The Luna Second Chance

Chapter 3

Natalia’s POV

The moment I walked into my apartment, I let out a heavy breath. I turned around and shut the door behind me. The quiet background noise of the city went away, though I wish I could still hear it.

It was a nice break from the overwhelming demands and stress of the Silver Ridge pack.

My own apartment was tight and tiny. It didn't have big hallways, fancy velvet rugs, or marble floors. However, it belonged to me, and that was the only thing that was important.

Well, it belonged to me and... Oh, there she was. Selene was sitting on the sofa with her arms crossed and a familiar grin appearing on the corner of her lips.

"So," she started in a casual voice, "I heard about what went down."

I stopped dead in my tracks, completely unsure of how to respond. Her voice still had that nosy, calculating tone that I recognized completely. I figured someone would have told her by now, but she was usually gone by this time, so I thought I wouldn't have to face her today.

"But why would you reject him?" she asked, leaning forward a bit with a confused look. "When I heard you did it, I was so mixed up and just didn't want to believe them. I thought my best friend would never do something like that. What’s going on, Natalia?"

Even though she acted like she cared, I could tell she was actually judging me. I could sense it, and I could also catch a light scent of Liam mixed into her perfume.

That instantly let me know he had been there. I turned toward her, and when I spoke, I didn't try to hide my bitterness at all. "Since when do I need your permission for my choices, Selene?" I asked coldly.

Selene eyes went wide, and she blinked. There was a brief pause a tiny c***k in her perfect act that made a slow, satisfied smile spread across my lips.

"W—What is wrong with you?" she gasped, shocked by how mean I sounded. "You can't—"

I raised my hand to stop her from talking.

Now that I was looking at her with wiser eyes, I could tell that everything about her showed exactly how close she had become to Liam. The relaxed way she sat on the couch, her perfectly styled hair, and the way her worried look turned into happiness when she thought I wasn't watching.

If she wasn't already secretly seeing Liam, she was very about to be.

I should have been mad, but I could not afford to waste time feeling angry. I had plans that I needed to attend to.

Without looking at her, I crossed towards our small kitchen and pulled up my laptop from the counter. With a frown on my face, as I tried to recall my old bank password, I finally logged into my bank account.

My frown deepened as I checked at my balance. Just over ten thousand dollars, my funds were smaller than I had expected, but I could definitely make it work.

It was enough for me to get started, but not enough for me to sit back and wait for the right time to invest. The stakes were high, and this time, I had no intention of waiting for anyone to hand me my future.

I leaned back in my chair, squeezing my hands into fists as I tried to remember the exact timeline of my previous life. The trade routes, the deliveries, every lost opportunity, and every vulnerability, I remembered it all.

And now, I was in a position to use that knowledge to my advantage.

The very first action I needed to take was completely obvious: get control of the moonshade supply. Just one missing shipment would throw the market into a panic, and almost instantly, what used to be uncommon would become invaluable and almost impossible to find.

With my plan outlined in my head, I shut down my laptop, grabbed my coat, and left the house without another word. Selene had tried to speak to me, but after over a dozen times without any response, she finally got it into her head that I was not going to reply to her.

When she saw me walking out, she stood up, her lips parted, but no sounds came out.

Good.

The streets of the “Underside”, the part of the city that was ruled controlled exclusively by werewolves, were bustling. The massive trade centre in the middle of the first block was a hive of transactions, voices, and shuffling feet.

I moved among the wolves smoothly and with purpose. I walked around the market, scanning, noting, and calculating the different prices of herbs. I noted down suppliers, prices, and even quantities.

I asked questions when needed and feigned curiosity when the sellers got curious about my motives. I made sure I only spent an adequate amount of time with each seller. I didn't want anyone to be suspicious of my actions.

By the time I finished, I felt pretty confident that I had gathered enough information to take over the market when the time came to act.

As I walked back toward the exit, a feeling of deep satisfaction filled my chest. I felt prepared, and my very first step was nearly done.

Then, right as I walked out of the trading hub, a voice I recognized instantly forced me to stop.

"Natalia."

I went completely still, slowly turning around until I was looking directly at a face I had never expected to see ever again.

Alpha Ethan, the ruler of the Viscount pack.

Why was he even in this place? His pack lived all the way on the opposite side of the state.

True to form, Ethan appeared relaxed, self-assured, and had a slight grin on his face. In contrast to Liam, he naturally exuded authority and strength without having to say a word about it.

He had a guard standing on either side of him, but with a brief gesture of his hands, they backed away to give him enough room to walk up to me.

In my previous life, he was one of the alpha wolves who had pursued me. I had rejected him back then because I was beginning to fall for Liam. But now, I was looking at him from a completely different perspective.

"Are you still running away from me?" he asked in a playful, teasing voice.

I looked back into his eyes and felt a strange excitement as I checked him out. This guy was nothing like Liam. Ethan was someone who never felt compelled to manipulate or dominate another wolf.

He was a person who genuinely viewed me as more than just an object to be used.

And for the very first time since I was reborn, I realized that alliances could be just as important as individual plans.

“I am not running away,” I said softly, though my thoughts were racing faster than my words, “I was just... moving forward.”

He chuckled and took a step forward, “Well, how about you tell me about your choice to move forward over dinner?”