THE RISE OF A FORBIDDEN LUNA

THREE

CHAPTER THREE

Valeria’s POV

By the time we reached the borders of the Storm Pack Palace, my legs could barely hold me up.

The forest felt very different, like it was watching us.

Julian raised her hand suddenly, like she was haunting something.

“Wait” she said

Camila and I froze on the spot immediately, unsure of the possible event that was about to unfold.

Then we heard low growls like a pack of wolves was circling us from a distance.

My heartbeat started beating so fast, and I did not realize that I was holding onto Camila’s sleeves.

“They’ve already scented us,” Luciana said quietly.

I knew all along that it wouldn't be easy for us as strangers to enter another Alpha’s territory or pack without being challenged.

“You guys should stay behind me,” Luciana added to my amazement.

Because it was funny considering the fact that she claimed to us that she was running away from her own pack, so what did she possibly say? Though she did not sound afraid at all.

Immediately, I felt those shadows moving around, and then they stepped out fiercely. They were six wolves, with their massive height and their eyes glowing in the dark.

Of course, they were guards of the Storm pack gate. Then one of them shifted, and transformed back into human. He was naked, unbothered and dangerous.

“Who are you? And what brought you to this territory?” he asked nonchalantly. His voice was not welcoming at all.

“Why all these questions? Can't you recognize me? Luciano asked, stepping forward. “ I am Luciana, daughter of Alpha Esteban." She continued.

The man paused, though he acted like he remembered the face before him, but he seemed to wave it off too quickly.

“Alpha Esteban did not inform us of your return,” the man insisted.

“I didn’t inform him of my return, so he is not aware that I'm here,” Luciana replied calmly with her voice shaking.

The reply did not solve anything, so I noticed that his eyes moved to me, then shifted to Camila.

“Who are they?” he asked.

And I knew for a fact that this could actually get us killed.

“They’re with me,” Luciana answered without hesitation.

“That’s not an answer,” the man insisted.

“They helped me, when I had nowhere else to run to. They gave me shelter and protected me from the dangers in their pack”. Luciana said softly.

The guards seemed not to believe us because he had this sharpened look on his face. So I have to act fast.

“What kind of help?” the guard asked.

Just then, the initial plan we agreed on with Luciana and Camila struck me.

“She lost her memory,” I said. My heart started pounding, almost betraying me.

“… I don’t remember anything,” Luciana said softly as she lowered her head, acting up to the plan.

The lie was so strange, but I had to put up with it in order to survive.

The guard stepped close and leaned slightly, studying Luciana like he did not believe what we had just said.

“Memory loss?” he asked repeatedly.

“Yes,” Camila cut in quickly. “We found her in the woods like that, she was alone and injured,” she said.

He quickly looked at Camila inquisitively.

“And you?” he asked.

Camila remained unshaken

“We ran away from our pack,” Camila answered.

“Why?” he asked again.

Everything was almost getting suspicious before Camila gave a smart answer.

“We were being forced into marriage,” Camila said. “The marriage was for political reasons, so we refused and fled"

The guard looked like he believed what we said for the first time since we got there. But he still had his own doubts.

“And you expect us to believe you just because your by chance stumbled into Alpha Esteban’s daughter and decided to play rescuer?” he asked again.

There was a huge silence in the background because, seriously, our answers sounded ridiculous.

“You can question us all you want,” Luciana said, breaking the silence, her voice dropping just slightly. “Or you can choose to take me to my father and let him decide,” she continued.

And with that response, the guards decided to escort us into the Storm palace.

The Storm Pack palace stood out of the forest like it was carved from power itself. It had cold stone, towering walls which were guarded from every angle. Everything about the palace speaks of control.

And as we were led inside, I felt that different people were watching us. Their eyes seemed like they were judging us. But I cared less at this point.

We were led into a large hall. That was when I saw Alpha Esteban. He was just seated, and his eyes seemed to be calculating everything around him.

“Dad…..” Luciana shouted and moving forward to where he was seated.

“Stop,” one of the guards ordered. And Luciana went still.

Luciana rose slowly, and descended the stairs with controlled authority, with her fixed on his daughter.

“You disappeared for months without a word,” he said calmly, “and returned with strangers.” He continued with his shifting to me and Camila.

