The Luna's Second Chance

Chapter Two: Bitter Guilt & Cold Schemes

Third Person POV

Scott awoke with a soundless scream, his body arching violently off the bed as agony erupted in his chest.

It was as if his soul was being torn apart—a merciless, white-hot fire ripping through every nerve. His lungs seized, his bones splintered, and his skin burned as though being flayed alive.

Beside him, Emma jolted awake, the bed shaking beneath her. Scott’s raw, agonized scream still echoed in the air, chilling her to the bone.

She turned, eyes widening in horror.

Scott’s golden eyes were wild, his entire body convulsing violently. His fingers clawed into the mattress, his chest heaving as if struggling to breathe. His body went still before—

A sound unlike anything Emma had ever heard tore through the room.

Not human. Primal. Broken. An agonized howl.

His wolf.

The walls trembled beneath its weight, the air thick with mourning.

Emma’s breath hitched. "Scott?"

He didn’t respond. His lips parted as if to scream again, but—nothing came out.

Inside his mind, Kade howled, a raw, guttural cry of grief so visceral it made Scott’s blood freeze. “No. No, this can’t be happening.”

The mate bond—

Gone. Ripped away.

A guttural cry tore from Scott’s throat as his muscles locked up, his body seizing in sheer agony.

His vision darkened, black spots danced before his eyes, and for one terrifying second—he thought his heart had stopped beating.

Emma lunged toward him, panic-stricken. "Scott! What’s happening?! Scott!"

But he barely registered her voice.

The mate bond wasn’t just broken.

It had been ripped from him, like a piece of his soul had been forcibly torn away.

His fingers clawed at his chest, gasping—

The pain was too much. His body convulsed violently, his back arched one last time—

Before collapsing.

His body hit the cold floor, limbs twitching, breaths ragged—

Silence.

Emma’s heart plummeted.

Her hands shook as she pressed them to his sweat-soaked chest, feeling the erratic, weak pulse beneath his burning skin. "Scott?"

No response.

Her stomach twisted. "Scott, wake up!"

She shook him. Slapped him.

Nothing.

A cold sweat broke out across her skin as reality set in. He wasn’t waking up.

For thirty endless minutes, Emma sat frozen, eyes flickering toward the door.

She should call for help. She should wake someone. But she didn’t. Because if Scott was truly dead… what would happen to her?

She was nothing without him. But—

A violent gasp tore from Scott’s lips.

His body convulsed, his lungs dragging in ragged breaths as if resurfacing from drowning.

Emma exhaled sharply, masking her relief with concern.

She brushed damp hair from his fevered forehead. "Scott?" she murmured.

His eyes—wide, unfocused—darted frantically. His entire body tensed.

His hand flew to his chest, fingers pressing over where their mate bond once was. Something was very, very wrong.

A dark voice whispered in his mind, but when he reached for Kade, all he felt was—

Nothing.

A cold, hollow void. His wolf was eerily silent.

Scott’s gaze snapped to the door, his entire body tightening with dread. "Selena." The word left his lips in a breathless whisper. His body took control.

He ran away and outside the room.

Emma, still stunned by his reaction, hesitated for a second before rushing after him like a shadow.

Scott’s bare feet pounded against the polished floors as he stormed through the packhouse, his heart hammering violently against his ribs.

His mind was spinning, every instinct screaming at him—something was wrong.

Selena wouldn’t have done this. She wouldn’t have left him.

His pulse thundered in his ears as he reached Selena’s room.

Scott shoved the door open so hard it slammed against the wall.

His heart stopped.

The room was untouched. The blankets on her bed were slightly wrinkled, the scent of her— a subtle mix of honey and butter —still lingered in the air, but—

She was missing.

Everything else was there. Only she wasn’t.

The realization sent panic clawing up his throat.

His hands shook as he threw open her wardrobe—her clothes still hung neatly in place.

He yanked open drawers—her jewelry, gloves, and accessories were all untouched.

But there were no signs of her.

She hadn’t packed. She hadn’t taken anything with her.

Emma’s expression twisted into one of disbelief as she stepped in behind him.

