The Luna Queen - Chapter 31: Chapter 31

_Kayden's POV_
I paced restlessly in my study, the quiet ticking of the clock on the wall the only sound in the room. I was trying to focus on the stack of papers in front of me, but my mind was elsewhere. Something felt off. My wolf, Leo, had been agitated for the past hour, pacing in my mind, growling low and impatient.
"Calm down," I muttered aloud, though there was no one in the room. Leo growled again in response.
Then, suddenly, Leo’s voice echoed in my mind, clear and urgent. "I know where she is."
I froze. "Leah?"
Leo’s excitement was palpable. "Yes, Leah. She is nearby. I can feel her."
My heart quickened, even though I tried to suppress the strange mix of emotions that rose in my chest. I had rejected her. Leah had betrayed me, committed an unforgivable crime against my pack. She was nothing to me now. But still, the pull toward her lingered, a tether I couldn’t fully sever.
Without wasting any more time, I shifted into my wolf form, letting Leo take control. I didn’t question it, there was a deep instinct within me that trusted Leo’s direction. I ran swiftly through the dense woods, the cold night air whipping against my fur. My guards followed close behind, also in wolf form, as we made our way deeper into the forest.
Leo guided us to a place I had never been before, an ancient temple hidden deep within the woods. I had lived here for years but had no idea this place even existed. The temple stood tall and eerie, bathed in the pale light of the moon.
As I approached, my eyes narrowed, catching sight of figures inside. My heart clenched as I recognized Leah. She stood by the altar, her hand resting on a massive crystal that seemed to glow with an otherworldly light. A man and a woman were with her, their voices low as they chanted something I couldn’t understand.
For a moment, I froze, watching Leah. She looked different. She was stronger and more powerful. My wolf stirred with excitement. She was sensing something was different about her, something that pulled at me in a way I didn’t understand.
Leo growled, eager to get closer. "She is ours, Kayden. She’s our queen."
"Are you mad?" I muttered to my wolf, trying to regain control. "She is evil. She betrayed us."
But as much as I tried to remind myself of Leah’s betrayal, my wolf refused to listen. There was an undeniable pull toward her, something that made me feel protective, even possessive. But I couldn’t allow myself to feel that way. Leah was bad news. She had caused so much harm, and she had to pay for what she had done.
I stormed into the temple, my anger fueling each step. "Leah!" I roared, my voice echoing off the stone walls. Leah turned to face me, her eyes widening in shock.
"You really thought you could escape me, didn’t you?" I growled, my voice low and dangerous.
But before I could get closer to her, the man who was with Leah stepped in my way. My eyes flashed with fury. Who was this man to stand between me and Leah? Without thinking, I shoved him aside with brutal force, sending him crashing into the wall. The man groaned in pain, but I barely noticed. My eyes were on Leah.
She rushed toward the man, panic in her eyes as she called his name. Tariq. I felt a strange surge of jealousy at the sight. Why did she care so much about him? Who was he to Leah?
My wolf growled in my mind, possessive and angry. "She is ours."
I tried to shake off the feeling, but I couldn’t. The jealousy burned deep, even though I knew it was irrational. I had rejected Leah. I shouldn’t care. But seeing her care about someone else made my blood boil.
And then, something strange happened.
I stopped in my tracks, my anger momentarily forgotten as I felt a wave of energy surround Leah. It was powerful, unlike anything I had ever felt before. Her aura seemed to pulse with power, and my wolf went still, almost in awe of what was happening.
Leo spoke again, his voice urgent. "We need to bow. She is our queen."
"Bow?" I repeated, stunned. "What are you talking about?"
But before I could resist, an invisible force seemed to push me down. My knees hit the cold stone floor, and before I knew what was happening, I was bowing before her. My head lowered, my forehead touching the ground.
"My queen," I whispered, the words leaving my mouth without me fully understanding why.
When I finally looked up, I felt confused and angry. What had just happened? Why had I bowed to her? I stood quickly, my pride bruised, my mind racing to make sense of what I had done.
But there was no time to think. One of my guards injected Leah with wolfsbane, and she collapsed to the ground, unconscious.
Now, hours later, I stood by the side of the bed, watching Leah sleep. She was lying in my bed, her wrists bound tightly with rope. I had ordered it. I couldn’t take any chances. She was a threat. The Leah I had known before was no longer the weak Omega I had rejected. She was stronger now, dangerous even. And I needed to understand why.
Leo, however, was furious. "Untie her," my wolf growled. "She is in pain. You can see the marks on her wrists."
I shook my head, forcing my wolf to quiet down. "I can’t," I muttered. "She is a threat. We don’t know what she is capable of."
Leo growled again. "You’re hurting her. We shouldn’t be treating her this way."
I clenched my fists, frustration and guilt warring inside me. I knew the ropes were tight, that they were probably causing her pain. But what choice did I have? Leah had changed. Something had happened to her since she had run away, and I needed to figure out what.
"Stop it, Leo," I snapped, though my voice was quieter than usual. I didn’t want to admit that part of me agreed with my wolf. Seeing the marks on her wrists did something to me, made my chest ache with guilt. But I couldn’t let those feelings cloud my judgment. Leah was dangerous now, and I had to stay strong.
Still, as I watched her sleep, a small part of me wondered if I had made a mistake. If I had been wrong about her all along.