The True Luna's Wrath

3.SEEN

SEEN.

The whip cracked through the air and pain dragged across Lilith's back, stealing the air from her lungs.

She bit down on her lip until she tasted blood, refusing to scream.

"Again!" Another lash hit her back and then another.

By the tenth strike, her knees hit the ground beneath her.

It had been seven days already. Seven days since Alicia stole her body and Lamien looked into her eyes, calling her a murderer.

Seven exact days of chains, interrogations, and punishment for a crime she hadn't committed.

Every morning she woke in the dungeon, every afternoon she was dragged into the courtyard and whipped before the entire pack.

Every evening, she was thrown back into her freezing cell.

She had stopped counting the lashes after the third day…all she had left was a little hope that was flickering already.

"Take her away!" The main guard barked. They hauled her to her feet and dragged her through the pack house.

Familiar voices echoed down the hallway. "Our Luna finally woke up."

"The Moon Goddess has blessed the BloodThorn Pack."

"The Alpha hasn't left her side."

"They're so in love."

Lilith shut her eyes. She couldn't bear to imagine it.

Alicia was sleeping in her bed, living Lilith's life and receiving the love that had belonged to her.

The guards shoved her outside.

The courtyard had been decorated with silver banners bearing the Kai family crest. Hundreds of pack members stood in neat rows, waiting.

"The Volneys have arrived," one guard muttered.

Lilith's head shot up. Her parents.

Hope surged through her aching chest.

This was the moment she was waiting for.

They would know….A mother knew her child and a father recognized his own blood.

Even if the world doubted her...her parents wouldn't.

The guards forced her onto her knees as a trumpet sounded. “Welcome back, Luna!"

The crowd erupted in cheers. Lilith slowly lifted her head and almost immediately, she wished she hadn't.

Her heart shattered.

Descending the marble staircase was a woman wearing Lilith's face, her silver hair, her crown, her royal gown and everything that was hers.

Every elegant smile…It was her.

No. It was Alicia.

Lamien stood beside her, holding her hand as though she'd always belonged there.

The tenderness in his eyes nearly destroyed Lilith.

He had once looked at her that way but now, that love belonged to someone else.

"My Luna," Lamien murmured. He lifted Alicia's hand and kissed it.

Lilith looked away. She couldn't watch another woman live the future she had waited five years to claim.

Then several black vehicles rolled through the gates.

Her family had arrived.

The first door opened and a tall, broad-shouldered man stepped out, streaks of silver touching his dark hair.

Her father. Adams Volney.

Behind him was an elegant woman dressed in black, her eyes swollen from crying—Her mother.

Tears blurred Lilith's vision.They were here and everything would be alright.

She struggled toward them. "Mother!”

A guard shoved her back so hard that she crashed onto the stone floor, chains clanging against the ground.

"Please!" she cried. "Please look at me!"

Her voice drew their attention. Mr. and Mrs. Volney turned.

Lilith searched their faces desperately for recognition.

*(Please…)*

Instead, disgust settled in her father's eyes. "So," he said coldly. "It's you, Alicia."

Lilith froze. "No..." She shook her head, a wave of disappointment hitting her.

Her mother's expression hardened. "My daughter trusted you. You stood beside her for five years, and this is how you repaid her?"

Lilith shook her head wildly. "No, Mother... it's me. It's Lilith."

Her Mother sent a resounding slap to her face.

Lilith's head snapped sideways.

Mrs. Volney lowered her trembling hand. "Do not call me Mother. You lost that right the moment you tried to murder my daughter and now, you're either pretending to be mentally unstable..." She scoffed.

Lilith stared at her in disbelief. Her own mother had slapped her.

Her father stepped forward. "You should be grateful the Alpha spared your life. If it were my decision..."

His voice turned icy. "you would've died the moment my daughter spilled her blood."

Lilith's heart broke. "Father... please. I'm your daughter. I swear it." Neither of them believed her and then Alicia laughed softly.

She approached them with perfect grace. "When will you stop this?" she asked sadly.

Lilith glared at her. *("You stole my life.")* She wanted to say it, but she bit them back.

Alicia sighed. "I don't know why you keep saying such things."

She turned to the Volneys. "I'm sorry you had to witness this."

Mrs. Volney immediately cupped Alicia's fave. "Oh, sweetheart... none of this is your fault."

Mr. Volney rested a comforting hand on her shoulder. "We'll make sure justice is served."