"Where is she?" she asked, her voice sharp.

Scott whipped around and stormed out of the room, his mind racing.

The scent of her wasn’t fresh. She had been gone for at least an hour and a half.

And for the first time in his life—

Scott felt true terror.

His pulse pounded in his ears, and a sick, gnawing feeling coiled in his gut. His steps were heavy, his entire body thrumming with barely contained rage as he stormed through the hallways of the Packhouse.

No. Selena never left the Packhouse at night. Something was wrong.

The moment he burst into the guard post at the main gate, every guard in sight straightened to attention.

Scott’s gaze snapped to the first one he saw—a young but disciplined warrior standing at his usual post.

His fury zeroed in on him.

"Where is she?" Scott demanded, his voice dangerously low, sharp as a blade.

The guard, visibly confused, stiffened in his commanding tone. "Alpha?"

"The Luna." Scott’s breathing was short, shallow bursts, his rage barely contained. "She left. When?"

The guard hesitated, then nodded. “About an hour and a half ago, Alpha.”

Scott’s hands curled into fists. "And you didn’t stop her?!"

The guard frowned slightly. "I don’t understand, Alpha. She is the Luna. She can come and go as she pleases."

Scott growled lowly. "I gave no orders for her to leave the Packhouse! You should have stopped her!"

The guard, a lower-ranked warrior, swallowed hard but held his ground. “With all due respect, Alpha, I cannot forbid the Luna from leaving her own Pack. If you had given such an order, I would have followed it.”

Scott’s fury deepened, but before he could speak—

Emma stepped forward.

She slid her arm around Scott’s bicep, her touch deliberately territorial, making the guard visibly tense.

Her lips curled into a smirk. "How dare you speak to your Alpha like that?!" she sneered. "The Luna may be his mate, but she is not above his authority! She doesn’t get to do as she pleases!"

Scott remained silent, his jaw locked tight, but his golden eyes darkened.

Emma leaned closer, her voice dropping into something silkier, more venomous. "And you. Who do you think you are? Making a decision on your own to let her go? Do you think you are the Alpha here? Or do you simply not recognize Scott as your Alpha?"

The guard flinched at the insinuation, his Adam’s apple bobbing as he swallowed.

Scott’s breath got heavier. Emma’s words slithered into his mind like poison.

A traitorous guard? Could someone have helped Selena leave?

He turned to two other warriors standing nearby, his rage bleeding into his voice and snarled "Arrest him!"

The other guards, all comrades, visibly hesitated before obeying. The first guard’s face fell in shock as his friends reluctantly restrained him.

"Alpha—please, I only followed standard protocol," he pleaded.

Scott’s eyes darkened. "Lock him in my office until I return. Then, I’ll decide what to do with him."

The tension among the guards was palpable, but no one dared to argue and the poor guard didn’t resist as his comrades—his own brothers-in-arms—gripped his arms and dragged him away.

Emma’s smirk deepened while Scott didn’t spare them a second glance.

He turned on his heel and stormed out of the Packhouse, his heart hammering, his instincts still screaming.

His Beta, Damon, was already at his side, silent but watchful.

Emma followed closely behind, her presence a shadow of manipulation and satisfaction.

The scent of her was fading.

Scott followed it with single-minded focus, his breath coming in shallow, rapid bursts as he moved through the dense trees toward the cliffs.

The wind howled, sharp and icy against his skin, carrying the tang of salt and earth—and something else. Something faint.

Then—

He saw it.

A shawl, abandoned near the edge of the cliff.

Scott froze, his chest rising and falling in uneven gasps. He took slow, careful steps toward it, his fingers curling tightly around the fabric as he bent down.

The moment his skin brushed against it, his throat tightened. He knew this shawl.

The patchwork fabric, the careful stitching—it was made from the baby blankets Selena had once woven for their children. Children who had never been born.

His grip on the shawl tightened painfully.

At first, he thought it was some kind of sick joke. "Selena." His voice was sharp, commanding. "Enough of this. Come out."

Silence.

