Luna's Payback: Claiming My Fate!

37:

Veronica woke up because of an unusual smell in the air. It was painful for her head and nose. It was the first time she had ever smelled something like this, and the scent even penetrated her dreams, leaving her full of curiosity.

Her senses fully returned when she noticed the unfamiliar ceiling in front of her. She sprang up and quickly looked around. She was in a different place! Where was she?

It was a small, old, and dusty house. She couldn’t even tell if it was a house because it looked more like a warehouse due to the clutter. She had fallen asleep on the floor and immediately searched for Javier. But he wasn’t there.

A strange anxiety enveloped her chest. Was she back in the hands of her demonic husband? Had the Fuentebella family taken her? The last thing she remembered was that they were heading to the Eldertide Bastion. She and Javier had been walking through the deep woods until everything went dark for her.

She started to panic. Was she in enemy territory?

The door opened, and she saw a middle-aged woman, although not very old in appearance. She was dressed entirely in black and looked weird.

She backed away until she felt the wall behind her. “W-Who are you…?”

The woman’s eyes widened at her. “I’m not an enemy. I’m Eldara.”

Somehow, she felt a sense of relief, but where was Javier?

Eldara seemed to read her mind. “He went back to his driver, Nick. He’s waiting for you in the distance. I told Alpha Javier that this place is safe, though it might look a bit intimidating if you’re new here. I pointed out the route where a four-wheel drive can pass, so you won’t need to walk when you head back.”

She was stunned. “What?! There was a road here, and we still had to walk through the woods?” she exclaimed in disbelief.

“I can’t blame Alpha Javier. He was just being cautious. What if you had ended up in enemy territory? So it was the right thing to do. Just wait for them to arrive,” the woman replied, stirring something in a large cauldron with a wooden ladle.

She felt a bit better. She stood up and moved closer. “I hope you’re not upset, but… I’m curious about what you’re cooking. It smells unusual. It’s not bad, but it’s painful to the nose and head.”

The woman grinned and teased her. “Well, why don’t you take a look?”

Veronica mustered up the courage to approach as Eldara stirred whatever she was cooking. But when she saw that the dish was a thick, black sludge, she almost gagged. The smell intensified as she got closer.

She quickly backed away, her eyes wide as she looked at it. “What are you cooking? No offense, but it looks disgusting!”

Maybe that’s why it looks like this—because of what it’s made from. Even though she was starving, she wouldn’t eat what was cooking.

“Hey, weak human, this isn’t food!” Eldara corrected, laughing but clearly annoyed.

She frowned. “If it’s not food, then what is it?”

Eldara looked at her intently and then focused again on stirring the concoction in the cauldron. “Alpha Javier asked me to make a potion for you. A potion that will remove your human scent.”

Instead of being pleased, she felt like gagging at the sight of the potion she was supposed to drink. “And that’s what you’re going to give me? Are you sure it’s safe? I survived the accident, but I might die from your potion,” she replied with a grimace.

Eldara glared at her. “It may look unsafe and have a strange smell, but you won’t die from it. If you don’t want it, that’s fine. It’s actually better for me to get back to doing what I enjoy.”

She scratched her head. “Of course I want it. I’m just worried.”

“I don’t kill weak humans,” Eldara teased.

She pouted. “Who’s weak? Me? I’m not a weak woman.”

“I don’t believe it!”

Their bickering was what Javier and Nick walked in on. The two men were pleased. “Oh, it looks like you’re getting along well. That’s good.”

“Of course not!” They both shouted in unison with Eldara.

The two men laughed. But eventually, both of them also started to smell the unpleasant odor she had noticed.

They immediately covered their noses. “Are you sure that’s not poison you’re making, Eldara? The smell is horrible!” Javier commented.

Eldara was delighted with the aroma of the potion she was preparing. “What’s wrong with the smell? It actually smells wonderful.”

The three of them exchanged meaningful glances. They knew Eldara had a different sense of smell because she made various potions every day. To her, those smells were pleasant even if they were nauseating to others.

“How much longer, Eldara? I feel like I’m going to vomit from the smell,” Javier asked again.

“Just a few more minutes. And I’m telling you, there’s no guarantee of the result. But I did my best. That’s all I can say,”

The mood became serious. So, this is just trial and error. There’s no assurance that the plan will succeed. But they couldn’t afford to fail. They had already done so much, sacrificing effort and time for their revenge.

She also couldn’t face everyone with her natural scent still belonging to Veronica Albert-Fuentebella. How would she convince Angelo if she smelled like a human?

Eldara’s potion needed to be successful!

She responded firmly. “I don’t care how many times you make me drink your potions, Eldara. Even if it takes years for you to perfect the recipe, I’m willing to wait.”

Eldara gasped, feeling Veronica’s burning passion. “Are you really that eager to see your plan succeed, human?”

She nodded, keeping her gaze locked on Eldara’s eyes. “I’m willing to wait as long as it takes to achieve the justice denied to me. To gain my freedom, my happiness, and my true self. I won’t stop until I rise from the muck they’ve thrown me into. I will rise… and I will make sure that this time, I will win and crush them all beneath my hands.” There was fire in her eyes.

