THE BROKEN LUNA'S: REVENGE FATED TO MY SISTER'S

Chapter 11

It’s supposed to be just another night.

Same dim lights. Same heavy perfume in the air. Same hollow beat thumping through the walls of The Velvet Howl. I’m backstage, adjusting my mask, waiting for my name to flash on the screen like always.

But tonight feels… off.

The club manager walks in with his usual clipboard, but he doesn’t smile. Doesn’t crack a joke.

“Raina,” he snaps. “You’re up. VVIP room. And don’t screw it up.”

I lift a brow. “Why me? I’m not even on the rota.”

He steps closer, reeking of cigars and authority.

> “Because you’re the only girl available right now. And this client is not just anyone. He’s top-tier. Royal, maybe. If he complains, I swear, I’ll make your life hell.”

Just like that, my stomach flips.

Only one kind of man ever asks for the VVIP dancers—men with power, secrets, and sometimes... regrets.

As I walk down the narrow hallway lined with flickering red lights, I feel it.

A pull. A scent I haven’t felt in months.

My wolf awakens for the first time in a long time.

Him.

My heart speeds up. My palms sweat inside my gloves. I try to breathe slowly.

> Please let it be a mistake.

But when the door opens, I already know it’s not.

Lucien is standing there. Right in front of me.

My body goes still. My mask does its job—hiding the chaos on my face—but nothing can hide the way my soul trembles.

He hasn’t changed.

Tall, brooding, dressed in all black like a shadow with a crown. His jaw is sharp, his eyes tired. His presence still commands the entire room without him saying a single word.

And yet... he doesn’t recognize me.

Of course he doesn’t.

The mask. The years. The pain. The child he doesn’t know exists.

But I see him. I feel him. Every part of him that once made me burn from the inside out.

The man who once held me like I was made of stars.

The father of my son.

---

I force myself to stay calm.

Just like we were trained to.

I walk in slowly, heels tapping against marble, spine straight, chin up. I stop in front of him, keeping my eyes low.

But when he pulls me closer by the waist, I nearly fall apart.

He’s warm. And close. And he smells like cedarwood and bourbon and something old that still feels like home.

Then I hear his voice—low, husky, almost broken.

> “What if I paid you a thousand extra... for every new order you obey tonight?”

I pause.

I want to scream. You already own me.

But instead, I nod. Slowly. Professionally.

He hands me a thick roll of cash like it means nothing to him.

And I take it—because it’s the only way I can stay near him.

---

We leave the club a few minutes later. I follow him out, wind slapping my thighs, heels clicking against concrete.

He drives a sleek black car. Expensive. Silent. Fast.

My heart thuds against my chest the entire time.

The city fades behind us quickly, swallowed by trees and night.

He doesn’t speak.

But I watch his face in the reflection of the window.

He looks lost.

Like he’s driving away from something he can’t name.

I expect him to want my body. I’m already unzipping my dress when he hands me a glass of bourbon instead.

> “Sit,” he says softly. “Just… sit with me.”

I obey.

And for the next few minutes, we just sit.

He talks.

Not much. But enough.

> “I feel like I’m living someone else’s life,” he says, staring into the fire. “Like I woke up one day and everything was decided for me. The mate. The palace. The future. And now I’m just... watching it all happen.”

I listen. Silent. Numb.

Because I feel the exact same way.

Except I didn’t get a palace.

I got pain. A child. A betrayal.

> Selene.

Her name curdles in my stomach. I know what she’s done. I don’t know how she’s hiding it, or why no one sees the truth—but I will find out.

Because this man deserves better. And not just because I love him.

He deserves peace.

---

I look at him — the real him.

Not the king.

Not the Alpha.

Just... Lucien.

And something inside me aches to reach him.

I didn’t plan to say anything.

I swear I didn't.

But then the words slip out, gentle and real before I can stop them.

> “If you ever need someone to talk to again… I’ll come.”

He turns toward me like he wasn’t expecting kindness.

When our eyes meet, something shifts.

Not recognition.

But light. A flicker. Like something inside him stirs just enough to feel human again.

> “Really?” he asks. “You’d come back?”

I nod. I can’t trust my voice.

He reaches into his wallet. “How much do you want?”

> “Nothing,” I whisper.

He freezes.

I stand up slowly, smoothing down my dress.

> “Not everything has a price.”

And before he can say anything else, I walk out.

---

I should cry when I get home.

But I don’t.

For the first time in a long time… I feel light.

Happy.

Because even if he doesn’t know who I am, I’ll still be close to him. I’ll still be part of his world. And that’s more than I thought I’d ever get.

I can protect him.

From Selene.

From this twisted lie she’s built around him.

And maybe, if fate is kind…

From the ache of being alone.

Even if I’m the secret behind his smile.

---