AUTHOR'S POV
Happily humming a tune as she whip something in the tiny kitchen, Kristia served the clan's Luna in a joyous manner, as she have grown fond of Diana the first time she saw her in Roman's arms when they arrived earlier today. It was as beautiful as the sunset, seeing Roman so warm and gentle with her. Roman, who constantly get tangled with various women, suddenly turned to a different man that no one ever imagined. And for that, Kristia is over the moon knowing he have finally imprinted. After a long time, the Alpha of the Black Creek Clan will be in an intimate and serious relationship, faithfully and wholeheartedly to one person.
It was a very entertaining show! Kristia couldn't hide her smile noticing Roman's hardened face as he falter from trying to change Diana's clothes and clean her dirtied skin from mud. He struggled so hard to look away that he eventually called her to do it. She bursted out laughing when he stepped out of the camper van giving the Luna some privacy. If that's a different girl, he might have undressed her casually and jumped on her in no time. Indeed, the Luna wrapped a very tight leash around Roman's neck.
Once done heating up a pot of brewed coffee, a bowl of steamed potatoes, a stacked sandwich, and a few pieces of hard boiled eggs, Kristia placed the food on the table before she swiftly left Roman's camper van. She was told by the Alpha beforehand to leave immediately... so he can spend time alone with his Luna. Something that he has been excited and anxious about.
Diana followed Kristia with her eyes, yearning to ask questions rambling in her mind. There goes her chance to ask her as soon as Kristia closed the door. 'Maybe some other time', she thought.
The camper van lacked a bit of sufficient space, but it works. Everything about it is functional. However, the confined space makes Diana feel restricted and a bit uneasy... especially now that she is alone with Roman. Her eyes wandered at the simplicity of the charcoal gray interiors. It was too dark for her. The air is even filled with a rich scent of cedar wood and sage that have predominantly wafted inside. Smelling too different for her. Every bit of a piece around her is all Roman, and she didn't like it.
While Diana explores Roman's home with her eyes, and slowly moves her head from left to right, she heaved at the sight of a red laced ladies' underwear stuck just underneath the bed. She quickly bowed her head down towards her plate of steamed potatoes and clubhouse bread. 'Ugh. What a Casanova', she thought.
Roman cleared his throat and said, "Thanks for saving Troy". His voice is too steady. He gazed her face as he lean back on his chair as if he have all the time in the world.
"Troy?", she squinted her eyes at the name that she never heard before.
"The wolf you saved from the vampire?", he replied, getting a glimpse of her blue eyes that have finally looked at him. Roman has been dreaming of this day, but, he never thought that it would this nerve-racking in actual. Breathing the same air under the same roof with his Luna makes him nervous. Is this the softness that he was waiting for? The slow burn is already killing him, staring back at her mesmerizing eyes.
"Oh.. Troy..", Diana figured that it was the red wolf that she bled for. "It's the least I can do", Diana replied with a soft smile. Roman has been waiting for a flicker. The pull and answering spark that he have been yearning. That smile ignited it. "I should be the one thanking you, you've done so much". He moved closer, yet she pulled away. Something that confused him.
Though it seemed like her responses had sharp edges and her stance were too guarded, her smiles were enough to weaken Roman's knees. He dropped his jaw seeing Diana turn her lips up at him for the first time. For a while, he forgot to breath. "I didn't know my Luna is so fearless to sacrifice her life for a person she doesn't even know.", Roman said, as he take in air deeply.
"I think, we should always put our best foot forward.. In my case, I'm not a good fighter, I don't run fast. My blood is my greatest and only advantage in this realm of supernaturals..", Diana said with a sharp exhale. "I just did what I thought I had to do", she added as she flinch when she touched the hot potato.
Still, she had no recognition of the imprint in her gaze as much as Diana stares at the potato on her plate. Roman started to feel heated inside. "Luna.. I don't like the idea of you sacrificing your life for other people.. That's a wicked plan, effective but wicked. I won't let you do something crazy like that anytime in the future..", Roman took one potato and peeled it for Diana. "You don't need to bleed for anyone.. Not even get yourself hurt to save someone.", Roman placed the peeled potato on her plate, then slid his hand across the table touching her hand. Diana forced a smile as she immediately withdrew her hand down on her lap making Roman feel awkward. A rejection he have never received from a girl. "So uhh.. your blood. What's in it? By the looks of it, not all vampires who attacked us earlier knew what's in it.. But, funny how they all walk under the sun alright", Roman scratched his head clearing the uneasy feeling in the air by hopping to a different topic. He finally knew the answer to the question bothering him ever since he imprinted on Diana. The spark looks like it won't ever come, despite he was desperately looking for it.
