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The Empress Luna

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Luna's face had been shoved into Emperor Draco's sexy bare shoulder.

Eyes widening, she couldn't help but inhale his sandalwood and fresh citrus scent mixed with his natural musk.

She was guilty of inching closer to the Dragon Emperor not only that he had smelled good but she wanted to see—she meant, smell—what Draco had been talking about.

How did dragons smell like, according to him?

She also sniffed herself to check if it was indeed, similar to his.

Luna couldn't say if Draco had meant that she stinks of dragon breath or something or...

Did she assume Luna smelled like a dragon shape shifter?

Face flushing across her cheeks, she glanced at the direction of the Vampire King's throne.

Apollyon wasn't looking at what she did, sniffing the Dragon Emperor without his permission.

Her husband was busy regarding a bevy of courageous and animated beautiful ladies from the Consortium who had curtsied in front of him.

They were probably asking him to be their dance partner now that the Empress was gone from the picture.

She didn't see Apollyon talking to them--leering and smirking at the ladies--so she was sure her husband wasn't flirting.

Despite knowing that, Luna had her lips pressed into a white slash, not noticing that she had clenched Draco's hand in annoyance.

The Vampire King had his head tilted as he regarded the women one by one.

He was just there on his throne and stroking his chin, simply listening to their feminine wiles and not instigating anything.

Her husband must have felt that her heated gaze was on him and when their eyes met, she immediately looked away, returning to the Dragon Emperor's face.

Luckily, the waltz music had ended.

As she curtsied, Luna dropped her hold from Draco's shoulder and let go of him but Draco had refused to release her.

"You should answer me before you go, Empress." Luna pulled at her fingers from his grasp but instead, Draco's lips had twitched as he squeezed her hand, amused by her refusal to look him in the eye and answer his unexpected query.

Luna didn't know the answer to that and she prayed that her husband would interfere.

But it wasn't her husband who did.

"Unhand the Empress, Draco, if you know what's best for you."

As she lifted her head from the ground, it was the Faerie Prince who had grabbed Draco's wrist in a crushing squeeze, forcing him to drop it when the music had ceased.

Speaking of the devil, Apollyon did materialize beside them and she tried not to flinch in surprise when her husband said in his deep, husky voice, "I left my gaze from you for a few minutes. Hmm, why does mischief trail after my wife's skirts everywhere she went?"

The Vampire King grabbed Luna's waist and she stumbled into his embrace.

"You look too pale all of a sudden." Apollyon noted.

"I think you had enough, wife." The Vampire King had said as he waved a dismissive hand but basing from the tone of his voice, that message wasn't addressed to her but to the Kings who found her at the dance floor.

Luna released a dejected sigh, feeling like a toy who had been passed around by these Kings.

The only difference was that they had handled her with care—like a fragile little thing—and that wasn't good enough.

If the situation called for them to let her go, they had to do it.

These Kings never learn to treat her like an equal and not just some female who stood as an Empress.

She had the chance to put these royalties in their place tonight but she couldn't think straight by what Draco had implied earlier.

A vision suddenly flashed into her mind—the Vampire King turning into a dragon when the Blood Beast inside him had gone berserk.

She was all too afraid that Ravin could possess her when their fate had been tied together by a single golden thread.

Can the Archdemon of Gluttony take her away again when she entered the Dream Realm?

Luna wouldn't—can't—fall asleep tonight.

Well, there was only one way to find out.

"Are you alright?" Her husband prodded earnestly, cutting through her thoughts like a sharp knife. "You must be tired, wife."

Luna nodded as she buried her nose into her husband's chest which was warm, familiar and safe.

"Yes, I also want to retire with my husband." Luna agreed, lifting her chin to peer into his husband's blue eyes as it smouldered with concern. She reluctantly conceded, "It's been a long day and the exhaustion had been catching up to me."

"No, you look shaken, wife." Apollyon said as he shook his head, frowning at her before glaring accusingly at the Dragon Emperor. "Did Draco tell you something that bothered you?"

"No, it's alright." Hands turning limp on her husband's shoulders, Luna hugged her husband tight and replied in a monotone. "It was nothing."

The dance couples had paused as they unobtrusively moved closer to check what the commotion was all about.

Grimacing, Luna had noticed the murmurs had become louder as she glanced here and there.

Her hand immediately flew to her mask, making sure for the hundredth time if she had worn it.

It was just a safety precaution.

She admitted that her constant worry that her face would be revealed was borderline paranoia.

Come to think of it, the Kings had already seen her face at the battle arena but they were too far to closely examine her features.

There was no need to be shy, she convinced herself as she fidgeted in her place, but she couldn't help but lower her head to hide on the curtains of her long wavy hair.

As if the Vampire King had heard her inner monologues, his slender, powerful hand cupped her chin, raising her head towards him.

"There was no need to hide yourself, wife." The Vampire King said with absolute confidence that it was hard to refute such reasonable argument. "There was nothing to be ashamed of."