Emily's POV
"You better get going then. Tell your friend to come by, I could use some company. She will wait for you. That's as long as you're here before seven pm, cause Damon arrives by eight." Dathan said.
Tears pooled in my eyes as Dathan talked. Someone so genuinely kind to me couldn't be coincidental.
"Thank you." I said. "She works on the farm, but I have a number she slipped into my skirt when she was taken away."
"Call her then. You're Luna, you can summon her from the farm." Dathan replied.
"Damon taps all my calls." I suddenly remembered. "Can I use your phone?"
"And what's to say that he does not tap mine?" Dathan asked me.
But I knew he was joking. He'd never allow that. Dathan is the only person who could stand up to Damon.
"Pretty please." I begged him.
"It's right next to you, on the bedside table." He gave up.
"Thank you." I squealed and reached for it.
I called the number Zyna left three times, there was no response, so I gave up.
"As I said Emily, life is tough out there." Dathan said, and resumed playing the piano.
I sat alone with my thoughts on Dathan's bed. There's nowhere else in that place I'd rather be.
I checked my watch again.
Time was moving fast. I knew Nala would've gotten dressed and would probably be waiting for me.
But there's just some moments that shouldn't be rushed.
Being there, with Dathan, was one of them.
I hadn't realised he was shirtless, cause I had been consumed by myself and my problems.
Damon was turning me into someone I wasn't. And I couldn't help it.
I wasn't too familiar with music, cause I had very little access to it growing up, so everything played on the piano sounded beautiful to me. But even at that, I could tell Dathan was extra skilled, through the dexterity of his fingers. How they danced from key to key, without losing momentum or tune.
"You play really well." I said.
Maybe he didn't hear me, maybe he didn't want to be disturbed, but Dathan didn't respond.
I took off my watch and put it on his bed, wearing it was a constant reminder of where I was supposed to be and what I was supposed to be doing, and what I was doing.
The melancholic tune Dathan played was the perfect soundtrack to my jumbled thoughts, till
A knock interrupted both Dathan and I. It was gentle enough, but still distracted us.
I sat still, wondering who it could be. Dathan stood up and went to the door, unlocking it.
"Hi Nala." He greeted her with a very warm smile.
"I'm here for Luna, on the Alphas' command." Nala said, not smiling.
"What does that mean?" Dathan asked her.
Nala still hadn't seen me, and I was seriously considering hiding under Dathan's bed, but Luna doesn't do that in her own palace, I told myself.
"I have reason to believe that she is here." Nala continued. "Failure to obey the Alpha is drastic, I must say."
I felt like Nala knew what she was doing, with the constant mention of 'Alpha', 'Alpha'.
He'd always be Damon to me, the scared and somehow daunting young man.
"She will be with you in a minute." Dathan tone was icy as he shut the door on Nala.
I heaved a sigh of relief.
"I seem to think you are the only one left in this palace who doesn't loathe me." He said, reeling from the shock of their conversation.
"That is mutual." I scoffed.
"Nala is waiting for you. Do not put yourself in more trouble." He warned.
"And what about you?" I asked him.
"I'll be just fine. Damon will always be my big brother." He said, even though he didn't look like he believed himself.
"I'll see you later." I said.
"If the universe wills." He added.
I felt like jumping into his hands. I could really use a hug at that point in time.
Instead, I wore my slippers and left Dathan's room.
The worst had already happened. Nala knew I was in Dathan's room, and I'm sure Damon would have known too, so I took my pretty time in getting dressed and rejoining Nala downstairs.
"Kindly excuse my delay. I lost track of time." I said to her, not even looking at her face.
Nala stood up and bowed out of courtesy, after which Farh came to inform us that he had taken the car Damon asked us to use out of the parking lot.
As I got out of the main palace entrance, I was greeted by the most exotic car I ever saw.
It was like one of those in Dathan's room, or like the cars I saw in torn magazines at the orphanage.
I tried not to suck in all the air in the room as we entered it.
Farh drove fast, but carefully.
I tried to check the time, but my wrist was blank.
Until then did I remember that I left my watch on Dathan's bed.
I wished and hoped that nothing would go wrong, even though there's very little likelihood of that happening. It's not like Damon searched Dathan's room or anything.
The shopping was a very boring experience, while there were very nice and extremely expensive clothes, limited editions, and literal one-of-a-kind, my mood had already been ruined.
And it's not like I exactly enjoyed running my hands on fabric, and falsely claiming to know whether it's quality or fake, leather or wool.
I saw a couple of ladies do so, so I followed suit. Nala knew that I didn't know what I was doing, I ended up picking everything I picked for aesthetics, and not for the quality of material.
"I'll be in the car." I said to her, handing her everything I chose.
Since she wants to serve Damon so bad, I was going to let her.
I walked out of the store, and back to where Farh parked the car.
He waited in it, so inside the car was just as cool as in the store, if not cooler.
"Thank you, Farh." I said, for no reason exactly.