THE ALPHA'S UNCANNY LUNA

CHAPTER 3

(THE CONDEMN LUNA)

ARIANNE’S POV

“ALWAYS remember that I will always need you by my side Arianne.”

His fleeting words and promises that I hold dearly deep within my heart. My trust, loyalty, and love center on him and no one else. My dream and my desire always have him in it. The title and the prestige that I wanted and rightfully deserved. All of it comes with him attached to it.

But it seems that in this world, there is only lies and deception.

“Madam!” A defining scream wakes everyone up in the deep cold night.

With the plates and glasses shattering into pieces. A dead body lies in front of me. With a slit throat and blood that’s painting the marble white floor. My eyes are wide in bewilderment, my face that is flush with all the wondering thoughts of how and why, and my appearance that is tainted with blood.

“Help! Somebody, help us!” The maid screams, a few seconds after she opens the door and sees the dead and bloodied body of Madam Delaque.

Yes, that woman, the madam who despises me and is hot on the tail of proving Alphonse worth in his position and the pack. The madam that I do not know how, when, and why I am seeing in front of me right now. Worse, my face is smeared with her blood. My clothes that is tainted with her death and the knife that is dripping with her blood, which I am currently holding.

“I---” my shivering voice and running crazy mind of what should I’ll be thinking and what should I’ll be doing.

I am completely at a loss. I do not know why and when I came in here. To the Madam’s room and within the compound of her dwelling. How did I manage to enter despite all the security that they have? I do not recall any damn little thing of what happened. I suddenly woke up with the dead and bloody body in front of me and with the bloodied knife in my hands.

“Did I?” I ask myself. “Did you?” I almost shouted, demanding an answer and fast from my wolf and asking her directly if she did this mess herself.

Taking over my consciousness and entire body like she used to do back then. Yet I immediately realized that my wolf wouldn’t do such a thing without my consent. Without any of the provocation of like a devil’s whisper from her. A condition and two that I should have remembered. Besides, my curse and rampage only happened once, and with the provocation that pushed me to the limit that I couldn’t take any more in that time. With my wolf who’s not answering and weird enough as she always answers back whenever I call upon her. It then hit me with the impossibility of things and the realization that everything of this is a trap. A set up for me and to take me down.

As for who, I have a few people in mind. But right now, I am in jeopardy. I am in the middle of a crime that I didn’t commit. A perfect trap that is laid out just for me.

“Wait!” I shouted, snapping back to my senses after collecting my thoughts and reaching my hand towards the maid who in turn even screamed in horror, as she saw the bloodied knife that I was holding. “What you are thinking is wrong. Everything of this is not my fault.” I tried to reason, but she was all too scared to even look back.

With her screams and shivering body as she long falls to the ground from the horror of what she just saw. Authorities came with the sirens that were blaring outside, armed surrounded the entire place and I ended up finding myself as the criminal.

“Hand up and drop your weapon!” One officer shouted and demanded.

“Tsk!” I click my tongue and clench my hands.

As I look around for an escape, but stop myself immediately. Knowing that from what happened and the crime that I am being condemned for, Alphonse had my back. I know that he will believe me, and will prove to everyone my innocence.

Without resisting, I dropped the knife and let them arrest me, as one of the officers said the rights that I have. With my hands that are smeared with blood, I started to think of the people that are behind this little trap that I fell perfectly into. As the rails of the prison close and the smug look and mocking giggle of the officer’s rings to my ear. I took a deep breath, calming myself and waiting for his arrival. Alphonse's worried face and words of promise to take me out from here and quickly.

“Here’s what you ask for. No more, no less. A basin of water and a clean rug.” A female officer’s disdainful tone.

Her mocking smile and condemning look towards me as she gave me the murky water and indeed a clean, but long filthy rug which was not what I asked for. A direct insult that I can only swallow for now. Knowing and still believing that he will come any day now.

“Tsk!” I click my tongue as my disappointed, painful, and angry heart stirs my mind of what I should believe and not.

I look at my reflection in the murky water and somewhat pity myself for what I believe and still holding, despite all of the red flags and uncanny things that are right in front of me right now. But I still want to believe only in him. So, I brush the negative thoughts and the blaring words of abandonment as I wash the dried blood on my hands and face.

Blood that in my eyes is somehow seeping inside my skin. Which is more than proof that it’s been days since I was locked in this prison. Days since I have been waiting for his arrival and hours which is plastering the knocking fact that I have already been abandoned.

“No!” I shouted.

In anger and frustration, I throw the basin of water away with the rug in it. I grit my teeth trying to keep my cool and gasping a calm nature within me. All to prevent my wolf from waking and to provoke me to turn wild and murder everyone within this very day.

Suddenly footsteps echo and the female officer taps her baton on the rails, taking my attention as she informs.

“Someone is here for you. You have a visitor, a very important one so, you should behave yourself.” She warns me

An important person that I immediately thought to be Alphonse. That very thought lightened my mood and skipped my heart a beat. With a smile drawn to my face, I immediately stand waiting for his arrival as footsteps echo and coming closer to where I am.

