Alpha's Reborn Luna: Marked for Vengeance

Chapter 5

Aurelia POV

There was a knock on my door, and then the doorknob suddenly turned and was flung open.

My eyes almost popped out of my head when I recognized that it was Lyra.

She's a mute wolf; the only maid that, really in her uptight way, cared for me during my pregnancy in my past life. She’d tried to show me the evil ways of the pack's politics and wanted to school me into being just like them so I could save myself, but I was beguiled by everyone in the palace that she was a witch, so I stayed away from her. She sent me a secret message on a fateful evening to meet her for important information that concerned my life. I went, but I didn't see her.

The next day, she was found dead in her quarters. I still wonder if she knew about Selena's plan and tried to warn me, but my weakness killed her.

Now that I saw her in the same purple outfit she had worn on the day I first met her, I wanted to reach out and hug her and apologise for causing her death, for believing that she was cursed. But I held myself back.

I could only watch her enter deeper into the room and move around it, and then she turned and sighed for me to get out of bed. She placed the hot cup of tea for me on the table beside the bed.

She turned around to look at me again, and her gaze pierced at me. I almost flinched at the emotion that was depicted in her eyes. I couldn't tell what it was, but I was terrified all the same. She started to make her way out of the room, only to stop just as she got to the door.

"Selena is waiting to see you," she said through the mind link, and with that, Lyra was out of the room.

The moment Selena stepped inside and tugged me aside, my gut twisted into tight knots. “Aurelia,” she said, her voice too soft to be honest, “I need to talk to you.”

I narrowed my eyes. “About what?”

She blinked, and honestly, I didn't have the time for it. “I’ve been thinking a lot. About how I treated you before, and you didn't do anything to deserve it... I’m sorry.”

Her words fell on me like shards of ice. Sorry? This b***h must be joking! She must be way out of her damn mind!

When I didn't respond, she grew uncomfortable, and her gaze dropped. Twisting her fingers nervously, she said, “I accept that you're the Luna, and I've made peace with it.”

Peace. The word tasted bitter on my tongue. My fingers curled into fists at my sides. The Selena I knew wasn’t one to simply surrender. If anything, she’d never stop fighting to stay on top, even if it meant stepping on everyone.

“Fine,” I said, keeping my voice calm, but every muscle in me screamed caution. Her smile was too quick. She nodded, and together we stepped toward the riverside, where the water glistened under the afternoon sun, deceptively calm. I felt my heartbeat hammer in my ears.

I remembered the nightmare of my past life, how Selena had ended me. The way she’d smiled after watching my father kill me. I wasn’t about to let history repeat itself.

I was given a second chance, and I was as hell not going to waste it being kind or naive; I was going to serve revenge like a banquet to everyone that has wronged me or profited in my downfall.

I turned to look at her again. She had a solemn look of concern on her face, but I already knew that it was an expression similar to the overpriced makeup her entire face was caked with.

Fake ass witch!

"How are you coping with the idea of becoming the new Luna? I'm worried you'd be able to handle it perfectly?" Even her voice held a level of concern that would have someone who hadn't lived through this hell before believe it to be genuine.

But the clear signs of her fakery were in her eyes. I could tell how much she hated me.

Regardless of the bile that rose up my throat, which I was very willing to spit all over her face, I decided to have a go at her game of pretence.

"There's nothing to worry about, Selena. I am doing well with the position." I quickly realized I was a poorer actress than Selena, because my voice came out in a cold tone that had traces of hatred, and it only gave her more armour to move closer to me and act some more.

"I know that you must be feeling so incapable of being a good Luna, but I assure you that with time you'd get it right." Her hand moved to touch my upper arm, but it froze midway by the look I gave her.

Good.

But then I noticed her foot shift, a subtle movement that made me realize what she was plotting.

Before I could react, she lunged.

I barely had time to pivot as her hands pushed against my shoulders, aiming to shove me into the river. But I was faster. I twisted and shoved back hard. Her body tumbled into the water with a splash. And what made it even more fun was the fact that she didn't know how to swim.

“Help! Help!” Selena screamed, flailing wildly as the river swallowed her screams.

I stood frozen, enjoying the show. From the corner of my eye, I spotted two figures rushing toward us. It was the Alpha King and his Beta.

Quickly, I stepped forward, extending my hand toward Selena.

“Here,” I said with a steady voice. “Take my hand.”

And that’s when she grabbed my wrist, yanking me down as hard as she could into the water.

Shock slammed into me as my breath ripped from my lungs. But I made sure the King saw everything that just happened.

The Alpha didn’t hesitate. He dove in after me and pulled me into his strong arms. His Beta hauled Selena from the water with a harsh grip.

Selena coughed, her soaked hair plastered against her face, but her eyes burned with fury.

“It was you! You pushed me!” she spat, shaking off the cold.

I stepped forward, trembling, and showed her I could also be an actress. “I didn’t push you. You slipped. I reached out to help you out of my kind heart, and you dragged me down.”

Her mouth opened to argue, but the Alpha King cut her off with a cold, furious glare.

“How dare you drag my wife into the water when she was only trying to help you?” His voice rumbled like thunder.