LUNA: Alpha’s Soulmate from Another World

The sound of birds chirping was the first thing Luna heard when she opened her eyes. A soft groan escaped her lips as she slowly sat up. Her eyes blinked for a moment, adjusting her vision before focusing on the figure of a man standing on the carpet in the center of the room, wearing a shirt and trousers that clung to his body. He appeared busy reading through a stack of documents, the contents of which Luna herself didn’t know, while listening to another man, younger and neatly dressed. And yes, the man was Alkrevas, with Sigmund at his side.

Luna observed Alkrevas in silence, studying the Emperor, who still looked dignified despite his simple, unadorned clothing. She sighed as she lay back down, staring at the beautiful canopy of the bed with an empty gaze. It had been a week since her meeting with Ghea at the cafe. Luna remembered clearly that during her journey home, all she could think about was Ghea’s reaction at that time-calmness and acceptance without any anger-disappointment, yet still acceptance.

It was all so unexpected to Luna because she had encountered many people before, and she wouldn’t have been surprised if Ghea chose to hate her, but that wasn’t the case. During the carriage ride to the palace, Luna thought that Ghea’s behavior and acceptance of her decision might not be sincere, but… for some reason, Luna still wanted to hold on to the belief that Ghea was a good person because she was the first person who had helped her when she first arrived in this strange world, the first to extend a hand to her.

But if her thoughts were wrong… Luna didn’t know how she would react. She smiled to herself. This naive thinking of hers was pretty annoying. Since arriving in this world, she had relied heavily on others, but what else could she do? Without it, she might have gone mad or perhaps even been killed by now.

Faintly, she could hear the conversation between Alkrevas and Sigmund. For a man who was so possessive, Alkrevas quickly allowed Sigmund to enter the room, even though he was a man. Perhaps Sigmund had a soulmate that made Alkrevas lower his guard a bit? Or was there an urgent matter that forced him to allow Sigmund to enter?

Speaking of Alkrevas, Luna was more curious about his calm demeanor when he met her during dinner that day. There were no strange questions, no suspicions, just light questions about her day. No suspicious looks, no wary behavior, nothing that suggested anything negative. Even the meeting with Alkrevas, which should have taken place when Luna arrived at the palace, was postponed until dinner due to “urgent matters.”

Was that one of Alkrevas’s strategies to keep her from meeting Ghea for too long or to keep her inside the palace walls until nighttime? She didn’t know. The man smiled throughout dinner, even when they returned to the Emperor’s residence and entered the bedroom. Luna had thought Alkrevas would discuss Ghea when they were in the room since he would indeed have received reports from Judith and the guards escorting her, but there was nothing.

It was as if he trusted her, or more precisely, trusted the agreement between them. There was no attempt to break through her mental defenses to read her thoughts or to force her to explain everything that had happened and the conversation between her and Ghea. Yet she often caught Alkrevas staring at her with a dark, mysterious gaze, even though he would quickly cover it up with an arrogant smirk or a teasing look.

Luna felt irritated, but then she felt relieved and confused at the same time. In the end, she dismissed all her thoughts. She chose to think positively that Alkrevas was giving her space, waiting for her to speak on her own, or maybe more that he didn’t care as long as she accepted his offer. Luna sighed loudly, feeling like she was in a game that demanded her to think hard. Guessing the people around her who were like enigmas was genuinely exhausting.

The frustrated sigh Luna let out was louder than she had thought because a pair of eyes immediately turned towards her with a questioning look.

Alkrevas gave Sigmund final instructions before allowing him to leave. When the door to the room closed tightly, leaving her and Luna alone, Alkrevas walked over to the bed and slowly sat down at the edge. He reached out and gently caressed Luna’s cheek.

“What are you thinking about, little mate?” Luna, startled from her thoughts by Alkrevas’s presence, quickly shifted her gaze from the bed’s canopy to Alkrevas’s handsome face, which seemed too perfect to be accurate if she hadn’t come to this world. Alkrevas leaned in, narrowing his eyes, studying Luna’s deep brown eyes more closely, reading all the emotions reflected there.

“Want some breakfast?”

“Good morning…” Luna decided to greet him with a brief mumble.

Alkrevas nodded slightly in response and summoned Luna’s exclusive servants through a mind link. Shortly after, the door opened, and the servants entered, pushing a trolley filled with breakfast dishes. After arranging all the food on the table, the servants excused themselves and left the room.

