Untamable

Chapter 4 Defiance

Elizabeths’ POV

Under the torment of Aiden and Cherry, I’ve nearly forgotten what it feels like to be fearless and do things as I please. Knowing that my death is around the corner, however, gives me renewed courage.

My original plan was simple: make a beeline for the border, cut ties with the pack, and voilà—freedom!

But, surprise surprise, plans never go as expected. Just as I'm leaving the hospital, Shirley shows up. She's that one omega in the pack who always sucked up to authority. She was eager to praise and obey me when I was Luna and I am not surprised when I find she's now Cherry's number-one fan.

“Where do you think you’re going?” Shirley asks in her best impression of a loyal servant.

I glance at the Omega and ignore her, continuing to walk forward.

“Hey! I’m asking you a question,” she calls, scrambling to keep up

I stop and take a deep breath, trying my best to channel some patience. "Shirley, let's just skip the soap opera, okay? I just want to go. No drama today."

"You can't leave without explaining your intentions," Shirley insists, puffing up her chest like a proud peacock. "Luna Cherry's orders.”

"Ever hear the saying, 'Don't hitch your wagon to a falling star'?" I ask. "Just step aside, Shirley, or you'll regret it."

I see a flicker of doubt in her eyes, but she goes with the wrong choice.

“How dare you threaten me, you are a nobody, b***h,”She growls as she grabs my shoulder. I twist my body and nimbly break free from her grip. I twist her arm behind her back, and she screams in fear.

“Who do you think you’re talking to, b***h?” I ask, adding with a grin."Now who's the bossy one?"

She quivers, almost begging for mercy, and I let her go with a sigh of disgust. Just as I'm savoring my small victory, Cherry’s voice telepathically barges in like an uninvited guest.

"Elizabeth! Why did you hit my servant?!”

Shit. I always forget that they have mind-links that allow them to inform each other at any time and keep everyone's business everyone else's business.

I stop, do a dramatic eye-roll, and face her. "Because she called me a b***h," I reply.

"Aren't you?" Cherry quips, cueing her cronies to giggle on command.

I chuckle too—gotta give her points for effort. But then, I stride toward Cherry, and it's like watching laughter get hit by a truck.

I deliver a knee right to her stomach, and she cries out, folding like a cheap lawn chair. I grab her by the hair, and press her head to the ground, executing a move straight out of Alpha Hugh’s self-defense playbook. I look up at the crowd, and their wide-eyed stares and audible gulps say it all—they definitely didn’t expect me to have this kind of fight in me.

"I think you're more deserving of that title," I say, glancing down at her astonished face.

“How dare you, I am your Luna—” she screams angrily. I interrupt her proclamation with a kick, sending her rolling to the ground. The malice in her eyes turns to fear, and she starts to crawl backward.

Who knew subduing a bully could be this easy? I should’ve signed up for this ages ago.

“I... I... I order you as Luna to kneel!” she sputters.

Strangely, I don’t feel the pressure I imagined. My knees refuse to obey. I stand still. This is unusual. Although I have never used the Luna voice to command anyone, I’ve seen Alpha Hugh use it in battle—like when he ordered Barry to throw me into the safe house. Barry is a strong-willed person, but when Alpha Hugh used the Alpha voice, he complied without question.

Things are getting interesting, aren’t they?

Seeing that her order doesn’t affect me, Cherry widens her eyes in fear and swallows.

“You can’t order me,” I say with a flourish, emphasizing the oh-so-ironic title, "Luna Cherry."

Then, a thought strikes me. This isn’t right. Knowing Cherry’s character, she must have used her voice the first day she became Luna. If it didn’t work, she wouldn’t be using it today to humiliate herself. So the only reasonable explanation is…

It’s not that she can’t command people; it’s that I can refuse her command.

And wow. Is this the Moon Goddess’s compensation for me having cancer?

“You’re a monster…” Cherry reverts to her default skill—blaming others when things don’t go her way.

“Maybe you’re just too weak,” I suggest another possibility, shrugging my shoulders. “I am the daughter of a Beta, and you’re just an Omega.”

For the record, I have no prejudice against Omegas. I actually get along better with Omegas than warriors, gammas, and deltas because we always meet in the safe house. I emphasize my heritage only to humiliate her.

