Chapter 26
Chapter 26
LUNA AQUAMARINE’S POV
Gaia’s eyes blazed with fury as she poured the liquid onto the maid’s head. The maid’s head hung low but I could sense
her humiliation.
I’ve been there before.
My shock at seeing her here–after Alexander’s assurances yesterday that she meant nothing–quickly transformed into rage as I watched her raise her hand to strike the trembling maid.
Before I knew what was happening I found myself lunging forward, catching Gaia’s wrist mid–swing. “Don’t you dare,” I hissed, yanking her hand away from the cowering servant.
Gaia’s head snapped up, her green eyes met mine and a malevolent smile spread across her face. “Ohh, the ghost is finally
here.”
My eyebrows twitched slightly. It had been a long time since I heard that name and I wasn’t going to go back hearing it.
“I’d appreciate it if you do not disrespect my maid or anyone from this pack.” My voice came out louder than I thought it
would.
Gaia’s smile widened as she jerked her wrist free from my grip,“How touching. The little white freak thinks she can give me
orders.”
She circled me slowly, like a predator sizing up prey. “Tell me, ghost girl, do you actually believe Alexander chose you? Or are you really that pathetic?”
Heat bubbled in my chest but I kept my voice steady. “I’m Luna of this pack. That’s all that matters.”
Gaia laughed evilly. “You think you’re in a position to dictate terms to me? Just because Alex fucked you and some weak morons kissed your hand?” she sneered.
Her words hit me hard but she continued.
“Let me tell you what you really are,” Gaia spat, stepping so close I could feel her breath on my face. “You’re a placeholder. A breeding mare. Something to keep his bed warm until someone worthy comes along.”
“That’s enough!” I snapped, my wolf stirring dangerously close to the surface.
But Gaia only laughed harder. “Oh, did I hit a nerve? Poor little Luna, so desperate to be wanted that she’ll cling to any Scrap of attention.”
I could sense her aura shifting, I suspected it wouldn’t be long before her vines would pop up again.
Aaron and Juliet moved forward, almost as if they could sense the same. “Gaia, that’s enough,” Aaron growled.
But that just made her angry. Or maybe even angrier. “It’s Queen Gaia to you peasants. I was born with royalty in my blood and I certainly won’t bow to any being who depends on another for relevance.”
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Chapter 26
The commotion was beginning to draw attention. I looked back to see 2 men in familiar robes walk in. Elders from The
Order.
Relief flooded through me. Now that they are here, they would put an end to this madness. But as they approached, I noticed something disturbing. They weren’t looking at Gaia with disapproval.
They were looking at me like I was the problem.
“Elder Thaddeus, Elder Marcus,” Gaia purred innocently. “How wonderful to see you. I was just having a chat with the… Luna.”
The way she said my title made it sound like a joke.
Elder Thaddeus stepped forward, his cold eyes assessing the scene. “Queen Gaia, we heard there was some… disruption.”
“Nothing I couldn’t handle,” Gaia replied smoothly. “Though I must say, your new Luna seems rather… volatile.”
My mouth fell open. “Volatile? She was attacking my staff!”
“I was correcting poor service,” Gaia corrected with infuriating calm, “Something a true Luna should understand.”
Elder Marcus nodded slowly. “Perhaps there’s been a misunderstanding. Queen Gaia is our honored guest.”
“Honored guest?” I repeated, incredulous. “She just humiliated one of our pack members!”
“The maid will recover,” Elder Thaddeus said dismissively. “However, showing aggression toward our allies could have more serious consequences.”
The realization hit me like a slap. They were taking her side. Despite everything–despite my coronation, despite Alexander’s mark on my neck, despite being their Luna–they were choosing to protect Gaia over their own pack member.
Gaia’s smile turned predatory as she watched the understanding dawn on my face. “You see, little ghost? Some of us understand politics. Some of us understand power.”
She leaned closer and whispered in my ear. “And some of us know exactly where we stand in the food chain.”
Fury burned through my veins. “Leave,” I said, my voice deadly quiet.
“Excuse me?” Gaia tilted her head, feigning confusion.
“I said leave,” my voice echoed through the room, power I didn’t know I possessed making the windows rattle. “This is my pack house, and I want you out.”
For just a moment, something like surprise flickered across Gaia’s face. But it was quickly replaced by amusement.
“There’s the fire I was looking for. I actually thought you would cower, this makes it more interesting than his other weak toys,” she said, clapping slowly. “But you’re forgetting something crucial, little blind girl.”
She took a step closer to me. “I’m here to claim what’s rightfully mine,” she spat. “And I won’t be leaving till I get Alex back to where he belongs. With me.”
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Chapter 26
Of course, she came for Alexander, who is nowhere to be seen.
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I stood silent, waiting for her to continue her rants while I signaled for the maid to stand. My mind raced, trying to process the implications of her words and the Elders‘ obvious bias.
“You know what your problem is?” Gaia continued, her voice rising with each word. “You actually think you matter. You think that because some ancient ritual put a crown on your head, you’re suddenly important.”
She laughed, the sound sharp and cruel. “But deep down, you know the truth. You’re nothing. A ghost. A pale imitation of
what a real woman should be.”
“Queen Gaia,” Elder Marcus said softly, but there was warning in his tone–not for her behavior, but for mine.
The message was clear: I was expected to stand here and take this abuse without defending myself.
Rage boiled over inside me. “If you think Alexander belongs with you, then where is he?” I challenged. “Why isn’t he here defending you instead of hiding like a coward?”
Gaia’s eyes flashed dangerously. “Careful, little ghost. You’re playing with forces beyond your understanding.”
The air grew thick with tension as her power began to manifest. I felt Aaron and Juliet tense beside me, ready to intervene if necessary.
But the Elders… they just watched, as if they were curious to see how this would play out.
With a final glare, she turned and headed to the door with the Elders by her side.
The room was silent for a moment, the only sound was the breathing of my heart.
I could feel the weight of her hatred heavy on me and I knew that I had to be careful.
Extremely careful.
She possessed powers I didn’t have. Unusual magic that could even stop time itself. If she wanted to, she could attack me once again and I wasn’t even with my staff to defend myself.
Despite feeling my wolf, I don’t even know if I could shift yet.
Then she stopped at the door and turned to face me. “I know Alex more than you do and trust me. He will come back to me very soon.” Then she smirked. “Just like he did….. last night.”
My breathing hitched.
Last night. While I had been worrying about Katherine, about the scroll, about my new responsibilities as Luna–Alexander
had been with her.
The betrayal cut deeper than any of her previous insults, because this one I knew in my heart was true.
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