“How are you feeling?” Alkrevas asked casually as he stood up. His eyes briefly glanced at Luna’s neck and collarbone, which were marked with red, wet traces, signs of their lovemaking the previous night, then looked at his claim mark, which had reddened again because he had sunk his fangs into the area to intensify their passion the night before. Then Alkrevas walked over to the table and lifted the covers from the food, carefully inspecting the breakfast menu prepared by the palace’s kitchen team.

Hearing that question made Luna furrow her brow as memories of what she had done with Alkrevas the night before flooded back. That’s when she realized that her entire body ached and felt weak, especially the lower part of her body and, of course, her intimate area. She knew that Alkrevas was a “monster,” not just metaphorically but literally.

However, the man should have realized that her stamina differed vastly. She immediately glared at Alkrevas, who looked perfectly fresh and vigorous, as if the previous night hadn’t been exhausting for him. In stark contrast, she had to force herself to sit up.

“Terrible,” Luna replied with a sulking tone. Was it the case that werewolves had such an immense libido like Alkrevas? Or was it just that this particular man couldn’t control his urges and was always aroused? “It’s so unfair,” Luna muttered very quietly.

“What’s unfair?” Alkrevas asked as he walked over to the bed, carrying a tray. He sat down in his previous spot and placed the tray on the bedside table. “Get up. It would be best if you ate a lot. I can feel how frail your body is. I’ll feed you.”

Luna’s eyes widened in shock, and she clenched her teeth in frustration. How could he make such a comment?

Luna didn’t know whether to bang this psychopathic Emperor’s head against the wall or to stab him with a fork, which would likely be pointless. She sat up again, gripping the blanket that had fallen to her waist tightly, revealing her body clad in a simple nightgown-Alkrevas had dressed her in the gown before they went to sleep after their wild lovemaking. “I can eat by myself.”

Alkrevas paused while pouring water from a bottle into a glass, then turned to observe Luna’s condition. He clicked his tongue softly, then resumed pouring the water into the glass. “You? Eat by yourself? Don’t be stubborn, Luna. I can see you’re struggling just to sit up. Your body has no strength and is trembling.”

“You think this is my fault? If the man who slept with me last night realized that our physical conditions are different, maybe this wouldn’t have happened.”

Alkrevas smirked and sat on the edge of the bed with the plate in his hand. He began to spoon food and feed Luna, who accepted it half-heartedly. “I didn’t know you could be so sarcastic.”

“I’ve been doing it all along.”

“Oh?” Alkrevas paused, feeding Luna, and watched her chew the food with an intense gaze, which successfully made Luna shudder under his stare. “Besides, what I said is true. You were so thin and light when I carried you when I first met you.”

“I’m only human,” Luna hissed sharply. “And even if I were an athlete, my stamina would still not match yours.”

“Athlete?”

“Whatever. Since I’ve been at the palace, I’ve gained weight, and I swear I won’t even touch a scale when I get back.” Alkrevas rolled his eyes at Luna’s strange statement. He didn’t fully understand, but if Luna thought she had gained weight, he felt she hadn’t changed and had gotten even thinner.

“And why did you have to bring up my weight? That’s a taboo topic to discuss with a woman! You should be aware of our physical differences, and you should be considerate of me.”

“You’re my soulmate. Born to complete me. And just so you know… I’ve been holding back all my desires for a long time. Waiting for you for decades is no short time.” Luna opened her mouth to retort, but Alkrevas silenced her by putting a spoonful of food into her mouth.

Reluctantly, Luna swallowed her protest along with the food. However, her sharp gaze never wavered from Alkrevas’s face, which was full of smug satisfaction. Alkrevas continued to feed Luna until the plate was empty. After that, he offered her some cut fruit and water.

When they were done, Alkrevas placed all the dirty dishes on the table and returned to bed. He watched Luna try to get off the bed but failed due to her lack of strength. Her fragile, trembling body looked so tempting to him. Suppose it were for something other than the morning meeting with the ministers. In that case, Alkrevas might have already torn the nightgown off that enticing body. “I’ll be back very late tonight.”

“Oh? Why?” Luna asked, clearly pleased.

Alkrevas shook his head at his soulmate’s behavior before leaning down and touching Luna’s face. He gently stroked her cheek, then tucked her hair behind her ear. His hand then moved down to touch the claimed mark on the right side of Luna’s neck, eliciting a small moan and a shiver from her body. A strong surge of energy coursed through them, and Alkrevas noticed Luna’s heavy breathing. He smiled in satisfaction. The more often he made love to Luna, the stronger the mate bond would become.

“There’s a banquet at Marquis Esthel’s residence. I have to attend because he’s part of the Emperor’s faction.”

