She groaned loudly. "Kill now. Just end it. Let the scandal consu ."
He placed a warm kiss on her bare shoulder. "Well, if your mother didn’t already know we were hopelessly in love, she definitely knows now."
"She’ll never let live this down," Luna moaned.
Damien kissed her temple. "You look beautiful, by the way."
"Shut up."
"Goddess of seduction."
"Shut up!"
"You are a sex maniac," Damien said.
"Oh shut up!" Luna swatted his chest, rolling her eyes even as a smile tugged at the corners of her lips. She couldn’t help but laugh, her cheeks still flushed from the sheer embarrassnt of flashing Kyllian and her mother in the sa breath. It was a very short list of mortifying things that had happened in her life—but this now topped it, no competition.
"You are my sex maniac," Damien murmured, voice husky as he leaned down to capture her lips. He pulled her close, breathing her in. His hands road her curves. "Sinful sex maniac."
He licked his lips with shaless appreciation, eyes dropping to her still-revealing lingerie. Damien was already starting to regret not throwing Kyllian out of the castle entirely. His hands cupped her ass, squeezing tightly and drawing a small gasp from her. He pressed her against his obvious arousal, and for a mont, everything else lted away.
"Damien..." she murmured against his mouth, barely able to think as he trailed kisses down her neck. "I gotta say hi to my mum."
"Right! Yes. The queen. Your mother. Ravena. Wedding planner. Royal bloodline. Parental figure." He stepped back. "I forgot for a minute. Just a minute though. A sinful, delicious minute."
Luna laughed as she threw on a loose sumr dress, trying to smooth her hair and regain the illusion that she hadn’t just been nearly ravished on the bedroom floor.
Damien waited in silence, eyes on the ceiling, trying to will away the very physical reminder of how much he desired her. "What was I thinking inviting her mother here?" he groaned to himself. "We’re dood."
anwhile, in the living room, Luna showed up to find her mother seated regally on the couch.
"Mum!" Luna exclaid, a wide smile breaking across her face as she rushed forward.
Ravena stood, arms open, and they embraced warmly.
"What are you doing here?" Luna asked, her heart unexpectedly full. It was comforting to have her mother close.
"Well, Damien told us about your engagent and wanted to plan your wedding," Ravena answered smoothly, her eyes twinkling.
"Wait...he asked you to plan it?"
"Don’t sound so horrified. I do have taste, you know." Ravena smirked. "And don’t worry, I can take a stroll later so both of you can have thank you sex."
Luna choked on air. "Mum!"
"What?" Ravena said, sipping her tea. "You young people think we were born old and dry? I was a newlywed once too."
Luna covered her face, groaning. "Please, stop."
Ravena laughed. "You nearly gave Kyllian a heart attack."
"MUM!"
Luna groaned softly, barely concealing the awkward churn in her stomach, and turned toward the tall figure still standing too straight by the door. "It’s nice to see you again," she said.
Kyllian nodded once, a small gesture of acknowledgnt. His instincts picked up what his mind already knew—sothing between them had fundantally shifted. She hadn’t co close. She hadn’t smiled at him the way she used to.
He studied the space between them, an invisible but solid wall that stood tall and proud. What did he expect? She was getting married, and from what he had seen the mont they walked in, she wasn’t just marrying Damien. She was in love with him.
Kyllian was her past tense.
Damien was her present. Possibly her forever.
Luna cleared her throat, shifting the air in the room. "Co on and sit," she offered with a wave, gesturing to the sitting area.
Kyllian barely took a step before shaking his head. "I just needed to see that the Queen is settled," he said. "I would like to get so rest now."
Damien breezed into the room at that mont. "Uh..." he said. "I will show you to one of the guards. They’ll get you to the guest building." He leaned down and kissed Luna on the cheek, a clear ssage to the alpha in the room: She’s mine now.
Kyllian said nothing. Luna said nothing. Damien gave her a wink before disappearing with Kyllian down the hall. You could almost hear the testosterone simring behind them as their footsteps faded.
Once they were gone, Ravena turned with an amused smile curling on her lips. "You seem happy. I’m glad."
Luna exhaled, the first real breath she had taken since Kyllian walked in. She sat down beside her mother and gave a small, wistful smile. " too."
And as the two won continued to talk and laugh and bridge the distance that had grown during Luna’s ti away. The storm clouds brewed far away.
*****
By the ti Damien arrived back at Luna’s building, the unmistakable sounds of Ravena’s voice echoed through the hallway. He paused at the door, pressing his ear against the wall and winced. The Queen was in full throttle.
Through the half-open door, he could see Luna perched on the edge of the couch. Her eyes t his, silently begging for rcy. She looked as if she were being held hostage by a tiara-wielding wedding enthusiast.
But even through the desperation in her eyes, Damien could see sothing softer. She’d missed her mother—truly missed her. There was a tenderness in the way she kept glancing Ravena’s way, a daughter aching to make up for lost ti. He watched her smile politely at another overly lavish suggestion involving flower arrangents and waiters. Yes, she needed saving, but she also needed this.
He decided to be noble. "I’m going to my castle," Damien said, though every word felt like a betrayal. He didn’t want to go. Not even a little.
"I’ll walk you." Luna shot up from her seat. "Take a break, Mom. We can continue when you are well rested."
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