Lucy’s POV
A day flew by, and fortunately, the only surviving scout from the attack finally became conscious. We returned to the infirmary, where the smell of death still looked in the air, waiting and watching for whom to snatch up into its claws.
The scout was younger than I had imagined-barely even older than myself, with luxurious dark hair that fanned out on the pillow underneath her head. Her skin looked pale, but it was obviously due to the severe wounds she sustained. A thick bandage had been wrapped around her torso, and one of her legs was incomplete from below the knee.
She had been staring blankly at the ceiling when we had stepped into her room. Desolation was etched over her small, innocent face.
After a moment, she turned to us, and I caught a full glimpse of the tears running across her face.
The Luna stepped forward and took the scout’s hand in hers, looking apologetic. As though she was the one who had put the scout in such a position in the first place.
“. . . Luna,” said the scout in a voice that shook. “I . . . failed.”
“No. You survived, Eris. That I am grateful for,” the Luna said, caressing the hand of the scout.
Eris closed her eyes for a moment.
Adrianne stepped forward and touched Eris’ shoulder gently. Her face had been so emotionless for the majority of the time we’d spent together, so seeing her expression being so soft came as a little surprise.
Over here, Luna and guards alike, all acted like one big family. It was as clear as day how much they treasured and took care of one another even in a system like ours which heavily depended on hierarchy. Here, even the littlest, and supposedly most insignificant person appeared to have a place in the Luna’s heart.
With this knowledge, I couldn’t help but gaze at the Luna for a little while, humbled by the sincerity in her actions.
At last, the scout opened her eyes, and in them, was the evidence of a little more strength. “We were attacked at the Southernmost edge of our pack.”
“By rogues, yes, we were informed,” said the Luna.
But Eris shook her head. “No, not only by rogues. There were . . . others, hidden in the shadows, whispering into our ears and minds. Their voices were so loud, and yet, so quiet. They seemed to be the ones controlling the rogues.”
Her words stirred up uncertainty and a new anticipation.
“What?” asked the Luna. “What do you mean?”
“Rogues do not have a pack. Because of this, they become wild-unpredictable. These rogues-” she broke into a coughing fit, then cleared her throat and continued “- spoke amongst themselves clearly.” It obviously took a lot of energy for her to speak, but she tried her best, even though her face turned slightly red from the effort. “They worked . . . as one.”
“But that’s impossible. Rogues are our opposites because they no longer understand the concept of packship. They feed and hunt for themselves only, and would turn on another rogue as soon as they sense any threats.”
“I did not believe it myself, but they did not come to feed. They simply came to kill.”
–
We left Eris soon after that because the doctors came in and told us she had to rest so that her injuries could heal better. Although the scouts’ words had brought about more questions than answers, a little light had been shed on the ambiguous parts of the situation.
Rogues that only wanted to kill? Rogues that acted as a pack? What was really happening?
“We have to tighten security at our borders,” the Luna told Adrianne as we made our way back to the main hall. “We can’t risk any more scouts right now, but we can definitely protect ourselves from any impending danger.”
“Understood. I’ll go and set up the defenses. Excuse me,” said Adrianne with a bow, before she left.
Along the way, we crossed paths with a middle-aged woman in a frilly gown that looked like it cost a fortune. Her hair had been styled up in an elaborate manner, and adorned with stones.
As soon as my eyes made contact with her face, something shifted in my mind. Something about her appeared very familiar, but I couldn’t exactly place my finger on it at that very moment.
But as soon as she saw me, she momentarily stiffened.
“Agatha, it’s been such a while,” said the Luna as she pulled the woman into a hug. “How have you been?”
Agatha had to drag her eyes away from me to respond. “I’ve been very well, thank you. I heard about the mishap at the borders. It’s so terrible.”
“Yes it is, but we can’t dwell on what we can’t change. We can only work now to make things better.”
“You’re right.”
The Luna turned to the triplets and I, finally remembering that we were standing to the side of the hallway, looking a little out of place. “Oh, Agatha. You must know ny nephews, Shaun, Seth, and Scott. They came by a few days back to pay me a visit.”
The triplets murmured their greetings, but it was clear on their faces that they would have preferred to have been anywhere else but there at that moment.
“And this is Shaun’s bride-to-be, Lucy.”
Agatha nodded, looking at me strangely. “I welcome you all to Moonstruck pack. I wished the circumstances were better, but I do wish you all a peaceful stay here,” she said. “I’ll be leaving now, I have something very important to attend to.”
The Luna nodded and allowed the woman to leave. I followed her with my eyes, trying over and over again to understand why she appeared so familiar.
As we approached the main hall, the Luna turned to the triplets and took my hand. Her warm skin chased away the little cold that clung to my fingers as she pulled me close to her.
“Permit me to steal Lucy away for a moment. I’d like to discuss just a few things with her privately,” she said, waving away the triplets. They all looked confused, but silently obeyed and stopped following us.
I followed her into the main hall, feeling a little anxious about what she was about to say to me even though I hadn’t done anything worthy of scrutiny since I came to Moonstruck.
She took a seat, and I followed suit, watching her carefully.
“I’ve been hearing certain things about you, Lucy, and I don’t like them. When you first came here, I had thought it was merely a coincidence, but now I am certain it’s not.”
Hesitantly, I asked, “What are you talking about?”
“Don’t act unaware with me, girl,” she said gently, although her choice of words were anything but. “You were married to Daven, the father of my nephews.”
I took in a shuddering breath. There was no use trying to lie about it. “Yes, I was.”
“And what exactly do you think you’re doing with Shaun?”
“If you knew how I ended up being Daven’s wife, then you’d know that our marriage was against my will. Shaun is my mate, and that is why we’re together.”
The matriarch sighed, kneading the bridge of her brows between her fingers. “Daven was a bastard, but Shaun . . . He’s the only reason why I’ll allow this to stand.” She lifted her head. “I will not question you further, Lucy. I don’t believe Shaun was blind when he decided to marry you, given your history with his father. But I’ll have you know that I don’t mind making your life miserable if you ever do anything to hurt my nephew.”
I clenched my trembling fists. “Understood,” I said, rising to my feet. I didn’t want to be in her presence for even a second longer than I had to be. I understood that she was merely looking out for Shaun, but I was tired of always getting treated like a villain, when I was the one wronged from the very beginning.
“You may leave,” she told me, and I obeyed, walking out of the hall as quickly as I could.