Astrid: I Died as His Luna, I Returned For Revenge

I couldn't feel my legs anymore. My body felt strangely light, almost as if I wasn't lying on my bed at all. Was I dying? A cough tore through my chest. Pain followed, reminding me that I was still here. Still alive, but barely. "Ugh." I struggled to open my eyes. The ceiling blurred in and out of focus and my breathing was shallow, and every breath felt like a fight. "Caden..." My voice came out as a whisper. I swallowed painfully and tried again. "C-Caden, where are you?" The servant girl beside my bed leaned closer. "Please, Luna Astrid. You need to rest." "Call Caden for me." I reached for her hand. "Please." I tried to push myself up, but my arms gave out. I sank back against the pillows, wincing. The servant hesitated. "Alpha Caden is busy." My fingers loosened around hers. "Busy?" "He said he has important matters to attend to." I stared at her. "Important matters?" She lowered her eyes. I turned my face toward the window, a bitter laugh escaping my lips. I had been sick for weeks. A month ago, rogues had attacked our pack and when one of them aimed a gun at Caden, I pushed him out of the way and took the bullet meant for him. The bullet had vervainne in it, which was really deadly. So I had nearly died saving my mate. The healers said I was recovering. They even promised I would be back on my feet soon. But a week ago, everything changed. My strength began slipping away. I could barely eat, let alone walk. Every day, I felt weaker than the last. And now, Caden couldn't even spare a moment to see me. I managed to turn my head toward the window. Outside, the pack was going about its normal life. Life continued for everyone else and I was the only one waiting to die. I didn't understand. I was Caden's mate and I had risked my life for him, so was I really asking for too much by wanting him beside me in this trying moment? The door suddenly opened and my heart jumped. "Caden?" I tried to lift my head, but the movement made me dizzy. It wasn't him. It was Elara. My cousin walked into the room wearing a beautiful white dress. Her long hair tied up in a ponytail, and there was a smirk on her face. She closed the door behind her and dismissed the servant. "I hoped you'd be dead by now." She said to me, her tone laced with so much evil. "W-what do you mean?" She walked toward me slowly and gave a small smile. "How are you feeling, dear cousin?" I stared at her in disbelief and said nothing. If at anything, I could tell fake sympathy from real. "Too weak to speak?" she said in my face. I breathed painfully. "Elara, please. I-I need Caden." She paused and for a few seconds, she simply looked at me. "Caden huh?" she nodded, then she raised her left hand. Something shiny glittered on her finger and eyes fell on it. My breath caught. "No..." It was my ring. Caden gave it to me the day we sealed our bond in front of everyone and he promised to protect and stay by my side. "Caden gave..." I sniffled, slightly. Elara smiled. "Yes, Caden gave it to me." she said, confidently and did a little twirl. She stopped and grinned wildly. "He proposed to me." I coughed loudly now, and blood splurted out. Elara backed off immediately. "Eww, you're so nasty!" she said. "No, no," I breathed heavily. "Caden wouldn't do that." My voice became louder. "No, he wouldn't." Elara laughed softly. "And why wouldn't he?" "Because he's my mate." The words barely left my mouth before Elara burst into laughter. "Oh please. Was." I froze. "What?" "You said he is your mate." She leaned closer. "Was, Astrid." My eyes burned. "Caden would never..." "..He already did." she cut in. I stared at her. "He's going to marry me." she bragged. Tears immediately filled my eyes. "Why?" I said, weakly. Elara shrugged. "Because he wants someone better, Astrid." She hissed my name. I shut my eyes tightly, because the tears were threatening to fall. Elara sat on the edge of my bed. For years, I knew Elara had pretended to care about me. She had smiled at me in front of the entire pack. But now there was no kindness in her eyes. "Do you remember when you first came to live with us, back at home?" she asked. I stared at her. "When your parents had just died?" she continued. Her smile disappeared. "Everyone felt sorry for you. They called you the poor little orphan. The Alpha's daughter. The rightful heir." I sobbed at the painful memory she dared to bring back. "Everyone loved you...even when you had nothing, they still looked at you like you were better than me." "That isn't true." I whispered. "It is!" she shot back. She smoothed her dress and stood. "My whole