Chapter 40: Chapter 40; You are a broken Luna

Emily’s POV

"Here you go," I said, tossing the wad of cash at her. She caught it, a slow smirk spreading across her lips. "You are so pathetic, Becca. All I had to do was dangle a little bait, and you were so quick to rat out your so-called friend."

Becca’s smile only grew wider.

"You know I only care about the money, Emily. It’s always been that way. Besides, she was stupid to think I was ever her friend. I was shocked when she actually reached out for help. That’s why I invited her to that party; I knew you’d be there. I wanted her to remember her place—forever underneath our feet. She became a Luna once and thought she was better than us. I’m just glad you took your title back."

A satisfied smile mirrored hers. "You know very well I’d never let her keep it. It was only a matter of time before I reclaimed what was mine. Now, leave before someone sees you."

She nodded and slipped away. I let out a long sigh of relief. Alina was behind bars and I had her son. Now, I just needed to convince Aiden that I should look after Leo. I promised her I’d take her son away, and I intended to keep that promise.

I headed to Aiden’s room. When I pushed the door open, I found him pacing the floor, his jaw tight.

"What’s the matter?" I asked, softening my voice to sound like a devoted wife. Honestly, I couldn’t have cared less about his stress, but I had a part to play.

"It’s nothing, Emily. You should go get some rest," he muttered without looking at me.

"Get some rest?" I let confusion lace my tone. "What do you mean, Aiden? I’m your wife. Won’t I be sleeping in here with you?"

"Yeah... you’re right. I’m sorry, I’m just a little—"

"Confused?" I interrupted, annoyance bubbling up. "Aiden, you told me not to worry about your feelings. You said you loved only me. Why have you been acting so differently ever since the wedding? Don’t you love me anymore? Or are you so caught up with Alina that she’s all you think about?"

I stepped closer, my eyes narrowing. "You still haven’t explained why you acted like that at the party when she was around. I am your wife now, not her. Don’t ever embarrass me like that again—especially not in front of her."

"I’m sorry, Emily. I didn’t mean to hurt you," Aiden whispered, pulling me into a tight embrace. "I promise, I won’t give you a reason to complain ever again."

Over his shoulder, I let a dark smirk pull at my lips. He was so easy to break. I would keep twisting the knife of emotional blackmail until I had everything I wanted. Once I was secure, I’d be with Lucian—the only man who actually understood the fire that burned inside me. Aiden was a bore; he could never satisfy me in bed the way Lucian did. I just had to play the part a little longer.

***

"Where do you think you’re going with that?" I snapped, stopping a maid in the hallway. She flinched, clutching the tray of food to her chest.

"This is for... for Luna Alina, ma’am."

"Luna?" I hissed, the word tasting like poison.

"I-I’m sorry! Ex-Luna! I mean, Alina," she stuttered, her face turning pale.

"I see you’re tired of having a job," I said, my voice dropping to a dangerous level. "I can make it very easy for you to leave this pack permanently."

"I am so sorry, Luna, I didn’t mean—"

"Shut up and give me that." I snatched the tray from her hands, nearly sloshing the water over the edge. "Now, get out of my sight."

She scurried away like a frightened rabbit. Smirking, I carried the tray toward the cells. The two guards at the door straightened up immediately, bowing their heads as they pulled the heavy doors open for me.

The moment I stepped inside, my smile grew. Alina was sitting there, looking broken and disheveled. When our gazes met, her eyes burned with a pure, unfiltered hatred. It was the most beautiful thing I’d seen all day.

"You see? I’m not as heartless as you think," I said, mocking her as I set the tray down on the cold counter. "I brought you a final meal."

"What do you want, Emily?" she asked, her voice rasping with annoyance.

"What do I want? To see you miserable, of course. You actually thought you could escape and run into Lucian’s arms? I would never let that happen."

Confusion flickered across her face. "What are you talking about?"

I leaned in close, the scent of the damp cell filling my lungs. "I know all about you and Lucian. I know he’s your mate. But let me make one thing very clear, Alina: I had Lucian first. I’ve been in his bed longer than you’ve even known he existed, and I plan on keeping him."

I straightened up, my expression turning cold and lethal. "This is your only warning. If you even look in his direction again, I won’t bother with prison or games. I’ll make it quick and kill you myself. That’s not a warning, Alina—it’s a promise."

Alina let out a hollow, bitter laugh, the sound echoing off the stone walls. "You’re delusional, Emily. If you’re so confident that he’s yours, why are you down here threatening a woman in a cage? You’re terrified that the moment he sees me, your little head start won’t matter."

My hand moved before I could think. I gripped the bars of the cell, my knuckles turning white. "He won’t be seeing you, Alina. That’s the point. By the time I’m done with Aiden, he’ll have you moved to the northern wastes, or better yet, he’ll hand you over to the Council for treason. You think your ’mate bond’ can stand against a death sentence?"

I reached through the bars, grabbing a handful of her matted hair and pulling her face close to the iron. She winced, but she didn’t look away. 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

"Lucian is the fire in my blood," I whispered, my voice trembling with a mix of rage and dark triumph. "He doesn’t want a pathetic, broken Luna. He wants a Queen who isn’t afraid to get her hands bloody.