HEARTS OF DIVINE RUIN (The MoonGoddess and The AlphaKing)

Chapter 13 :Shadows of Care

As the car pulled onto the road, the tension inside the vehicle grew. The earlier playfulness had evaporated, replaced by a thick silence. Luna turned her gaze to the window, watching the landscape blur by. She couldn't shake the feeling that something terrible was about to happen.

In her mind, she replayed the events of the last few days over and over, trying to find some clue, some missing piece that could explain why she had lost everything. But the more she thought about it, the more questions arose. Why had Lucifer and Davina not come looking for her sooner if they knew something was wrong with her ? Did they know something she didn't?

And then there was Alex. She glanced over at him, catching his gaze for a brief moment.She had a list of people who could be behind this, but none of them fit the description of the figure she had seen last night, or the stranger at the wedding. Whoever this was, they were outside her radar. And the fear of unknown was haunting her.

The drive was heavy with silence. The awkward tension between them hung in the air, thick and stifling. Luna sat curled up in the passenger seat, clutching the blanket like a shield against the cold—not just of the car, but of everything that had happened.

Luna, lost in her thoughts, stared out of the window and after what felt like an eternity of silence, Luna finally spoke, her voice barely above a whisper. "How far is their place?"

Alex didn't respond. She glanced at him, noticing how his jaw was still clenched, his grip tight on the steering wheel. He was ignoring her. Maybe he was still angry—angry for being pulled into her mess, for her reckless behavior last night.

She tugged the blanket tighter around herself, feeling a chill that had nothing to do with the temperature. After a moment, Alex adjusted the AC, warming the air inside the car, but he still didn't look at her.

Another few minutes passed, the tension easing just slightly as his anger subsided. Finally, in a low voice, he spoke, not taking his eyes off the road. "Two to three days," he said. "There's a place west of here that marks the Demon's Land. Once we're there, if the Hell Lord wants us to find him, he'll let us in."

Silence settled between them again, but when Luna noticed Alex still ignoring her, she stashed away her worries, determined to break through his serious demeanor. She looked around in the car and it was then her eyes glimmered with mischief as she found something - an idea sparked in her mind. She turned toward him, her gaze softening, full of exaggerated affection, as she prepared to strike.

With all the playful seduction she could muster, Luna purred, "You know, Alex, if this trip gets any longer... we might have to pull over, because you've got something long and hard that needs handling."

Alex stiffened, gripping the steering wheel tighter. He glanced at her, shock flickering in his eyes, but he quickly masked it, pretending to focus on the road.

"Seriously, a dagger," she continued, taking it out from his car's back seat feigning innocence. "You never know when you might need one."

Alex's grip on the steering wheel tightened. He tried to maintain his composure, pretending not to have heard her .

Undeterred by his reaction, or lack thereof, Luna leaned in closer, her voice dropping even lower, more sultry, as she added "If you're not going to use that mouth for talking, maybe it's time for a little lip service instead."

That did it.

Alex slammed on the brakes, the car skidding to a sharp stop on the side of the road. His hand gripped the steering wheel tightly, knuckles white, as he turned to face her, eyes burning with intensity. The force of his gaze made her heart race, the playfulness in her eyes faltering slightly.

His voice was low, laced with both frustration and something else she couldn't quite place. "Luna, I swear, you have no idea what you're playing with right now." His eyes bore into hers, a warning in them, and yet, there was an unmistakable heat simmering beneath.

Luna's breath hitched as she met his gaze, feeling the weight of his words. "I think I might have an idea," she replied, her voice teasing but her heart racing.

He exhaled sharply, running a hand through his hair as he tried to regain his composure. "This isn't a game."

But she wasn't having any of it. "Oh, come on! You can't seriously tell me you're not at least a little intrigued. This trip could use some fun, don't you think?"

He clenched his jaw, trying to ignore the way her words stirred something inside him. "Fun isn't the goal here. You needed my help, and I'm just doing what I promised."

"That's the problem, isn't it?" she replied, her voice light but her eyes serious. "You're acting like this is all about promise you made few hours ago. But it's okay to let your guard down sometimes."

He shot her a sidelong glance, irritation bubbling beneath the surface. "You asked for help. I'm helping. That's it. There will be nothing else. so there is no need to be friendly " He felt the weight of his unspoken feelings pressing down on him, and he fought to push them aside. Once they reached Lucifer and Davina, they could go their separate ways—just as he intended.

Luna turned her gaze out the window, her expression softening as she considered his words. "I guess I'm just trying to lighten the mood. Everything feels so heavy right now."

He kept his eyes on the road, even as a part of him longed to understand her better. "We'll get there soon. Once we do, you'll have your answers and clearity , atleast some of it "

The silence returned, but it wasn't comfortable anymore. Luna's earlier mischief faded, replaced by the weight of their situation. She needed his help, and he would give it, no matter the cost. But that didn't mean he had to like it.

As the landscape blurred by, Luna finally broke the silence again. "So, what happens after we meet them?"

Alex kept his tone measured, the walls around his emotions firmly in place. "We part ways. You go on with your business and I go back to my  life."

She nodded, but there was an unspoken tension lingering in the air, a reminder of everything that had yet to be resolved between them. "Right," she said quietly, the word heavy with unacknowledged feelings.

Then, in an attempt to shift the atmosphere, she added playfully, "You know, for someone who's an Alpha King, you sure do have a way of being... serious."

"Luna," he said, the exasperation creeping into his voice, "this isn't about me. It's about you ."

"Is it?" she asked, her tone teasing but her eyes searching his.

He felt the weight of her gaze, and for a fleeting moment, he wanted to say more, to admit that he cared for her safety, that he wanted to protect her—but he couldn't. Not when it could complicate everything. "Just trust me. I will do what i have promised."