vengeful luna

Delphine pov There was a knock on the door, and my whole body tensed, fear crawling up my spine like an icy hand. I tried to shake it off, telling myself I was overreacting. But a few minutes earlier, I’d gotten a call from an unknown number—something I normally wouldn’t answer, but this time, I did. The voice on the other end was low and calm, almost too calm, as they said the one thing I never expected: “Your sister Isabelle is sleeping with your fated mate, Jeffrey.” It couldn’t be true. No matter how much Isabelle disliked me—manipulative as she was—she wouldn’t do this. She had her ways, but this? Impossible. From the bathroom, Isabelle’s voice rang out, casual as ever. “Delphine, can you get the door?” I was already halfway out of the chair, the one by the window where I’d been sitting with my laptop. My hands trembled as I closed it, taking a deep breath to remind myself that everything was fine. Another knock came, a little louder this time. “I’m coming!” I called, my voice more steady than I felt. I walked to the door, opened it—and saw nothing. No one. The hallway was empty, and I peeked both ways, just to be sure. I was about to go back inside when something caught my eye. An envelope, lying there on the floor. My name, Delphine, scrawled in black ink across the front. My heart dropped, my fingers itching as I reached for it. “Who was it?” Isabelle’s voice startled me as she stepped out of the bathroom, hair damp and towel wrapped around her. I quickly stuffed the envelope into my gown’s pocket. “No one, just some pup messing around, playing pranks.” My voice came out too fast, but she didn’t seem to notice. “Oh.” She shrugged, running the towel over the ends of her hair. Her indifference didn’t surprise me. Isabelle had never been one to care much, especially not about me. I slipped back to my chair, opening my laptop again, pretending to be busy with my emails. Isabelle went on with whatever she was doing, and I tried to act like everything was normal, like I wasn’t dying inside. She’s my sister, my only sister, but we’re nothing like the “ride or die” siblings you hear about. In fact, she’s hated me for as long as I can remember. She never made it a secret, and after our parents died, we just... coexisted. Growing up, I was more of a slave than a daughter, anyway. It’s not like Isabelle had any reason to like me; our parents made sure of that. They treated me like the dirt beneath their shoes, and in turn, so did she. She learned to hate me because they hated me. Simple as that. We’re Omegas. In the Silvercrest Pack, that means you’re at the bottom, seen as nothing. Isabelle somehow crawled her way out of that bracket, but me? I was left to deal with the pack’s cruelty. Bullied, mocked, treated like trash—and the worst part? My biggest bully was now my fated mate, Jeffrey. I never thought he’d accept me, not in a million years. But here we are, a few weeks away from our mate ceremony, and it still feels unreal. Back at Chestwood Academy, he was the golden boy, while I was the nerdy Omega who only cared about books and school. No parties, no social life, and yeah, I was a little on the heavier side. They all hated me for it. Jeffrey hated me for it. But now? Now he says he loves me. Loves me, just the way I am. An email pinged into my inbox, dragging me out of my thoughts. I opened it, my eyes scanning the lines, and before I could stop myself, I turned to Isabelle. “Guess what?” She didn’t even look up. “Since when do I care about your business?” I ignored her tone, excitement bubbling up. “I got accepted into Limebridge University! Nursing! California!” She gave me a sideways glance. “Well, dream come true for you.” Her voice was flat, like she couldn’t care less. I wasn’t surprised. I turned back to my laptop, rereading the email just to make sure it was real. Limebridge University. I had worked so hard for this, and now it was happening. “Shouldn’t you be telling Jeffrey?” Isabelle’s voice came from behind me, softer now. “He’s the one who’s gonna be genuinely happy for you.” I hesitated. “I don’t think he’ll be happy... He won’t want me leaving the pack, going all the way to California.” “How would you know if you don’t tell him?” She raised an eyebrow at me, her lips curling into a smirk. “I’ll tell him tomorrow,” I muttered, already regretting bringing it up. “Whatever.” She waved me off like it was nothing, heading back into her room. I didn’t want to bother Jeffrey tonight anyway. His brother, Japhet, had just returned to the pack, and they were having their ‘boys time.’ Tomorrow, Jeffrey would introduce me to his brother as his mate, and I was already nervous enough. The stories I’d heard about Japhet? They were enough to keep me up at night. Ruthless, terrifying—though, people said it all started after he lost his mate. But I wasn’t thinking about that right now. I was thinking about the envelope burning a hole in my pocket, wondering what it could possibly mean, and if my world was about to come crashing down. I grabbed my bag, tossing in a few things—extra underwear, my wallet—and fixed my glasses in front of the mirror. “I’m going to Emily’s place to celebrate,” I said casually, glancing at Isabelle. She barely acknowledged me, just shrugged like she couldn’t care less. That was fine. I didn’t want her reaction anyway. “I won’t be coming home tonight,” I added, my voice quieter, as I headed for the door. Isabelle didn’t respond, and I didn’t wait for one. The moment I stepped out of the house, I flagged down a cab, trying to keep my mind steady. But my thoughts kept drifting back to the envelope. It was still in my pocket, the weight of it heavy, like it was taunting me. I stared out the window for a while, trying to gather the courage, then finally pulled it out, carefully opening it to reveal the contents. I wasn’t ready for what I saw. A picture of Isabelle and Jeffrey. Together. Too close. Her body pressed against his, his arms around her like he was holding onto her for dear life. My heart raced as I unfolded the letter tucked inside. My hands shook as I read the words: Jeffrey and Isabelle are having an affair. I gasped, my chest tightening, a sick feeling rising in my stomach. The cab driver must’ve noticed my face in the rearview mirror because he glanced back, concerned. “Miss, are you alright?” I swallowed hard, trying to steady my voice. “Yes... yes, I’m fine,” I lied, though my reflection in the window said otherwise. The disbelief, the betrayal... it was all written across my face. But I wasn’t fine. Not at all. “Stop the car,” I said suddenly. The driver pulled over to the side of the road, and for a second, I didn’t know what to do. My mind was spinning. I was supposed to be heading to Emily’s, but now... “Can you take me back?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. The driver nodded, no questions asked, and turned the car around. I should’ve gone to Jeffrey’s, should’ve stormed over to his place and demanded answers. But I couldn’t. Something inside me stopped me from going there. Maybe it was fear. Maybe it was my wolf, Ash, whispering softly in my mind. “I’m not sure this is true. He loves us too much to do something like this,” Ash murmured, her voice uncertain. I wanted to believe her. But the pictures, the letter... it was all too much. “I don’t know what to believe anymore,” I muttered to myself, my head pounding with confusion. As soon as I got home, I fumbled with the key, still dazed. The moment I opened the door, a sound hit me like a punch in the gut—moaning, loud and unmistakable. My body froze in the doorway. How hadn’t I heard it before? The realization hit me just as I glanced over at the living room table. Jeffrey’s watch. My heart sank. I knew that watch, knew his scent too. I couldn’t breathe. Was I imagining this? I wasn’t. The moans grew louder, and before I could stop myself, I stormed toward Isabelle’s room. My body moved on its own, the anger bubbling up, ready to explode. I flung the door open with all the force I had left. And there they were. Jeffrey and Isabelle. Naked. Twisted up in each other like nothing else mattered. The room spun. My vision blurred. I wanted to scream, wanted to tear the room apart. But all I could do was stand there, numb, as my world shattered.