The Luna's Secret

Chapter 7: The Gathering Storm

Chapter 7: The Gathering Storm

{Serena’s P.O.V}

After what felt like an eternity, Mia finally finished tidying up the living room. She stood up, tears brimming in her eyes, looking at me with a pitiful expression.

"Can I go now?" she asked, her voice quivering with hope.

I remained unmoved, taking another sip of my wine. Mia then turned her gaze to Liam, silently pleading for his intervention.

I clapped my hands, drawing her attention back to me.

"My dear sister, of course you can..." Her eyes lit up with a glimmer of hope. "...not leave," I finished, my voice cold and commanding.

Her face fell, the hope in her eyes extinguished. She looked devastated, her shoulders slumping in defeat.

"Now," I continued, my tone leaving no room for argument, "go to the room where you and Gabriel were... enjoying yourselves, and throw out everything."

Mia's face turned pale, and she hesitated, her eyes wide with shock and fear.

"But... everything?" she stammered.

"Yes, everything," I repeated, my voice hard as steel. "Every reminder of your betrayal. I want it all gone."

Tears spilled down Mia's cheeks as she nodded, her body trembling.

She turned and slowly made her way to the bedroom, her steps heavy with dread.

Liam watched her go, then turned back to me, shaking his head slightly but smiling with a mix of admiration and amusement.

"You really are something," he murmured.

I raised my glass to him, a satisfied smirk on my face.

"And this is only the beginning," I replied.

Mia's quiet sobs echoed from the hallway, but I remained resolute. This was my time to take control, and I wasn't going to let anyone stand in my way.

"I thought when you said you wanted to separate, you meant you would move out," Liam said, his gaze focused and warm.

I laughed, a sharp, bitter sound. "Me? Move out? Like some defeated, stray dog?

"No, Liam. I'm not going anywhere. I'm not going to let everyone gossip about why I had to leave, or have them pity me and wonder what happened. This is my home, and I'm staying right here."

I lifted my chin defiantly. "I'm not going to be like those heroines in novels who get drunk and sleep with strangers after finding out their husband cheated, only to end up with an unexpected child, or leave in a heartbroken daze."

"I mean, those choices might be valid and perhaps are effective in helping them recover from a failed relationship and despair, but I won't do that."

"It's not my fault, so why should I be the one to leave and not them who should take responsibility?"

Liam's eyes sparkled as he looked at me. For a moment, I almost thought he was falling in love with me, but I dismissed the notion with a smile. Liam had just been betrayed; you think everyone is as detached from their partner as you are? Stop kidding around.

Then I got serious again. "Liam, tonight's battle isn't over yet. We still have work to do."

{Mia’s P.O.V}

The next morning, I headed straight to Beth's house. The sky was overcast, a heavy blanket of gray clouds hanging low, casting a somber pallor over everything. The chilly wind whipped through the trees, their bare branches swaying and creaking, echoing the coldness in my heart. The path to Beth’s house was muddy, and every step I took seemed to sink me deeper into the mire, mirroring how trapped I felt in my own circumstances.

Beth is the biggest gossip in the pack, a real loudmouth. If you tell her something, everyone will know within three days.

When Beth saw me, she greeted me with her usual booming voice, but quickly noticed something was off.

"Mia, why are you limping? What happened?" she asked, her tone a mix of concern and curiosity.

I forced a sweet smile, brushing off the question. "Oh, it's nothing. I probably just twisted my ankle last night." Inside, I seethed with resentment over what had happened.

Last night, I had worked so hard to clean up the mess, my knees and shoulders bruised and aching. I had thought Serena wouldn't stoop so low, at least not in front of Liam. But I was wrong. She was just like everyone else. When she held the upper hand, she commanded others around, dumping the dirtiest, most degrading tasks on those who were in a weaker position,especially rogues. Rogues are expendable, disposable, and worthless. I should have known better. No one is an exception.They only bully the weak, not daring to lay a hand on Gabriel, but taking it all out on me, a rogue.

Yes, it’s always like this. When affairs happen, the man is seen as charming, handsome, and irresistibly roguish—traits that supposedly highlight his masculinity. Meanwhile, the woman bears the brunt of the scorn: labeled as loose, seductive, and the one who lured him away. When the same things happened, she shielded Gabriel but tore into me with venom. Everyone should see her vicious side from last night and know the real Serena, our beloved Luna, and what she’s truly like behind closed doors.

