Luna's Payback: Claiming My Fate!

41:

Veronica felt like she was about to have a heart attack at any moment, even though she wasn’t sick. She was nervous. She was scared. She hadn’t expected to encounter Javier’s parents on her very first day in his home.

God, why does this have to happen? she silently asked herself.

Sure, Javier had assured her, but was that enough? She could see from Jordan’s face that he was rattled, which meant this was serious. Javier’s parents weren’t just any parents—they were the previous Alpha King and Luna.

Javier looked at her and smiled. A smile that seemed to say, “Don’t worry, I got your back.”

She took a deep breath. She needed to relax. If she was already feeling this way about just Javier’s parents, how could she expect to handle herself in front of the entire Black Moon Pack or the Fuentebella family? She had to overcome her fears now.

“I can do this. I can do this,” she whispered to herself.

“We’ll prepare an extra plate, Alpha Javier,” said one of the housemaids, whom Veronica assumed was the head of the staff because she was middle-aged.

“Thank you,”

They heard footsteps approaching, and the once-light atmosphere suddenly became heavy. Veronica’s palms grew pale with anxiety. Thankfully, she had lipstick on; otherwise, everyone would have easily seen how nervous she was.

Each second felt like a decade for Veronica. It was as if time moved in slow motion as the Romanov couple made their way to the dining area.

She saw a middle-aged couple, and their aura exuded power. Even without speaking, their wealth was evident. They looked like walking luxury. She could smell the expensive, limited-edition perfumes they wore, and despite their age, they were both in excellent shape. Anyone could see they were still a handsome man and a beautiful woman. No wonder Javier was so good-looking—he had inherited exceptional genes.

“There you are! I missed you so much, my son. When I heard rumors that you’d be returning today, I couldn’t sit still, so I dragged your dad here,” Javier’s mother exclaimed, her face beaming with excitement as she kissed him on the cheeks.

Worry was etched on Javier’s face. “Why did you have to come here, mom? You know I’d never forget about you. I was going to visit. You’re still on medication; you’re not fully recovered yet.”

Christy Romanov rolled her eyes. “That’s nonsense! I hardly get to see my only son, and now you want to stop me from visiting? Besides, I’m tired of being stuck in bed all the time, being doted on. I’ve told you and your father countless times—I’m okay now. I’m not sick anymore.”

“Forgive your mother, Javier,” Joseph Romanov joined the conversation. “I told her we should wait for your visit, but she wouldn’t listen. We weren’t even sure if the rumors were true—that you had returned with a lot of luggage. You’ve been away from the city for a whole year.”

Javier had no choice but to embrace his mother tightly. He truly missed his parents. Though they didn’t see each other often, he never failed to check on them over the phone.

Then he remembered the delicate situation he was in. He was with Veronica, and he was certain that her presence would shock his parents.

“By the way, mom… dad… there’s something I need to tell you–” He hadn’t even finished speaking when his mother let out a terrified scream.

She stepped back, almost knocking over the fragile items displayed in the dining area. “Am... am I seeing a ghost? Oh my God! Why am I seeing your wife, Javier?!” she shrieked in disbelief.

Javier’s father looked equally stunned when he saw what his wife was referring to. They hadn’t noticed her presence earlier because they were too focused on their son, but now, his eyes confirmed what his wife was seeing.

“I see Beatrice too! Christy, your eyes aren’t playing tricks on you! Javier, what kind of phenomenon is this?!” The old man, unable to hold back any longer, moved toward Veronica.

Even though Veronica was nervous, she forced herself to stay strong. Javier’s father was getting closer and closer to her. She needed to remain firm and stick to their plan.

Javier’s father held her shoulder, and she felt his large hand resting firmly on it. “I-I can touch her! She’s not a ghost; she’s real!” The old man’s eyes were wide with shock.

Christy’s face was filled with fear. “Son, explain what’s going on! Why can I see your wife? Beatrice is already dead! I’m starting to get scared!”

Javier let out a deep sigh and looked at his parents, pleading. “Please, keep your voices down. I can explain this in private. Can we go to the library? Let’s discuss everything there.”

Despite their fear and confusion, Javier’s parents agreed to his request. He led them toward the second floor, where the library was located. He gestured for Jordan to join them as they followed his lead.

Once they reached the library, the atmosphere grew heavier. Veronica could barely breathe as she anticipated what would happen next. What would they do to her? Would they lash out at her? Hurt her physically? Kill her?