Fuming, she blurts, “So what? Aiden chose me in the end!”

“He didn’t even dare to marry you as his Luna while Alpha Hugh was still alive,” I say.

Cherry moves her lips and mutters resentfully, “You b***h…”

"Care to repeat that?" I step closer, and she clams up like a shy oyster, skittering back.

Suddenly, Aiden steps in, rushing in like a white knight and shielding Cherry behind him. Cherry clings to him, doing her best tremble-and-tear routine. "Protect me, Aiden," she whimpers.

Ah, classic. I’m yawning on the inside. Of course, the scene’s a bit flipped this time around since I'm the one doing the bullying… after she provoked me.

"I don't know when you became so vicious, Elizabeth," Aiden says, looking at me with eyes full of disappointment. "I know you're jealous of Cherry, but you shouldn't hurt her like this."

"Jealous?" I burst into laughter. "Maybe, just maybe, I was a tad jealous three years ago when you dropped me at the altar for her. But trust me, all feelings evaporated right then and there. Why would I be jealous of her now?"

Aiden flinches at this bombshell and tries to shift the narrative. "You should apologize to Cherry," he says.

"For what, exactly?" I ask, eyebrows raised. "She called me a b***h first."

"I didn't!" Cherry pipes up, lying through her teeth. She gives Aiden a sad puppy look and says, “I can swear on the Moon!”

With a sarcastic laugh, I say, "Oh really? Aiden swore on the moon during our wedding, promising me rainbows and unicorns. Look where that got me: a loveless marriage, a divorce, and... whips?" I pause for dramatic effect. "Oh, and let's not forget the peace offering and roses."

Cherry's eyes widen like I'm suddenly speaking in alien codes. "Peace offering and roses? What's she talking about?"

"Yep," I say, flashing my grin. "Your dear Alpha paid me a late-night visit, hoping we could still be friends."

“You’re lying.”Cherry snaps, practically fusing herself to Aiden's side. "Tell me this isn't true, babe. Tell me!"

“I visited her,”Aiden admits impatiently. “But that’s only because my father asked me to take good care of her. Nothing happened between us…”

I interrupt him before he can continue. “Except you tried to kiss me."

The crowd goes silent, Cherry gasps dramatically, and from somewhere in the back, something clatters to the floor with a "clang".

“Elizabeth!”Aiden roars, embarrassedly offended.

“Am I not speaking the truth?”I shoot back, arms crossed. “It is not my fault if you can’t cope with it. Funny that you got the courage to do the shitty things, yet cannot stand others to point it out.”

Taking a deep breath, I turn to Cherry. “You snatched Aiden from me, in the name that you’re fated mates. I could have told Alpha Hugh but I didn’t do that out of my compassion. Then you wanted my Luna position, I could have refused to sever my bond with Aiden, but I compromised again, stepping aside and granting your wishes. Years of being Miss Understanding, only for you to treat me like garbage. Ungrateful b***h like you shall just perish.”

Cherry winces at my words and cries.

I roll my eyes, preparing to make my exit. But then Aiden pulls out the big guns—his Alpha voice.

"Elizabeth," he commands, "Apologize to my Luna."

It's so unexpected, I almost burst out laughing.

This is the first time I've heard Aiden use the Alpha voice.

And he uses it to order me to apologize to Cherry.

I feel disgusted.

Then surprised.

Aiden, being an Alpha, cannot command me either.

I turn around and flip him the middle finger salute. "Go f**k yourself," I say coldly.

Suddenly, a mischievous idea pops into my mind. With a sweet tone, I tilt my head towards Cherry and smirk, "I might just come back someday to rip your head off, so you'd better start sleeping with one eye open. Oh, and by the way, I'm pregnant."

Before anyone can respond, I make a dramatic exit.

I can't help but laugh as I imagine what will happen next. Cherry will erupt like a volcano. Aiden will realize I'm lying about the pregnancy and try to convince her he didn’t touch me, but she won’t believe him. Their fight is going to be epic. It's a pity I won't be there to witness the chaos unfold.

I only have a year left to live, but I’ve never felt so light and happy.

"Please let me enjoy this year blissfully and then die peacefully, okay?" I mentally whisper to the Moon Goddess.

But soon enough, I realize that if the Moon Goddess is tuning in, she's hitting me with a big, cosmic NO.