Once A Luna, Now His Queen

Chapter 2: Starting Afresh

JADE

I stagger back and Eliza holds me from falling to the ground. My head rocks back and forth as hot tears blur my vision.

“Sebastian, please don’t do this to me now. I’ll forget about the mark. Just please.” I sob while he hands our babies to the midwives, dusting his hands.

He spares the bloody crotch area of my gown a disgusted look and makes for the door, ignoring me completely. It’s not the first time he’s looked at me that way. The past seven months were filled with it, but my heart is tearing to shreds now because he’s leaving me. What am I supposed to do now? All I know how to do is love him…

The door to the sickbay doesn’t close before Janel, my older sister, stops it with her foot and walks in.

I’ve not seen much of her these past few months, but the little moments I did run into her, she wasn’t pleasant.

She folds her arms over her chest and nudges her head to the door. “Take them away, midwives.”

I frown, growling, “No! My children stay with me, Janel.”

“The Alpha has just rejected you, Jade. I’m afraid that they are no longer your babies.”

“And who are you to say that?!” I fist my hands, fuming from my ears. “Kyson and Avalee are staying right here with me.”

Janel just rolls her eyes. “You have thirty seconds to do that, Eliza. Or do you think backing a rejected Luna will favour you now?”

I look at the pack doctor over my shoulder, reading the confliction on her face. I dart to stop the midwife from leaving with my children, but Janel pushes me away.

The force of her hands throws me across the room in a thump. My body is throbbing with so much pain and is on the verge of a shutdown, but I crawl after them.

“No, please,” I say weakly, “My children must stay with me.” I raise my hand earnestly as the door shuts behind Eliza and the midwives, and now, only Janel and I are in the room.

“Don’t you know when to stop, Jade?”

“Where are they taking them?” I crawl to the bed and struggle to lift myself up with the post.

“To a place where you’ll never see them again.”

I stare at the evil smile on her face, shuddering under the palpable hate for me in her brown eyes. My suffering brings her joy.

“I’m your sister, Janel—“

“No, you are not,” she snaps to my shock, “Jade, you’re just a nobody my parents took in after the war.”

“That’s not true.”

She scoffs, “How could you possibly think I’d be related to someone like you? A worthless Omega wolf, who’s weak and useless?”

I swipe a hand over my face quickly, cleaning off the rush of tears. This is the first time I’m hearing this. My parents never told me I was adopted, or that I was not their biological daughter.

“You’ve always disgusted me, because you never knew your place. I wanted the Alpha and you took him from me!”

“He’s my fated mate, Janel.”

“Shut up!” She screams hysterically and I take a few steps back. “I’m the only one meant for Sebastian and I’m glad he’s finally seeing that.”

“What do you mean by he’s finally seeing that?” I hold my breath unconsciously, heart racing.

“The rejection was my little gift to you.” A sinister smirk creeps onto her face. “I spent the last seven months opening his eyes and showing him that he deserved better than you. That he deserved me.”

Janel rushes at me after that, pounding her fist into my face. I scream, but no one comes to my rescue as she batters my body, drawing her claws through my skin.

“Die, you b***h!” she screams and darkness slowly takes over while she chokes me.

When I crack my eyes open hours later, I surprisingly find myself still lying in my own pool of blood on the cold, hard floor. No Janel in sight.

My body stings badly from fresh wounds. The room is empty as I try to stand. I crumple back on the ground, weak bones shaking.

Two swaddles are right next to me. I notice now it’s my babies, but they are silent. I frown because I’m not mistaken. My trembling hand reaches out to touch the daggers sticking out from Kyson and Avalee’s chest.

They are not props. A strangled cry leaves me when I touch their cold, lifeless tiny bodies.

“No…” I sob uncontrollably at the sight, my face contorting in pain. “No, my babies…what happened?”

“Ahhhh!”

Immediately, I snap my eyes to the door, watching the shaking maid there, who has her hand clasped over her mouth.

She runs off while I’m still holding the daggers stuck inside my babies. I can’t stop the tears pouring out from me.

A few seconds later, Janel, Sebastian, and everyone important in the Suncrest pack storms into the room, eyes wide like saucers.

“What the hell happened here?!” Sebastian growls bitterly, tears glistening in his eyes when he sets them on Kyson and Avalee.

The maid from before starts stuttering, “Alpha, I—I came here and caught Luna Jade driving a blade through the baby—the babies’ hearts.”

I don’t have it in me to even utter a word. I’ve been completely torn to shreds.

“It’s you. You did this, Jade?!” Sebastian growls weakly, staring at his boy and girl. “Did you kill my children to get revenge on me because I rejected your worthless wolf?”

I say nothing, and fury masks his face. “Guards! I sentence Jade Ortega to die for the…murder of Kyson and Avalee Thorne. Take her away!” Sebastian screams, hurt and vengeful, but how can he believe I will do that to our children?

My entire body burns up as Suncrest pack guards drag me out of the sickbay. My sobs are trapped in my throat. I can’t breathe without my children near me. This has to be a terrible dream.

Moon goddess, please. Please bring them back to me. How am I supposed to live without the babies I suffered seven months to bring into this world?

I cry out as they fling me onto the tiled throne room floor before the dais. I groan, realising my ankle got twisted, and more tears drop one after the other.

A crowd of Suncrest wolves gather, and when Sebastian takes his throne minutes later, the court opens.

Only my soft cries can be heard throughout the room now. My heart hurts like it’s been gashed. I…I really can’t do this anymore.

“Luna Jade killed my heirs and I will forget she’s from my Gammas lineage as I cut off her head tonight!” He slams his fist down on the arm of his throne and the silence in the room thickens.

Sebastian glares at me, drawing out his Beta’s sword. He marches down the dais stairs, eyes red with rage. The blade digs into my skin immediately, about to slice through when the throne room doors noisily open.

All heads in the room turn. I’m shaking like a leaf and sweating because his blade hasn’t left my throat.

Suddenly, gasps flood the room. Everyone falls to their knees, and I frown when Sebastian does the same, his blade coming down to his side.

“Lycan King Lukas! It is my honour to receive you into the Suncrest pack. I’m at your command.” Sebastian’s head touches the ground and my mouth opens, because I’ve never seen my husband act subservient.

I look over my shoulder, turning to see what has got everyone trembling. There’s a tall, handsome man standing in the middle of the room with a train of differently dressed guards behind him.

He’s holding a silver necklace in one hand, and I recognize what it is. Everyone does. But as soon as he moves closer to Sebastian and I, the necklace’s moon pendant starts glowing.

Our gazes lock, my breath hitches in my throat, and the Lycan King raises his brow in question.

“The moon goddess told me I would find my second chance mate here and…it seems that has just happened.”