Coming Back as Enemy's Luna

12. Exchange

= Mikael =

My brow arched almost on instinct, the small motion betraying the jolt of disbelief that shot through me the moment her offer left her mouth. Slowly, deliberately, I lifted my gaze back to her face.

Bold. That was the first word that came to mind. Bold… or maybe reckless.

Did she even understand what she was saying? Did she truly believe she had anything—anything—worth offering in return if I agreed?

A smirk tugged at the corner of my mouth as I leaned back and folded my arms across my chest, settling into a stance that made it painfully clear I wasn’t taking her seriously.

“And how exactly are you so sure,” I drawled, “that I’m going to accept your offer?”

Her throat bobbed as she swallowed, the brief flicker of uncertainty crossing her face almost too quick to catch. But then, like someone flicking a switch inside her, the hesitation vanished. The girl who sat across me now had eyes full of resolve—steady, unflinching, and far too stubborn for her own good.

“Because I’m the only one who can help you,” she said, her voice steady as she met my gaze head-on.

For a heartbeat, I just stared at her. Then the absurdity of her words hit me all at once. A sharp laugh burst out of me before I could stop it, echoing through the four corners of the room like I’d just heard the punchline of the world’s greatest joke.

I could feel Amara’s stare burning a hole into the side of my face, probably wondering if I’d finally lost my mind. Maybe I had—because this girl’s confidence was the funniest thing I’d heard in years.

Laughter kept spilling out of me long after I tried to pull myself together. I had to swipe away the tiny tears gathering in the corners of my eyes just to get a clear look at her again.

“You’re unbelievable,” I managed between breaths, still amused. “You really have the guts to say that when you’re—what? An outcast? A lone wolf with no pack and no place to go?”

The shift in her face was instant. Shadows crossed her expression, a flash of something cold and sharp flickering in her eyes. She clearly didn’t appreciate the reminder. That only made my grin widen. I waited for her to explode—like she had earlier, like I expected her to again.

But she didn’t.

“Yes,” she said calmly, almost too calmly. “I dare to make that offer because I have nothing left to lose.”

Then she smiled. Slow. Mocking. A deliberate poke straight to my ego.

“But you will, if you let this chance slip.”

The humor drained out of me, but I kept the smile plastered on, even as I felt my eyes narrow at her.

“And what makes you think your deal is anything special?” I asked, voice low, annoyance threading through every word.

Her grin stretched wider. Confident. Certain. Infuriating.

“Because you already know the answer,” she said. “I don’t need to explain myself.” She straightened her spine as if she owned the room—owned the moment.

My hands dropped to my lap. I curled them into fists, knuckles tightening, trying to hold down the irritation rising like heat under my skin.

I already knew what she was hinting at the moment she mentioned the offer. She didn’t need to explain; it was written all over her voice, her eyes, the way she tried to hold herself tall even though she was trembling inside. And she was right — it was obvious. It was the only reason I hadn’t snapped her neck the second I found her, aside from the slight possibility that Luneborne blood might actually be running through her veins.

But honestly? Even if she wasn’t Luneborne, I still would’ve kept her breathing.

She had once been promised as the future Luna of the Gravemire pack. She was praised by the pack for her intelligence and loyalty. Someone like her, of course, knew things. If she really is, then killing her now would be like throwing away a weapon forged specifically for me.

I forced myself to breathe, to let the itch to kill settle beneath my skin.

“Hmmm…” I leaned back, eyeing her. “Why don’t you tell me this offer of yours? Let’s see if we’re thinking the same thing.”

Her grin widened — sharp, reckless. I expected silence, maybe fear, but instead she stepped right into the game.

A very bold little lone wolf, indeed.

“I’ll give you everything you want,” she said. “Every detail about Gravemire. Every secret. Every name. Everything.”

She stopped there, letting the words hang between us like bait. I didn’t speak. I waited.

Her grin sharpened into something else entirely as she finally finished, “And in exchange… you make me your Luna.”