Behind The Luna's Mask

You will regret this.

LIORA

It took me a whole lot of time to come to terms with the fact that I was now someone else in my own body. The memory of how my life had changed on such short notice wouldn't stop crossing my mind.

I stared at my new face in the mirror, feeling a strange wave of mixed feelings crash into every fiber of my being.

“Don’t revel in the pain. Focus on the bigger picture.” My subconscious screamed at me.

A knock on my door startled me, making me flinch slightly. My head snapped in the direction quickly, only to find a fair lady I hadn't seen around before. By her dress, I knew she was most likely a staff member of Drayton's.

She took a moment to stare at me quizzically like I was some new doll or mannequin brought around to their pack for assessment.

I bobbed my head at her. “Is there a problem?”

I tried to hide my discomfort, knowing fully well I was now Stacy Steele, Drayton's most cherished and honoured wife. It was only natural that I acted like her and avoided suspicion.

“The Alpha beckons you to have lunch with him.” She informed in a very casual tone, her brows furrowed in some sort of confusion.

“I’ll be there in minutes,” I replied calmly despite the tremors I managed to hide from her.

I shouldn't have been bothered if not that I haven't been briefed about Stacy Steele’s lifestyle. I had no idea of how she spoke, what she did, how she acted, or anything of the sort.

To crown it all, I knew right then that anyone very close to her could possibly figure out that she wasn't the one if I spoke.

Right. I didn't have her voice yet; just her face. Since returning from the hospital, I have been watching her interviews and shows on TV, trying to mimic her intonation and choice of words. It didn't do much to help anyway.

I really wasn't good at pretending and masking, but life threw it my way and I have to embrace it completely if I was going to live with my head held high.

“A minute,” I muttered, grabbing the new phone Drayton ordered for me.

I fell into step behind the young lady, careful not to act suspicious in any way.

The hallway leading to the dining room felt longer than it truly was. The lady, still nameless to me, walked two steps ahead, her posture straight and confident as her heels clicked the floor in rhythms.

I trailed behind her, clutching the sides of my dress to stop my hands from trembling. Every fiber of my being screamed that I didn’t belong here.

“Breathe, Liora,” I muttered under my breath, careful enough not to be heard. “You’re Stacy Steele now. The Alpha’s wife. You have to be confident.”

When we reached the grand double doors, the lady pushed them open, revealing a scene that made my stomach twist.

The dining hall was vast, elegant, and intimidatingly quiet. A long table stretched down the center, gleaming under the bright light from the chandelier above. Everything just seemed to be in perfect order.

A line of staff stood on either side of the hall, heads bowed respectfully. I recognized none of them, but I could feel their discreet, curious eyes on me.

At the far end of the table sat Alpha Drayton.

Gone was the ruthless, calculating man from earlier. In his place was someone else entirely—or at least, that’s what he wanted the world to see.

His face softened slightly immediately he set his eyes on me and he rose from his seat, his lips pulling into a charming, practiced smile.

“Stacy,” he said smoothly, his voice carrying easily across the room. “You’re awake.”

My heart stuttered at the sound of the name. Stacy. That was me now.

He walked around the table toward me, every movement controlled, deliberate, and confident. The staff straightened instinctively at his approach.

“You look pale,” he said with faux concern. “I was told your visit to the hospital took longer than expected. You should’ve rested more.”

I swallowed hard and forced a faint smile. “I didn’t want to keep you waiting.”

Something flickered behind his eyes… approval, perhaps? Or amusement at my attempt to play my role.

He reached out, offering his hand. “Come,” he said gently. “Sit with me.”

I placed my trembling hand in his, feeling his strong, warm palms embrace my thin slender fingers. He guided me to the chair beside his and even pulled it out for me like a courteous husband.

The gesture looked affectionate, almost romantic, but beneath the surface, I could feel the control, the power he exerted in every move.

As I sat down, he turned slightly toward me, his eyes searching mine.

“You must be starving.” He said softly, then looked up at one of the maids. “Bring her the soup first. She likes it light before her meals.”

She likes it light.

Right. Stacy liked her soup light. Not me. Not Liora.