life, I had to watch everyone pity you." I shook my head. "You never had to want anything. Everything was simply handed to you out of pity." I stared at her, as a tear rolled down my cheeks. She leaned closer. "Now? You dare to think you can get married before I do?" she asked. "Astrid, you can't! This..this is mine." she pointed to the ring. "I'm finally getting what should have been mine." Elara's eyes moved from me and landed at the medicine sitting on the table. I saw a small smile curve on her lips. "You know...you were supposed to recover." My eyes widened. "What?" "But I couldn't let that happen." she pouted. My heart pounded loudly. "You..." She picked up the small bottle of medicine which had a blue ribbon on it, and she slowly removed a blue ribbon that tied her hair, making her hair fall on her shoulders. They were the same exact ribbon...I had been taking the medicine with that ribbon on it. I froze at the realization. She..she.. "You changed my medicine." I said in disbelief. I couldn't even breathe anymore. "You poisoned me." She placed the bottle back down. "Bingo, And I did it every day, just enough to make your body weaker." All these weeks, the painful nights, where I had wondered why the healers couldn't save me. It was her. "You killed me." She clicked her tongue. "Not yet, honey. but you're getting there." Tears continued falling. "Why?" Then I heard footsteps outside the door. Heavy, familiar footsteps. Hope moved through me before reason could stop it. His scent reached me a second later. Pine, smoke, and the bond I had spent weeks begging to feel. "Caden?" The door opened and he walked in. My mate, my Alpha. The man I had been waiting for. Elara immediately hid her ribbon under my bed and put on her regular fake pity face. Caden came in and his eyes went straight to Elara. He didn't even give me a glance, not even a single one. My weak heart shattered right there. "Are you ready?" He said to Elara Elara nodded "Yes, baby." My smile disappeared. "R-ready for what?" Caden finally looked at me. There was nothing in his eyes. No concern, no love. Nothing. I was nothing "Caden..." I called out to him. He sighed llike I was a bother. "What is it, Astrid?" "I-I'm dying." "I know." He replied, coldly. I paused, then ignored it. "Please come closer." I begged shamefully, but he didn't move. All I wanted is was to feel our bond, our painful yet addictive bond.. I stretched my hand toward him. "Please." He glanced at my hand before looking away. "I don't have time for this, Astrid." He said, final, shutting me out. My chest tightened and the tears that came, even I couldn't stop it. "Time?" I questioned him, stil in disbelief. "I have other things to do." he dismissed me yet again. "Caden, I saved your life! , your mate is dying." I wailed, clutching my chest. He remained silent and unmoved. "Please, Caden. Please don't leave me." Elara walked toward him with a smug and Caden held out his hand. She took it. I stared at their joined hands. "No." I shook my head. "Caden, please." He looked at me neutrally. "I'm marrying Elara, Astrid..I-" he stopped. "You're going to die anyways, no need to explain." "But I'm your mate." I yelled and retreated back as physical pain burned and ached my body. My chest heaved up and down. "Not anymore, you're not." I couldn't breathe anymore at this point, I just managed to gasp for air. "Don't leave me here." He turned to walk away. "Caden!"I forced out. He stopped at the door. For one second, I thought he might turn around and come back to me, he didn't. "Please." I groaned, my eyelids growing heavy. "I don't want to die alone." "Then stop making this harder than it needs to be." He said and my heart burned badly. Our bond twisted and ached and I cried out. He was gone, he left me... Everyone was gone. And I was alone. So what was the use of being alive then? My vision blurred and I couldn't feel my fingers anymore. So this was it. I was going to die? After spending my entire life trying to make everyone happy. Trying to be a good cousin. A good mate. A good Luna. And what did I get? Nothing but painful, agonizing betrayal. A tear slipped down my cheek. "If I could do it again..." My voice was barely audible. "If I had another chance..." I closed my eyes. "I would never..." I swore, my heartbeat slowing down. "...let them hurt me again." Suddenly every sound blurred around me and it was pure silence. Then.. A heartbeat. Once. Twice. My eyes flew open and I gasped, sucking in a lungful of air. My heart was pounding. "What..." I pressed a trembling hand against my chest. I looked around. I was back in my pack house.