Page 36 of His Lycan Luna Queen

AZALEA

As the nothingness creeps through me, I surrender myself to the oblivion of sleep. Little do I expect to wake up in a different reality, or perhaps a nightmare. The air feels off, surreal and out of place, as if I’ve been transported to another world. Confusion envelops me as I struggle to make sense of my surroundings. I find myself placed down on something soft, my body sinking into the comfort beneath me, as a woman walks away, her lavender-colored robe trailing behind her like an ethereal veil. With dark hair braided down her back, she stands by the door, peering out through the crack.

At first, it feels like I’m trapped in a dream, a haunting vision of losing my child. The room is dimly lit, casting shadows on the walls with its orange hues. It takes a moment for my eyes to adjust, and as they do, I realize that I am in what appears to be a nursery. Soft beige and pink colors adorn the crib I am sitting in, while the distant cries of people echo through the darkness of the corridor.

The room itself is adorned with breathtaking scenes of sloping mountains covered in snow and skies as blue assapphires. Forests fill the walls with their lush greenery, creating a sense of serenity amidst the chaos outside. But the chaos is undeniable, as loud noises reverberate from beyond the door, causing me to clutch my ears and scream in response. And then it hits me - this place feels familiarbecause it is none other than Landeena Castle, my home. This is not a nightmare; it is a memory, one that I find myself trapped in.

The banging outside grows louder, causing the woman to rush back into the room and hastily shut the door. My screams mingle with the silence that follows as the banging stops in the corridor. The woman turns, her back pressed against the door, her arms bracing against the wall. In her eyes, I see the fear of a mother, my mother, Queen Tatiana.

“Tatty, it’s me. Open up,” a voice I’ve grown up with calls out from outside. My mother steps aside, allowing the woman to enter. She bursts into the room, brandishing a sword in her hand.

“We are under attack. Garret, where is Garret?” the woman, Marissa, asks, clutching my mother’s arms.

“I don’t know. He was in bed. I heard her wake up and came to check, then as I was leaving I heard gunfire,” my mother explains, her gaze shifting to me. Marissa’s eyes also flicker towards me before she rushes to the wardrobe, grabbing blankets and revealing her blood-stained maid’s uniform. She thrusts a pink blanket into my mother’s hands.

“Go. Take her out the window. I will find Garret,” Marissa instructs, her voice filled with urgency.

“I can’t leave you,” my mother protests, but Marissa shakes her head, tears streaming down her cheeks.

“You need to run,” Marissa insists, attempting to pass me off to my mother. But my mother backs away from me.

“Who are they?” my mother asks her, and Marissa shakes her head.

“You need to run,” Marissa tells her, but my mother shakes her head and grits her teeth.

“Who are they, Marissa?”

Marissa whimpers and tears flood down her cheeks, my tiny hands wipe her face before patting her cheek.

“Ma Ma, don’t cry,” I tell her. She smiles sadly at me when I realize something. My mother knew I called Marrissa Ma ma, but Tatiana, my true mother, was Mummy.

“Marrissa answer me! Have they come for us?” my mother asks, and Marrissa sniffles.

“You need to run,” Marissa insists, attempting to pass me off to my mother. But my mother backs away from me.

“They don’t know she exists. If I run, they will hunt me and find her. Go, I will hold them off,” my mother declares with determination.

“Tatty, no!” Marissa cries out, grabbing hold of my mother’s robe as she tries to flee. Yet my mother spins swiftly grabbing Marrissa’s face in both her hands, her eyes blazing a storm and I can sense her aura even in this dream state, wild, furious and explosive.

“Take her to the Valkyrie Kingdom. If it is safe, give her to her mate,” my mother commands before rushing out of the door. But just before she disappears completely, she turns back and stops, casting a forlorn look in my direction. “Keep her safe.”

“Tatty, no!” Marrissa pleads.

“Keep her safe,” my mother says, and Marrissa jolts as my mother’s command rolls over her once again.

“Don’t you fight it. You owe me this much,” my mother says, and Marrissa shakes her head. Tears stream down her face and she halts in her efforts to stop my mother.

“What about Trey? Our sire bonds!” Marrissa asks, and my mother freezes. She looks over her shoulder and smiles sadly.

“You’re both sired to her, your bonds will break, but her tether to you will keep you alive. Trey will look for you. He will find her, you make sure you keep her alive until then,” my mother says.

“What are you going to do?” Marrissa asked her.

“I need to get to Garret and the Eclipsarion,” my mother answers just as her aura erupts with power. It’s as though the very room around us starts to shake.

“You’ll never make it, Tatty,” Marrissa pleads, a violent desperation in her voice.

“I have to try, but if I don’t, the ballerina is the key,” she tells Marrissa, still emanating that incredible power. Suddenly, I can feel the vibrations in the floor beneath my feet, see the cracks forming in the walls as if they were made of porcelain, and hear the rumble of thunder as her magic explodes from within her. Her aura pulsates around her like a living thing, wild and untamed, crackling with energy that seems to dance across her skin.

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