Chapter 258: Drama Queen

Azura’s POV

The heavy iron gates of Crescent Moon Pack held open as our battered procession finally staggered through.

The entire pack house erupted into controlled chaos the second we stepped onto the main grounds. Healers swarmed the courtyard, carrying stretchers and clean white bandages as they rushed past us to take charge of the wounded.

Torin was immediately carried off toward the main infirmary wing, his breathing shallow and his face ghostly pale from the massive spell he had cast.

Silas and Axel took charge of Rhydor, half-supporting him under his shoulders as they carefully guided him toward the private medical quarters. Even Nicholas was taken away on a stretcher, his motionless body handled with extreme caution as Isadora walked silently beside him, keeping a watchful eye on his slow, steady breaths.

Every warrior who needed urgent care was given immediate attention.

Everyone except the Dragon King.

Aethryx stood in the center of the bustling courtyard, completely ignoring the two young female healers who were nervously offering him clean clothes and medicinal ointment.

He had taken several severe bites from the Bornes during the sky battle, deep black wounds that would have turned any normal werewolf into a raging zombie in a matter of seconds.

But the dark magic wasn’t spreading through his blood. The black marks just sat there on his broad chest and arms, faintly smoking against his skin before slowly closing up on their own.

Maybe it was because he was a dragon. Maybe it was because his ancient bloodline was completely immune to the curse. Either way, he flatly refused to step inside the infirmary.

I took a deep breath, smoothing down my dusty clothes as I began walking out toward the front gates. I wanted to talk to him privately. I wanted to thank him properly for risking his life in our war when he had no real obligation to fight for us.

He was standing near the stone archway, his arms crossed over his chest, staring down the long dirt path leading into the forest. But he wasn’t looking at the scenery, and he certainly wasn’t paying attention to my approach. His grey eyes were fixed entirely on a single point in the distance, a strange, expectant look on his face.

I stepped to the side, leaning against a thick wooden pillar to see what had caught his attention.

A white horse was galloping hard down the road, kicking up clouds of dust as it rounded the final bend toward the gates. The rider pulled the reins tightly, bringing the mount to a sharp stop right outside the courtyard.

It was Liona.

She practically tumbled off the saddle before the horse had even come to a complete halt. Tears were streaming freely down her flushed cheeks, her eyes wide and red as she spotted the dragon man standing by the archway.

Without picking up the hem of her travel dress, she sprinted straight toward him across the dirt.

I fully expected her to throw her arms around his neck in a dramatic, tearful reunion hug.

Instead, she balled her right hand into a fist and hit him square in the chest with everything she had.

"Why did you leave?" she cried out, her voice cracking with pure emotion as her fist struck his tunic.

"Why did you leave me behind like that? Why did you not tell me where you were going? Why? Why? Why?"

She kept hitting his broad chest repeatedly, her small hands raining down continuous, angry blows against his solid armor. Aethryx didn’t make a single move to stop her.

He didn’t block her hand, he didn’t step back, and he didn’t even flinch. He just stood there like an unshakeable mountain, letting her vent every ounce of her frustration on his body.

"Are you really so eager to leave me alone in this world?" Liona sobbed, her whole body shaking as fresh tears spilled over her eyelashes.

"Are you that eager to make me mateless again? Why on earth would you go on a dangerous mission like this without saying a word to me? Why?"

The Dragon King didn’t answer her right away. He just stared down at her frantic face with remarkably soft, gentle eyes. Slowly, almost reverently, he lifted his large, calloused hand and used his thumb to gently wipe a wet tear away from her hot cheek. 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

"I apologize, my queen," he said softly, his deep voice carrying a tone of absolute sincerity.

"I apologize for hurting your heart."

Liona sniffled loudly, her chest heaving as she wiped her nose with the back of her sleeve.

"Then why did you do it?"

"I just wanted you to be happy again," Aethryx replied quietly, keeping his golden gaze locked on hers. "That is the only reason I went into that fight."

Liona frowned up at him, her brows pulling together in genuine confusion.

