Luna's Payback: Claiming My Fate!

39:

Javier froze at what he heard from Eldara. What did she say? Veronica’s human scent was gone?

He didn’t want to get his hopes up. Seeing the pain Veronica was in, it was hard to believe. But maybe he was a fool, because a part of him desperately wanted their plan to work.

Unconsciously, he moved closer to Veronica and sniffed her. Even from a distance, he was familiar with her scent. He would know if it was truly gone.

When he took a sniff, he smelled nothing. Shocked, he sniffed again, but still, there was nothing.

“Is this real…?” He turned to Nick, needing confirmation that his senses weren’t deceiving him.

Nick sniffed as well, and Javier saw the surprise on his face. “Oh my… it’s true. Her human scent is gone.”

Veronica slowly stood up from where she had been holding onto him. “Hey, don’t move. You’re in pain,” he cautioned.

But Veronica shook her head. “I’m okay. The pain is gone. It just disappeared suddenly.”

He frowned, finding it hard to believe. “Are you sure about that?” His voice was filled with doubt.

She nodded, and it seemed like she was really feeling better since she could stand on her own now. “Yeah, I’m perfectly fine now. It’s like magic how the pain just disappeared. About that… is my human scent really gone?”

Javier and Nick exchanged glances, both of them witnesses to the disappearance of her scent. “Yes, your natural scent is really gone,” Nick confirmed.

“Maybe that explains why the pain suddenly vanished,” she said, shedding light on what had happened. She turned her gaze toward Eldara.

The woman was just standing there, looking shy and unsure. Veronica suddenly felt a pang of guilt, realizing that Javier had raised his voice at her earlier, even though they were the ones in need of her help.

She walked over to Eldara, taking both of her hands and holding them close to her chest. “Eldara… I’m sorry. But thank you so much… you’re amazing,” she said, her voice trembling as if she were about to cry.

Eldara seemed deeply embarrassed by the situation. “A-Are you sure you’re okay? There's no pain anymore? I’m sorry, I’m really not that skilled yet.”

Veronica quickly shook her head. “What?! That’s not true! You’re talented and gifted, Eldara. This was your first time making a potion like this, but look, it worked.”

“B-But you were in pain…”

“That might have just been a side effect. Everything has side effects, right? You can’t get everything in this world easily and without problems. Don’t dwell on it too much; what’s important is that my human scent is gone. Thank you, Eldara. Thank you so much…” she said, her words coming straight from the heart.

She forced a smile, but it didn’t reach her eyes. Annoyed, she turned to Javier. “Say sorry to her. Now.”

A loud gasp filled the room.

“What?! No, you don’t have to apologize, Alpha Javier…” Eldara's face was filled with discomfort as she tried to refuse.

Javier, on the other hand, was confused about why he needed to apologize. “What? Why should I say sorry? I didn’t do anything wrong.”

She placed her hands on her hips, glaring at him. “You didn’t do anything wrong? You practically blamed Eldara for what happened to me earlier. You raised your voice at her.”

“Well… I won’t deny that. But if she wants to be an alchemist, she needs to accept judgment and constructive criticism if she wants to improve and refine her creations. How will she know if her work is good or bad if we don’t tell her the truth? That will help her since this is the life she chose. She chose her passion over everything. She can’t just be a crybaby after hearing a critique,” he defended himself.

Eldara nodded in agreement. “Alpha Javier is right, Veronica. If someone’s life could be in danger because of my potions and no one tells me the truth, how can I improve my work? What he did was correct. I wasn’t hurt; what pained me more was the thought that my creation might not be effective and could put you in harm’s way.”

“See? There’s no problem. You’re the only one thinking that way,” Javier added, his tone firm.

But Veronica wasn’t going to let it go that easily. For her, they owed everything to Eldara. Without the woman, they might not have executed their plan correctly.

“We’re not leaving here until you apologize to her!” she shouted firmly.

Javier rubbed his head in frustration. “What a stubborn woman…”

Eldara was mortified and didn’t want Alpha Javier to apologize. “Really, Alpha Javier, you don’t have to…”

Nick, watching them, couldn’t help but laugh at the situation. Veronica shot Javier a look because he refused to follow her demand. “Oh, you don’t want to apologize to her? Fine, then I’m not doing our mission anymore,” she threatened, almost like a child throwing a tantrum.

Javier’s eyes widened in disbelief. He couldn’t believe what she was saying. “What the hell! You’re being ridiculous, Veronica! I didn’t do anything wrong!” He wasn’t angry, just utterly confused.

Like a spoiled brat, she plopped down on the floor, her lips pouting. “Fine, maybe you didn’t do anything wrong. But we’re not leaving.”

