Luna Revenge: Dear Alpha I'm Back

chapter 3

Chapter 3

It was the next day. The house still felt cold and empty, filled with the silence of the betrayal I had uncovered.

When the front door finally opened, I did not move. I sat on the living room couch, my body stiff and my back straight. I kept my hands folded tightly in my lap to stop them from shaking.

I heard the soft click of shoes against the floor. I lifted my head slowly.

Max walked into the room, and Ana was right by his side. She had her arm linked through his like she belonged there. She leaned against him and acted like she was a weak victim. She was playing her part perfectly.

I did not say a word to them. I did not even look at them for more than a second. I turned my head and stared at the plain white wall. I wanted to act like they were ghosts. I did not want to show them any part of my heart.

Max led Ana over to the couch. He made her sit down right next to me. I felt her warmth against my side, and it made my skin crawl with disgust.

I kept my face calm and blank. I did not want him to see how much I was hurting.

Max stood in front of me. His face was red with anger. Suddenly, he reached out and grabbed my arm. He pulled me up with a lot of force. I felt his fingers digging into my skin. It was painful, but I did not cry out.

"Do you know what you have done, Ema?" he shouted. His voice was low and very dangerous.

He pointed his finger at Ana. "How could you be so mean? She is pregnant! She could have lost the baby because of what you did!"

I looked at him for a long time. I looked at his eyes, his hair, and his mouth. This was the man I had loved more than my own life. Now, he looked like a stranger to me. I felt a strange sense of being detached from everything.

My voice was very steady when I finally spoke.

"What have I done?" I asked. "I remember the stairs, but I did not do anything to Ana. Why are you so upset with me?"

Before Max could say anything, Ana stood up. She did it very slowly and dramatically. She put her hand over her stomach as if she were protecting something precious. She looked at Max with wide, innocent eyes.

When she spoke, her voice was sweet and fake.

"Max, please do not be mad at her," Ana said. "Maybe Ema did not know I was pregnant. That is probably why she pushed me. She just did not realize how fragile I am right now."

I almost laughed. The lie was so big that it felt ridiculous. A dark, bitter feeling rose up in my throat.

For three years, I had been a fool. I was the obedient dog who did everything they asked. I had cared for Ana's son. I had cooked meals for her. I had smiled even when the Shawn family insulted me. And now, she was standing there pretending that I was a monster.

I felt a sudden burst of strength. I pushed Max’s hand away from my arm. He looked surprised that I fought back. I let out a sharp, hollow laugh and looked him right in the eyes.

"You care so much about Ana," I said. "If the people in the pack see you two like this, they will think she is the Luna. They won't think I am the one who belongs here. Do you really think I pushed her? Why would I do that? I have nothing to gain from hurting her. I am not going to waste my time on someone I don't care about."

The room went very quiet. Max’s face twisted with pure rage. I did not see his hand move until it was too late.

He slapped me.

The sound was loud and sharp. I felt a burning sting across my cheek and my head snapped to the side. I stood there in shock. I touched my face and felt the heat of the blow.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Ana. She had a tiny, satisfied smile on her lips. She was happy that he hit me.

I turned back to Max. He looked stunned. He looked at his own hand as if he couldn't believe what he had done. The anger in his eyes faded into something that looked like regret.

"Ema," he said. His voice sounded shaky.

I did not let him finish. I felt a cold fury moving through my body.

"You slapped me because of my sister?" I asked. My voice was icy. "Are you marrying me, or are you marrying her? Are all the promises you made me just lies?"

He reached out to take my hand, but I pulled away. I stepped back so he couldn't touch me again.

"I have nothing more to say to you," I said. "I am leaving this room."

I walked past him. I did not look back. I walked up the stairs with slow, careful steps.

In the past, I would have hoped he would follow me. I would have waited for him to say he was sorry. We used to have arguments that ended with us holding each other. But those days were over now. I knew the truth.

I went into our bedroom and shut the door. I sat on the edge of the large bed and took out my phone. Ana had sent me more messages.

I opened them, and my heart felt like it dropped to the floor.

There were more pictures. Yesterday, after Max took Ana to the hospital, he didn't come home. He took her to my favorite restaurant. It was the place by the river with the candles and the beautiful view. We always went there for our special nights.

There were more photos of them at the park I loved and the small café where I liked to drink tea. He had taken all the things that belonged to us and gave them to her.

I had been sitting at home alone while he was giving my life to my sister.

The door behind me opened suddenly. I did not turn around. I felt strong arms wrap around my waist. Max pressed his face against my neck. I felt his warm breath on my skin.

He spoke in a low, begging voice.

"I am so sorry, Ema," he whispered. "I did not mean to hit you. I was just so worried and angry. Please, can you forgive me?"

I took a deep breath. I used to love the way he smelled, but now it made me feel sick. If I were the old Ema, I would have turned around and hugged him. I would have told him it was okay.

But now, his touch felt like poison. I felt disgusted. I stood up and moved away from him. I turned to face him with cold, hard eyes.

"What are you doing in here?" I asked. I made my voice sound flat. "Shouldn't you be downstairs with my sister?"

Max stood up too. He looked frustrated. He ran his fingers through his hair and sighed.

"What are you talking about?" Max asked. "Ana is just family. I am helping her because she is pregnant. That is the only reason."

I laughed again. It was a mean sound.

"She is pregnant," I said. "So what? Why is that your problem? Unless you are the father of the baby."

The silence in the room was heavy. Max just stared at me. He didn't say no right away. His face turned hard again.

"You need to stop thinking like that, Ema," he said. "It is not what you think."

Before he could say more, the door burst open. Max’s Beta was standing there. He looked worried and was breathing fast.

"Alpha!" the Beta shouted. "The young miss is in pain. She is having sharp pains in her stomach. She says it is getting worse!"

Max turned around immediately. His whole body looked tense. He started to move toward the door, but then he paused. He looked back at me for one second.

"I will be back," he said.

Then he ran out of the room.

I sat there and laughed one more time. It was a cold, empty sound. I felt like I could finally see everything clearly.

I walked over to my dresser and pulled open a small drawer. I reached inside and took out a string of beads. I had been keeping them hidden there.

There were thirty beads on the string. Each bead was for one day. I pulled one bead off the string and held it in my hand.

There were twenty-nine beads left.

In one month, when all the beads were gone, I would be gone too. Max would have nothing left of me.