The Luna Queen - Chapter 21: Chapter 21

_Leah's POV_
After we finished eating, Tariq and I settled in to watch another movie. The light-hearted atmosphere between us continued, and Tariq kept teasing me, making little jokes that brought a smile to my face. The tension of the day had melted away, and for a brief moment, everything felt almost normal.
“So, what do you want to watch next?” Tariq asked, leaning back on the couch, his eyes gleaming with mischief.
I shrugged. “Something that won’t make me spill more water on you,” I teased.
Tariq chuckled. “Fair enough. I’ll keep my distance this time.” He winked at me, and my heart fluttered despite myself.
Just as we were about to start the movie, Susan appeared at the door. “Tariq, could you help me downstairs for a moment?” she asked, her voice kind but insistent.
Tariq nodded and started to get up, but I quickly spoke up. “Do you need help with anything, Susan?”
Susan shook her head with a gentle smile. “No, Leah, don’t worry. You have been through enough today. You need to rest and conserve your energy. Your body is going through many changes, and it’s important not to push yourself.”
I frowned slightly, not liking the idea of being left out, but I also knew she was right. The exhaustion was still lingering in my muscles, and the thought of pushing my body further made me uneasy. “Alright,” I agreed reluctantly.
“Good girl,” Susan said warmly before motioning for Tariq to follow her. “We’ll be back soon.”
Tariq gave me a reassuring smile as he left the room. “I won’t be long. Don’t fall asleep without me.”
I laughed softly. “No promises.”
When they were gone, the room suddenly felt much quieter. I sat for a moment, thinking about the day’s events. Everything had been so overwhelming—the escape, my powers, the strange tattoo on Tariq’s back. It all felt like too much to process at once.
Deciding I needed to clear my head, I stood up and made my way to the bathroom. I undressed slowly, my body still aching from the earlier transformation, and stepped into the shower. The warm water cascaded over me, soothing my tired muscles. As I washed away the grime of the day, I let my mind wander. I thought about Tariq, his easy smile, the way he cared for me without hesitation. There was something comforting in his presence, something I hadn’t felt in a long time.
But then my thoughts shifted to the dream I had had before waking up, the strange dream where everything felt out of control. My powers were growing too quickly, and I wasn’t sure I could handle them. That thought lingered as I finished my shower and wrapped myself in a soft towel.
I slipped into a pair of comfortable clothes and returned to my room. The bed looked inviting, but my mind was too restless to sleep just yet. I lay down anyway, hoping that maybe, just maybe, I could find some peace in the quiet.
As I drifted off to sleep, my mind plunged into a vivid dream. I was standing in the middle of a vast clearing, surrounded by trees that seemed to stretch endlessly in every direction. The air was thick with the smell of pine and earth, and the moon hung low in the sky, casting an eerie glow over the landscape.
I looked around, confused. I didn’t recognize this place, but something about it felt familiar. My heart raced as I heard a low, haunting sound—the howls of wolves echoing through the forest. The hair on the back of my neck stood up as the wolves emerged from the shadows, their eyes glowing with an intensity that made my blood run cold.
They circled me, their howls growing louder, more insistent. My wolf stirred within me, but instead of feeling afraid, I felt… powerful. The wolves weren’t threatening me. They were bowing to me. One by one, they lowered their heads in submission, their bodies shifting from wolf to human.
My breath caught in my throat as I recognized some of the figures before me. Among them was Kayden, the Alpha who had rejected me as his mate. He too was bowing, his head lowered in respect.
I blinked in confusion. Kayden was an Alpha. He would never bow to me—an Omega. But here he was, along with the others, all of them calling out the same words in unison.
“Hail our Queen.”
My heart pounded in my chest. “Queen?” I whispered, my voice trembling. This didn’t make sense. I wasn’t a queen. I wasn’t even an Alpha. Why were they bowing to me?
Before I could ask more questions, the dream began to fade. The forest, the wolves, and the strange power I felt all started to slip away, like sand through my fingers.
I sat up in bed with a gasp, my heart racing. My body was drenched in sweat, and my pulse thudded in my ears. I pressed a hand to my chest, trying to calm myself. It was just a dream. But it had felt so real.
I glanced around the room, half-expecting to still be in the clearing surrounded by wolves. But everything was quiet. The room was dimly lit by the soft glow of the moonlight filtering through the curtains once again. There were no wolves, no bowing Alphas. Just the lingering echo of those strange words.
“Hail our Queen.”
I shivered, pulling the blanket up to my chin. What was happening to me? Why had I dreamed of something like that? And why had it felt so real?
I shook my head, trying to dismiss the thoughts. It was just a dream, I reminded myself. But deep down, a small voice whispered that there was more to it. That somehow, it meant something.
I lay back down, my mind still spinning, but sleep didn’t come easily. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw the wolves bowing, heard their howls echoing in my ears. And Kayden, the Alpha, kneeling before me as if I were someone powerful. Someone important.
But I wasn’t. I was just Leah.
Or was I?
As I drifted in and out of sleep, that question lingered in the back of my mind.