Fated to the Alpha's Deception
Chapter 3
I couldn’t pinpoint exactly when Rayne appeared at the door, her scent—a faint mix of vanilla and rosemary—filling the room before I even saw her. Her eyes sparkled with satisfaction as she took in my disheveled appearance, her lips curving into a smug smile.
“Alpha Layton told me you’re feeling under the weather,” she said, her voice dripping with false concern. “I thought I’d bring you something to cheer you up.”
I clenched my fists tightly, my nails digging into my palms as I glared at her. The faint hum of my wolf stirred in the back of my mind, a low growl of warning.
Rayne strolled over, her movements deliberate, and leaned in to whisper maliciously into my ear, “Didn’t I warn you? Whether it’s your family’s wealth or your mate, anything you have, I’ll take from you.”
I shoved her forcefully, the strength of my wolf lending me power, and grabbed my phone, hurling it at her with all my might. “Rayne James, I won’t let you walk all over me.”
The phone hit her forehead and shattered on the floor. A bruise swelled instantly, yet she barely flinched. Instead, she dropped to her knees, looking up at me with feigned innocence, her eyes wide and pleading.
“Sister,” she said softly, her voice trembling, “if hitting me will make things right between us, then go ahead.”
The same sickening act. Did she really think I wouldn’t dare?
Rage surged through me, and I stepped forward, my hand flying to slap her hard. But before I could make contact, someone rushed in, shoving me aside with such force that I stumbled and fell to the ground.
Layton stood there, his towering frame radiating Alpha authority, his dark eyes blazing with anger as he held Rayne protectively in his arms. “Rayne is your sister. How could you treat her so harshly?” he demanded, his voice sharp with disapproval.
“She came here to check on you, and this is the thanks she gets?”
I sat on the floor, my chest heaving, and scoffed at his legs, the ones he had injured saving me from the rogue werewolves five years ago. “So you’re done pretending, huh?”
“You know perfectly well she was responsible for my parents’ deaths, yet you still lie to me for her sake!”
Layton’s expression faltered for a moment, a flicker of guilt crossing his face, but it was gone as quickly as it appeared.
“Rayne was scared back then,” he said, his voice softer now, almost pleading. “That’s why she leaked your location. She regrets it now. Can’t you forgive her this time?”
I stared at him, my eyes cold and unyielding. “What right do you have to ask for my forgiveness?”
“I’d rather see her gone. Alpha Layton, don’t even dream of making me donate blood to save her again.”
Layton opened his mouth to argue, but Rayne, clutching his shirt, cut him off, tears streaming down her face.
“Alpha,” she whimpered, her voice breaking, “she just wants me to pay with my life. Don’t blame her; it’s all my fault.”
Before she could finish, she fainted dramatically in his arms. Layton’s face paled, and he immediately lifted her, his movements frantic as he rushed out of the room, presumably to find the pack’s Healer.
A hollow feeling spread through my chest. The lies were now out in the open; there was no reason for me to stay any longer.
Dragging my exhausted body to the door, I tried to leave, only to be stopped by two burly Delta warriors, their imposing figures blocking my path.
“Luna Gloria,” one of them said, his voice respectful but firm, “Alpha Layton has ordered you to rest in your room. Please don’t wander around.”
---
The tension in the room was suffocating, mixed with the faint scent of freshly brewed coffee. Rayne had brought over a basket of spiced honey cakes, but they sat untouched on the table, their sweet aroma doing little to ease the bitterness in the air.
My Victorian-style dress rustled as I moved, the sound sharp against the backdrop of silence. The warmth of the Thanksgiving wreaths adorning the walls did little to dispel the coldness that had settled between Layton and me.
Postcards of the Alps were scattered on the desk, a cruel reminder of broken promises. Layton’s presence, once a source of comfort, now felt colder than the mountain air.
My phone buzzed with Amazon notifications, the sound echoing the chaos of unread WhatsApp messages. I felt alienated, trapped in a world where pack traditions and hierarchies clashed with personal betrayals. The weight of my title as Luna felt heavier than ever, a chain I could no longer bear.
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