The Luna Queen Is Reborn

Fragile lies

The silence that followed was heavier than the Alpha’s aura. By choosing to pull the hoodie tighter, I didn't just hide my scars; I built a fortress out of my own shame. Logan’s tension visibly bled out of his shoulders, replaced by a smug, toxic satisfaction. He had gambled on my vanity and won—or so he thought.

I didn't give him the satisfaction of looking back.

He didn't speak, but the glint in his dark eyes spoke of satisfaction. I turned to him just enough for him to see the shadowed outline of my jaw.

I stopped at the threshold, the warmth inside of our home mocked me- reminded me of the coldness biting my inside.

Caleb and Collins stayed out hesitant to use force. They sighed and their shoulders visibly slumped when he dismissed them. I made for the stairs unwilling to continue with the charade they call happy home, each step a rhythmic thud that echoed the heartbeat Ivy no longer provided.

The stairs felt like they were longer than usual-it took too long to make it to the hallway. Logan heavy steps followed after "Cerelia", he called, but I refused to respond.

His voice didn't carry the Alpha command it did earlier, instead it sounded like a man who knew what he stood for- a man who owned the very floor I stepped.

I stopped, my back to him and my hands curling into the inside of my hoodie. I was conditioned to answer to him- it was an instinct. I took another step after another, refusing to allow him to own me when what really made him my leader had died by his hands.

I yanked the door open and I tried to pull it shut, Logan snatched it from my hand.

"You won't hide in that room, I didn't raise a coward", He looked disapprovingly at me like he had the right to. He called it raised. When did he raise me. How come I didn't remember?

A satirical scoff left my mouth and his brows furrowed in question. "Raised me? I breathe out a short laugh.

"You mean the numerous nannies whose faces I could barely remember? He didn't flinch instead he took a step closer "I won't let you rot in there-", he glanced into the room.

"-you're not the failure I never committed", he added.

"What", it came out breathless. "A failure you didn't commit", I nodded in feign approval. "Then tell me what this is on my cheek", I wave a hand at my cheek. He was hellbent on molding me into something malleable.

His face remained a mask of marble, but a small muscle in his jaw twitched. "A true Alpha daughter would have fought harder. Ivy was weak. You were weak, are weak. And now, you stay in hiding away"

"Weak", a tear trailed down my cheek; burning like molten spilled over. "If I were weak you wouldn't have been so scared, Father ",I spat out. The words a venom that should never have been uttered.

Something changed in his eyes gradually until it became Alpha Logan's eyes when he was facing his enemies- unyielding eyes that promised destruction. But I had lost my senses to anger, I could not think around it "You were scared Alpha, scared of what I would become ", surprisingly my voice was a soft whisper.

Something froze in his eyes before it unravel like it had withstood passage of time "Elara", his voice was gruff, heavy with emotions I never knew Alpha Logan was capable of expressing. I stumbled a step back.

Elara. My mother. He had never mistook me for mother before, so why now.

He walked to the small table by the door, picking up a stack of mail as if we were discussing the weather. "Tomorrow, the healers from the South Pack will arrive. You will let them examine the scarring. You will be fitted for a prosthetic or a veil. And then, you will stand by my side when we announce your 'accident' to the rest of the council."

"An accident?" A hollow, jagged laugh escaped me. "Is that what we're calling it? A stray spark from the fireplace? A rogue hunter?"

"We are calling it whatever keeps this pack from looking like a carcass for scavengers," he muttered blankly, finally looking up, his eyes flashing a dangerous, icy abyss. "You will play the survivor. You will be the tragic, brave daughter who lost her wolf to save a pup or a border. You will give them a reason to cheer",

The threat hung in the air, cold and sharp. He wasn't just talking about my reputation anymore.

"And Summer?" I asked, my voice barely a whisper. "What lies are you feeding her?"

Logan stepped back, his presence looming. "Summer is a guest. And like all guests, she sees only what I allow her to see. If you speak to her—if you so much as show her a glimpse of that ruin you call a face—I’ll ensure she never leaves the North territory." He waved his hand in dismissal.

A gasp left my mouth. He wouldn't. If he does, he would bring this pack to ruination. Summer's father was part of the councils.

He reached out, his hand hovering near my hood, not to comfort me, but to remind me that I wasn't out of his reach. "You will behave, won't you",

He didn't wait for my reply. He knew he had me where he wanted me to be. He rolled his shoulders to release some tension, turned and walked out of my room.

I pushed the door shut absentmindedly, terror gripping my inside. He had gone mad. He had really gone mad. He would bring the whole pack down with him just to cover up his crime. My face blanched and body drained of energy.

I felt a draft.

My window was open. My eyes widened in fear. What if someone has heard of his plan. My chest tightened.

A single silver ring sat on the sill, glinting in the moonlight. Summer. This was one of the rings that adorned her fingers. She hadn't gone home.

I picked up the ring, the metal cold against my palm. It wasn't just jewelry; it was a lifeline. If Logan found this, Summer was dead. If I kept it, I was a traitor.

I looked at the open window, the curtains dancing in the frigid night air.