The Ancient Blood Luna

Chapter 2: Unpleasant Discovery

Nebula's point of view.

The car sped through the streets in a blur, weaving between the traffic.

I rubbed my temples for the umpteenth time, but it couldn't ease my worries. "Any response from the Alpha's office yet?" I asked Diane.

"None ma'am, every line has been unreachable," she replied.

'Why weren't they picking up their calls?' I winced. "Drive faster," I growled at the driver.

He stepped on the gas and the car accelerated faster. Buildings on both sides of the road passed in a blur.

My mind was a hazy mess, and I couldn't think straight. Thousands of questions flooded my head.

'The identity of Miss Stones. How did a transfer deed end up in the documents I was supposed to sign? Who were the masterminds behind all this? And what were they trying to achieve?'

These questions haunted me like a plague. And I desperately needed answers.

Tension filled the air in the car, and an unending silence stretched by. Only the sound of the car engine and the horns of other cars on the road occasionally disrupted the silence. The falling snow on the road partially hindered my vision.

Diane was still trying to contact the Alpha's office, while the driver focused on navigating through the busy streets.

'It could be one of your business partners,' Scarlett cursed mentally. 'Or a rival pack with spies in your company. It might just be an outside threat.’

'I don't know what to think now, Scarlett. But regardless of who planned this, I have to see Adrian first,' I said.

After some minutes, the car arrived at the gates of the Black Woods Estate. The entire city was run by my pack, the Black Woods Pack, but the estate was where the majority of our forces were concentrated.

The car turned onto the paved street, and I could see a faint silhouette of the Alpha's mansion in the distance. We passed by many houses. One particular one caught my attention, its design different from the rest. Loud music echoed from the house and it looked more classy compared to the rest on the street.

"So this was the reason she didn't show up at work today. Lillian, always partying," I said under my breath.

The car was about to pass her house when I suddenly felt an itch on my wrist. "Stop!" I shouted. The driver brought the car to a halt. A faint blue halo surrounded my right wrist.

'The mate bond, Adrian must be close,' Scarlett spoke in my head.

I got out of the car and looked around. There was no sign of Adrian in the snow, but I noticed something else. The blue halo brightened anytime I turned towards Lillian's house. 'Could my mate be in there?' I thought.

Snowflakes fell on my hair, and my shoes sank into the snow as I walked up to the doorway. It was ajar. I stepped in.

Music boomed. The bond shone brighter.

I caught a scent. Lust, sweat, and intimacy.

Voices filtered through the door of a locked room. Soft moans of pleasure. The sloppy sound of skin rubbing on skin.

My legs moved on their own, carrying me towards it. My heart raced; it was beating next to my ears. I pushed the door open. The sight stiffened me.

Adrian was in a bed.

Lillian was on top of him.

My mate. My best friend.

Both naked. Tangled together. Her pink hair covered his face.

They didn't even notice me.

"Adrian!" I screamed, walking into the room. "What's... what's going on here?"

Lillian jerked. She jumped off him. Adrian lay on the bed, relaxed.

"You're back early," he replied, indifferent.

"What?" I was startled at his reply. My chest tightened. My breathing hard. I turned to Lillian. There wasn't an ounce of shame in her eyes. "You were my best friend. How could you?"

"Why wouldn't I?" She put on her clothes, a sneer twisting on her lips. "I'm tired of pretending. Tired of living in your shadow. Besides, isn't it natural between mates?"

"Wait, are you implying Adrian is your mate?" I scoffed. "Truly impressive, I never expected this from you."

"If it wasn't for you, always intruding on our sweet moments, he would have been mine four years ago," she hissed.

"Lies," I held back the torrent of tears that threatened to flood my eyes.

"Nebula, I guess it's time we talked," Adrian broke our argument.

"Talked?" I blinked.

He stepped down off the bed and walked closer to Lillian. Immediately their hands intertwined, a red halo appeared on both their wrists. It looked similar to the blue halo on my wrist, but mine looked dim in comparison.

