Reborn: The Rejected Luna

#13 - One Chance

"I don't care if she's my mate.

Irabel focused on that truth. It caused the worst pain for her, again, but she held onto it tightly to escape what he had done to her. Hours of gruesome torture looking for something she was unable to give him even if she wanted to. She couldn't even lie about knowing about all the ludicrous stuff Maxith was asking her. And the one thing she knew about herself and was willing to give him was considered her worst lie in his eyes.

She shifted on the floor and regretted it. The pain in her body would kill her before those internal injuries the doctor had talked about did, thanks to all the manhandling she had gone through today. With all her existing injuries, Maxith didn't need anything more than applying enough pressure where it mattered to get her screaming and begging.

The mere thought of it sent her body shivering, but with clenched fists she fought to bring her body under control. It worked, making her lips curve in a somewhat painful smile. It was a small victory, but for Irabel, it was the hope she needed to know that she would survive whatever would be thrown at her before she took her own revenge. Yes, revenge. While Maxith tortured her, Irabel was tempted to curse at the moon goddess. She was tempted to damn the woman to the lowest pits of hell for making her endure her own personal hell at the hands of her ex and current mate, but a look into Maxith's eyes was all she needed to hold her tongue.

The darkness in the filthy room she had been left in was brighter than the darkness she'd seen in those eyes. The rage, the anger, the frustration, the torture, Irabel took it all in. Not that she thought she deserved it, but because at that moment, with Maxith being the beast she knew he was, she finally realized that being back gave her a chance to have her revenge. And as she continued to hold his gaze, Irabel took in all the hate he showered on her because she desperately needed it to serve as a reminder for each of those times she would be tempted to give in to the mate bond. That wretched connection between them that would take away her willpower without warning and shatter her resolve to be the one to slit his throat this time around.

"I'm so sorry that this happened to you."

Irabel tensed at the male voice that pierced the darkness in the room. Even without seeing his face, she knew who it was. The only person who dared to stand up to Maxith and attempted to save her from the alpha king's wrath.

"No need to apologize. We both know there was no way you could have ignored your alpha's orders." She flinched when the room suddenly filled with light.

"I'm Ken." He held out his hand but Irabel just stared at it. The guy may have just apologized to her now, but she was not interested in being friends. Not with him or anyone in this pack. She did not hold anything against him, but she was not about to pretend that all was okay.

"Water then?" An apologetic smile crossed his face while he held out a bottle of water.

Irabel reached for it, almost grabbing it out of his hand. Not until the sight of the liquid did she realize that she was very thirsty. After gulping down more than half of the bottle's contents, she looked up at her visitor and found him looking at her thoughtfully. "What?" She shot him a thoughtful look, her own curiosity making her wonder what he was thinking.

"Are you our pack's luna?"

Irabel choked on her own saliva at the question. And all the coughing left her wincing in pain and Ken rushing to her side with every intent to help.

"Are you okay?"

After all the screaming she had done earlier, coughing felt like her throat was being scrapped with glass but she nodded still. "I'm okay." She said between coughs while she backed away from him.

"I'm sorry about that. I didn't mean to put you in pain."

"Is that why you are here?" Irabel spat, hating the feelings that his question had roused in her chest. A luna? That thought had not crossed her mind yet. All she had thought about until now was being Maxith's mate and how much she hated it. But now… "Is that why you are here apologizing?"

"Of course not, but if you are, then–"

"I'm not." Irabel cut him off as if she was afraid of being reminded of what was expected of her as her mate's pack's luna. Those duties she had once dreamed of faithfully fulfilling once she and Maxith mated. She had wanted to be perfect and she was going to be perfect, just for him. "I'm not, okay?" She quickly turned away when she felt her eyes prickle at the memory. "If you are done, I'd like to be left alone, please."

Silence ensued after her words and she was afraid that the erratic beating of her heart would betray her, making Ken think otherwise. Why did she care? Because her bloody heart couldn't ignore how much Ken was trying to get on her good side. Despite having a beast for an alpha Irabel could easily hate, Ken had something about him she couldn't hate even if she wanted to. And by the looks she was getting from him, she suspected he'd do anything to have her as their pack's luna, which meant keeping her at Maxith's side. Irabel decided she hated him just because he would turn out to be that voice of reason she did not need in her quest for revenge.

"I'm afraid I can't do that."

"Excuse me?" Irabel whipped her head towards Ken, ready to protest whatever he was about to say.

"As the beta of this pack, it's my duty to take care of you in the absence of his highness."

"Wait, beta?" That couldn't be right. Irabel had met Maxith's beta on several occasions and Ken was definitely not him. Had she somehow forgotten?