THE FORGOTTEN LUNA

ADESSA.

"The men who took you, did they hurt you?" He asked, and I contemplated whether I should admit my crime, but I didn't want to. Telling someone I killed two people meant I really did it. I was still trying to pretend it was just a nightmare. "No. I was able to get away." I replied before throwing another question to distract him. "So, you and Desiree. Did you get married?"

"What?"

"You said your wife might be hunting you and..."

"I'm sure I said that so he wouldn't wonder why people are looking for you just in case they come here."

"Well, I just want to know." I smiled, pleased that he got distracted, but I knew sooner or later, we would be back on this topic. "Nope. Not married. Not engaged. Divorcee here." He said.

I dropped my gaze away from him, shaking my head and forcing a laugh. "Yeah, right."

Then, my stomach growled.

My head tilted up, and I met Kael's eyes. I smiled, embarrassed, as I placed my hands against my tummy. "I'm sorry."

His eyes flew to the side table where a phone was sitting. "Do you know the number for the reception?"

"Just press 9," I replied.

Kael didn't say more and picked up the phone. He pressed the button connecting to the man downstair and asked him if he could buy us something to eat. The man informed him that there was a fast food place nearby. They agreed, and Kael would pay him for the food and his service when he delivered it up here.

I was sure I heard the man accept the extra job excitedly, knowing he would get paid more.

I remained quiet, grateful that he thought of letting me eat first because I was really hungry. I was not even sure how I could stand straight at the moment because I was already feeling dizzy while walking home from the shop.

"When was the last time you ate?" He asked after he disconnected the call.

I swallowed. I could lie and just move on from this topic, but I was really hungry. So I decided to tell him the truth. "Last night. I ate the last of my food stock, which was one and a half crackers."

His forehead creased before his eyebrows raised, waiting for me to explain further, so I continued.

"I don't go out in broad daylight, like vampires." I forced a chuckle, but my eyes began to water. "And the groceries I bought just now, I had to drop them because they were making me slow down from running."

My tears fell, and I immediately swiped them with my hand. I thought of how I calculated the items I picked up to make sure I wouldn't go over my allowed expenses only for me to throw them away.

"I'm sorry. I don't cry easily, but..." I gasped for air as I tried to stop more tears from falling, but I wasn't succeeding. "I don't know what I did wrong that everything is falling apart for me. These past few days, these past few weeks, I felt like a mouse trapped in this world, and everywhere I turned, people just wanted to grab me. All I want is a simple, peaceful life..."

"Adessa..."

"It's your fault," I told him. "There, I said it. It's your fault. I took care of you. I spent sleepless nights watching over you when you had a high fever while you were in a coma. I washed you, clipped your nails, and shaved your beard. I brushed your hair. I changed your clothes. I took care of you, and the first thing you did when you woke up was to throw me out of your room and out of your life like I did something horrible."

"Adessa..."

"You didn't even give me time to explain. You didn't even ask me how I was while you were sleeping. You were nice to everyone except me. I was the one with you 24/7, Kael. Not them. Not Desiree. Especially not Desiree."

He turned his back to me and leaned at the window, looking at the view outside through the thin, lace curtains.

I wiped my tears and sat on the bed, my back on him.

Silence ruled over us. I wanted to say more but stopped myself. It was no use telling him everything when he surely couldn't remember me still.

I tried to stifle my sobs, but it was getting harder. I had tried to be stronger these past two weeks-stronger than I had been my whole life. I refused to cry and succumb to the danger, but seeing him tonight surely crumbled all the walls I built around me.

"I woke up confused." He spoke after

a long while. The room I was in

looked different from how I remembered it. It was the same room, but somehow it felt bigger, fuller and more colorful. I wanted to get out of bed, but there was paraphernalia attached to me."

I closed my eyes, trying to understand him. The paraphernalia were the ones Dexter attached to him for his daily medication. It was also why I was not there with him, as I didntlike seeing him prodding needles on Kael. It was painful

but not a sound coming out of his throat.

see him flinch in his so

"I saw I had a wedding ring. Then, I was told I was married. Of course, I thought I was married to Desiree."

I stood up and turned around and found him already looking at me. All the words I wanted to say got stuck in my throat, and I ended up just staring back at him.

"The idea of me cheating on Desiree to marry you filled me with guilt. I could only imagine the pain she went through when I left her for you. And the fact that I couldn't remember you..." "She cheated on you," I said in a soft voice, not sure how he would take this.

He stopped talking and looked at me. It took a while before he asked. "Why did no one tell me about it?"

"Because you didn't tell anyone except me. No one knows the reason why you married me either. Everyone just thought I seduced and forced you to marry me."

"And I just let them think that way?" A scowl on his face.

I nodded. "You didn't mind. You said people will eventually forget about it. But I don't think they forget, because one year after we got married, I'm still not welcome. I'm still the other woman." "Why would I do that to you?"

"You didn't want the people to know she cheated on you. To save an Alpha's ego." I answered, and I couldn't stop the sarcasm in my voice.

He took a deep breath before he asked another question. "Did Desiree confess about cheating, or did I catch her?"

His question seemed more out of

curiosity. I could see no pain or rage

in his eyes. It gave me theCcontent © exclusive by Nô/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

impression that he didn't believe me, just as he did the first time I brought it up in his office. He merely asked inis questions to see if I would be

consistent with my "stories."

"You caught her," I replied. "In bed with another man."

He swallowed and pushed himself away from the window. His eyes bored deeply into mine before he threw the next one, which I was hoping he would ask. "Did I tell you who the man was?"

I nodded. I waited for him to ask who it was, but he didn't. However, I could sense his curiosity. So I decided to tell him.

"Rasmus. You said you caught her in bed with Rasmus."