The maid hurried off, and I forced a small, grateful smile. “Thank you, Alpha.”

He chuckled under his breath. “Alpha?” His brows lifted slightly. “Since when did you become so formal, my dear wife?”

A chill shot through me, and I nervously swallowed on nothing.

“Old habits,” I managed to say lightly, forcing a soft chuckle to mask my fear. “It’s been a while since I’ve... seen you this way.”

Drayton’s gaze lingered on me a moment longer than necessary. I could tell he was assessing me, measuring my words, my tone, and my every twitch. Then, as if satisfied for now, he leaned back in his chair.

“Well,” he said finally, taking a sip of wine, “I suppose new beginnings come with adjustments.”

The maid returned with a silver tray, setting a steaming bowl of soup before me. The aroma filled the air, and I smiled in satisfaction. It might not be what I would have loved to eat, but it smelled so rich that I began salivating instantly.

I picked up the spoon, praying I wouldn’t do anything out of character.

As I took the first sip, I could feel Drayton’s scary eyes still on me behind the charm he wore like a mask.

He reached out again, brushing a loose strand of hair behind my ear.

“It seems you don't feel like eating this. But trust me, it's the best for your health now. You'll get used to it again soon, love.” He murmured, voice dipped in false affection. “After all, you're home now and not the hospital.”

My pulse quickened, but I forced a faint smile.

A momentary decorum ensued in the hall, each of us eating without any more words to each other.

Immediately we finished our meal, Drayton dismissed the staff, leaving both of us alone in the hall.

“You did well earlier,” he commented out of the blue. “You just need to be more careful not to make things go bad for me.”

“How am I to do that, Drayton?” I shot at him. “I believe you should be smart enough to know I need a proper voice training and briefing to act my role properly. But what did you do?”

“Watch your tone, Liora.” He warned, his index finger pointing at me.

“Let me talk, please.” I retorted calmly. “You abandoned me in the guest room ever since I returned, without a single word. But if I falter, it's going to be my fault? Joke's on you, Drayton.”

He stood abruptly, his dangerous, hardened glare on me. “It’s Alpha Drayton. I wouldn't take such rudeness from you, Liora.”

Quickly, I raised my hands in surrender.

“Pardon my manners, your Lordship, the greatest Alpha of Shadow Vane,” I said with exaggerated reverence, my voice dipped in sharp sarcasm. “Blessed art thou, whose words build empires and whose temper burns them to ash.”

His glare deepened, but I wasn’t done.

“Could you, in all your unmatched wisdom,” I continued, rising slowly from my seat, “perhaps summon your mighty intellect to do something as simple as preparing a proper acting training session for me?”

I tilted my head slightly, feigning innocence. “Because, truly, what good is a puppet without strings, or a queen who can’t mimic her crown?”

For a fleeting moment, the silence between us was so thick I could almost hear it hum. His jaw flexed, eyes narrowing with that quiet, lethal anger that seemed to brim just beneath his calm exterior.

I took a step closer, meeting his gaze without flinching.

“You wanted a perfect illusion, didn’t you? A wife reborn. A ghost in borrowed skin. Then give her the tools to play her part right.”

My lips curved into a faint, defiant smile. “Even the moon needs the sun’s light to shine, Alpha Drayton.”

His nostrils flared ever so slightly, and I could tell he wasn’t sure whether to strangle me or applaud my audacity.

But instead of anger, what slipped from his lips was a low, dangerous chuckle. It rumbled softly through the room like thunder before the storm, and I suddenly became scared.

My countenance changed completely. Drayton's laughter sounded like that which a dangerous predator lets out before devouring its prey.

“Did I interrupt something?” A deep, male voice asked from the hall's entrance.

Drayton lifted his stare from me to the person, then leaned in slowly. “Trust me, you'll regret this.”

Damn. Those words injected raw fear in me. Thinking about it, I didn't know where such confidence came from in that moment for me to have said that.

“You’ll regret ever speaking to me in that manner, Liora.” He whispered, a few inches from my ears.

Then, he placed a light kiss on my cheeks, playfully ruffling my hair.

“Let’s go, Nathan.” He said to the man who entered, not bothering to spare me another glance.