His fingers clenched around the fabric. "Selena," he growled, his voice turning dangerous. "Come out, or I swear on the Goddess, your family will suffer for this!"

Emma scoffed from behind him, crossing her arms. "Really, Scott? Stop worrying. We knew she’d break eventually. She just got to it a little sooner than expected."

Scott ignored her. His pulse pounded violently as he turned his gaze to the edge of the cliff.

The ground beneath his feet was unstable, the wind pressing hard against his body as he stepped closer.

His heart stopped.

Two distinct shoe imprints balanced on the very edge.

His chest tightened violently, his pulse hammering as he neared. The moment he peered down, his stomach lurched.

The water raged below, an unforgiving abyss of black waves crashing mercilessly against jagged rocks. The height was staggering.

Scott jerked back instinctively, his knees buckling beneath him.

His breath came in harsh gasps, his entire body coiling in dread as he collapsed onto the ground, still clutching the shawl.

A single, whispered breath left his lips. "She jumped..."

For a moment, there was nothing—just the sound of the wind and the distant crash of the ocean.

Suddenly, his expression became twisted with fear. Not for his pack. Not even for Emma.

But for himself.

His breath came quicker, sharper, shallower. His mind raced.

Selena’s parents. What would they do to him? If they believed this was his fault, his life was over. He had to make them believe it was her will and idea.

His gilded mask of power and control—the one he had worn so perfectly for years—cracked. If they knew what had happened to their daughter, if they ever found out the truth—

His hands shook. His polished, perfect face, the one he had so carefully crafted, twisted into something else.

Tears welled in his eyes. Not for love. Not for loss.

But for the sheer dread of consequences.

Damon, his Beta, watched in silence, his jaw tightening.

Scott had never cried before.

Not when he fought for dominance. Not when he killed his own brother to claim his title. Not when he announced before the Pack that Selena was nothing more than a failure of a Luna.

Yet now, with Selena gone, he wept.

Damon took a step forward, his expression filled with something rare—sympathy.

Despite all his Alpha’s wrongdoings, despite the cruelty, the lies, and the selfishness, a part of him truly believed— "Even after everything, he must have loved her."

Damon moved toward him, intent on offering silent comfort.

But—

A voice cut through the moment like a blade.

"Scott, don’t be sad." Emma’s voice was smooth, dismissive, utterly unconcerned.

Damon stopped in his tracks, his entire body tensing.

"She was going to do this eventually." Emma let out a dramatic sigh, stepping closer to Scott, completely oblivious to the tension in the air. "An infertile rejected ex-Luna? What else could she have done? It’s better this way."

Damon’s blood boiled. His fingers curled into fists, every fiber of his being urging him to lash out, to put her in her place.

But he did nothing. It wasn’t his place. Even though it killed him.

Scott barely registered Emma’s voice. His body was numb, his mind spinning with one relentless thought—

Selena was gone.

Kade, his wolf, stirred in his mind for the first time since the bond was severed.

The wolf's presence was weak, barely a whisper, but his voice carried anguish. "Shut up."

Scott’s fingers dug into the fabric of the shawl. "Shut up, shut up, shut up—"

Emma kept speaking. "Scott, don’t worry, really. You should be relieved. Now you can move on. You knew she’d kill herself eventually, and what else could she do? No one would ever want her—"

Kade snapped. "MAKE HER SHUT UP!"

Scott’s eyes sharpened. He barely registered his own movements until his palm connected with her face—

Hard. The impact was sharp, brutal, merciless.

Emma stumbled back, her hand flying to her cheek, her eyes wide in shock and betrayal. "Scott! How could you—?"

His voice was ice-cold. "Shut. Up."

Emma gasped, her eyes watering, her lips parting in disbelief.

With a pitiful sob, she turned and fled, running back toward the Packhouse, her cries ringing through the night.

Scott remained frozen, his breathing uneven, his thoughts a tangled, chaotic mess.

For the first time, the world around him felt silent.

Only the ocean remained, crashing violently below, as if whispering the truth he didn’t want to face.

She was gone.

And he was alone. Only his Beta by his side.

