His Broken Luna

Chapter 9: Cracks in the Mask

---

I spent the rest of the day in a daze.

Every time I closed my eyes, I saw that little glass vial on the table in Maeve's hidden room. Moonberry extract. The name alone sent a chill down my spine. I had heard stories about it as a child, whispered between the older she-wolves when they thought no one was listening. It was forbidden magic, dangerous and unpredictable. The kind of thing that could ruin lives, destroy bonds, and twist the natural order of things.

And Selene had been hiding it in her chambers.

I wanted to confront her. I wanted to storm into her room, grab her by the throat, and demand the truth. I wanted to make her admit what she had done—to me, to Kade, to our family. But Maeve's warning echoed in my mind like a drumbeat.

*"If we move too soon, they'll bury the truth before it ever sees the light."*

So I did the only thing I could do.

I waited.

But waiting felt like dying.

---

That evening, the pack gathered for dinner in the great hall.

It was the first time I had sat among them since my return. The long wooden tables were filled with pack members, their voices low and cautious. The air smelled of roasted meat, fresh bread, and the unmistakable tension of a room full of wolves pretending everything was normal.

I could feel their eyes on me as I entered with Aria at my side. Some were curious. Some were sympathetic. Others looked at me with open hostility—Selene's supporters, no doubt. They had made their loyalty clear long before I ever set foot back in this place.

I ignored them and led Aria to a seat near the back of the hall. Maeve was already there, her presence a quiet comfort. She gave me a small nod as I sat down, and I felt some of the tension in my shoulders ease.

"Remember what I told you," she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper.

I nodded.

Aria looked around with wide eyes, taking in the towering ceilings and flickering candlelight. She had never seen anything like this before. The packhouse, the pack, the rituals—it was all so new to her.

"Mama, why is everyone staring at us?" she asked, her small voice full of innocent confusion.

I brushed a strand of hair away from her face. "Because we're new to them, baby. Don't worry. Just eat your food."

She nodded and reached for a piece of bread, her little fingers clumsy but determined.

At the head of the table, Kade sat with Selene beside him.

She looked as beautiful as ever, her dark hair flowing over her shoulders like silk. Her gown was deep green, elegant and expensive, and her lips were curved into a soft, practiced smile. She looked every inch the perfect Luna.

But there was something different about her tonight.

A tightness in her smile. A coldness in her gaze. A subtle tension in the way she held herself, like a snake coiled and ready to strike.

She knew something had changed.

And she didn't like it.

---

Dinner passed without incident.

I forced myself to eat, even though my stomach was in knots. The food tasted like ash in my mouth, but I chewed and swallowed, going through the motions. Aria chattered softly beside me, asking questions about the pack and the big stone walls and the funny-looking crest above the fireplace.

I answered as best I could, but my mind was elsewhere.

I kept glancing toward the head of the table.

Kade looked tired. His shoulders were tense, his jaw tight. He barely touched his food. Several times, I caught him looking in our direction, his grey eyes lingering on Aria—and on me—before he quickly looked away.

Selene noticed.

Of course she noticed.

She leaned close to him, whispering something in his ear. Her hand rested on his arm, possessive and familiar. He didn't respond. Just stared straight ahead, his expression unreadable.

The tension between them was obvious to anyone paying attention.

And I was paying very close attention.

---

After dinner, I put Aria to bed.

It took longer than usual. She was restless, full of questions about the pack, about the wolves she had seen, about the big man with the grey eyes who kept looking at her.

"Is he really my daddy?" she asked, her small voice quiet in the dark room.

I sat on the edge of her bed and stroked her hair. "Yes, baby. He is."

She was silent for a moment. Then she said, "Does he love us?"

My heart cracked.

I didn't know how to answer that. I didn't know if I believed in love anymore, or if I ever truly had. But looking at my daughter's hopeful face, I knew I couldn't tell her the truth.

"He cares about you," I said carefully. "That's why he saved you when you were sick."

She seemed to accept that. Her eyes fluttered closed, and within minutes, she was fast asleep.

I watched her for a long time, memorizing the curve of her cheeks and the softness of her breathing. She was so small. So fragile. And yet she was the strongest person I had ever known.

I pressed a kiss to her forehead and slipped out of the room, closing the door quietly behind me.

Then I stepped onto the balcony and let the cold night air wash over me.

---

The moon was full, hanging low in the sky like a silver coin.

I leaned against the railing and took a deep breath, trying to calm the storm inside me. But it was impossible. Every thought led back to Selene. To the vial. To the lie that had stolen five years of my life.

I didn't hear him approach until he was already there.

"You shouldn't be out here alone," Kade said quietly.

I didn't turn around. "I'm not alone. You're here."

He stepped beside me, his arm brushing mine. "That's not what I meant."

We stood in silence for a moment, staring at the moon. She was bright and beautiful, but she felt distant. Unreachable. Like a promise that was never meant to be kept.

"Selene is watching us," I said.

"I know."

"Then why are you here?"

He paused. "Because I needed to see you."

I finally turned to look at him. His face was shadowed, but I could see the conflict in his eyes. The exhaustion. The guilt. The longing he was trying so hard to hide.

"Why?" I asked.

He opened his mouth, then closed it again. For a long moment, he just stared at me, like he was trying to memorize every detail of my face. Then he spoke, his voice raw and unsteady.

"Because when I'm not with you, I feel like I can't breathe."

The words hit me harder than I expected. They wrapped around my heart and squeezed until I couldn't think straight.

"Don't say that," I whispered. "You have a mate, Kade. A Luna."

"Then why does it feel wrong?" he asked, his voice breaking. "Why does every moment with her feel like a lie?"

I stared at him, my heart pounding.

Maeve's words echoed in my mind.

*"Selene may not be his true mate after all."*

Could it be true? Could Kade have been manipulated this entire time? Could the bond he shared with Selene be nothing but a carefully constructed illusion, built on Moonberry extract and cruelty?

I wanted to tell him. I wanted to grab him by the shoulders and scream the truth until he believed me.

But I couldn't.

Not yet.

"You need to be careful," I said instead. "She's not who you think she is."

Kade frowned. "What do you mean?"

I hesitated, choosing my words carefully. "Just... watch her. Pay attention to the little things. The things that don't add up. The things that feel wrong."

"Layla—"

"I can't say more," I cut him off. "Not yet. But please, Kade. For Aria's sake. For yours. Watch her."

He studied me for a long moment, his expression unreadable. I could see the war inside him—the part that wanted to trust me fighting against the part that had been manipulated for so long.

Then he nodded.

A small, almost imperceptible movement.

But it was enough.

---

I went back inside, my heart racing.

The walls were closing in. The truth was straining against its chains, desperate to break free. But we weren't ready yet. We needed more proof. We needed to catch Selene in her own trap.

One wrong move, and she would win.

And I had already lost too much to let that happen.

As I climbed into bed beside Aria, I made a silent vow.

I would uncover the truth.

I would expose Selene for what she really was.

And I would take back everything she had stolen from us.

No matter the cost.

---

### End of Chapter 9