REVENGE UNDER THE MOONLIGHT

In the pack of Pembroke, several young women considered me as the luckiest one. Beauty, brain, and money; I got all of it, and the perfect blend of the three made me stand out. It wasn’t just about the external charm; it was also about the undeniable self-assurance that flowed through my being. As an Alpha’s daughter, I am a woman who’s at ease with myself. Then, I, Isabella Drake became the Luna of Aric Stormheart, the Alpha of Lancaster. Aric was my first love, and he was also my mate. Even if my wolf wasn’t awakened yet, he had no problem with it. I believed that first love never dies, but after marrying my husband, I realized those words were merely a nostalgic whisper of a bygone era. When I married the man who captivated my heart with promises of eternal love, I believed I was living in a fairytale. But everything was just a lie! In the beginning, Aric personified everything I had ever dreamed of, and I found him to be perfect! Aside from his lovable personality, he’s also gorgeous! With a commanding presence, befitting the future leader of a pack, his appearance exuded self-assurance and his facial features were impeccably sculpted; from his chiseled jawline to his tantalizing eyes. He was just so perfect! That night, when he slipped the ring on my finger, I believed we would be happy forever, but fairytales have a way of unraveling into a reality starkly different from the dreams I nurtured. The man who once whispered sweet nothings began to scream at me. The gentle caresses were replaced by harsh gusts of words that cut deeper than any blade! The man I married, who was meant to be the guardian of my heart, had transformed into a total stranger and he was mean to me. Then, the creaking sound of the door intensified my nervousness, yet, I knew I had no choice but to proceed. As I stepped into the room, darkness enveloped me, and my hands fumbled as I reached for the light switch. I was just released from being imprisoned at the dungeon and I wanted to speak with him very badly. As the light flickered to life, my eyes widened in shock to see Aric in bed, but he had company. It was a woman, and the pitiful mistress panicked as she tried to hide her face from me. She grabbed a blanket before she left through the connecting door, and I frowned because her back view seemed familiar. “Why are you here, Isabella? Didn’t the guard tell you to stay inside your room?” he screamed, but as a dutiful Luna, I tried to ignore his outbursts, but he just brushed me off with a dismissive wave of his hand. “We need to talk,” I demanded. “I don’t understand why you are like this, Aric. You used to be sweet and kind, but now, you don’t even care about me! You flaunted your mistress without considering my feelings!” “And what about you? Did you care for my feelings when you slept with another man? Did you consider my reputation before you let him f**k you?” he shouted once more. His manner of speech took me aback, and I frowned at his accusation. When did I let anyone to sleep with me? When did I let another man touch my body? “I don’t understand what you are talking about, Aric. I didn’t sleep with someone else, and you are aware how much I love you!” “Shut the f**k up, Isabella!” Once again, I was shocked by his sudden outburst and planned to retreat for the time being but I realized there’s no other time to talk to him about our situation. “Look, if you are no longer happy with me, Aric, then let’s break up,” I suggested and he furrowed his brows while glaring at me. “You want a divorce,” he mumbled in a barely audible voice. “Are you certain?” “I don’t want to, but you are no longer happy with me, Aric. You are no longer the man who used to love me and I believe it’s unfair for both of us to remain in this union,” I stated a fact, then I added, “Do you even remember the last time we made love?” “Did you really expect me to sleep with you after having another man in your bed?” he asked, and since it wasn’t the first time he implied I had another man, I narrowed my eyes at him. “I already told you! I didn’t invite your friend in my room. I didn’t even let him in. I was indisposed that time and when I woke up, I didn’t expect to see Luke beside me,” I explained for the nth time but he refused to listen. “You should have asked your friend who misled him into my room that night when there’s a lot of vacant quarters in this place!” “I gave you enough time to own up to your mistake, Isabella. I waited for you to come clean, but until now, you still deny it!” “Because I didn’t let anyone else touch me!” “Liar!” he shouted before he punched me in the stomach. For a moment, I was completely overwhelmed by pain, and tears streamed down my cheeks. The forceful blow to my stomach caught me off guard and the impact caused me to gasp for air. I clutched my stomach as I endured the pain, and when I looked up, Aric was already gone. He stormed outside and left me alone in pain. I tried to get up but a sharp pain persisted. After what felt like an eternity, I managed to hoist myself up. Then, I saw blood running down my legs and I let out a blood-curdling scream of terror. Once I grasped what was happening to me, I couldn’t hold back my tears. The physical pain from his punch paled in comparison to the overwhelming anguish at the thought of losing our baby because of a misunderstanding. Then, Aric returned and he was taken aback to find me bleeding. For a few seconds, he kept staring at the blood running on my legs, and realized what happened. I thought he would hurry up in taking me to the hospital, but he suddenly grabbed my shoulders and shook my body up while continuously slapping my face. “Are you pregnant?” he asked in disbelief, and when I couldn’t respond right away, he lost control and lashed out at me. “Luna, I asked you a question. Are you pregnant?” I nodded in response and said, “Indeed, Alpha. I am pregnant with your baby.” Alpha Aric chuckled at my response and slapped me again. “I can forgive you for sleeping with my friend, Isabella, but I can’t allow his bastard to become my heir!” Then, his anger consumed him before he unleashed a deadly punch on me. I winched in pain as he kept punching my stomach as if he wanted the baby to die inside. With tears in my eyes, I begged him to stop but he kept attacking me! “Don’t kill our child!” I shouted at him when