Scott sat at the cliff’s edge, his hands clutching the patchwork shawl—a bitter reminder of all the children Selena had lost, the dreams that had died before they were born.

The wind howled, carrying the last traces of her scent.

Beside him, Damon stood silent, his storm-gray eyes unreadable. A tall, broad man with dark brown hair, he held himself with rigid discipline, though his jaw twitched, as if debating whether to speak.

Scott had sat in silence for too long.

Damon finally broke it. "Alpha… you should return. You need to decide how you’ll announce this to her family."

Scott stilled. Then—suddenly, as if struck by an idea—he bolted upright and ran toward the Packhouse.

Damon’s frown deepened as he followed. Something felt wrong.

Scott burst into his study, his eyes ablaze with rage. He moved like a man possessed, his breath sharp, his mind already crafting his next move.

The guard—the one who had let Selena leave—stood pale but resolute.

"You," Scott growled.

The warrior straightened his spine. "Alpha, I’m really so—"

"Silence!" Scott’s Alpha aura slammed into the room.

Other guards shifted uncomfortably.

"Take him to the last level of the dungeons," Scott ordered. "Leave him there and forget he exists."

The warriors hesitated. "Alpha—"

"Now!" Scott screamed.

The guard’s face twisted in horror as his comrades reluctantly grabbed him. "Please! I did nothing wrong!"

Scott’s expression was stone-cold. "Then consider this a lesson."

Damon watched silently, something dark flashing in his eyes.

Scott didn’t hesitate and then turned to Damon. "At dawn, take a team to the cliffs. Find her."

Damon stiffly nodded. "Yes, Alpha."

For the first time, Damon wondered if his Alpha was unraveling before leaving him.

Scott exhaled. The plan was already forming.

Now—he had to ensure his survival.

Emma sat on the edge of their bed, arms crossed, pouting.

Scott softened his expression, shifting his voice to low regret. "Emma."

She lifted her chin. "You hit me."

Scott sighed, raking a hand through his golden hair. "And I apologize. You must understand—your words could have been misinterpreted. We could have been sued."

She hesitated.

Scott stepped closer, voice softer, coaxing. "I did it to protect both of us. But mostly—you."

Emma melted. "Fine. But you owe me."

Scott smirked. "You’ll get everything you deserve, my love. But… I… I need a favor." Scott’s voice turned calculating.

Emma’s lips curled. "What?"

"A letter." Scott added.

She waited.

"Wear Selena’s clothes, gloves. Cover your scent. Then…" Scott’s voice dropped, "forge a suicide note. And you—are the only one who can do it perfectly."

Emma smirked, her eyes gleaming with intrigue. "You’re clever, Scott."

Scott’s lips barely tipped up in a smirk. "I know."

Emma leaned forward, resting her chin on her palm. "And what’s in it for me?"

Scott’s eyes darkened with promise. "Soon, I’ll bring you forward as my second-chance mate. Her family won’t ever know anything."

Emma’s grin widened. "Get me some paper."

Scott smiled and obliged.

The door to Selena’s chambers creaked open. Her scent lingered, untouched.

Emma wrapped herself in Selena’s cloak, gloved hands ensuring no scent remained.

She sat at the writing desk, pulling out a pen from Selena’s stationery, the soft scratch of ink against paper filling the silence as Scott watched.

And for the first time in hours, something inside him stirred.

His wolf, Kade. A weak voice, barely a whisper, filled with agony. "Don’t do this."

Scott tensed.

"Scott, don’t destroy her memory like this." Kade’s voice whispered through the void, weak but raw with agony.

Emma’s pen scratched, weaving the lie of a Luna drowning in shame.

Kade’s voice shook with desperation. "This is wrong."

Scott shut his eyes.

"Scott. If you do this—I will leave you. Forever." Kade’s voice broke, a final, mournful plea.

A pause.

Then—Scott shut him out. The connection severed.

Emma turned, holding up the letter. "Done."

Scott took it, staring at the inked words. "Good."

They returned to their room, the night heavy with deception.

And in Scott’s mind, his wolf howled one last time—

Before fading into silence.