“Go. I can finish this and I’ll go thereafter.” I told him, and he nodded his head at me before handing me his wallet.
I watched him for a while as he crouched down in front of the little girl and talked with them before I returned my attention to the vendor and paid for the fruits.
After I was done, I took the paper bag of fruits in my arms and walked to where Riley was. He stood up from crouching when he saw me approaching them.
“Hi!” I greeted the woman.
She smiled warmly at me and her eyes fell on my marked neck. Her eyes rounded as a gasp escaped her throat. “Luna Andrea?”
I felt my whole body turn cold as Riley stiffened beside me. I didn’t know if the female was really clueless or if she did it on purpose, but either way, it shattered my heart to pieces.
My guts were telling me to turn my back on her and walk away, but I didn’t. I had a role to play, and even if this was too much for me, I still managed to smile and extend my hand at her.
“My name is Nadia. I am not Andrea.” Her eyes widened in utter shock as a rose tint crept on her cheeks before she took my hand in her hands, clasping them all together before bowing in front of me.
“I’m so sorry, Luna Nadia. I… Oh, Goddess.”
I shook my head and clasped both my hands together with hers before I replied. “No harm done. And you, what is your name?”
“Stella. My name is Stella, Luna. I’m really sorry.” She then turned her head to Riley, who had a dark expression on his face, and bowed at him. “Alpha, my apologies.”
Riley didn’t answer, and I had no idea what was going on in his mind, but I saw his hands on his sides coiled into fists, and Stella’s face turned pale.
I diverted attention by crouching in front of the little girl and engaging her in conversation.
“Hi! You’re so beautiful. What is your name?”
“Thank you. My name is Rebecca.”
“That’s a lovely name. And you also have a lovely doll. Do you have a name for her?”
“Uhmm…” Her mother tried to interrupt us, but Rebecca answered immediately.
“Andrea. Mommy said it was the Luna’s name. Is she beautiful too?”
I smiled warmly at her, but my heart was dying at this point.What have I done to deserve this pain?Everything around this palace screamed Andrea.
“I haven’t met her. But I’m sure she’s beautiful.”
“Rebecca,” Her mother bent down and brushed her hair. “Mommy was wrong. I got the Luna’s name mixed up with someone else’s. Our Luna is Nadia.”
Rebecca looked back at me as her eyes rounded in awe, “Are you Luna Nadia?”
I nodded and did my best to smile at her. I was getting good at this.
“You’re so pretty, Luna.” She said it in almost a whisper, and then her eyes watered before she looked at her mother and spoke with her. “I want a Luna Nadia doll, Mommy…”
“Mommy doesn’t have extra money to buy you a new one, sweetheart, but we can change her name…”
No way, no fucking way.I was already a replacement for a Luna. I would never be a replacement doll too.
“How about…” I cut her off and all eyes turned to me. “You and your mommy, visit me one of these days at the packhouse? I will make sure I have a lovely doll ready for you, and you can name her whatever you want. Then you don’t need to change her name.”
Her eyes rounded as she beamed happily at me. “I will give her your name, Luna Nadia. Then she can be friends with Andrea.”
Goddess!
I ruffled her hair before I stood up. “Yes, she and Andrea can be friends.”