Diana wasn't sure if Roman is someone she could trust. She thought she shouldn't just easily come clean to the man whom she just met, even if he saved her life a few times. "Let's just say... it's something that makes vampires' lives different".
"You don't trust me, do you?", Roman finally asked, as if he could see right through Diana. He wanted to hear the answers, and not just make assumptions that might not be true. And wanted them now.
"I'm afraid to say I don't", Diana said, lowly.
"You keep pushing me away. Does that mean... you didn't imprint back?", Roman leaned forward, trying to read the answers in her eyes.
"Roman", Diana called. It was softer, being at a position that she can't runaway. "I'm not the Luna for you", yet she braved the truth to come out.
Roman's eyes twitched at Diana who is rewriting the rules that he lived by. "What makes you say that?", Roman wondered, clenching his fists under the table.
"Not just because you imprinted on me, I'm going to be your lover", Diana thought that truth has to be told before Roman makes more of his advances.
"And Scott is?", Roman tasted something bitter in his mouth that his tone sounded rough. That name have started to get into his nerves lately.
"Yes, I chose him", Diana said in a single breath. Her voice didn't cracked. It was like the easiest question that she have ever answered.
Roman hardened his jaw, not removing his strong gaze at her. "That's not how it works. And you're also mine to claim", his voice drops, rougher. Territorial. He had no plans to defy his law of nature.
Diana remained silent, meeting his eyes. Roman didn't moved. He just gazed at her a straight face looking back at him. The coffee then turned cold. The potatoes and eggs ceased from steaming. And the bread turned soggy. She wet her lips, preparing to ricochet more of her blunt vetoes. "I'm different, Roman. I'm not like everyone else. My blood screams wolf, in a unique way. But I don't shape shift, I don't have sharp senses. And I don't imprint. While you don't have freedom who to love, I'm too human to choose who I want to be with".
"But why not me?", Roman's eyes eyes turned softer. The feeling of being hurt broke him that it made his anger sound... thin.
"I'm sorry", she stood firm. "But I won't choose you just because of the imprint".
"How can you be so... cruel, Diana?", Roman leaned back with a long sigh. He wondered if this the price that he has to pay after breaking so many hearts of different girls. He smirked, looking down. "Or maybe I just didn't think that you'd be cruel to me..", he started pacing. Fidgeting with his cold hands. Brushing his hair back. As if he's trying to hold onto something far from his grasp. "When I first found out that you cannot shape shift in the woods, I thought I imprinted on a weak wolf... That at long last, the great name of Alpha Roman will be smeared with a lame Luna.", he scoffed sharply, looking up, as if the jokes on him. Then he smiled, not even trying to look at Diana."But seeing you out there, and having this conversation with you right here.. I realized that the moon goddess gave me the best Luna there is". Roman knew that the imprint works differently from the rush of lust and fleeting moments of affection. He has always been the man who have tasted different women every night, enjoyed crazy wild sex in every place anyone could think of. It was so simple and easy, as if he can do it beyond the imprint. However, the absolute power of the moon goddess to soul bound was stronger than he ever imagined. He stared at her, piercing, clenching his jaw.
"It doesn't shut off.", his voice quieter now. "It doesn't dim because you don't want it. You walk out of the room, and it's still there. You look at someone, and it's still---", he exhaled sharply, extending his arms towards her, reaching her hands but not exactly trying. "Do you understand what that does to me?".
Even when surrounded with Roman's voice, scent and presence, Scott still lingered in Diana's thoughts. In Roman's words, she finally understood how Scott struggled to fight the irresistible force compelling him to her after saying blunt things about how it sounded fickle it was. She kept her hands to her.
"I'm sorry.", Roman turned his head on the table. He didn't need to kneel. He didn't feel defeated, yet he accepted the reality. "That came out wrong", he sat up feeling reckless of saying those words. "Don't...", Roman swallowed, like the words were cutting on the way out. "Don't make me let you go".
"I can't, Roman", Diana didn't know what to say. Her constant rejection towards Roman have kept her dry.
"You get to walk away, I get it", he said. "I don't. That's the difference you keep ignoring. You lose nothing. I lose everything... While It would be a whole lot better if I imprinted first.. if I met you before Scott did? Well hey.. who wouldn't want a good challenge huh?", he said with a gentle smile, showing those man fangs.