"Why would going on a suicidal combat mission make me happy? What are you even talking about?"

"I was trying to protect what you loved," he answered in a quiet, low murmur.

"I did it for the second time. I wanted to fix it so you wouldn’t have to live with that dark hollow look in your eyes anymore."

Liona stared at him, her expression shifting from anger to complete bewilderment.

"What on earth are you talking about?"

Aethryx didn’t answer her with words. Instead, he slowly shifted his eyes, looking directly over her shoulder toward the wooden pillar where I was standing.

He had known I was standing there watching them the entire time.

Liona slowly turned around, following his warm gaze across the open yard.

Her eyes landed directly on me.

She froze mid-step. Her breath hitched in her throat, her lips parting as her tear-stained face went completely blank with shock. She stared at me for several long, silent seconds, not even blinking.

"Can you see her too?" Liona whispered, her voice barely audible over the light breeze sweeping through the court.

"Or am I finally starting to see things again?"

Aethryx let out a low, warm chuckle from deep in his chest.

"I see her clearly, my queen. That was the only reason I answered the summons and went to war."

Liona turned her head to look back at him, fresh tears immediately welling up in her eyes and overflowing down her face. Then she turned back to look at me, her hands trembling at her sides.

I offered her a small, timid smile and raised my right hand for a gentle wave.

"Hi," I said softly.

Liona snapped. She didn’t walk; she sprinted across the remaining distance and slammed into me so hard we both nearly tumbled backward onto the cobblestones.

She wrapped her arms around my neck, squeezing me with a desperate, terrifying force that completely knocked the air out of my lungs.

"You stupid, stupid fool!" she sobbed directly into my shoulder, burying her wet face against my jacket.

"I missed you too, Liona," I murmured, wrapping my arms tightly around her waist and resting my chin against her hair.

"Why would you do that to us?" she cried, her body trembling against mine as she held on like I was about to vanish into thin air. "Why would you just go away like that?"

"I am so sorry," I said gently, rubbing her back in steady, soothing circles.

"I really didn’t mean to hurt everyone. I am so, so sorry for causing you all this pain."

Liona slowly pulled back from the hug, though she kept both of her hands firmly planted on my shoulders as if testing whether I was actually solid.

Her fingers moved up to touch my face, tracing my cheekbones, my forehead, and running through my hair with frantic disbelief.

"You are really here?" she whispered, her wide eyes searching my face.

"You are actually standing in front of me? I honestly thought I was having another terrible hallucination."

"Have you really been seeing me around all this while?" I asked, raising an eyebrow at her.

Liona shook her head quickly, wiping her nose with her forearm.

"No. I have not been seeing you. I made sure I stayed completely grounded."

"Oh, come on," I teased, giving her a mischievous grin. "You do not need to pretend to be tough in front of me."

A tiny, breathless laugh escaped her lips, and she wiped another tear away.

"I missed you so much, Azura."

"I missed you too," I replied warmly, feeling a genuine wave of relief wash over my chest.

Liona suddenly pouted, her lower lip sticking out as she crossed her arms tightly over her ribs.

"You completely broke my heart, you know that, right?"

"I am so very sorry for doing that to you," I said, offering her an apologetic look.

"You better mend it right now," she insisted, huffing softly as she tapped her foot against the dirt.

I grinned, tossing my head back as I pointed a thumb over her shoulder.

"I don’t actually need to do that myself. Someone else is already working very hard to fix it for me."

Liona blinked, her brow furrowing again.

"Hm?"

"Look behind you," I said, nodding toward the gate.

Liona turned around slowly.

Aethryx was still standing right by the archway, watching her every move with a soft, incredibly patient smile on his face.

The anger on Liona’s face melted away in an instant. She abandoned me without a second thought, rushing back across the yard toward the Dragon King.

She launched herself up into his arms, wrapping her legs tightly around his waist as her arms went around his neck.

She pulled his head down and kissed him right on the lips.

