The Luna Queen - Chapter 33: Chapter 33

_Leah's POV_
Kayden had been gone for hours now, and I was all alone. The room was cold, the air thick with the scent of wolfsbane, which still lingered in my system, weakening me. I shifted uncomfortably on the bed. My wrists were sore from the ropes binding me to the bedpost. The dim light barely illuminated the small room, casting long shadows across the walls. It was clear I was in Kayden’s quarters. His scent filled the air but why had he brought me here instead of throwing me back into the cellar?
My mind raced, trying to make sense of it. Why keep me here? I wondered, frustration bubbling inside me. The cellar would have been a more fitting prison for a “criminal” like me, but maybe Kayden didn’t want to risk me escaping again. There was more security here, and he likely thought it was safer to keep me where he could monitor me more closely. The thought only intensified my anger.
I tried to reach out to my wolf, but there was nothing. A hollow emptiness filled me where my wolf’s presence should have been. It was the wolfsbane. I didn’t know how long it would last, but I hated the feeling of being cut off from that part of myself. I needed my wolf’s strength, my connection, especially now when I was so vulnerable.
I gritted my teeth and tugged at the ropes binding me, frustration boiling inside me. I wanted to run, to shift, to get as far away from Kayden and this pack as possible. But I knew it wouldn’t be that easy. Even if I managed to free myself, Kayden would have guards stationed all around this room. There was no way I could escape unnoticed, not without my wolf.
Just as I was trying to gather my thoughts, the door creaked open. My heart skipped a beat, but it wasn’t Kayden who entered. It was Selena.
Selena strutted into the room, her eyes gleaming with malice. She wore a satisfied smile, and I could feel the hatred rolling off her in waves. She approached the bed and sat down beside me, her fingers playing with a strand of my hair.
“Oh, poor you,” Selena sneered, her voice dripping with mock sympathy. “You thought you could run away, didn’t you? But Kayden caught you, and now you’ll be punished. Severely.”
I clenched my jaw, refusing to give Selena the satisfaction of a response. I glared at her instead, my eyes burning with defiance.
Selena’s smile widened. “You don’t have much to say now, do you? I suppose it doesn’t matter. Next week, Kayden and I will be getting married.” She let the words hang in the air, clearly enjoying my discomfort. “And you’ll be there to witness it all. I’ll make sure of that.”
A surge of disgust rose in my chest, but I forced myself to stay calm. Selena reached out and yanked my hair, pulling it hard enough to make me wince. She leaned in closer, her lips curling into a vicious grin. “I’ll even ask Kayden not to kill you until after our wedding. That way, you can see how much he loves me before you die.”
My heart twisted, but I refused to let Selena see my pain. Instead, I met her gaze with cold resolve. “I don’t care,” I spat. “Do what you want. It doesn’t matter to me.”
Selena’s smile faltered for a moment, but before she could respond, the door to the room slammed open again. This time, it was Kayden.
He strode into the room, his expression dark and dangerous. Without hesitation, he grabbed Selena by the arm and shoved her away from me, his eyes blazing with fury. “What are you doing?” he growled, his voice thick with anger.
Selena blinked in shock, stumbling as she tried to regain her balance. “Kayden! I was just....”
“You have no right to touch her,” Kayden cut her off, his tone sharp and authoritative. He stepped between Selena and me, his broad frame blocking Selena’s path. “Even if she is a prisoner, you will not harm her.”
Selena’s face twisted in confusion and outrage. “Why are you defending her?” she demanded, her voice rising in disbelief. “She is a criminal, Kayden! I’m your future Luna! I have every right to
...”
Kayden’s eyes flashed with warning, his lips curling into a snarl. “I am the Alpha,” he snapped. “I decide what happens to Leah. Not you.” His tone left no room for argument, and Selena’s face paled as she realized she had crossed a line.
For a moment, the room was deathly silent. My heart pounded in my chest as I watched the exchange, my mind reeling. Why was Kayden defending me? After everything that had happened, why was he choosing me over Selena?
Selena’s eyes narrowed, but she didn’t dare push further. She clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palms, but she finally relented. “Fine,” she hissed, her voice barely concealing her fury. “But don’t think for a second that I’ll let this go.”
With one last venomous glare at me, Selena turned and stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind her.
My breath came in shallow gasps as I stared at Kayden, trying to process what had just happened. I was shocked, confused. Why had he defended me like that? It didn’t make any sense. He had always chosen Selena over me. Always.
Kayden turned back to me, his expression still hard, but there was something else there now, something I couldn’t quite read. He stepped closer, his eyes locking onto mine, but he didn’t say anything for a moment.
My thoughts raced, my mind trying to make sense of it all. Was this some kind of game? Was Kayden just playing with my emotions? I didn’t trust him, not after everything that had happened between us. But the way he had stood up to Selena just now…
“I don’t understand,” I whispered, my voice barely audible. “Why are you… Why did you stop her?”
Kayden’s jaw tightened, but he didn’t answer right away. Instead, he knelt beside the bed, his hand reaching out to untie the ropes binding my wrists. I flinched slightly at the touch but remained still. His fingers worked quickly, and soon I was free.
As Kayden stood back up, he sighed, running a hand through his hair in frustration. “You’re not a criminal, Leah,” he said quietly, his voice rough but sincere. “I don’t know what you are yet, but you’re not that.”
My heart ached at his words, but I didn’t know what to say. I felt so many things all at once; anger, confusion, sadness but mostly, I just felt tired. So tired of fighting, of running, of trying to survive in a world that seemed determined to break me.
Kayden stood in silence for a moment, watching me. Then, without another word, he turned and left the room, leaving me alone once more.
I stared at the door long after he had gone, my mind spinning with questions. What had just happened? Why had Kayden chosen me over Selena? And most of all, what did this mean for me now?
I didn’t know the answers, but one thing was certain: nothing was as simple as it seemed anymore.