“Al---” I stop, bewildered, and in a second draw a disappointed face and a ringing anger inside of me.

When the person that I wanted and expected to see is not who I got. Not Alphonse nor his shadow, but from the only person who brought me the shame, the hate, spread the rumors, put me deeper into the darkness, and never treated me as her blood sister.

“Ariella,” I whisper, full of disdain while all compose and standing sophisticatedly and head high as our eyes meet.

“Such a warm greeting do you have for me, my dear half-sister.” Her mocking tone and sinister smile.

Her eyes that is full of disdain and curses for me. Her hate and cold treatment that she never hid nor pretended that she hadn’t towards me, and not to anyone else. My dear perfect sister who everyone loves, adores, and praises. Her sophistication, gracefulness, and said wit never fade. The one everyone wanted to be this pack’s Luna. The fact that I despise and deep, for in between the two of us, I am the worthy one to have that title. The person that I exiled and far, but right now is here and is in front of me.

“How long was it since we saw each other and the day that you exiled me from the pack?” Her bright smile, but all mocking tone and cursing eyes.

I clench my fist, thinking of the reason behind why she is here and back after what I did to get rid of her without taking her life. A fact and my left sympathy considering that we are still sisters that I am slowly regretting right now. That knocking regret of letting her live even though I in every way back then could end her life. A mistake that is ringing from the back of my head, saying that it will be my doom, as she will be the end of me.

“Well, it’s not important right now as I am here, finally coming back and mocking you for your failure my dear sister.” She then laughed, teasing me and rubbing her claim, and said victory that I will never acknowledge.

“Tsk!” I smirk and click my tongue, insulting her back and shutting her up quickly. “I do not know what trick that you did for you to be able to come back after all that happened. But it still wouldn’t change the fact that you are no longer this pack’s princess. Not anymore, the daughter of the Alpha, nor have the same standing that you have back then.” I rebuke and mock her back draw her face and immediately with anger that satisfies me.

“Well.” But then she suddenly smiles.

Place her sophisticated composed self with the sly smile that is more than what I need to notice that they are something sinister and dark behind everything.

“You are right my dear sister.” She admits, a first and suddenly that hits another warning deep inside my head. “I am no longer who I used to be back when the late Alpha and ‘MY’ father was still alive. I am no longer the princess that I grew up to be before the rebellion. But I want you to know and also the reason why I am here, not to see you nor to ask for your well-being, but for you to be informed of the things and the fact that is currently being praised by everyone right now.” Her sinister smile and devilish eyes didn’t hide the dark and hell world that she was about to say to me.

The hell that I didn’t foresee and is too late for me to escape nor retaliate, as I have been long enough in this cold prison without any knowledge of the things that are happening outside these walls. My inevitable warning and she is the one who is delivering it all to me.

“You see sister, I pity you for not knowing what is happening, and currently while you are in this cold place and are about to rot. The crime that condemns you in this place. The trial is taking longer than expected like it is waiting for something grand before everyone will be able to see your head chop off from your neck. These things and that little crime, I know that you are thinking about it and deep, as I also know that you long knew that it was all a trap.” With another sinister smile that she draws to her face and the devilish eyes that she bares.

Those words that she just whispers, boil the wrath within me. The facts and the meaning of her words and the utter reality that I do not know what is currently happening outside as I just realize that I am somewhat, no, I definitely was left out and deliberately from the things that I should have known.

“You have just realized it right now, am I right, sister?” she then giggles, proud and high from the advantage that she is holding and the fact that she is protected from me.

She is standing outside the cell where I am cuffed and bound with both of my feet with the lock and chains that are made from sun stone. That is preventing me from shifting into my wolf nor I will be able to escape. But the most infuriating and disappointing fact that I just realized and keep on denying is the ringing possibility of betrayal.

“The reason why you let yourself be in here and calmly without resistance. Your hope and all believing heart that everything will be cleared and fast. The attorney that is the best and take your case with the pretext of ‘doing everything that he can’.” Ariella’s slap with the truth that I am only realizing right now.

The attorney who is holding my case. His words and promises that I believe knowing that he is the best, yet in truth is only playing and wearing a façade in front of me. My case and crime that I didn’t commit, but has been rolling for a long despite the victim being the wife of one of the pack’s Epsilon, and I who is the next Luna. Everything is coming to light, as the fact of BETRAYAL is getting louder and louder.

“You have been fooled, as you are stupid enough to believe the lies and everything that my Alpha had been feeding you.” She then giggles, as she whispers those words that bewilder me and more.

“What are you saying?” My in denial and still believing my heart despite the truth that is right in front of me.

“Come on my dear sister. It is time to face the truth and wake up from your delusion. You will never be the Luna, as that title is mine in the first place. As Alpha Alphonse chooses me over you and ever since from the beginning. You are nothing, but his mere tool, Arianne.”