Lilith couldn't bear it. "No!" she screamed out of jealousy and pain.

The entire courtyard turned toward her. “I can prove who I am."

Her father narrowed his eyes. "Prove it."

Hope flickered again. She still had one thing Alicia could never steal.

Her memories.

"When I was five," Lilith began, tears streaming down her face, "Mother wouldn't let me ride my wolf alone, so I hid beneath your bed to scare you." Mrs. Volney frowned.

"You screamed so loudly Father came running with his sword." A flicker of surprise crossed her mother's face.

Before she could respond—

"And Father carried you back to your room on his shoulders," Alicia finished with a gentle smile.

Mr. Volney nodded slowly. "That's true."

Lilith's stomach dropped. How?

She had never told Alicia that story. She swallowed hard, starting again, "When I was ten..."

“You learned Mother's first love was named Malachi," Alicia interrupted calmly. "It happened while you were arranging flowers for the Harvest Festival."

Mrs. Volney covered her mouth in shock. Every word and memory was correct.

Lilith stumbled backward. No… This wasn't possible.

She tried again."When I was thirteen—"

"The hunting accident." Alicia interrupted again.

Lilith didn't stop even as her breath shuddered. "When I turned sixteen—"

"The Moon Festival where I drank too much berry wine."

Alicia knew every memory, every secret and every answer.

It was strange and it made Lilith's voice fail.

Mrs. Volney stepped toward Alicia and wrapped her in a tight embrace. "My poor daughter..."

In that moment, something inside her died.

Her own mother was comforting her murderer.

Mr. Volney looked at Lilith with utter contempt. "I don't know what kind of thing it is that you're doing, but stay away from my family."

The last piece of hope vanished.

Not even her parents or her mate, or the elders…or even the Beta…no one in the pack could recognize her.

She lowered her head."Why?"

The whisper barely escaped her lips.

Alicia looked at her, bending toward the ground,"What?"

"Why did you do this to me?"

For a long moment, Alicia simply smiled and then she turned to Lamien. "I'd like a moment alone with her."

After a brief hesitation, he nodded. Soon, the courtyard was empty and only the two women remained.

Alicia stepped closer and crouched before her. "You keep asking why."

Lilith met her gaze with burning hatred. "I'll make sure you pay for this."

Alicia laughed softly. "You still don't understand."

She leaned close enough that only Lilith could hear.

“The only reason I'm still letting you live after the crazy stunt you pulled a few minutes ago, is that you gave me all I now have.” Alicia lifted Lilith's chin with a finger.

“You're heartless…after everything I did for you—"

“Exactly my point, Luna.” Alicia mocked her with that title. "And that's why your head hasn't rolled off your body yet.” Alicia’s smirk vanished into a still, dark expression. "Forget about your body, forgotten Luna."

Lilith frowned in confusion, "...What?"

"Worry about your wolf instead." Her blood turned to ice.

"What did you say?"

Alicia stood and smoothed the royal gown she had stolen.

"By tomorrow morning..." She glanced back with a smile. “Your wolf won't answer you anymore."

Lilith's face drained of color. "No..."

Alicia walked away.

"What did you do?" Lilith screamed.

There was no answer, only a soft laughter filled with malice and evil.

Panic swallowed her as she squeezed her eyes shut.

"Astra…" She reached for the familiar bond that had been with her since the day her wolf awakened.

" (Astra... it's me.)" She just her eyes tighter, her breathing quickened as she tried to reach deeper.

“(Astra... please…)"She tried again, but the silence was horrible. Her wolf didn't reach out to her back— all she could hear was emptiness.

Lilith's eyes flew open as a single tear slid down her bruised cheek. "No..."

For the first time since her wolf awakened, her wolf didn't answer.

The guards dragged Lilith through the pack house toward the dungeon. At the entrance of the dungeon, they suddenly stopped. "Beta."

She forced her swollen eyes open.

Kieran stood in the hallway, his sharp gaze settling on her battered figure.

For a brief second, his eyes lingered on hers, a faint curve forming in his brows, as though something about her troubled him.

She saw something there…confusion but he dismissed them quickly and quietly. "Take her away,"

The guards obeyed, shoving her into the cell.

As Lilith collapsed onto the floor, something tucked beneath the straw caught her eye.

It was a folded paper.

With trembling fingers, she opened it.

[Who are you?] She read out the writing on the paper.

Someone knew! Someone had seen her! But who?