Javier felt like he was losing his mind over what this woman was saying. Even his Luna had never done something like this to him, and now this human was making him do this? He, the high and mighty Alpha Javier?

This woman is insane! Nick was in stitches, laughing at Javier’s expression. Eldara, however, tried to dismiss the idea. “Alpha Javier, I promise, it’s nothing. I understand,” she said, attempting to defuse the situation.

Veronica rolled her eyes. “But that doesn’t give him the right to shout at you when you’re just trying to help and do your best, you know? Being an Alpha doesn’t give him the right to be harsh with you. Come on, Javier, I’m waiting. Where’s your apology?”

This woman’s smirk is infuriating! Javier thought to himself. But she had a point, and he knew it. At the end of the day, Eldara had still saved them from potential problems they could face in the future. Everything would indeed be easier without Veronica’s human scent, and he was fully aware of that.

He took a deep breath. Well, his masculinity wouldn’t vanish just because he apologized. After all, he was at fault.

He scratched his head, feeling a bit embarrassed, and looked at Eldara. “I’m sorry. I was just worried about what happened to her. It’s the first time I’ve seen her in that much pain. And thank you. I know it was difficult, but you still managed to do what I asked. I don’t know how I can ever repay you,” His voice carried sincerity, and everyone could feel it.

Eldara was surprised by the Alpha’s apology, but she accepted it. “I wasn’t kidding when I said I understood why you reacted that way, Alpha Javier. Apology accepted.”

Veronica beamed, pleased that Javier and Eldara had finally come to an understanding. They were getting ready to leave when Eldara suddenly stopped them. “Wait, we’re not done yet. You’ve forgotten something.”

They thought it was some item they had left behind, but Eldara raised a small bottle of potion. “Have you forgotten? Her human scent may be gone, but right now, she’s odorless. She still needs to have a scent like ours, right?”

Javier let out an "oh s**t," while she instinctively slapped her forehead. How could they have forgotten that?

So, they needed to wait a few more hours for her to make the potion. But Eldara seemed to read their minds. "Oh, you don’t have to wait anymore. I already have a potion made for cases like this. I made it quite a while ago, and don’t worry, it’s still effective. I didn’t have an exact reason for making it; I thought it might go to waste. I didn’t know it would be useful someday. Come here, human,” she called out to her.

Without hesitation, she approached. Eldara grabbed a small glass vial and measured out just the right amount to give her. “This will do, drink this.”

“I hope there won’t be any side effects this time,” Javier muttered quietly.

She rolled her eyes and drank it down without fuss. The taste was strange and hard to describe, but the only thing she could say was that it tasted worse than the first potion.

“It will take a few minutes to take effect.”

“Oh, before I forget... how long does this potion last? Is it one day? One week? One month? I’m afraid that while I’m on the mission, the potion’s effects might suddenly wear off,” she asked curiously.

Javier seemed just as curious, as he waited for Eldara’s response. “Didn’t I mention? My creations are like magic, like a power. They have no expiration date; it could last forever until you die. The only way for your Luna scent to wear off and revert to your natural scent is to come back here. I’m the only one who knows how to reverse it. No other potion can nullify its effects,” Eldara explained.

They were stunned, unable to believe it. If that's the case, then Eldara really is incredibly talented. "I’m truly impressed," she genuinely praised.

The woman remained silent for a moment before turning her around and sniffing her. She smiled. "There. Her scent has changed. No trace of her being human anymore. You can’t smell anything from her except the scent of a Luna. Remember, a Luna scent doesn’t have to be exactly like Luna Beatrice’s, but she has to smell like a real Luna. A she-wolf."

Javier approached her and with just one sniff, the amazement was evident on his face. "Wow, it's true. You smell like one of us now. No one will doubt you, I’m sure," his expression was one of victory.

They thanked Eldara and took their leave. It was getting close to dusk, so they had to make sure they didn’t get caught by nightfall in this remote area.

The ride home was silent. No one spoke. They were tired and hungry, but all of them were happy because their mission with Eldara was a success.

She was quietly admiring the beautiful and peaceful scenery outside the car window when Javier called her attention. It seemed like he had something to say.

“Hmm? What is it?” she asked.

He stared intently at her face. “I don’t see any problems anymore. From head to toe, no matter where I look, you are Beatrice now.”

She knew that.

"Tomorrow, we can begin our plan for revenge," he added.

She nodded. She agreed with that. She didn’t want to waste any more time. A year of preparation was enough.

"But before everything… I want to tell you that starting tomorrow, Veronica Fuentebella no longer exists. We’re going to address you as Beatrice. From tomorrow on, you are Mrs. Beatrice Romanov. My Luna," he said seriously, the words piercing through her to the core.