"Fated mates," my jaw dropped. I froze. My stomach turned. A cold chill ran through me. I couldn't believe it. Yet the fate bond proved it was true. It couldn't have been faked. The red bond represented the moon goddess's blessings on destined mates. 'She was right. I was the intruder here', I thought.

"I didn't want it to play out this way," Adrian continued. "I don't love you. I never did."

"What do you mean by that?" I asked, my voice too high for a question.

"You were strong, smart, and capable. The perfect Luna the pack needed during those rough times four years ago," he said. "That's the sole reason my father chose you as Luna. Now you must step down."

"Was that all I ever meant to you?" My voice came out cracked. "Just a tool? A title?"

He shrugged, You were convenient."

"How enlightening," I said, my voice a repressed calm. "I built this pack myself. A fate bond wouldn't make me step down—you must be delusional."

I brought out the deed from my purse. "On my way here, I wondered how this deed got into my office. But now, I see it's your plan all along. She must be Miss Stones, right?

"Miss Lillian Stones," Lillian replied. A mocking grin hung on her lips.

'So shameless, what a backstabbing snake,' Scarlett hissed. She was already raging inside of me.

I almost flared up, but I bit my lips to stay calm. "You're not worth my anger. Mild disgust is all I can spare."

Her face twisted.

I raised my chin and locked eyes with both of them. My fingers tore the deed in my hands into shreds. "Meet me at the pack's judgment hall. This matter is far from over." I threw the papers on them. Once I walked out of the room, I slammed the door behind me. I could no longer contain my tears. It gushed out like an overflowing dam, streaming down my cheeks. The world felt silent, even though the music was still banging loudly. I staggered out of the house, my knees weak.

"Just, drive," I whispered to the driver as I entered the car. The more I wiped my tears, the more they seemed to flow. My teeth rattled, and a cold sting lashed at my heart.

'Nebula, it's okay,' Scarlett said.

'I'm fine Scarlett. I've never been better.' I forced a laugh.

"Is everything alright, Luna?" Diane watched me with an apprehensive gaze.

"Yes, dear," I replied. “They think I, Luna Nebula, can be discarded easily. They've stepped on my tail, and repercussions must follow.”

She was confused, but she swallowed the remaining questions in her throat.

We soon reached the mansion after a few minutes. I strode inside quickly. Ignoring the greeting maids, and the curious looks of the guards. Diane trailed behind me. We navigated our way through the complex hallway, until we arrived at a large hall with two thrones in the middle. I sat on the smaller one on the left. My fingers shivered as I tucked the strands of my hair on my pale skin behind my ear. A part of my heart was frozen cold.

Light footsteps echoed from the other side of the room.

"Welcome home, Luna Nebula," Beta Nexus greeted.

"Nexus, how long have you been scheming with your brother to dethrone me," I smiled at him. Immediately hiding away my earlier sadness.

He coughed twice, and his eyebrows twitched. He covered it up with a blank look. "I... Don't know what you're talking about, my Luna. Perhaps you could enlighten me on what brought that assumption."

"Pull off the facade, Nexus. I saw the deed. Found your brother and his mate. After I'm done dealing with Lillian. You'll be next in line."

He mumbled something under his breath. A curse maybe.

"Summon the elders. I need them here right away," I said.

He bowed and left in a hurry. My smile seemed to be haunting him.

'Aren't you going to tell Adrian about the pregnancy?' Scarlett asked mentally.

'That scoundrel doesn't deserve to know,' I replied.

'You can't deny him his right Nebula, and you can't hide it forever.'

'We can handle that later. Let's get ourselves out of this mess first.'

"The elders are here, Luna Nebula," Beta Nexus announced.

Five old men walked into the hall. They sat on several chairs in an arch before mine. My eyes lit up when I saw my father among them. Adrian and Lillian stepped in after them. He sat next to me, while Lillian stood beside Nexus near the elders.

"Nebula, you summoned us here. What matters needs our attention?" My father asked.

"I welcome the elders to the Judgment Hall," I got up and bowed. "My mate, Adrian, planned to dethrone me from my position as Luna through a shady deed sent to my office earlier today. I also caught him in an affair with Lillian," I paused. "I urge the elders to solve this issue and punish the offenders."