“I can see you’re consumed by revenge,” the woman commented.

She shook her head. “Revenge? It’s not just about revenge, Eldara. It’s about fighting for your rights, your life. I’m fighting for equity. Life has never been fair. And the least we can do as creatures living on this planet is to be kind to each other and not use others for personal gain. But if even that is lost, I see no reason not to show them the consequences of their actions. It’s not just about revenge… it’s about claiming my fate that was denied to me!”

Everyone fell silent after Veronica’s words. Her words resonated deeply in their minds.

Eldara couldn’t help but recall her own youth. She had always been an aloof girl, avoided by many. No one wanted to be friends with her. She was called by many names. Not a single man had shown interest in her.

If anyone had ever tried to befriend her, they all ended up stealing something from her.

Everyone condemned her, judged her, as if she were a criminal. She was just a girl who loved making unusual potions because she thought they were amazing. What people didn’t truly understand was that potions had great benefits if used correctly.

Even her own family disowned her, saying she was worthless and that what she did with her life was pointless. She had never felt important. But Alpha Javier didn’t see her as trash.

And now, with a human relying on her, depending on her to achieve justice, she felt a unique sense of self-fulfillment. It seemed there was someone who needed her. She was important. Her work had a purpose.

She couldn’t stop the tears from falling due to these realizations. Those tears fell into the potion she was stirring in the pot, without her noticing.

She wiped the water from her eyes because she didn’t want Alpha Javier to tease her for being emotional or anything else.

She smiled. Justice? Claiming her fate? Those were things she had never had the courage to pursue. But not with this human.

She could see on her face that she was determined to fight for her life. To get what she deserve. She was envious of that, as she lacked such courage.

But thanks to her, she now knows her purpose and mission in making potions. It is to help others.

For the last time, she smelled the potion she was brewing. It was still bubbling. Although Veronica criticized the smell of her potion, she believed in her ability. And that was more than enough for her.

She didn’t usually pray, but this time, she earnestly prayed to the Moon Goddess that her recipe was correct and that it would be effective.

She extinguished the fire and poured the contents of the pot into a glass container. The three of them watched her work.

“Is it done?” Javier asked.

“I believe the potion is finished. Let us cool it down first. But don’t expect immediate effects. This is my first time making this,”

Eldara was surprised when Veronica took her hand. “I trust you. I believe this potion will work,”

“How can you be so sure… human?”

She smiled. “I just feel it. I see your love for what you do. They say the best results come from doing what you love. So I know it will work,”

She just sighed. Sometimes, she can't understand humans.

No one spoke as they waited for the potion to cool. “Human… come here,”

She approached. “Closer,”

She moved closer to him. Eldara began to sniff her, from head to toe. Not a part of her body was missed. It was as if Eldara were a dog memorizing the scent of its master.

“What is this for?”

“I needed to know every detail of your scent. I have the most talented nose in the pack and I know many different types of smells. That’s why I’ll be able to tell if my potion is a failure if after using it, your scent remains the same,” the woman answered her question.

Javier seemed impressed. “Now that she hasn’t used the potion yet… what does she smell like to you? And for the potion to be considered effective, what should her scent be like afterward?”

“Right now? She smells like an ordinary human aged between twenty to thirty. Her natural scent is good for a human, I like it. She smells simple and innocent. That scent should disappear and be replaced. But that doesn’t mean she should just smell like an ordinary she-wolf. Because the role you’ve assigned to her is not just that of a simple pack member. She’s going to play the role of a Luna,”

They hadn’t expected that. “Goodness, what now? You don’t know Beatrice’s exact scent,” Javier uttered worriedly.

“Don’t worry about that. I’m sure Luna Beatrice doesn’t have a particular scent. Besides, she can always wear her favorite perfume. What I’m saying is, to confirm that it’s effective, she needs to smell like a female wolf. Specifically, a Luna’s scent.” Eldara felt the glass container, and the heat had dissipated.

“What does a Luna smell like?”

“A Luna’s scent has distinct characteristics and is different from other female wolves. It is unique, alluring, and deeply connected to nature or something symbolic of her role as the Alpha’s mate. It might be something soothing yet powerful, with an essence that reflects her status and the bond she shares with her Alpha. Do you understand what I’m saying?” Eldara explained.

The three of them were astonished. They hadn’t anticipated that. There seemed to be so many factors to consider. Veronica smiled. “No wonder Javier asked for your help. You are gifted, Eldara.”

Her cheeks flushed with the praise, but she tried to hide it. “This is done. We can try it now.”

She took a medium-sized glass cup and poured the potion just up to the height of the cup. “You can drink this now. It’s not too much, but it’s not too little either. Just enough to see if the potion will work.”

Veronica swallowed several times as she looked at the dark potion and its smell. But she had to try.

She tightly shut her eyes and held her breath. This is it! She took the glass and drank quickly.

What will be the result of the potion?