The Luna's Revenge

4

4

ELENA

Standing by the mirror, I placed the neck of my green dress over my chest while staring at my body and cupped my belly with both of my hands to be sure that my belly bump won't be visible under it.

Of course it would not. There was no way I could hide a 28 weeks old pregnancy.

I had a small body that remained fit even during my pregnancy. My bulge only started showing on the second week of my sixth month.

I have been eager to see my baby since the very moment I learned that I had a living being inside me... Emmet's child.

Over the months I was still eager to get Emmet's approval but he still hadn't seemed to care bout me.

After dressing up, I met him in front of his room and he walked out with the usual cold face he kept for me.

After over a year, I hoped that he would love me and maybe feel a little passion for me the same way I did for him. Even if a little but it didn't seem that way.

I told myself that at least my being pregnant with his child would win me his affection. Seeing that I was carrying his heir, maybe that would make him like me but I was wrong. He didn't seem to change his contempt for me.

His brutality towards me stopped but he didn't act kind to me either.

As we walked down to the grand hall for the feast hosted by Alpha Otto, he wrapped his arm around mine as usual. The way he did whenever we were in public. But deep down I could tell he still had the same contempt for me. Perhaps I could live with it that way and hope that one day he would love me and accept me as his mate.

This made me to look forward to having our baby. Maybe by the time I birthed his child he would love me then. I would do anything to win his love.

As we descended the stairs, everyone who sat at the table turned their gaze on us probably wondering what perfect pair we were but it wasn't a secret any longer that my mate despised me so maybe they were thinking of something else.

As I neared my seat, I could not help but recognize Stephanie's face. She sat there all smiles and I knew I was going to have to deal with the discomfort of having to stare at her because she was sitting opposite me. I sighed in the table that and tried to blend in with the discussion and jokes.

Through out the feast, I observed how Stephanie stole glances at Emmet. Sometimes, they shared gazes and I had to keep adjusting in my seat to feel comfortable in the presence of the lady who was doing everything within her power to turn my mate against me. But it seemed I were the only one aware of this. I was the only one who saw her for whom she truly was.

I suddenly noticed the alpha's gaze on me and I gave back a respectful smile. It seemed as if he had been saying something concerning me but my mind was too occupied to hear him.

"My daughter-in-law is looking ever beautiful isn't she?" He asked and there came a murmur of agreement. All I did was smile shyly in response. I saw that he had emptied his glass so I arose to pour him another glass. He always liked me pouring his wine for him. He then turned to others. "I am soon expecting a grandchild from her." He announced proudly.

"Are you?" Stephanie's father Dominic Excalire exclaimed and others showed surprise as well.

"She doesn't even look it." Another person said.

"Oh I knew she was pregnant the moment I saw her. " An elderly woman said with happiness written over her face.

"No wonder she looked so tired while walking down." Another woman said empathetically and I smiled before glancing towards Emmet. Strangely I caught him staring at me and I looked away quickly with cheeks flushing red.

"Congratulations, Elena." Stephanie spoke calmly. "I'm happy for you two and the royal family."

"Thank you." Emmet responded to her as if he didn't want me to. So I didn't.

But somehow I continued to feel uncomfortable for the rest of the evening.

After hours of sitting with friends and elders and a wonderful meal which I didn't consume much of, Emmet decided it was time for him to go so I got up too.

After bowing to everyone, we were ready to leave when one of the elderly men called.

"Elena dear, do pour this wine for your husband when you get back." I bowed and accepted the hand wine bottle with both hands.

"Thank you for the gift, sir Marcus." Emmet said quietly then with a hand on my back as he led us back to the packhouse.

Once we were alone, I threaded slowly behind him watching each of his steps as I followed.

With a silence that was thicker than the darkness of the room, I walked to his reading table and placed the heavy bottle beside the lamp and retreated.

"Is there anything more you'd need me to do?" Standing in front of him, I asked with my palms folded watching as he pulled his boots after the other while seated on his bed.

"No." He replied coldly and I turned around to leave. No sooner had I taken a step than I heard a deep sigh from him and then a "stop."

