SECOND CHANCE LUNA

CHAPTER1:THE NIGHT BEFORE

Ciara’s POV

The first rays of sunlight filtered through the windows of the bedroom, casting a golden glow over the plush surroundings.

The faint chirping of birds outside heralded the start of a new day.

Inside, the air was still and peaceful, a stark contrast to the whirlwind of emotions and tension that had marked the night before.

I winced in pain the moment my eyes fluttered open. I growled at the banging headache I felt. Looking down to see that I was naked, then I looked around the unfamiliar room and realized that I was alone.

“Where’s Liam?” I thought, while trying to remember what happened the previous night, at my bachelorette party and how I ended up alone in this bright room, when, suddenly, the door busted open, and I managed a small smile when I saw who walked in, but my smile disappeared the moment I noticed the murderous look on my fiancée’s face.

“So is it true?” Liam asked in rage.

“B- -ba-be babe?” I stammered.

Liam rushed to the door that I hadn’t noticed at the left end of the room, searching frantically and breathing heavily, but he ran back almost immediately,

“Where’s that bastard?” he screamed.

“What are you talking about?” I finally found my voice and asked right back.

“Where’s the bastard that you spent the night with?”

I was even more confused and frustrated because I did not understand what he was talking about or who he was looking for.

“What are you talking about? I spent the night with you?” I wasn’t sure myself.

“So it’s true! You're not only a cheat but also a pathetic liar. People warned me about you?” he screamed at the top of his lungs, face red and eyes bulging.

“Oh my… I thought I was with you…babe?”

“Don’t call me babe, I am not your babe… at least not anymore.”

“It’s not what you think, Liam, please let me explain.” At that point, I was crying profusely.

“There’s nothing you’d say to justify what you’ve done, Ciara. I’m calling off the wedding!”

“Liam please?” I couldn’t believe my ears. I stood like a statue, staring at nothing in particular. Eyes wide like a bear caught in headlights, mouth wide open and my face was as white as a sheet of paper.

Liam pushed me out of the way and walked out without sparing me a glance.

I couldn’t believe my fate. I was supposed to be getting ready to walk down the aisle to meet the love of my life.

I’ve had a crush on Liam since we were kids, but I was too shy to open up to him or anyone else except my best friend, Mia.

I believed that something had happened the night before, but I couldn’t point a finger at it.

Feeling weak and dejected, I used the last of my strength to clean up before going to see my best friend, who should have a good explanation for what happened at the party.

The moment I stepped out of the guest house, I could see all the dirty looks and silent whispers from other pack members, but I barely registered their harsh words since my focus was on getting to the root of my problem.

As I walked to my friend’s cabin, I kept wondering what had happened the night before.

When Mia opened the door, she gave me the biggest bear hug, which made me break down in tears and cling to her for dear life. Apparently, she got the news from my stepmom when she went to my family house so we could get ready for my big day.

After a few minutes, I was a little bit calm, so I attacked my friend with the questions that had been living rent-free in my head since I woke up that morning.

“How did I get so wasted that I can’t remember a thing from last night?” Mia and I knew how to control our alcohol consumption and last night was not an exception.

“I don’t know. Did you drink anything after I left?”

“Mmm… you left the party?"

“Yes, I told you that Sam wasn’t feeling well, so I had to leave early!” She said while rolling her eyes at me.

Sam was Mia’s fiancé and Liam’s best friend since his late father was the beta of our pack before my father.

“Ohh, I remember that,” I immediately recalled when she left the party, but no matter how hard I tried, I did not remember anything that happened after that.

“I’m sorry Ciara, I should’ve been there for you.”

Mia is an amazing friend who’s been there for me through thick and thin.

“No, it’s not your fault,” I stated firmly, because I wouldn’t let her take the blame for whatever happened to me.

I had to stay at my friend’s for a week because I couldn’t think straight, nor was I ready to face anyone. Mia’s cabin is more of a home to me than my family home. Here, I feel loved and appreciated, unlike my father’s house where my stepmom never misses the opportunity to snap at me and say hurtful words about me and my late mother.

After a week of trying to remember something, anything from that night, I received a call from my father.

“Hello,” I answered the phone with no emotion.

“Ciara, where are you?" I’ve been so worried about you. My father asked in a concerned tone and I rolled my eyes. Worried about me when he did not bother to call me after what happened.

“I’m at Mia’s cabin!” I replied.

“Come home. We need to talk,” Father said, and I heard my stepmom in the background.

“Okay,” I mumbled and hung up.

I had no choice but to get up from bed, where I had been sulking all week. I got dressed and met Mia in the kitchen.

“I’m going to see my father!” I said to Mia.

“Do you want me to go with you?” She asked worriedly.

Mia was the only one who knew about how badly my stepmom had been treating me and was worried that I was going to the lion’s den alone, even though my stepmom wouldn’t do much when my father was around.

“I’ll be fine on my own,” I assured her before leaving the house.

Twenty minutes later, I arrived at my father’s home, preparing for whatever awaited me. Well, it’s funny how I could not call it my home anymore since my stepmother, Danielle, hates my guts. Worst of all, she poisoned her daughter’s mind against me. But truth be told, I didn’t like her either, because I had always suspected that my father was having an affair with her, even before my mother died. It’s the only way I can explain how he married her only three months after my mother passed away, and she was already pregnant with her daughter, Kaitlyn.

When I walked in, my father was waiting for me in the living room, Danielle was by his side. I almost hissed since she was the last person I wanted to see.