The Forsaken Queen’s Reawakening

CHAPTER 2 : BETRAYAL

Eden's POV

Scarlett?

But how could that be? She had been gone for two years now. I squinted to make sure my eyes weren't deceiving me. They weren't. It was her, without a doubt.

Anxiety washed over me as questions swarmed in my head. What was going on? When had she returned? And why was she with Caleb? I stood frozen, unable to move. A knot formed in my stomach, twisting and turning inside me. I had a bad feeling about this.

I shook my head, trying to dismiss my fears. No, I was just overreacting. There had to be a logical explanation. All I needed to do was talk to them. Surely, they would explain everything. My half-sister would never…

Before I could approach them, Caleb and Scarlett sauntered toward the banquet entrance, breezing through the security check and disappearing into the tent. Determined to get answers, I hurriedly made my way through the crowd, but two guards stopped me at the entrance.

"Name?" one of them asked, blocking my path.

"Luna Eden," I responded, my voice urgent. From where I stood, I could see Caleb tucking a strand of Scarlett's hair behind her ear. She blushed and giggled, sending a painful jolt through my chest. There must be a logical explanation, I reassured myself.

"Luna Eden?" the guard repeated, raising an eyebrow. "From which pack?"

"Sequoia Pack," I answered, growing more anxious by the second. Why were they holding me up? I had to get inside.

"I don't think so," the guard replied with a chuckle, which caught the attention of several nearby guests.

"What do you mean?" I asked, my confusion growing.

"I'm Luna Eden, mate of Alpha Caleb of the Sequoia Pack," I explained. I couldn't understand why they were laughing, but the sound was drawing even more attention.

"The Alpha and Luna of the Sequoia Pack have already entered the banquet," the guard said loudly, his voice carrying over the crowd. Whispers began to spread as I stood there, dumbfounded. Inside the tent, I could see Caleb and Scarlett clinking their champagne glasses, seemingly oblivious to my presence.

"No, that's not right," I stammered. "There must be some mistake."

"Nice try," the guard said with a smirk. "Men, escort this imposter out."

Before I could protest further, two strong warriors grabbed me by the arms and began dragging me away. My cheeks burned with embarrassment as I was forced out of the venue. Outside, they shoved me to the ground, leaving me disoriented and humiliated.

"And don't think about coming back," one of the warriors warned.

I stood up, dusting off my knees, my head spinning with confusion. What had just happened? How had I been tossed out like a stranger?

Back at the packhouse, I sat in my bedroom, waiting for Caleb to come home. The image of him with Scarlett replayed in my mind, haunting me. There had to be an explanation. I stared out the window, hoping to see Caleb returning. When midnight came and he still wasn't home, I decided to call him.

This time, he picked up.

"Caleb, I need to talk to you," I said softly. "I was thrown out of the banquet and—"

"I'm at the hospital. I won't be coming home tonight," he interrupted coldly before hanging up.

The hospital? Panic shot through me. Was he hurt? Had something happened at the banquet? Without a second thought, I rushed out into the night, determined to find him.

When I arrived at the hospital, I was out of breath. I hurried down the hallway, my heart racing as I peeked into each room, looking for Caleb. Finally, I heard his voice.

But there was another voice too—a woman’s giggle.

My blood ran cold. I knew that voice. It couldn’t be…

I peeked around the corner of the door. There, on the hospital bed, was Scarlett, and sitting beside her was Caleb, dabbing her forehead with a damp washcloth. I snapped my head back, leaning against the wall. They hadn’t seen me.

I listened carefully, despite my trembling. Even though I didn’t have a wolf, my hearing was sharp. Their conversation filtered through the doorway, and my heart shattered.

"I had to marry her," Caleb said softly. "I was preparing to take over the pack, but you know the rules. A werewolf Alpha must be married to take over. The pack needs both a Luna and an Alpha to maintain stability. What was I supposed to do?"

"You could have waited for me, my love," Scarlett replied, her voice tender.

My love? Tears welled up in my eyes. I didn’t want to hear any more, but I couldn’t stop listening.

"Scarlett, you disappeared," Caleb said. "You just vanished without warning. I never would have married Eden if you hadn’t left. You must know that."

The tears spilled over, and I began to shake. He never would have married me? The realization hit me like a punch to the gut.

"Well, Eden is useless," Scarlett said, her voice dripping with disdain. "She doesn’t even have a wolf. How is she supposed to bear an heir for you?"

Her words cut deeper than any physical blow. My own half-sister, mocking me for something that had always been my greatest shame. But then, Scarlett said something that made my blood run cold.