Kiara:
Messing with a Luna is one thing, but messing with a Luna in her own pack is another. It isn’t just a regular misstep, and Mindy’s judgment is probably clouded by her desires to get Zane, forgetting that I can end her life before she even dreams of waking tomorrow. I don’t know what Zane is up to, but after successfully keeping him out, I know I can act as I please before he decides to wage war against me. Mindy’s audacity truly needs to be studied because her witch powers should be bright enough to warn her that I’ve been in and out of her mother’s lair.
“Prepare some baskets and umbrellas,” I say to Isabella, who stares at me in confusion. “We have some fruits to pick.” I wink at her, and she bows slightly, making her way out of my room.
I walk to my closet to pick out an outfit and put on one of my best Luna dresses. By the time I’m done dressing, Isabella is back with the baskets and an enormous umbrella.
“Let’s go.”
We leave the room, making our way to the front yard, where I see Blake talking with some guards. When he sees me, he keeps his eyes on me, but I ignore him, reaching for the umbrella.
Isabella tries to open it, but I hold on to it. “Let me.”
I open it myself and hold it up, shielding both of us from the sun. Slowly, we make our way to the path that leads to the back of the house. There is a vast array of flowers, beautifully trimmed to perfection and arranged according to colors. When we’ve walked a little farther, I look back to notice Blake standing in the path.
“If he plans to stay there, then you know you won’t be able to pluck any of the harmful flowers. This is a terrible time for both of you, and he won’t trust that you won’t use them against him,” Isabella says.
I groan but keep moving. Isabella and I walk until we’ve made it deep into the orchard. I hand her the umbrella, taking a basket from her, and start picking oranges.
“Can you see if he’s still there?” I ask.
She turns around, squinting her eyes. “I think he’s gone.”
When she says this, I toss the orange in my hand into the basket and turn to see that Blake is really gone.
“He probably thought you were planning an escape,” she says with a brief chuckle.
I don’t find it funny because that is exactly my next plan if Zane doesn’t arrive on time.
We make our way to the array of flowers and herbs. There is a danger sign in front of the flowers, which I obviously ignore, getting to business. I take my gloves, slap them on, and grab a pair of scissors. I collect enough wolfsbane and other herbs before tossing them into the basket.
“That should be enough,” I say with a smile as I pull off the gloves. “Come.” I beckon Isabella, and we go back to picking fruits at random to cover the flowers.
When I’m tired, we stop. Then we make our way back to the house. Blake is no longer in front of the house, which makes me sigh in relief. But the moment we step into the house, I see him in the living room with Mindy.
Isabella bows to him, and I try to leave with her, but he calls out to me.
“Yes, Alpha Blake.” I try to sound formal, but his face twists in anger.
“You don’t have to sound so formal, my dear. After all, you are my wife,” he says.
I force a smile as he reaches out for my hand. I allow him to hold me, and with one pull, he has his arms around my waist.
“I was speaking with the witch here, and she says she can go light with the spell. If it gets too much, she will withdraw,” he says.
When he says this, I glance at Mindy, who keeps a straight face with her hands placed on her lap.
“I’m really sorry for what happened earlier today. I was just angry, and I’m learning to control my anger. I really wish we could get past this phase and go back to how we were-just the two of us.”
He leans in and kisses my neck while I stand there pretending to reciprocate.
“Thank you,” I say to Mindy in the most natural tone, and she bows her head slightly. “Can I go to my room now?” I ask.
Blake lets go of me. “Picking fruits was exhausting,” I say with a smile.
He nods, and I walk away at once. The moment I get to my room, I shut the door, taking a deep breath.
“Ma’am, are you okay? Do we carry out the assignment?” Isabella asks.
I shake my head, trying to compose myself. “Let her have a clean lunch. We’ll work with dinner,” I reply, and she nods.
“Everything will end today, so it doesn’t matter when we do it.”
**
Curiosity claws at my heart with each passing second. The thought that this will fail keeps creeping into my mind. I’ve been able to fool Mindy into thinking I don’t know her, but I still fear what she might do.
“You’re overreacting,” I say to myself, crashing onto my bed. I sit there, tapping my feet on the floor and staring at the door, waiting for Isabella to return.
After a while, I lie down and close my eyes. A few seconds later, a knock comes, and I sit up at once. Isabella opens the door, and I get to my feet at once.
“Please tell me you did it,” I say as I stare at her face, which has a plain expression on it.
She nods, and my troubled heart becomes calm at once. Then she shuts the door, and I grab her hands, pulling her toward my bed.
“Tell me what happened,” I say to her, and she sits on my bed.
“I was able to make rounds in the kitchen as your maid, and when they weren’t looking, I put the ground wolfsbane in her food. I made sure it was her food, and she had been served, so let’s wait until tomorrow.”
I pull her into a hug, pressing hard on her body.
“Thank you so much.” She pats my back gently before I pull away. “I really hope that witch dies so I can live my life in peace.”
I notice the drop in her brows when I say this.
“Is there a problem?”
She shakes her head when I ask.
“Isabella?”
A sigh escapes her lips as I probe into her.
“I know I agreed to help you because that’s all I know how to do. When I helped Mindy, I believed she was doing it to help you, and now I am actually helping you, but I fear you will leave like before, and this time, you will never come back.”
I stare at her without words as she says this because her words are true.
“Right,” she chokes out.
I take a deep breath, holding her hand.
“Isabella, I am really sorry that this has to happen. I can no longer be the Luna here because I have made up my mind that this life isn’t for me. No matter how I try, I cannot love Blake anymore. Mindy has corrupted his life, and…” I pause, swallowing hard before I say the words. “I love Zane. More than I love Blake, and I want nothing more than to be with him.”
She nods at my words, then she gets to her feet.
“Whatever it takes to make you happy, know that I will always be there.”
She walks away, and I sit there with a lot of thoughts running wild in my brain.
**
The Next Morning:
A loud scream echoes through the four corners of the mansion, causing me to jerk up from sleep. Without thinking twice, I get to my feet, slide my legs into my slippers, and make my way out of the room. There is a lot of chatter in the mansion, and I have an idea of what it could be, but I don’t want to get too happy because I know Mindy and how cunning she can be.
Halfway down the hall, I see Isabella, and she rushes up to me, grabbing my hand.
“What’s going on?” I ask.
She looks at me with a smile on her lips, then says the words I have been dying to hear.
“It worked. Our plan worked, and you are free.”