The Rejected Luna’s Revenge

Chapter 5

KARA’S POV

Sitting at the head of the long, polished mahogany table, I couldn't help but feel a sense of surrealism. The room was filled with my employees, some I've known for a very long time, somewho had helped me build this company, all of whom looked at me with a mixture of respect and anticipation. It had been five years since I ran away from my previous pack, I moved to the city and started building myself and my company. Now, here I was, a CEO at one of the top business enterprises.

"Alright, let's get started," I said, my voice steady, "First on the agenda is the quarterly performance review. Jessica, can you give us an update?"

Jessica, my head of finance, nodded and began her presentation. I had known Jessica since I started this company, she had helped me manage the company's finances and this made us grow closer. As she spoke, I couldn't help but feel a sense of pride.

This was my kingdom now, and I had built it brick by brick, decision by decision. But as Jessica's voice faded into the background, my thoughts wandered elsewhere.

I couldn't stop thinking about the pack and my revenge, it had been one of the most important things I thought about everyday. I couldn't get over it.

Once the meeting concluded, I made my way back to my office. My office was spacious, with floor-to-ceiling windows that offered a breathtaking view of the city. I picked this spot because I enjoyed looking out if the window, my office was at the heart of the city so I could see everything happening around me, I enjoyed watching people go about their daily activities, it helped me remain calm. I walked over to the window and stared out, my mind drifting to my daughter, Zala. She was at home, probably playing with her toys or pestering her nanny with endless questions.

I sighed, feeling a pang of guilt. My job demanded so much of my time and energy, and sometimes I wondered if I was giving Zala the attention she deserved. But then again, everything I did was for her. I wanted to give her a life I never had, a life free from fear and pain. A life where she could be whatever she wanted without feeling oppressed. I never told her about my past or her twin, I couldn't bring myself to, it wasn't the right time yet. I wanted to wait until she was old enough before I told her.

My phone buzzed, snapping me out of my reverie. It was a message from the nanny, Sarah. "Zala is asking when you'll be home," it read.

I smiled and quickly typed a response, "Tell her I'll be home soon."

As much as I loved my job, nothing compared to the joy of seeing Zala's face light up when I walked through the door. I gathered my things, said my goodbyes to the remaining staff, and headed home.

The drive was uneventful, giving me more time to think. Memories of my past life at the werewolf pack flooded my mind. The constant fear, the brutality, the feeling of being trapped, it was a nightmare I had barely escaped. The dungeon had made me claustrophobic and scared of publice spaces, I always had this fear that I would be stoned again but this time to death. The trauma from the pack had left me broken and scared for a while. But those experiences had shaped me, made me stronger. They were a part of me, even if I wished they weren't.

When I finally arrived home, Zala was waiting by the door, her eyes wide with excitement. She always waited by the door anytime she heard the sound of my car.

"Mommy!" she exclaimed, running towards me.

I scooped her up into my arms, my heart swelling with love and pride. "Hey, sweetie. How was your day?"

"It was great! We made clay animals in art class, and I made a bunny. Wanna see it?" she asked, her eyes sparkling.

"Of course, I do," I replied, setting her down. She grabbed my hand and led me to the kitchen, where a misshapen but adorable clay bunny sat on the counter.

"Wow, Zala, this is amazing! You did such a good job," I said, ruffling her hair.

She beamed up at me, her pride evident. "Thanks, Mommy!"

“Where is Uncle Killian?” I asked as I held her up.

“In mommy’s room.” Zulu replied. I smiled as I ruffled her hair again while she laughed. Killian was my second chance mate, we had met at a conference. Even though he knew I had a mate before and a daughter, he still agreed to stay with me. I didn't tell him about my whole life at the pack, I had decided to keep that information to myself. It was better that way.

Sarah, the nanny, smiled at us from the doorway. "Zala was very proud of her bunny. She couldn't wait to show it to you."

"Thank you, Sarah. You can go home now. I'll take it from here," I said, giving her a grateful smile. She nodded smiling again.

“Alright ma'am. Goodnight.” She moved towards Zala and hugged her, “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Zala nodded and hugged her tightly, “Goodnight.”

I led Sarah towards the door and locked it behind her before going back to Zala. We settled on the couch in the living room. She snuggled up next to me, and I wrapped my arm around her. The warmth of her small body against mine was comforting, a stark contrast to the cold, harsh world I had once known. I never had parents so I never understood the feeling of having a loving family. I didn't want my daughter to grow up the same way so I tried my best to care for her and love her.

"Mommy, can you tell me a story?" Zala asked, looking up at me with those big, innocent eyes.

"Sure, sweetie. What kind of story do you want to hear?"

"Tell me about when you were little," she said, her voice full of curiosity.

I hesitated, my mind flashing back to those dark days.She had always asked me about this since she was little. She was just like me, always curious about everything. But I didn't want to burden her with my past. "How about I tell you a story about a brave princess who saved her kingdom instead?"

"Okay!" she agreed, wrapping her arms around me so she'd be comfortable.

“There lived a little brave princess in the Kingdom of Ashville….” As I started the story of the brave princess, my mind couldn't help but drift back to my own life. I had been anything but a princess. My life had been filled with terror, living under the oppressive rule of the werewolf pack. I remembered the day I decided to run away, the day I chose freedom over fear.

“The end…” When the story ended, Zala was fast asleep, her head resting on my shoulder. I carefully carried her to her room and tucked her into bed. As I watched her sleep, I couldn't help but feel a deep sense of love. She was my light, my reason for everything, my reason for leaving the pack and never looking back.”

I sat down on the edge of her bed as I rubbed her hair, my thoughts once again drifting to my previous life. I remembered the faces of those I had left behind, the ones that had haunted my dreams for a long time. I remembered the pain, the loneliness, the torment and torture I went through there. I always wondered what would have happened if I hadn't left there if I had still decided to stay.

"Never again," I whispered to myself. "Never again will I let them ruin my life."

I leaned down and kissed Zala's forehead. "I promise you, my baby girl, you will never know the pain I knew. You will always be safe, always be loved."

As I left her room and closed the door behind me, I felt a sense of loss. Everytime I looked at Zala, I always remembered Zulu or King as they named him. He was always in my nightmares, everytime I would always lose him in them and I would wake up retching. Killian would be there to help but I never told him the reason why it kept happening, I couldn't.

I always wished I had been able to protect him. Tears ran down my face as I sniffled, I couldn't let the same thing happen to my daughter, I won't make the same mistake again. I wiped my tears as I moved towards my room.

Glancing at the bed, I noticed Killian fast asleep. He was probably tired because of his work. I smiled to myself as I got rid of my clothes and entered the shower.