Beth seemed to grow impatient with my prolonged silence. She waved her hand in front of my face to snap me out of my thoughts. I blinked and refocused, forcing another smile.

Beth seemed unsatisfied with my vague answer, but she didn't push further. She handed me a cup of tea and continued in her typical gossipy tone, "So, any juicy news lately?"

I put on a casual smile, my mind already plotting. I would twist what happened last night, adding just the right details to ruin Serena and Liam's reputations. It wouldn’t be long before the entire pack knew about the supposed affair between them.

In my mind's eye, I could already see it: the high and mighty Luna and Beta standing before the pack, faces flushed with shame as angry whispers and accusatory glares were directed their way. Serena, usually so composed and regal, would be a picture of despair, her proud shoulders hunched under the weight of the pack’s disdain. Liam, always so confident and strong, would look broken, his eyes unable to meet anyone's gaze as the realization of his fall from grace sank in.

The pack members would spit words of contempt, shaking their heads in disgust. Children who once admired them would now point and whisper, their parents yanking them away as if proximity to such disgrace could taint them. They would become pariahs, the subjects of cruel jokes and the targets of pointed fingers. No one would trust them, no one would respect them.

Eventually, they would be cast out, forced to live as rogues on the fringes of society. The ceremony of their banishment would be a public spectacle, designed to humiliate and ensure they knew they were no longer welcome. Their clothes would be torn from them, leaving them in rags as they were paraded through the center of the village.

The pack’s warriors would escort them to the border, pushing and shoving them along the way. "Outcasts! Traitors!" the crowd would shout, their voices filled with venom. Serena's eyes would fill with tears, her hands trembling as she clutched Liam's arm for support. Liam, struggling to keep his composure, would grit his teeth, his jaw set in a rigid line.

Once they reached the edge of the territory, the Alpha would step forward, a cold smile playing on his lips. "From this day forward, you are no longer part of this pack. May the wilderness show you the mercy you do not deserve." With a final, brutal shove, they would be sent tumbling into the forest, the boundary line snapping with a finality that echoed through the trees.

They would roam the wilderness, scavenging for food, and sleeping in the cold, just as I had once been forced to do. Their clothes would become tattered, their faces gaunt from hunger, and their spirits broken by the relentless struggle to survive. The same pack that once celebrated them would now hunt them down, seeing them as threats rather than leaders.

Their nights would be filled with terror, the sounds of predators lurking just beyond their meager campfires. The once proud Serena, now covered in dirt and grime, would clutch her thin shawl around her shoulders, her eyes hollow and haunted. Liam, reduced to a shadow of his former self, would constantly scan the darkness, his muscles tense and ready to fight off any threat, human or otherwise.

Rain would soak them to the bone, and the bitter wind would chill them to their core. They would huddle together for warmth, their bodies shaking with cold and fear. Their hands would become calloused and bloody from digging through the earth for roots and berries, and their stomachs would ache with constant hunger.

The pack members would occasionally venture into the forest, not to help but to mock them, throwing stones and shouting cruel taunts.

"How the mighty have fallen!" they would jeer, their laughter echoing through the trees. Serena and Liam would be forced to run, their bare feet bleeding from the sharp rocks and twigs.

As I thought about it, imagining them experiencing everything I had endured, a surge of exhilaration swept over me.

The idea of their suffering, their downfall, it was intoxicating. Yes, this is exactly how it should be. Those who sit high and mighty, indifferent to the struggles of those beneath them, they all deserve to fall. My expression twisted with a dark smile for a moment, a glimpse of the satisfaction I felt. My pulse quickened, each heartbeat echoing the justice I envisioned. Their torment would be my redemption, their pain my pleasure. I could almost hear their cries, see their desperation, and it fueled me, driving me forward with a fierce determination.

This was my moment, my vindication, and I reveled in the power it gave me.

They wouldn’t spare me, I knew that. But I would strike first. If they wanted to play dirty, then I would make sure they paid the price.

“Actually," I said, lowering my voice conspiratorially, "I heard some shocking things about the Luna and Beta last night..."

Beth's eyes lit up with excitement. She scooted her chair closer, eager for every detail. I paused, giving a pitiful sigh and subtly pinching myself to bring tears to my eyes.

"Beth, the truth is, the bruises on my body... they’re not from an accident."

Beth leaned in even closer, her curiosity piqued. "What do you mean, Mia?"

I took a deep, shaky breath, tears beginning to well up. "Last night, I saw something I shouldn't have. Serena and Liam..."