he refused to stop hurting me. “Do you think you will be safe from the Moon Goddess after killing your own baby and your mate?” I asked him but he just snorted as he delivered the last blow. When I collapsed in front of him, he called someone to help, and I was barely conscious when my friend, Vanessa Covington, entered the room. As my best friend, she accompanied me to the pack of Lancaster so that I wouldn’t be homesick. Her face was filled with concern and she was shocked to see me being badly beaten by the Alpha of Lancaster. “What’s going on?” Vanessa inquired. “She’s pregnant with Luke’s baby,” Aric replied to Vanessa’s question, and my best friend gasped in shock. “Take her to the hospital. I don’t care about the baby but make sure she’s fine,” he ordered. “You shouldn’t have hit her in the first place, Alpha. She is your Luna,” she said. "Can you blame me? Just go and take her to the hospital!” “Yes, Alpha Aric!” Vanessa immediately arranged for my transportation to the nearest hospital and I was barely conscious when we reached the hospital. Then, a flood of tears overcame me as I remembered what transpired earlier. As the vehicle pulled over, staff from the hospital came to assist me. “I am sorry for your loss, Isabella,” Vanessa whispered as she followed me to the operating room. “What do you mean?” I asked in confusion and panic filled me when a doctor approached me. “This is an abortion clinic as Alpha Aric ordered me to have the baby aborted,” she told me and I narrowed my eyes when there was a hint of indifference in her. “No, I refuse to have an abortion, Vanessa. Please, help me leave this place,” I asked her to help me save my baby’s life. “I’m sorry, Luna. However, I can’t disobey the Alpha,” she said. “But you are my best friend! You are supposed to help me in this situation,” I complained, but then she suddenly laughed. “Vanessa, please!” “But I can’t be friends with you anymore,” she replied and I was confused. “Why not?” “Come on, Isabella. Stop pretending you don’t know about me and Aric. You saw me in his bed earlier,” she informed me, and I realized why the back view of the woman seemed familiar to me. “Lies,” I refused to believe her but she just chuckled. “Once you leave this clinic, you are no longer the Luna of Lancaster. Soon, Alpha Aric would introduce me as his second chance mate, Isabella,” she said as if it was just an ordinary event that she would replace me as the Luna of Lancaster. “Why are you doing this to me?” “Because I love him!” she told me and I shot her a fierce glare. “Excuse me for a second,” she said before sauntering to the doctor, and then, she gave him something. Did she just bribe the doctor? For the abortion? I tried to get away from the operating table but they secured my hands to the table to limit my movements. I felt so helpless when Vanessa returned. “I want to talk to my husband. Let me call him. I know he was upset about my pregnancy because of a misunderstanding but he loves me, Vanessa. By now, he’s probably regretting his decision to send me here,” I tried to negotiate for my baby’s life, but there was a sinister grin on Vanessa’s face. Then, she lowered her head into my ear and whispered. “If he loves you, he wouldn’t make love to me every night, Isabella,” she continued to taunt me. Vanessa’s confession left me speechless and I was completely taken aback. Out of everyone who could have turned against me, I never expected my best friend to betray me. How could she sleep with her friend’s husband? “Don’t be sad, Isabella. After all, it was you who cheated first. Have you forgotten the night you spent with Luke Skywalker?” “It’s not true!” I insisted, and then I recalled something that happened that night. It was Aric’s birthday and he invited his friends to have food and wine, but suddenly, I got a stomach ache and I had to retire early. Then, Vanessa brought a drink to my room, and afterward, I had no recollection of whatever happened. “It’s your doing, right? You misled Aric’s friend to sleep in my room when he was drunk.” “Bravo! You got it, Isabella, but it’s too late now. You can no longer explain yourself to Aric. Mmm, Doctor? Please do it now,” she instructed the doctor to start the abortion process. I let out a piercing scream as I desperately struggled to break free, but my hands were bound tightly. I was helpless! If only my wolf was awakened, perhaps, I could escape. “No!” I shouted and my voice echoed through the all-white room as the doctor approached me with an anesthesia on his hand. “Let me go!” Instinctively, I cradled my stomach and then I closed my eyes to ask for help from the Moon Goddess. How could someone be so heartless as to take the life of an innocent? When I heard the sound of a door opening, I was hopeful that it was Aric who came to save me, but no, it was Vanessa. She talked to the doctor that there’s no need for anesthesia because I was built different, and the doctor nodded. "Scalpel,” the doctor said to his assistant, and my eyes widened in fear as I saw the scalpel on the doctor’s hand. As he raised it on the air, I panicked even more, and then, he began cutting into my flesh. I screamed in pain and my vision became blurry as I tried to endure everything. I cried as my blood continued to flow out of my body but nobody cared about me. Initially, there was a sharp sensation when he began cutting through me, but soon enough, my body became numb. I didn’t want to die yet, but how could I survive when someone was slicing me open as if I were some kind of a specimen? As they forcefully took the life forming inside me, my gaze darted toward the door, desperately yearning for my husband to appear, and to rescue me from dying. But nobody came. After a few minutes, I struggled to catch my breath and I felt so weak. I wanted to fight some more, but how could I do it? I tried to open my eyes but I couldn’t! They involuntarily closed, and tears started to well in the corner, Grasping for air, I couldn’t believe that I would meet my end this way. It was pathetic and horrible! While I was struggling to breathe, I heard a commotion outside. Then, I heard Aric’s angry voice as he got closer. I tried to open my eyes to see him for the last time, but I couldn’t. The doctor lied about some complications during the surgery but I couldn’t do anything to correct him. Then, everything went dark.