His looks were cold and dangerous.

“What do you have to say to yourself?” he asked, referring the question to Luciana.

Luciana, on the other hand, hesitated for a moment before she started talking.

“We rescued her,” I said. But her father’s expression didn’t change.

“From what exactly?” he asked

“ Before she completely went blank, she told us that she overheard something about a prophecy before she left, that she overheard a conversation about her being a threat to the pack with the claim that she would destroy the unity in the pack”. I explained

“And she believed all that?” Alpha Esteban replied, surprised.

“I think that she didn’t wait to find out the truth. I'm so sorry about that," I said. Then there was silence in the hall.

“ And now she cannot remember anything that has happened in the past?” Alpha Esteban asked rhetorically without expecting any answers.

He hesitated before speaking again.

“ Call the doctors, she needs all the medical care that she can get to know if she can remember anything. And for these two," he said with his gaze fixed at me and Camila.

“Search them.” he ordered.

The words came like a bomb and the guards moved instantly. Obviously they found nothing on us.

Alpha Esteban watched the entire process silently. Then he finally spoke

“They will stay but will be watched carefully, they won't be allowed to move freely and won't leave the underground for any reason. And if I find out that you’ve lied…, his eyes were fixed on mine. “You won’t get the chance to explain yourselves” he ordered

I swallowed hard before answering.

“Y—Yes, Alpha.” we chorused.

“Take them inside,” he ordered.

We were led to a room in the underground part of the palace. The room was small and always guarded, maybe in a bid to ensure that we didn't escape. Palace maids were also assigned to us.

As we were still looking around and admiring everything in the room, Luciana entered, closing the door behind us. And for the first time since we met in the woods and arrived at the Storm Pack palace, she smiled.

“You guys did so well, the acting, everything. Thank you so much guys,” she said.

Camila took a sharp breath.

“That was too close, we were almost caught,” she said.

Luciana shrugged lightly.

“My father doesn’t trust people easily,” she replied.

I looked closely at her before talking.

“ But you never told me that part of the story.” I said I was really expecting an answer from her.

“I never had the time to explain all these things to you people, but the most important thing now is that we are safe,” she replied.

Something about her reply didn’t sit right with me, but I was too tired to ask questions, so I had to let it slide.

Days passed at Storm Palace but nothing changed. Although we were not prisoners, we weren't free either. The atmosphere in the palace was so tight that you couldn't walk around without eyes watching you.

Then one of the days, I took notice of a young man. He was handsome and brooding. He was really tall with outstanding features like his sharp blue eyes and muscular body.

I learned that his name was Diego. But unlike others, he did not hide his suspicions. Rather, he questioned everything that I had told him.

So one evening in the hallway he summoned the courage to speak to me. When he finally approached me, he hesitated before speaking.

I don't know why I feel that your stories are not true," he said boldly without even dropping a word of greeting.

“I don’t understand what you meant by that," I replied, acting like I did not know where his statement was headed.

His eyes were slightly darkened while looking at me.

“You don’t smell like someone who has lost everything,” he continued.

This has always been the statement that I have come to be familiar with since I arrived at the Storm Pack. So I was not surprised anymore.

“You’re not confused enough or neither are you scared of anything,” he continued.

I had to force an uncertain look.

“I—I don’t remember how to feel anything anymore,” I said confidently.

“People like you don’t run for no reason because they always have a secret backstory.” He paused for a bit,“ What was your offence?” He added.

The question hit harder than it should have, because for a second I wanted to give the correct answer and talk about my predicaments at the Moon fang Pack.

I had no other option but to keep mute. He just took a closer look at me before leaving.

Then for a moment, I had a sudden and chilling feeling that Diego Serrano wasn’t just watching me to protect his pack but was watching me like I was a puzzle that he had the intention of solving.

Later that night, I woke up to a soft and metallic sound coming from outside the room. So I paid closer attention, only to hear a voice from a familiar person whom I knew was Diego.

“ I do not think she is who she claimed to be. I don't know how to say this, but I am suspicious of everything about her “. He said

“And if I’m right,” he continued quietly, “we will not just let a runaway into our pack, it is dangerous for us all.”

The words I heard made my blood run cold and legs were weak.

And I just realized that my days at the Storm pack are numbered, and I need to act fast.