Chapter 6 My Luna

Damon.

Tension crackled in the air, against the backdrop of silence that blanketed all three of us. The din of music from the party was still very much audible, but I'd tuned it out, my focus solely on the duo in front of me.

My eyes darted from Callum to Aria and back to Aria again. He stood nothing less than two feet away from Aria and for some strange reason, I didn't like it. Rage nipped at my skin and I wanted nothing more than to create some distance between them, no matter what step I was going to have to take.

"Damon." Callum broke the silence that was threatening to suffocate each and everyone one of us. "It's good to see you. I didn't know you'd be here."

There was something about the way he'd said that, or perhaps I was judging based on the fact that he was too close to Aria and I didn't like it. Either way, I didn't like how his jet black eyes seemed to bore into me, like he was peeling me off, layer by layer, in an attempt to unravel my secrets. I wasn't sure I had any, but his look was unnerving.

Callum was in a shirt and pants. Apparently, he liked flaunting dress codes because this definitely wasn't it. I didn't like the guy, but somehow, that didn't stop me from seeing what Aria would have seen in him.

Broad shoulders, a smoldering look and the perfect height were the kind of things ladies went for. That, and personality too. If I were to judge, Callum was definitely lacking in that aspect.

"It's been a while." I finally spoke up. "Why weren't you expecting me here? I on the other hand thought you wouldn't bother to show up. Last I heard, events like these are too strenuous for you, and apparently, it runs in the family."

"I wouldn't miss it for the world." Callum said through gritted teeth. "I still think you being here is very unnecessary. Didn't your father ask you to find a Luna before you can get crowned?"

Shit.

I fisted my hand by my side as I tried my level best not to make my ticking jaw obvious. I wasn't expecting him to have known that, but the last thing I wanted was the satisfaction of him knowing he'd managed to get a rise out of me.

"So it's true then." Callum's smirk was sly. "I guess these maids and butlers are good for something after all."

"I have no idea where you got your information from." I quickly countered back. "But I assure you, whatever you must have heard, is far from the truth."

"Really?" Aria raised an eyebrow. For a moment, I'd totally forgotten she was amongst us. "I thought you said the Alpha...."

"No, you must have heard wrong." I blurted out at the exact same time Callum chipped in. "The Alpha said what?"

In the next second that followed, Callum and I locked gazes again and I would be a fool if I didn't acknowledge the sheer mockery behind his irises. He didn't need to say much, his eyes said it all.

"Do I sense something here?" Callum added, his attention solely on Aria. Her gaze darted from me to her ex and back to her ex boyfriend again. It was obvious what she was trying to do at this point and if I didn't step in, our plan would be ruined even before it started. "Aria, would you like to share?"

"Um, I..." she stuttered, suddenly picking out dirt from underneath her fingers. "I don't think it's my place to tell...."

"Nonsense!" Callum chuckled, but it was far from humourous. Deadly, if you asked me. "We're all close here, friends even, so I doubt anyone would mind. Right Damon?"

Friends. We were friends, but up until ten years ago, I wasn't sure we were qualified to use that term anymore.

"Damon?" Aria's voice was soft as she turned to me, almost like she was pleading to let Callum in on our secret.

You've got to be kidding me.

"I think it's time we left, Aria." I quipped. "The party's about to start and there's someone I would like you to meet."

"Let the woman decide if she wants to come with you." If it wasn't obvious yet, I hated Callum. So much. "And if we're being fair, I got to her first."

"Aria?" The ball was in her court now. No matter how hard I wanted to counter his points, it was left for Aria to decide what she wanted. "Are you coming?"

"Um." It didn't take long for her to go back to fiddling with her nails. " I think I'll stay with Callum. It would be rude to leave him...."

"Oh." That was all I needed to hear. "Fine then."

Without so much as a parting glance in the duo's direction, I headed my separate way. A tiny part of me hoped that she would call me back. Wrap her tiny fingers around me and tell me to wait, or even suggest that I stay with them or she comes with me.

What exactly was wrong with her? Was she possessed?

We'd agreed on something, laid out an entire plan before coming here, just for to mess it up in front of Callum? He really didn't have to do much. All it took was a look from him and she was gone. At some point, I'd forgotten how it felt to be around him, but I didn't forget how unpleasant it was.

But she just had to stay with that fucking bastard.

How...

"Hey!." the rest of my monologue transformed into a small thud as I ran into someone. Red covered my eyes as I spat, even without seeing who it was. "Are you perhaps blind?"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa." I recognized who the voice belonged to. "Take it easy, Damon."

"Lucien?" I couldn't believe my ears, or my eyes. But as one of the stripped neon lights cast a green shadow on the man in front of me, it became the confirmation I needed. "What are you doing here?"

"Is that how you welcome your best friend eh?" I found myself grinning at Lucien's lousy tone. "You really have lost your manners."

"Shut up." I clapped his hands with an eye roll. Immediately, it morphed into a frown as Lucien slapped me hard in the back. Three times. "Lucien..."

"Oh be quiet." He shushed me. "You might be future Alpha, but you can't hurt me. I'm your best friend. And your dad sees me like your brother."

He was right. Where Callum couldn't't meet up as a best friend, Lucien did that, and effortlessly too. The moment Callum and I fell out, Lucien stepped in and I hadn't looked back ever since.

"What are you doing here?" I continued walking and he fell right in step beside me. "I didn't...."

"....Invite me." I mentally facepalmed at Lucien's words. With everything going on, it literally slipped my mind.

"I'm sorry...."

"Apology not accepted." Lucien shrugged. "I'm only here because your dad asked me to. And I hear you've found your Luna too."

"How the hell did you find out?"

"I haven't actually." Lucien grinned. "Your father said to make sure you did, and I guess you already have. Mission accomplished."

Sometimes, I hated how cunny my father could be.

"So who's the unlucky girl?" Lucien's voice swarmed all around me. "Do I know her? Have I seen her before? Does she ..."

"No." I cut him off immediately. With a wave of my hand, I flagged down the nearest butler and plucked a glass from his tray. "She's no one."

"She's the blonde one, isn't she?" I paused. How did he find out? "You were staring at her while you drank so....."

"I hate you." I didn't mince words as I pushed the glass to my lips. The brown liquid burned as it slid down my throat and headed to my stomach, but nothing could compare to the searing heat that spread across my chest as I watched the two from afar.

Callum's lips didn't stop moving and it was in moments like this I wished I learnt how to read people's lips. I hadn't expected that from Aria and the more she stood with him, the more infuriated I got.

"If you keep on with that." Lucien called beside me. "You're going to have his head rolling off his neck in no time."

Honestly, that didn't sound half as bad.

"Are you sure you made the right choice leaving her with him?" It was Lucien again. "I still need to be updated on things between you too, but don't you hate the guy?"

I trailed my eyes back to the duo, the fury in me burning even brighter. I had no idea why, but the sight of both of them together wasn't right. They looked like predator and prey and he was going to devour her any second from now.

"That's it." I slammed the glass onto the table nearest to me and in the loudest voice I could muster, I yelled. " Listen up everybody."

"Damon, what are you doing?" Lucien's whispers fell on deaf ears. "Whatever it is you have up your sleeve, don't do it. Stop it now."

"As you all know, this is barely a formality, before the big day." I continued, ignoring Lucien's words. A wave of satisfaction raked through me as Callum turned to me as well. "But I've decided to shake things up a bit."

"You're not supposed to announce it ...."

"Werewolves of the ton, I've found my Luna!"