Switched Luna

Chapter 5: Sudden Plan

|Carmella|

I absently fingered the necklace around my neck, its cool metal a small comfort as my other hand traced the outline of Camilla’s delicate fingers. Her hand, once so full of life, now felt cold and unresponsive beneath my touch.

Four days.

Four long, agonizing days filled with unanswered questions and a mounting sense of dread. It had all started with the bruises—dark, ugly splotches that marred Camilla’s porcelain skin, standing out in stark contrast. At first, they seemed like a silent cry for help, but now, as she lay motionless, her breaths shallow and faint, those bruises felt more like a deafening scream in the unbearable silence of the room.

My thoughts kept returning to Theodore. Despite Janina’s insistence that Camilla and Theodore hadn’t reconciled, my sister had somehow found happiness again, even if only briefly. But what—or who—had caused that sudden shift? Where had those bruises come from? Could her husband really be responsible for the marks on her body? Yet, something about it didn’t add up. Deep in my bones, I knew there was more to this than what meets the eye—a puzzle with pieces that didn’t quite fit together.

The door creaked softly, pulling me from my spiraling thoughts. I looked up to see Elara stepping into the room, her expression as calm and composed as ever. Her presence could only mean one thing—it was time for her daily check-up on my sister.

I remained on my seat as she went near my sister and started her duties. She moved with practiced ease, her hands gentle as she checked Camilla’s pulse, her breathing, her eyes. I watched her every movement, my hope growing with each second that passed. Surely, there must be something—some sign that Camilla was stabilizing, that she was on the verge of waking up. Because it has been four days since she appeared out of nowhere and lost her consciousness.

“Elara,” I said, my voice tight with anticipation. “Any changes? Do you think she’ll wake up soon? Is she… is she stabilizing?”

For a moment, Elara didn’t answer, her brow furrowing slightly as she finished her examination. The silence felt like it stretched on forever, each second a tiny eternity. Finally, she straightened up, turning to face me with a look that made my heart drop.

“I’m sorry, Carmella,” Elara began, her voice soft but laced with a gravity that sent a chill down my spine. “Camilla isn’t showing any signs of waking up. In fact…” She paused, as if searching for the right words. “In fact, her condition has taken a turn. I believe she’s fallen into a coma.”

The room seemed to tilt for a moment, my vision narrowing as I tried to process what she was saying.

“A coma?” I repeated, suddenly springing up to my seat, the word foreign and terrifying on my tongue. “But… why? How?”

Elara shook her head, her eyes filled with a sorrowful understanding. “It’s difficult to say. It’s not a natural coma, Carmella. I suspect something else is at play here—something beyond the physical.”

"Damn. It’s worse than I thought." The weight of the situation hit me hard as I turned my gaze back to Camilla, lying there motionless. Every time I looked at her like this, it tore at something deep inside me.

“Hans,” I called out, my voice steady despite the storm of emotions brewing within me. My beta was out of sight, but he appeared almost instantly at my call.

“Yes, Alpha Carmella?”

“Bring Janina to me. I need to speak with her,” I commanded, my tone leaving no room for hesitation. Hans nodded and left the room swiftly.

I slumped back into my seat, my eyes never leaving Camilla’s still form. A coma. What could have driven her to this? What happened that made her cross borders, seek me out, and then fall into such a state?

I needed answers. Could Janina provide them? The questions swirled in my mind, relentless and unyielding, until Hans returned with Janina in tow. The moment I saw my twin sister’s handmaiden, I sprang to my feet, urgency propelling me forward.

"Janina," I called out, my voice sharp with urgency as she stepped into the room. "Elara announced that Camilla is in a coma. Do you have any idea what caused it? Was there anything unusual before you two crossed the borders?" The questions tumbled out of me, one after another, before she could even settle.

Janina’s face immediately clouded with worry, her gaze darting to where Camilla lay. I could see the desperate need in her eyes to rush to my sister's side, to confirm the truth for herself. But as a captive, she was powerless. Instead, she turned back to me, her eyes troubled, tears brimming at the edges.

