian didn’t acknowledge them making the current situation awkward.
“T–Then, Alpha, I will take my leave. Please enjoy the festival” Elder Owen quickly escaped, sweating nervously.
“Then, dear children, I will also excuse myself.” The great Luna said sadly before descending the stairs along with the elder, who also greeted us briefly and left with her.
I wondered where Elder Christopher’s family was and why he came along with the great Luna, unlike the other elders who came with their families.
I was securely seated inside the cloud of my thoughts when suddenly I heard Damian clicking his tongue disdainfully.
“That scheming woman” He cursed her as he watched her mingle with the crowd, soon pulling Elder Owen and the other two in her group.
“I won’t let her succeed in whatever she is planning” Damian whispered before he stood up with a glass of wine in his hand.
It was time to commence the start of the ball. However, in what won’t he let her succeed?
The question kept revolving in my mind for the whole time Damian gave his speech before he announced the start of the
dance.
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“Then shall we?” He asked and I extended my hand into his nervously but before we could go on the stage. The great Lunat interrupted the festivities by making a request.
“My Alpha, if I may, I have a small request on the eve of such a great occasion, I hope you will grant me
The ballroom was filled with murmurings and whispers as soons the great Luna stood at the centre of the hall, demanding her request to be fulfilled.
“What is it?” Damian’s voice was lethal.
He wasn’t very happy with the great Luna’s request even before she voiced it out but he didn’t admonish her in front of
others.
1 was watching everything unfold with a scared heart and soon enough, she fearlessly kept her request in front of us.
“I wish for the sacred moon dial to be brought into the ballroom I hope our dear Luna will move it with her own hands and bless our pack with the commencement of another prosperous night of the moon
A sacred moon dial? What is that?
The room was thrown into chaos and became a labyrinth of different words overlapping each other making it impossible to understand any of them.
I was thrown into a puddle of confusion and everything seemed to happen so rapidly. I glanced at Damian to explain but he was already giving orders to let it happen.
Bring the Sacred Moon Dial into the room” His voice boomed into the hall and Adolf quickly moved along with Oliver, running upstairs.
“Damian, what is the sacred moon dial?” I whispered, tugging his sleeve and he glanced at me.
His grey eyes were swirling with a furious tension I couldn’t comprehend.
“It’s nothing much. You just have to let a drop of your blood fall on the dial and it will move. It’s a device which tells ab important and divine nights.
They are either nights when Selene visits the earth or prosperous nights when we feel ourselves getting stronger. I don’t know what that old vixen has planned yet so I can’t advise you on potential dangers but don’t worry, I will be by your side the whole time.”
I soaked his words in and felt my heart flutter when he reassured me that he would be there for me. He is acting like a true husband in such times.
I am sure I would have been blushing by now. I then wondered what important night would be revealed when I would move it. Will it be a day when Goddess Selene visits us?
1 heard Sylvia’s voice in my head while I was still busy with my thoughts.
Lily, are you sure, it’s not a trap?
I don’t know Syl but what could be wrong with just moving a dia
I know but I am having an ominous foreboding!”
Everything will be alright, Syl. Don’t worry
3/5
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I reassured Sylvia but I wasn’t confident as well. There were no suspicious movements hinting towards danger but the great Luna herself was a big red signal.
Adrian and Lucia were now also sticking to great Luna’s side. The three of them have been reunited. The moon dial had yet to arrive and all the waiting was making me anxious.
All the stress is making me feel that dancing would have been better than waiting for a moon dial. Gosh, why did I attend. this ball in the first place?
“Liliana” I felt my soul leave my body for a second when Damian suddenly called my name. I wanted to snap is it but instead I suppressed my anger and looked at him calmly
“Are you feeling scared?” His sudden question threw me off guard and I couldn’t reply
Am I that obvious?
“Answer me” His tone was sharp but his eyes had softened a little. However, I was still hesitant.
and ask, “What
I couldn’t reply quickly and soon Adolf and Oliver brought the moon dial. It was ket on a table with wheels, they were rolling towards us.
The table was covered with a satin cloth and on top of it lay a marble slate on which the moon dial was kept. The marble slate was acting like an elevated platform for the moon dial
The moon dial was a circular piece of polished bronze and its base was engraved with Selene overseeing a full moon surrounded by stars..
The gnomon was studded with five blue moonstones in the shape of a crescent moon. The dial itself was adorned with delicate silver inlays that marked the hours and at each hour laba beautiful purple moonstone.
However, when I looked closely different symbols were drawn instead of the hours. Some of them involved Selene, some had a howling werewolf engraved instead and some were entirely different.
Just like hours, there were a total of 12 different symbols.
“Our dear Luna, please let your divine blood fall on this sacred moon dial which listens to a pureblood werewolf and moves showcasing a prosperous night” The great Luna said extending a jeweled dagger towards me.
But I couldn’t take it because her words kept ringing in my head. The moondial listens to a pureblood werewolf. I kept chanting those words inside my head.
My heart started palpitating as my brain processed the meaning behind those words. My hands were trembling and I fisted
my
dress to keep it hidden but as if my body had become a pole of magnet, my legs started trembling next.
I couldn’t move and take the dagger from great Luna’s hand. I couldn’t because I wasn’t a pureblood. I–I was a half–blood. Half witch and half werewolf.
The moon dial won’t move if my blood falls on it and everyone is watching me right now along with….
I felt my blood flowing in the opposite direction when I realized that Damian was watching me too. He doesn’t know that I am a half–blood. The Luna of the BloodClaw pack is a half–blood
1 felt my lungs expanding but there was no air to inhale and no air to absorb. I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t think of anything. I was scared and panicked,
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My pupils were shaking and despite wanting to flee the ball right now, I couldn’t move. I stood there stoned, staring at the dagger and–
“Luna, please take the dagger
Ah. I flicked my gaze at the slightly older–looking woman in frog of me, the great Luna with anxiety running in my veins and slowly left the crumpled fabric of my skirt, extending my troubling arm towards the dagger.
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