Betrayed Luna : Second Chance At Revenge

Selene stood in front of the mirror in her room, smoothing down the fabric of her dress one last time and checking that her hair was perfectly in place. A small smile touched her lips. She wanted to look nice for Darius today. Without warning, her bedroom door burst open with a loud bang. Selene jumped, her heart slamming against her ribs as several guards stormed inside. ''What’s going on?'' She demanded, her voice sharp with surprise as she turned to face them. They didn’t answer. Not a single word. Before she could speak again, two guards grabbed her arms, their grips painfully tight, and began dragging her toward the door. ''Hey! Where are you taking me?'' Selene protested, trying to pull back. ''What have I done? What’s going on? Let go of me!'' They ignored every question, their faces blank and hard as stone. No matter how much she struggled or pleaded, they hauled her through the palace halls like she was nothing. The maids cleaning the corridors froze in place, cloths and brooms suspended in their hands. They stared in open confusion and shock as the guards dragged their Luna away, but none dared to intervene. They took her deeper into the palace, down cold stone steps until the air grew heavy and damp. Finally, they reached the dungeon. The guards shoved her roughly inside. Selene stumbled forward, barely catching herself. The stench hit her immediately—damp stone mixed with the sharp tang of old blood, rust, and decay. It smelled of rot and long buried misery, as if fear itself had soaked into the walls. Her stomach twisted violently. Before she could steady herself, the guards seized her again. They clamped heavy silver chains around her wrists and ankles. The moment the metal touched her skin, it burned like hot coals pressed directly against her flesh. A scream tore from her throat as searing pain shot through her body. ''It hurts!'' Selene cried, tears springing to her eyes. ''It hurts! What have I done? Why am I here? Please—tell me what’s happening!'' They didn’t respond. They simply locked the chains and walked out, slamming the heavy metal door behind them with a deafening clang that echoed through the darkness. The room plunged into near-total blackness. Only a faint sliver of light filtered in from a small, barred window high on the wall, too high to reach and too narrow to offer any hope. Selene’s legs gave out. She dropped hard to her knees on the cold, filthy floor, the chains rattling loudly. Hot tears streamed down her cheeks as violent sobs shook her shoulders. Why was this happening? She had done nothing wrong. She was their Luna… Darius’s mate. She prayed desperately in her mind, over and over; ''Please, Darius… come find me. Come save me. Tell me this is all just a terrible misunderstanding.'' She stared down at the silver chains binding her hands. The pain grew worse by the second, the metal burning deeper into her skin like acid, sending fresh waves of agony up her arms. She bit her lip hard to hold back another scream, but the tears wouldn’t stop. All she could do was wait in the suffocating darkness, hoping her mate would come for her soon. Selene had no idea how much time had passed. Minutes? Hours? The darkness made it impossible to tell. Her knees ached against the cold stone, and the silver chains continued to burn like living fire with every small movement. Then the heavy metal door creaked open. Her heart leaped. She knew it was him before she even saw his face. Selene scrambled to her feet as quickly as the chains allowed, the metal rattling loudly. Relief flooded through her so strongly that her legs nearly gave out again. ''Darius!'' She breathed, her voice cracking with emotion. ''I’m so glad you’re here. I have no idea what’s going on. I was just getting ready to come see you when the guards burst in and dragged me away. They brought me here and chained me up… I know this is all some sort of misunderstanding. I—'' ''It’s not a misunderstanding, Selene.'' Darius cut in, his voice flat and emotionless. ''The guards are only doing what I asked them to do.'' The words hit her like a slap. Selene stared at him, her mouth opening and closing in shock. ''What?'' She whispered. He stepped closer into the faint light, his face hard, eyes cold as ice. ''You heard me right. I was the one who ordered your arrest.'' A disbelieving laugh escaped her. ''Come on, Darius. Is this some sort of joke? Are you playing with me? Why would you do this? I haven’t done anything wrong!'' He didn’t smile. ''Are you sure about that?'' His tone remained calm. ''Your arrest is based on treason… and murder.'' Selene’s blood turned to ice. She stumbled backward, the chains jerking painfully against her raw skin. ''T-treason? Murder?'' Her voice broke. Tears spilled hot down her cheeks. ''I haven’t done any of those things, Darius! You know me, you know I would never—'' ''I know you too well, Selene.'' He replied coldly. ''That’s exactly why I set this up myself.'' Her chest tightened until she could barely breathe. ''What do you mean? Why would you do this? You’re my mate!'' Darius scoffed, the sound sharp and mocking. ''Mate? Come on, Selene. Were you really that blind? I never truly accepted you as my mate.'' Shock punched the air from her lungs. ''What?'' ''I never loved you.'' He continued, his voice cruel and steady. ''Not from the very start. The only reason I accepted the bond was to use you to get rid of my brother.'' Selene’s eyes widened, her breath catching sharply. Darius laughed at her expression—a low, mocking sound that echoed off the damp walls. ''I’ve always wanted to be the Alpha of the pack, but I couldn’t because of Eryx. He’s the first son, so the title should have gone to him. But he doesn’t