"My lady, I know nothing," Janina replied, her voice trembling with fear and sorrow. "I wish I knew something... anything."

A wave of helplessness surged through me, but I forced it down. Despair wasn’t an option, not now. I had to stay strong—for Camilla. But how? How could I uncover what had happened to my twin sister? Sending my men to Gilmore’s estate might yield some clues, but it would take months, and I couldn’t afford to waste even a single day knowing that Camilla might be in danger.

What was the best course of action? Then, suddenly, an idea struck me. There was a way—one that could give me the answers I needed right away.

“Janina,” I seized her arm, my gaze filled with a flicker of hope. “I think I need to discover the truth on my own.”

“Carmella,” Hans interrupted sharply, his tone carrying a warning. I shot him a glance. He only ever addressed me without my title when he opposed my decisions. And right now, I could sense that he understood exactly what I was planning.

Janina’s eyes mirrored a mix of fear and hesitant hope, as though she wanted to cling to the possibility but was too frightened to let herself believe.

“What are you saying, my lady?” she asked, her voice trembling slightly.

Hans’s expression grew darker, but I ignored him, refocusing on Janina.

“I’m going to act as Camilla,” I declared, the words escaping with more force than I had intended. “I’ll go to Gilmore’s estate as her. No one will know it’s me, and I’ll uncover the truth—about the bruises, the coma, everything.”

Janina gasped, her eyes widening in shock. “But my lady, that’s dangerous! Alpha Theodore—he’ll know something is wrong!”

“He won’t,” I said firmly, though a part of me knew she was right. But I didn’t have any other choice. I couldn’t sit here and do nothing while my sister lay in that bed, slipping further away with each passing day.

“He won’t,” I repeated, more to convince myself than Janina. “I’ll be careful. I’ll act exactly as Camilla would. And I’ll find out what really happened to her. You must help me.”

Janina looked at me with a mixture of fear and admiration, as if she couldn’t quite believe what I was saying. “You’re very brave, my lady,” she said softly. “Alright, I will help you with all I’ve got.”

I nodded, though my mind was already racing ahead, planning my next move. There was no time to waste. If I was going to pull this off, I needed to act quickly.

“Carmella…” Hans’s voice broke through my thoughts as he called my name, his hand gripping mine to demand my attention. “Must you do this? What about the pack? You can’t just abandon your responsibilities,” he said with a firm resolve.

I exhaled deeply, releasing Janina’s hand, and turned fully toward my beta. “I know you’re worried—”

“If you really want to uncover the truth behind Camilla’s coma, we can send our spies to the Gilmores,” he interrupted, his voice carrying a sharp edge. “You have your own men now, your own resources.”

“But I can’t afford to waste another day waiting for information, Hans. Only I can do this,” I replied, my voice steady with conviction. The tension in his jaw was unmistakable, his expression clearly conveying his disapproval of my sudden plan.

I pulled my hands free from his grasp and turned away, walking to the window. Outside, the night was falling, casting the garden below in deepening shadows, the flowers barely discernible in the fading light.

“Camilla helped me escape our home eight years ago,” I said, my voice softer now, almost a whisper. “She’s the reason I escaped my destined fate, why I’m standing here today.”

As I stood there, the enormity of what I was about to do weighed heavily on me. For a brief moment, doubt crept in—what if I failed? What if Theodore saw through my disguise? Or worse, what if the truth was something I couldn’t bear?

But I quickly banished those thoughts. I couldn’t afford to waver. I had to be strong, to believe in myself and my mission.

For Camilla.

“To repay the favor, I need to find out what happened to her and ensure she wakes up,” I said, my resolve hardening with each word. “And I’ll be there for her, offering my help if she still needs it.”

My heart pounded in my chest, but my determination was unwavering. I would go to Gilmore’s estate. I would uncover the truth about what happened to my sister. And I would bring justice to her, no matter what it took.