THE SUBSTITUTE LUNA (IRIS and DRACO) novel Chapter 2

IRIS.

“Mate…” I mumbled as my eyes watered.

I couldn’t believe my sister’s fated mate, the one I thought was mine, was the one in front of me.

Many thoughts ran through my head, including whether my sister was also here with him. But then, if she were, I was sure she wouldn’t leave him alone with another woman.

“Did you hear me?” He asked, snapping me out of my thoughts.

“Do… Do… you want me to dance for you, Alpha Draco?” I asked. His question didn’t register in my head until I had already voiced mine.

He leaned his elbow on the armrest of his chair as he stared at me. “I asked you what you were doing here because I declined Constantine’s offer to send a woman to my bed. And yet you asked me if I wanted to see you dancing?”

I swallowed hard. He wasn’t smiling, but he didn’t look upset either.

In fact, even with a stoic expression on his face, he looked handsome, so handsome that I was willing to do whatever it would take to make him spend this night with me.

“I want to dance for you, Alpha. I have been practicing and… and… it will all go to waste if I can’t dance… for you. I have no one… to dance for.” I said, stuttering.

It was the truth. Marion had me watch videos of sensual dancing and told me to practice them.

I didn’t.

I only pretended when she stayed and looked at what I’d been practicing on. But since I’d let the video run the whole time I was supposed to be practicing, I had memorized the moves, and I was hoping I could pull it off.

I only needed him to agree.

“Hmmm… Tempting. Can you dance well?”

“You can be the judge, Alpha.”

He didn’t say anything but kept looking at me. Despite the darkness of the room, I could see his jaw tightening as his eyes roamed my whole body.

I shifted on my toes, hoping he wouldn’t turn me away. I was skinny, and the only attractive part of my body was my breasts. Despite losing weight, they remained full.

I didn’t wait for him this time. I slowly raised my hands above my head and began moving my body to dance. There was no music, no sound, just the loud beating of my heart, but it was enough for me to dance sensually in my own rhythm, doing my best to sway my body, just like how the women in the videos did.

I heard him clear his throat as he leaned back in his chair and parted his legs. His expression remained devoid of any emotion, but not once did he take his gaze off me. It was enough to keep my confidence high.

In the last three years, I had never felt as seen as I did tonight. And although this was wrong and not proper, I was basking in his attention.

“Closer…” He said in a raspy voice.

I didn’t understand what he meant, so I kept swaying my hips, still trying to understand what he said or if I heard him right.

“Come closer,” he said, motioning with his hand as he sat up straight, but he kept his legs apart.

I walked toward him while my heart drummed loudly—so loudly that it felt as if it would jump out of my chest.

I stopped and stood before him, right between his legs, and just as I was about to dance again, his hands gripped my waist, making my body jolt a bit forward.

I didn’t know what I was supposed to do next. All I knew was my knees were buckling, and if he didn’t take his hands off me, I might end up collapsing.

“Alpha…” I mumbled, panting as my hands found their way onto his arms, holding on to him tightly.

I was not able to say more when I felt his warm and wet lips touching the skin of my stomach before his tongue swiped up across my navel. And when I tilted my head down, he was looking at me as he continued to suck and lap on my skin.

Heat rose from my stomach up to my chest as sweat formed on my forehead. My toes gripped the carpeted floor, and my hold on him tightened.

We lay motionless for a couple of minutes until I heard him snoring softly. He had fallen asleep. I couldn’t help the smile that curled on my lips.

I knew I should leave once he fell asleep, as I was instructed, but I couldn’t find it in me to leave him. Not yet.

‘Five more minutes.’ I mumbled to myself. ‘Then I will go.’

I scooted my body around his, my head under his armpit, while his arms rested on his forehead. He didn’t touch or hug me, but his warmth was enough to lull me to sleep.

‘Oh, Goddess!’ I yelled in my head when my senses came back. I fell asleep.

I snapped my eyes open, ready to bolt out of his room, but ended up staring at the deep, ocean-blue eyes looking at me.

He woke up before me.

“Alpha…” It was all I could say as I pushed my body and got out of bed. I grabbed my clothes and put them on without looking at him. I waited for him to say something, but he didn’t. Although I felt his gaze following my movements.

When I got my clothes back on, I grabbed the veil he had tossed on the floor and placed it back over my face before lowering my head. “I will leave now, Alpha.” It was all I could muster to say before I fled out of his room.

I didn’t have time to think about what he was thinking because I was in a hurry to return to the basement.

Offering me to Alpha Draco as a gift was Marion’s idea. Constantine didn’t agree at first, but he was eventually swayed. He then told me not to spend the whole night with the guest, or I would be punished.

I was used to punishment, but I always got the severe one if he was punishing me for being jealous, even if I never did anything except talk to another man.

I could only imagine what I would get if he realized I spent the whole night with Alpha Draco.

I kept praying he wasn’t awake yet, but based on how high the sun was when I passed a window, I was sure he already was.

And I was not wrong. As soon as I turned to the corner of the basement where my small room was, I immediately saw my husband, standing outside of my bedroom with a belt coiled around his hand.