“Ah, he’s one of your supporters…” As far as Luna could recall from the brief lessons Judith had given her, the leading noble families consisted of twenty families, with the rest being branch families. The noble faction led by Marquis Cirillo included nine prominent noble families.

Meanwhile, the Emperor’s faction, led by Duke Veniam and Duke Dillite-whom Luna had met at the Imperial Banquet and was only a man in his forties-included eleven noble families. “You’re not taking me with you?” Luna asked, purely out of curiosity.

Alkrevas reached for his coat and put it on. Luna blinked in surprise when she noticed that, this time, Alkrevas was wearing his formal attire, a military uniform specifically for the Emperor. For someone who was always dressed with the help of attendants, the man didn’t seem to have any difficulty, especially when putting on the coat, the special belt, and the sash that symbolized the imperial family. When Alkrevas finished putting on his gloves, he finally answered Luna’s question, “No. I don’t want to show what’s mine in front of other men.”Ccontent © exclusive by Nô/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

Luna rolled her eyes. “Maybe if I gave you an absolute bond, I’d do it.”

“Absolute bond? What’s that?”

Alkrevas leaned down and kissed Luna’s forehead before saying, “I’ll explain it later. For now, you should rest because tomorrow is my day off. So use your solitude wisely.”

After saying that, Alkrevas stole a kiss from Luna’s lips, then turned and walked out of the room. Luna could only sit there, staring at Alkrevas’s back, which was covered by a cloak bearing the imperial emblem.

…

What Alkrevas had said to her was true. When night came and dinner was over, Luna, who usually dined with Alkrevas, ate alone in her room this time. Even as she prepared for bed, she wasn’t disturbed by him. Luna was grateful she had heeded Alkrevas’s advice to make the most of her time alone. However, her mind was filled with questions about an absolute bond. When she asked Judith, the woman remained silent and then changed the topic, indicating that she didn’t want to answer, even though she knew what Luna was asking. Luna had also tried to find information in the library, but unfortunately, her search yielded nothing.

She looked at her reflection in the large mirror. She asked Judith, “Judith, do you know about the banquet at Marquis Esthel’s that His Majesty is attending?”

“Yes, it’s a party to celebrate his son’s engagement to the daughter of Count Asher’s family.” Luna nodded. “Usually, His Majesty doesn’t stay long at parties held outside the palace.”

“Then why does it seem like he’s staying longer this time?”

“Perhaps he’s also holding a meeting? You don’t need to worry about anything. It’s best if you go to bed, as it’s getting late.”

“You’re right, Judith.” Luna removed the thick shawl she was wearing to cover and warm herself, then walked toward the bed. Judith turned off all the lights, including the ones from the magic stones and the candle flames. After bidding Luna goodnight, Judith left the room, leaving Luna alone on the bed.

For the first ten minutes, Luna couldn’t close her eyes, and she kept staring at the canopy of her bed. During the next ten minutes, she felt sleepy but couldn’t close her eyes. She shifted her sleeping position to lie on her right side. Even though the large, spacious bedroom she was staying in was quite dark, Luna didn’t feel scared because the curtains of the bedroom windows were left open, allowing the moonlight to pour in freely.

Then, in the third ten minutes, Luna drifted off to sleep. The peace and darkness surrounding her slowly made her feel at ease. Her heartbeat became a soothing lullaby, so it didn’t take long for her to fall into a deep sleep and enter the world of dreams.

However, just twenty minutes after falling into a deep sleep, something suddenly disturbed her. She was abruptly awakened by the sound of footsteps inside her room. Luna didn’t move from her position, initially thinking it was Alkrevas. Still, that possibility vanished when she didn’t feel the usual effect she experienced when they were in the same room. Instead, she felt a sense of alertness.

The danger alarm rang loudly in her mind as she heard the footsteps drawing closer. Luna seized the opportunity to attack the intruder in her room using a pillow and blanket, kicking the intruder in the stomach. As the intruder groaned in pain from Luna’s sudden assault, she dashed toward the door.

Unfortunately, she failed when vines suddenly covered the exit and wrapped around her hands and feet, lifting her several meters into the air. Luna gasped and struggled, demanding release, but all that stopped. She was shocked when she saw the familiar blonde hair and face beneath the blanket. “Ghea?”

“Hello, Luna… I hope you’re pleased with our meeting.”

“You… how did you… what are you doing here?”

Ghea gave a small smile and pulled a necklace from the pocket of her trousers. “What am I doing?” She giggled, seeing Luna’s confused expression. “Of course, I’m here to help you return to your world, Luna.”

…