Chapter 40

Chapter 40

Until now, my cheeks are still red from what Damon did. He kissed me in front of so many people! I know he already did that when we were married but his kiss was different from now because we didn't feel anything for each other before...now I can feel my heart trembling.

Many people saw that, so Damon quickly pulled me out of that place and stopped at a jewelry stall still here in the small market. When I turned to Damon, he was already grinning at me. He likes what he did. I can see the sparkle in his eyes. I rolled my eyes at him.

I didn't know that he had the courage to do that. I never imagine him doing that because he's used to doing things with elegance. And what he did earlier was not elegant at all. But why is my heart like this now? It's beating so happily.

"W-What if someone saw us earlier? You're so careless, Damon!” I said to him angrily. He raised an eyebrow at me. My cheeks reddened because of his looks that almost penetrated my soul.

"Don't worry they didn't see anything. I'm skilled with that you know," he said confidently and proudly! I just stared at him while he entered the jewelry stall, we stopped at. I just shook my head and smiled at what he said. I didn't think he had any boastfulness hidden in his personality.

I followed him inside and we saw an old vendor. I was surprised when Damon took the hood of his cloak off his head!

“Damon! What are you doing?!” I quickly said and approached him. I was stunned when I saw the smile on Damon's lips while looking at the old man. I was even more surprised when the old man quickly knelt in front of Damon.

"It's my pleasure to see you again...King Damon," my lips parted as I watched the old man pay respect for Damon.

"You can stand up...Grandpa," I blinked twice when I heard Damon mention Grandpa. Grandpa? I stared at the old man. The old man has white hair, a bit tall but Damon is still taller, the old man has heavenly eyes, and he definitely has the handsomeness of his youth because you can see his manly body even though he’s old.

"You didn't tell me you're going to visit, Alpha," the old man said.

"I'm sorry it's a sudden visit. I just want to stroll around with my wife," Damon replied. The old man immediately turned to me and smiled widely. He bowed in respect to me.

"It's finally nice to meet you, Queen Athena," he greeted me. I was still surprised by the situation when Damon held my hand. I looked up at him and saw his gentle eyes looking at me.

"He's my mother's father. He's my grandfather," my eyes widened at what he said, and turned my eyes to the old man. I quickly took his hand to shake hands. Shit! It's a shame! He was actually the first to greet me because I did nothing but be stunned!

"I-I'm sorry! I'm Athena Solitaire Madrigal, Damon—I mean Alpha Damon's L-Luna…” I said nervously. He gladly accepted my hand but when I heard his laughter, I stiffened he let go of my hand and continued to laugh. I looked at Damon and saw that he just shrugged his shoulders at me.

"You're funny, Queen Athena. I'm just his grandfather, no need to use honorifics," he laughed. My lips parted. But...he's Damon's grandfather.

"She's a human, grandpa. She grew up in a different way," Damon explained for me. The old man stopped laughing but the smile remained on his lips.

"I know...humans are used to respecting the old ones," he said. I snorted because he was right. But that's not all. I was nervous earlier because this was the first time, I saw Damon's relatives besides Jules.

"I'm Brandon, Queen Athena," Grandpa Brandon introduced himself to me. I nodded and smiled at him.

He happily welcomed us into his jewelry store. He temporarily closed the store for us to avoid people who might see us. Grandpa Brandon told us many stories.

He says that he has been living well for the past hundred years after Damon's parents died. I saw that Damon was quite close to his grandfather. He told me earlier that his mother often brings him here. So maybe that’s why he is close to the old man.

He told us a lot about the village and somehow the whole place is going well. It's just that, in the past few days since there was a threat from Jules, the villagers have been in a bit of trouble. There was fear among each other which is why the armed forces of the village weakened a bit.

"That's also the reason why I visited this place..." Damon said. I turned to him. I know we’re not doing this just to have fun. I understand Damon. He is concerned about his constituents.

"Alpha...I don't want to be negative, but I want to warn you..." I stopped when Grandpa Brandon said that. "...I can smell danger and blood all over the kingdom," Grandpa Brandon continued. I felt Damon stop. "I also...smell betrayal," that's when I was completely stiffened.

Betrayal.

I remembered what Jules had said that there was a traitor among the people Damon trusted so much. I got nervous. I stared at Damon who remained silent and dark. Then what Jules said might be true. There is indeed a traitor in the palace.

But who? Which of the people did Damon trust betrayed him? Something throbbed in my chest. Why…does someone else have to be a traitor to the people Damon trusts?

I'm already hurting at the thought of that... I know Damon who has been with the people in the palace longer was surely hurting more.

"Damon..." I softly called him. I held his arm to calm him down. I saw his face change softly when he felt my touch. We both looked at each other.

"Are you okay?" I asked him worriedly. He smiled at me and nodded.

"I'm…okay," Damon answered. I bit my lower lip because I know...he was lying.

Before we left, Grandpa Brandon promised to help find Jules. Damon, on the other hand, trusted the old man a lot before we left. I could feel the loneliness in Damon's mood as we walked back to the palace. Even though he was in wolf form, I couldn't read his thoughts. He closed our mind link that's why I worried about him even more.

"Damon..." I called him when he led me to the palace gate. I knew he was leaving to get dressed. He cannot return to human form in front of me. And I don't want either because he'll be naked!

He stopped when I called him. His golden-brown wolf eyes are staring at me intently. I walked up to him and touched his soft black fur. I kissed his forehead as the wind blew toward us. A strong wind whipped my hair as my lips felt his forehead covered with soft black fur.

"I'm always here...no matter what happened. I will always stay beside you…remember that,” I whispered to him. I said that to let him know that no matter what happens I will not leave him. That even if the entire palace betrays him, I will still stay by his side and serve as his strength whenever he is weak.

Tears welled up in my eyes when he just stared at me. He didn't open our mind link. But I said enough to make him feel that I love him very much. I watched him turn his back on me. I thought he would leave my sight without saying anything, but I was wrong.

"I'll come back...Athena," he said in our mind link and at that moment my tears started to fall.