But to her surprise, Joseph Romanov asked his son calmly, “Explain this to us, Javier. Your mother and I don’t understand. We know that Beatrice is dead. We both saw how devastated you were when she passed. So, what is this? Why are we seeing Beatrice?” the old man asked, still confused.

“Or… could she be Beatrice’s twin? Don’t tell me your Luna had an identical twin?” Christy chimed in, adding to the conversation.

Javier closed his eyes for a moment before speaking, gathering the courage to tell his parents the truth about the situation. "Alright, alright. We’re not going to gatekeep this. I’m going to tell you what really happened. But I expect you to listen to us first before reacting."

“We’ll try, son. We’re going to try,” his father replied.

Javier glanced in Veronica’s direction. “The woman you see right now is none other than Veronica Fuentebella. A pure-blooded human.” He began.

There were no words to describe the reaction on his parents’ faces. “What! She’s a pure-blooded human?! And you just brought her here to Black Moon Pack territory like it’s no big deal! Have you thought about her safety? What if the pack finds out that there’s a human here who looks exactly like their Luna Beatrice?” Joseph Romanov almost screamed, as if he was losing his mind.

“Don’t worry. I wouldn’t bring her here if I knew her life would be in danger. Sniff her. See if you can catch her scent to tell if she’s a pure-blooded human,” Javier challenged his parents.

There was no need for Joseph and Christy to sniff to confirm what their son was saying. If she had a human scent, they would’ve detected it already. But they hadn’t noticed anything unusual about her presence.

“How’s that possible? And why does she look exactly like Beatrice?” Christy asked, utterly confused.

“Perhaps she’s a hybrid. Maybe she has wolf blood,” his father speculated.

Javier shook his head. “I’m telling you, she’s a pure-blooded human.”

"Then, how?! Tell us, because we feel like we’re losing our minds seeing Beatrice looking back at us!" Christy yelled, still terrified.

Javier raised both hands in an attempt to explain. "Believe me when I say Veronica is a pure-blooded human. She’s a victim of her husband’s abuse. Her husband and his entire family mistreated her and even tried to kill her. On the first day I returned to this country, that was the day we found her. Nick saw her fall off a cliff, and luckily, she landed on a tree branch. But she was badly injured—numerous cuts, broken bones, and most of all, her face was severely damaged. We helped her, took her to the hospital, and got her treated."

The expressions of his parents softened, and Christy Romanov looked at her with pity. "I’m sorry for what you went through. You didn’t deserve that."

Veronica didn’t know how to react, remaining silent as Javier continued his story. "And the worst part is, I found out that the one who did this to her was a full-blooded werewolf. Just like us. I couldn’t fathom how one of our kind could marry a human and then torture her. So I decided to help her, fix her face, because she didn’t have the means to do it herself."

His father took a deep breath. "I think I know where this is going. You did the surgery and gave her Beatrice’s face, didn’t you? I’m not against you helping her, and I don’t care if she’s human or not. But son, are you still not over your Luna? Is that what this is about?" The older man’s voice wavered between admiration and concern.

Javier shook his head. "It’s not what you think, Dad. The story doesn’t end there. Veronica was abused by her werewolf husband, and to my shock, her husband is none other than Angelo Fuentebella!" he said with anger.

The two elders gasped. "Angelo Fuentebella? Is that the man who wronged you? So, he’s still an abuser to this day?"

"That’s why the name Fuentebella sounded familiar earlier when you mentioned it," Christy added. "How could we ever forget the man who caused harm to our only son?"

Javier nodded. "Now you see the bigger picture. You understand now why I gave her Beatrice’s face? It’s not just about me being selfish or wanting to see my wife again. If she becomes Beatrice, we can move freely and create a plan to bring down the Fuentebellas," he said with emphasis.

Though his parents didn’t fully grasp the entire situation, they trusted their son’s decision. After all, he’s the Alpha King of the Black Moon Pack.

"If you're truly determined with your plans, you should also know that your opponents are no longer easy to defeat."

"W-What do you mean, Dad?"

"I’ve heard rumors about the Midnight Fall Pack. Their net worth has risen from the ashes. If I’m not mistaken, they’re now among the top five wealthiest packs. Their sudden rise is suspicious, so you’ll need to plan carefully, because they’re no longer an easy target. I can sense they’re cunning. The question is, can you defeat them and their pack?"

That was the big question—could they do it? And if they could, this would definitely be an all-out war!