deserve it. I’m the only one fit to lead this pack.'' He stepped closer, eyes gleaming with resentment. ''Eryx has always loved you, you know. He wanted you for himself. His little dream shattered the day you were mated to me. I took the bond just to punish him. And once we were mated, I used you to frame him and take over the pack.'' The truth crashed over Selene like a tidal wave. She stumbled back, chains rattling violently as her back hit the cold stone wall. Memories flooded her mind with painful clarity. She remembered Darius coming to her with that urgent, concerned look on his face, telling her Eryx had murdered one of their own and was trying to cover it up. At first she hadn't believed it—Eryx had always been kind, steady, nothing like the monster Darius described. But Darius had been so convincing, filling her head with lies and evidence until she started doubting everything she knew. He asked her to stand with him when he brought the accusations before the pack elders. And she did. She stood right beside him and accused Eryx of the crime. She could still see Eryx's face so clearly, his eyes filled with pain and betrayal as he defended himself, swearing he was innocent, pleading with them to listen to him. But she hadn't. She believed Darius instead. Said so many hurtful and disgusting words to Eryx. She turned her back on him. Eryx was banished that day, branded a rogue and cast out of the pack. They couldn't have an Alpha who would murder his own pack member for no reason. And Darius... he had made sure everything went according to his plan. He was crowned Alpha soon after, taking over the pack without opposition. Pain and crushing regret flooded her heart instantly. Hot, painful tears rolled down her cheeks, burning almost as badly as the silver chains. ''How could you do that to your own brother?'' Selene screamed, her voice breaking. ''Are you that cruel, Darius? And now you’re framing me too!'' Darius scoffed. ''This is the only way to get rid of you so I can be with the woman I actually love. I never cared what you thought of me, Selene.'' Her heart shattered. ''The woman you love?'' She muttered through rising sobs. "Oh, let me introduce you to the one who has my heart, my Luna." Darius said, a cruel smile curving his lips. He turned slightly toward the open door and called out softly. "Come in, baby." Selene looked toward the entrance, dread pooling in her stomach. What she saw next broke her completely. Her best friend Vera walked in, a small satisfied smirk playing on her lips as she stepped into the dim light. "Vera?" She whispered, her voice barely audible, the name cracking with disbelief and fresh pain. The betrayal hit harder than anything else. Her mate... and now her closest friend. The two people she had trusted most in the world had been planning this all along. Tears blurred her vision as she stared at them. Everything she thought she knew was crumbling around her, and she didn't know how much more she could take. "Vera? You too? You betrayed me?" Vera rolled her eyes, like her pain was nothing more than an annoyance. "I only took what was mine, Selene. I've always been the one in Darius's heart, right from the very beginning. But then you had to get mated to him for only the goddess knows why. This isn't betrayal, this is me reclaiming what's mine." She smiled sweetly, as if she hadn't just driven a knife straight into her back. Selene shook her head slowly, disbelief flooding her veins like ice water. Her heart shattered even further, the pieces cutting deeper with every breath. Why was this happening to her? What had she done to deserve any of this? She hadn't just lost the man she loved... She had lost her best friend too. Both of them had been lying to her, using her, betraying her all this time. And deep down, she knew what end awaited her. It would be far worse than what happened to Eryx. She didn't want to die. Yes, after what she had done to him, she deserved punishment... but not this. Not like this. Desperation took over. She dropped to her knees, the silver chains clanking loudly against the stone floor. She pressed her bound hands together as best as she could, tears streaming down her face. "Please.... spare me." She begged, her voice hoarse and trembling. "I'll leave the pack. I'll disappear. You can be together, just please, spare my life. I won't say anything. I swear it." They both laughed in her face. The sound was cold, mocking, and it echoed horribly in the dark cell. Darius shook his head, still chuckling. ''I can’t let you go, Selene. You know too much already. I won’t leave any loose ends and risk losing my throne.'' He paused, his eyes flat and merciless. ''You will be executed tomorrow.'' Then he turned to leave, Vera slipping her arm through his like they were already celebrating. But just as they reached the door, he stopped and glanced back at her over his shoulder. ''There’s one more truth you should know.'' She didn’t speak. She just looked up at him with teary, broken eyes, too exhausted and devastated to brace herself for whatever was coming next. Darius’s lips curled slightly. ''I wasn’t the one who saved you years ago. The one who pulled you from the river when you were drowning… it was Eryx. It was never me.'' The memory slammed into her so hard she felt dizzy. That day flashed behind her eyes—the cold water, the panic, the darkness. When she had finally opened her eyes on the riverbank, coughing and gasping, the first face she saw was Darius’s. Because he was the one she had always loved, she had thrown her arms around him, sobbing her thanks, believing with all her heart that he had risked everything to save her. She barely noticed Eryx standing quietly behind him, that heartbroken look in his