Chapter 9 Refuge

ELOWEN'S POV

"Do you really expect me to sleep in this place?" My voice rose before I could stop it.

The servant girl at the door froze, clutching the folded blanket in her arms. She looked no older than sixteen, her eyes darting nervously toward the large bed in the middle of the room.

"It's the best guest chamber, Luna," she whispered, dropping her gaze.

Her calling me that word again made my stomach twist. My hand instinctively went to my lower belly, but I pushed the thought away.

I wasn't anyone's Luna anymore.

"I'm not your Luna," I snapped, sharper than I intended. The girl trembled, and guilt burned my throat. "Just… leave it there and go."

She nodded quickly, placing the blanket down and scurrying out, closing the door softly behind her.

I hated everything right now... The room was too polished and carefully arranged, as though Sylion wanted to remind me every second that I was still inside his walls.

It's been two days already since I followed him here, but I didn't feel right about it. My hands curled into fists as every corner of this place smelled of his scent.

I sat on the bed, the mattress sinking slightly under my weight. My body felt heavier than usual, my legs sore after the long two days. I should have been grateful for the shelter, the food, the roof.

Instead, unease kept crawling up my skin.

He said it was for my safety, that I needed protection but wasn't that the same excuse Alaric used before he locked me in Dravenmere's house like a caged bird?

No difference.

The thought made my chest thudded and my hand pressed against the blanket, smoothing it out, though my heart was restless.

Then a knock sounded on the door.

"Come in," I said stiffly.

Sylion stepped in but stood at the door, his presence filling the room without effort. His black cloak brushed against the floor, his expression calm as ever. That calmness irritated me even more.

Don't ask me why because I have no idea as well.

"You should rest, your body needs it." He uttered calmly.

"And you just expect me to keep sleeping here all my life without doing anything?"

The words slipped out sharper than I intended, but I didn't care. My voice was cold, filled with irritation. I hated the way Sylion kept hovering, as if every breath I took had to be under his watch.

His hand rested on the doorknob, his expression so gentle. "It's not about what I expect, Elowen... It's about what you actually need right now."

What I need? He had no idea what I needed. None of them did.

I pressed my lips together and turned away from him, facing the other side of the room. The curtains were drawn tightly, not a single moonlight allowed inside.

My stomach rumbled. Maybe it was the pregnancy, or just the suffocating sense of being trapped again.

"I don't need anyone's protection," I muttered under my breath, not caring if he heard or not.

But he didn't respond. After sensing my irritation, he walked out of the room and the door closed with a soft click.

I exhaled deeply. My body ached everywhere, and yet I couldn't relax.

Alaric's face flashed in my mind. His brutal touch, betrayal, and the way he made me believe I had a choice when I never did. My chest tightened because no matter how far I ran, our memories clung to me like a curse.

And now Sylion…

He was different, yes, but different didn't mean safe. He said little, watched too much, and carried an expression I couldn't read.

I didn't know if I should be grateful he helped me escape Alaric, or terrified that he was just another man who wanted to claim me in his own way.

My hormones made it worse. My body felt foreign, emotions swinging too wildly. One moment I wanted to scream, the next I wanted to curl up and disappear. The faint nausea rising in my throat only fueled my irritation more.

I stood up abruptly, pacing the room. The floorboards creaked softly under my bare feet. I couldn't stay still or breathe properly.

I went to the window, tugged the curtains aside just a fraction. Outside was quiet, only the distant glow of lanterns lining the walls of Tharros territory. Guards stood at the gates, their silhouettes stiff, disciplined.

I let the curtain fall back into place, leaning against the cool wall whilst my palms were damp.

Why was I here? Why did I follow Sylion instead of vanishing on my own? Was I really that weak, still relying on someone else's strength just to keep standing?

"Stupid," I whispered to myself. "You should have kept running."

But even as I said it, my hands instinctively went to my belly. A dull ache spread there. No matter how much I wanted to deny it, I couldn't run recklessly anymore because of my pup.

I hated this feeling... Being vulnerable, dependent and trapped between men who spoke of safety but only tightened the leash.

I pulled the blanket tighter around my shoulders and sat back down, my mind refusing to rest. Sleep wouldn't come anyway.

After what felt like hours, faint footsteps passed by outside the door and I froze. The steps stopped, then continued down the corridor. I swallowed, straining to listen.

A door opened somewhere nearby and I heard Sylion and other strange voices, low and hushed.

I shouldn't have cared, leaned closer, and pressed my ear against the wall. But his tone... so calm and controlled made my heart race.

"Yes," he was saying. "She's here. For now, that's all that matters."

There was a pause, then the faint scrape of a chair with paper rustled.

"Send the letter out before dawn. Make sure it reaches Drezova quickly. No one else needs to know she's under my roof."

The words stabbed at me that I almost stumbled. Who was he writing to? Why was my presence something that needed to be announced?

I pressed a hand over my mouth, breathing hard.

Then, his next words came, "her name must not appear anywhere else. Only on this letter and who you're to deliver it to."

My blood ran cold. He was writing my name to who? And for what purpose?

The nausea rose again, sharper this time, mingled with a wave of distrust so strong I almost opened the door and demanded an answer right there.

But I didn't by controlling my whole trembling body.

I told myself not to think too much. Maybe it was harmless and it was just Sylion's way of protecting me. But the doubt gnawed at me every minute.

Still, Sylion can't be fully trusted. He left for years and just showed up when I was in danger like a guardian angel. He must have a motive as well.

My nails dug into my palms as I slowly stepped back from the wall, heart pounding so loud I was sure it would give me away. I returned to the bed, sitting down stiffly.

If he truly wanted to protect me, why write letters behind closed doors? Why deliver my name like it was forbidden, and I wasn't supposed to know?

I didn't understand. And not understanding was worse than any truth.

My chest rose and fell rapidly. I bit down hard on my lip, forcing myself to stay silent, and keep this discovery locked inside me but I can't anymore.

"To keep my pup safe, I have to leave this place tonight!"