At once I halted and listened to his footsteps nearing me but I still faced the door, having my back to him.

He commanded me to face him and I did. It reminded me of the first time I was in his chambers. The night he had given me a taste of the kind of mate he was going to be. Brutal, unkind, resentful and hateful. But there was something different about the look in his eyes this moment.

Slowly he raised his hand to my chest and brushed my woven hair away till it went up the back of my shoulder before slopping to my back.

All I did was blink nervously as we locked gazes, his eyes hypnotizing me the more I stared into them. I had not dared to do this in a while but now all of a sudden, he seems different.

All these last months of being couples, he had never hidden from me what he really took me for. A slave meant to be tortured, a servant meant to be obedient to her master and a thing to satisfy his lust whenever he so pleased. And each time when he was satisfied, he would order me out like he had suddenly realized he had been sleeping with a dirty pig and not his mate.

But tonight was different ....

He wasn't rough or selfish but gentle and compassionate. The way he kissed and caressed me, and ensured my comfort was unlike him. Was he becoming soft or he was just trying to be careful because of the baby?

All I could say is this was what I would call lovemaking and it was first that I had with him since we were together.

He didn't order me out like he used to.

Seeing him falling to sleep beside me was the strangest this for me to see. But somehow, I had a smile on my face as I drew the blanket over my body and blinked my eyes closed.

Maybe our nights would continue to be like this from now on?.......

I woke up to the loud bang of the door and I looked up instantly to see someone standing at the door, having turned into a silhouette in the middle of the light coming from the outside to contrast with the darkness of the room.

Frightened, I looked behind me to see that Emmet wasn't lying with me any more.

A closer look made me figure out that he was the one at the door.

When did he leave me and why was he suddenly standing there like that?

I saw his shoulder move up and down and his fists clenching so tight that I could hear the cracking of his knuckles.

"Emm... Sire?" I called slowly as I watched him marching closer to the bed.

Fear gripped me when I saw the furious scowl on his face.

"How dare you?" He grunted.

"What ... what's the matter?"

"You thought we wouldn't find out huh?" He growled.

"What are you ... "

"Shut up!!" He grabbed my wrist pulling me off the bed forcefully till I felt my hips crashing against the floor. I held the blanket to my naked body as he continued to draw me out.

"Sire!" I cried as he led me down the stairs with such full rush that I had to hold my stomach in fear that I may loose my baby from his roughness.

As I kept crying, he paid no listening ear to me until we reached the grand hall where he threw me to the floor in front of the entire members of the alpha's court.

I couldn't even bother to hold the blanket to myself anymore as I grabbed my belly protectively and found myself kneeling on the fabric. Naked, I stared up at the faces looking down at me and among them I recognized the faces of the elders I had sat with just last night to have dinner. They were all looking at me with contempt and disgust, some pity and some disappoinment.

I rose on my knees and looked back to see more people and Emmet walking in circles. The way he would do when he was in great anger or disturbance.

What's going on? What happened? What have I done?

As if having heard my thoughts, Emmet walked forward. "You dare!" He grunted till I saw him standing in front of me. "You dared to poison the alpha!!" He roared!

At the hearing if those words, my heart sank deep. Poison the alpha? Otto?

"Poison?..." I whispered.

"My father is dead! Because you chose to repay his goodness with your evil and poisoned his drink."

"I don't know what you're taking about..."

"You think we would not find out?" Elder Marcus spoke with a cold hateful stare and I watched with heightening confusion. What was happening?

"I didn't do it, I swear." I said, already crying.

"Then how do you explain the poison we found in your room?"

"Poison?!" I asked, my eyes growing wider. Was this all a dream?

"Yes!" Emmet replied and pointed towards the crowd. I followed his stretched arm and it wld me to Stephanie who was approaching with a small bottle in her hand.

"She found this under your bed while we were conducting the search!" Emmet roared and I watched Stephanie with my eyes wide, threatening to break out of my sockets as she handed the bottle to Emmet and the hatred in every single person's eyes for me grew. I began to shake my head.

Another set up!