eyes. She had been so focused on Darius that she hadn’t even registered it. Days later, they found out they were mates, and she thought it was fate confirming everything. But it had been Eryx all along. Darius turned away without another word, Vera giggling softly as they left. The heavy door slammed shut behind them, plunging the cell back into near darkness. She bowed her head, weeping bitterly. ''What have I done? Eryx had saved my life, and in return, I had helped destroy his. I had accused him, betrayed him, and watched him get banished because of my blind trust in Darius.'' Hot, painful sobs wracked her body as she knelt on the cold, filthy floor, the silver chains still burning her skin raw. She cried until her throat felt raw, regret and guilt crushing her from the inside. Shortly after they left, the door opened again. Two guards stepped in. One of them carried a kettle, steam curling angrily from its spout. Her heart raced with fresh terror. She tried to scramble away, but the chains held her in place. ''No… what are you doing?'' She gasped. One guard grabbed her roughly from behind, pinning her down. She struggled wildly, chains rattling, not understanding what they wanted—until the second guard stepped in front of her. He gripped her hair hard, yanking her head back and forcing her mouth open. The boiling water poured down her throat. She couldn’t even scream. The pain was immediate and blinding, scalding liquid burning her tongue, her throat, her chest from the inside out. Her body convulsed violently as she choked and thrashed, every nerve on fire. It felt like she was swallowing liquid flames. When they finally stopped and let her go, she collapsed onto the stone floor in a heap. Intense, agonizing pain flooded every part of me. Tears poured down her cheeks, mixing with the water that had spilled from her lips. Her throat felt like it had been scorched beyond repair. The world started to blur and spin. Soon, the pain became too much, and everything went black as she passed out. **** Selene was on her knees in the middle of the pack square, wrists and ankles still bound in silver chains that ate into her burned skin. The entire pack surrounded her, their eyes cold, whispering, judging. The morning sun felt too bright, too harsh against the throbbing agony in her throat from the boiling water. Every swallow was fire. Every breath hurt. They had dragged her out here at dawn for her execution. A guard read the charges in a loud, flat voice—treason, murder, conspiracy against the Alpha. None of it was true, but it didn’t matter anymore. Darius stood on the raised platform with Vera beside him, both of them watching her with satisfied smiles. She kept her head down, tears mixing with the dried blood on her lips. She deserved this. After what she had done to Eryx, maybe she really did. Then she heard it, her name, spoken in a voice she thought she would never hear again. ''Selene!'' Her head snapped up. There, at the edge of the crowd, Eryx was fighting against four guards who were struggling to hold him back. His eyes were wild with desperation, muscles straining as he tried to break free. He looked rough—years of exile etched into his face, but he was here. He had come for her. She couldn’t believe it. A sad, broken smile tugged at her cracked lips. This was the man who had truly loved her all along. The one who had saved her from drowning years ago. The one she had betrayed without a second thought. And despite everything she had done to him, despite helping send him away as a rogue, he still came. He was still trying to save her, like he always had. She tried to call out to him, to say his name, to tell him she was sorry… but no sound came. Her voice was gone, destroyed by the boiling water. Only a weak rasp escaped her throat. A guard stepped forward. Before she could even flinch, he drove a silver dagger laced with wolfsbane straight into her heart. White hot pain exploded through her chest. Her body jerked violently. She heard Eryx’s scream tear through the air. ''Nooo!'' Raw and agonized. He finally broke free from the guards and ran toward her. Blood gushed from her mouth as her knees gave out completely. She collapsed onto the hard ground. Eryx reached her in seconds. He dropped to his knees and cradled her head in his trembling hands, tears streaming down his face. ''I was too late.'' He choked out, voice breaking. ''I’m sorry, Selene. I came too late.'' She wanted to speak so badly. She wanted to tell him not to cry, that she wasn’t worth his tears. She wanted to beg for his forgiveness, to thank him for saving her life all those years ago, to say how sorry she was for everything. There was so much she needed to tell him… but nothing came out. Her throat was destroyed, her voice gone. A single tear slipped down her cheek. With the last of her strength, she weakly raised her trembling hand and brushed her fingers across his face, wiping away his tears. Her touch was barely there, shaking badly. She could feel her life slipping away, draining out with the blood pooling beneath her. All that was left was pain and crushing regret. In her heart, she wished desperately for another chance. If only… if the goddess would give her one more chance, she would right every wrong. She would fix her mistakes. She would thank Eryx for everything he’s done. She would repay his kindness. She would make Darius and Vera pay dearly for their crimes. And next time… she wouldn’t love the wrong person. She would protect Eryx with everything she have. Another tear rolled down her cheek as her hand finally fell limp to her side. Darkness rushed in, pulling her under. The last thing she heard was Eryx’s loud, agonizing scream, raw, painful, and filled with unbearable sorrow.