Chapter 237

The other members of Moon Shadow were around, and I still wasn’t sure how I was going to get rid of them, let alone kill the vampire king.

Then, there was the issue of the Heart of the Moon and the fact that Ian was planning to separate me from Candido because we were the last artifact.

The few trucks were either loaded up with people or with supplies. I heard them passing orders back and forth and watched the few people of Wolf Fang working with them. Whenever someone stopped to talk to me, I ignored them as I continued watching Candido’s movements.

How was I going to tell him what Ian had planned and make sure that he was grateful, that he sided with me when I confronted Ian about it?

There were several women who seemed to be getting close to him. One of them had been the woman who called me a disgrace. She stood too close for my liking. Candido looked at whatever she was showing him before taking the mirror and heading away from the camp.

I narrowed my eyes and stood to go after him. He moved so quickly; I couldn’t hear what he was saying.

“Yes…” He whispered, his voice shuddering. “Yes, I know… Okay… When this is over… And it will be soon… Yes… Tell me about their movements.”

I walked toward him as he sank onto a large rock, leaning forward. His shoulders were slumped as he let out a deep sigh. He wouldn’t look so tired if he just took more joy in my presence like he was supposed to.

“The east bank? Do you think they’ll head… No, I suppose not…How’s the sky?”

I frowned. Is that some sort of code? He laughed, loud and bright. I hadn’t ever heard him laugh like that… not since Estella had died. Who was he talking to? Was there some other woman I didn’t know about?

I worried my lip and went closer. He didn’t flinch or look up as I approached. He didn’t even seem to care.

“We move out soon,” Candido said. “Anything else I should know?”

I narrowed my eyes and stopped right in front of him. He didn’t look up. His eyes were closed. I couldn’t hear who was on the other side of the mirror. He didn’t lift his face. He took another deep breath and opened his eyes. They glowed with bright red light as he seemed to look up and past me to the moon.

His lips lifted into a smile. “Of course. Until then.”

He lowered the mirror from his ear and let out a deep sigh. Then, the light seemed to fade from his eyes. His gaze focused on me. He blinked, and I said the first thing I could think of.

“It’s my birthday…. I want a gift.”

Candido blinked at me. His eyes were dark and cold as he looked up at me. He closed the mirror.

“This isn’t the time—”

“It’s my birthday,” I said. “You’ve always said that you’d always get me a gift on my birthday. I want a gift. I have… something I want this year.”

Candido’s jaw clenched. He took a deep breath and stood.

“What is it, Hedy?”

I threw my arms around him and lifted myself up so I could kiss him. Excitement filled me, but he didn’t kiss me back. I pulled back.

“I want to be your luna,” I whispered and lifted back up to kiss him again. He turned his face, evading my lips.

I wanted to ask why he wasn’t kissing me back, but I just tried to capture his lips again. He didn’t let me so I pulled away.

“It’s not fair that this is all happening on my birthday… but I know you’ll keep your promise to me… To protect me, to be with me.”

Candido looked at me. I couldn’t tell what he was thinking. I couldn’t even tell what he was feeling. His eyes seemed so dark and unreadable.

“One way or another,” Candido said. “This will be over.”

I smiled at him. “I know it will be. I can’t wait to start our life together… I can’t… wait to be yours completely… I won’t let Ian separate us.”

Candido tilted his head. “What are you talking about?”

“We’re the last artifact,” I said. “That’s what the vampire king said. That there would have to be one on each side: one by choice and one by force.”

“Hedy—"

I wrapped my arms around him. “You have to know that I’d never let that happen. I’d never choose to be apart from you, and I know that you’d fight with everything you have to be with me… Please, Candido, don’t let Ian and the vampire king win.”

I looked up at him. “Ian put him in some sort of castle. If we find it, I’m sure you can kill him easily. I tried to kill him, to avenge your family, but he was… He was so much more powerful than he looked. He threatened me.”

“Hedy—”

“But he wasn’t strong enough. Before I could kill him, Raven kicked me out. She and Ian protected him. You can’t think they’re really on our side. They have their own plans.” I clung to him. “We can’t let them or him win. He said that he’ll rise again, Candido. We can’t let that happen. We have to…”

I trailed off as I realized that Candido didn’t seem to be listening anymore. He took a deep breath. His eyes were closed. There was a silvery light around his head. His lips trembled. My stomach jolted at the thought that he might kiss me. Then, he opened his eyes. His eyes were harder, more determined than when he opened them. He took me by my shoulders and pushed me back a bit. But he didn’t let go.

For a moment, he looked at me as if he didn’t know me. As if he could barely recognize who I was. His eyes seemed glossy as he looked down at me.

“You were planning to kill… your grandfather?”

I clenched my jaw. “I’m not a vampire. He’s not my grandfather. He’s our enemy. He’s the reason your family is dead.”

Candido’s hands tightened on my shoulders. “Is that really what you’re worried about? Some sense of vengeance?”

I blinked at him. “Candido… you know that I love you more than anything. I’d do anything for you. To be with you… I know how much pain it’s caused you not being able to avenge your family. You could get justice for them… I could help you do that.”

I saw a flash of darkness in my mind. I saw Hedwig screaming, but I couldn’t make out her words. Her eyes were wide with panic. Her expression was twisted with pain. I heard the scream as if it was from far away, but I pushed the vision away.

“We just have to figure out where the castle is,” I said. “There’s probably another artifact there unless Ian took it. Then, we could just—"

“I have… a request of you.”

I blinked. “What?”

“You want to support the war efforts… You want to support me, I need you to do something, and it’s something only you can do.”

My heart lightened, and I beamed at him. Finally, he was seeing me as an adult, as his luna, as his equal.

“What is it?” I asked. “I’ll do anything for you.”

He met my gaze. “Stay behind and guard the camp.”

I almost screamed. I should have known that it wouldn’t be that easy. Everything in me wanted to scream about the request, but Candido just stared at me, waiting for my answer. I wanted to say no. I wanted to call him out on just trying to leave me behind, for not fulfilling his promise to be with me. If I were Estella, he wouldn’t have asked me to do this.

He would have never asked her to stay behind.

I set my jaw and looked up at him. I heard someone calling his name. He turned and glanced back at me.

“Well?” he asked. “Will you stay behind or not?”

“Why me?”

“You’re uninjured, and even if you don’t have combat experience, you’re a werewolf.”

“Promise me we’ll be together.” Candido cocked an eyebrow at me. My eyes burned with tears. “Promise that you’ll come back, and we’ll be together.”

He shook his head and turned away. “Never mind.”

My heart lurched as he turned away from me with a deep sigh. For a moment, the world turned dark as he walked away from me. I felt my heart pounding in my chest. Something in me told me that if I didn’t agree to this, even if I didn’t want to, then there was no hope left for me. He would really reject me. I wouldn’t have Candido anymore and I couldn’t bear it.

“I’ll do it!”