Aethryx caught her easily, his massive arms wrapping around her back to hold her securely against his body as he kissed her back with an intense, raw passion that made the air around them feel instantly warm.

I stood by the pillar, resting my hand on my hip as I watched the theatrical display unfold in broad daylight.

"Okay," I called out, my voice completely flat and dry as I raised a hand to block my view.

"Please go get a private room. I am really not liking this audience seat right now."

They slowly pulled apart, both of them slightly out of breath. Liona lowered her feet back to the ground, though she kept one hand resting firmly against his chest.

She turned her head to look back at me, her eyes shining with genuine warmth, before turning back to her mate.

"Thank you," Liona said softly, her voice thick with emotion.

"Thank you for everything, Aethryx."

Aethryx leaned down, pressing a gentle kiss against the side of her temple.

"Anything for you, my queen."

Liona smiled up at him, her fingers gently touching the sharp line of his jawline. But as her hand slid down past his collarbone, her eyes suddenly caught sight of the jagged, black-rimmed wounds torn across his torso.

Her soft expression instantly vanished, replaced by a look of sheer horror.

"What on earth happened to you?" she gasped, her voice rising an octave as she stared at the raw cuts.

"Why are you this badly injured?"

"Do not worry yourself, my Queen," Aethryx replied calmly, his voice smooth and steady.

"My blood is strong. It will heal in due time."

"Why do you keep hurting yourself like this?" Liona demanded, her panic instantly turning right back into aggressive frustration.

She balled her fist again and delivered another hard strike straight to the center of his chest, hitting him right on top of one of the open wounds.

Aethryx winced sharply, a low hiss escaping his teeth as his posture bent forward slightly.

"Ah."

Liona gasped, her hands flying to her mouth in immediate panic as her face turned completely pale.

"Oh! I am so sorry! I didn’t mean to hit the sore spot!"

Aethryx slowly straightened his back, a sudden, playful smirk spreading across his lips as his golden eyes danced with amusement.

"I was just playing with you," he chuckled softly.

Liona let out a loud, offended squeak and threw her arms around his waist again, burying her face in his neck to hide her red cheeks.

Aethryx held her tightly against him, resting his chin on top of her head as he looked over her shoulder at the quiet forest path beyond the gates.

"I would do anything in this world for you, Liona. I missed my dramatic queen far more than the quiet, sad one. I just wanted to see her come back to life."

Liona pulled her head back, glaring up at him with a look of extreme offense.

"I am not a drama queen!"

Aethryx raised one dark eyebrow, thoroughly amused by her reaction.

"Oh really? You truly think you are not a drama queen after that performance?"

"No!" Liona stated firmly, crossing her arms again. "I am not. You are just making up wild stories to embarrass me. Anyway, I am going to go be with my girl now."

She unceremoniously pushed herself away from his chest and turned on her heel to walk back toward me.

"See you later," she tossed casually over her shoulder without even looking back at him.

Aethryx put on a ridiculously pitiful expression, drooping his massive shoulders as he called out after her.

"I am severely injured, my queen. Will you not at least tend to my battle wounds?"

Liona stopped, turned her head slightly, and gave him a completely flat, unimpressed stare.

"What do I look like to you? A certified healer? Go get yourself a real healer in the infirmary. After all, you are a powerful king."

I couldn’t help the loud chuckle that escaped my throat as I watched the mighty dragon king stand there, completely dismissed by a girl half his size.

"Were you not the one throwing a massive emotional fit just two minutes ago because he left without telling you?" I teased, leaning against the pillar as Liona reached my side.

"And now you are dismissing him just like that?"

Liona shrugged her shoulders casually, linking her arm through mine as she turned us both around to walk toward the main house entrance.

"I just really want to have some girl time right now," she declared smoothly, rolling her eyes toward the sky.

"I am honestly kind of tired of seeing man, man, man all day long."

I laughed out loud, letting her lead me up the stone steps toward the warm, quiet hallways of the pack house, leaving the Dragon King standing alone in the courtyard with a wide, fond smile on his face.