The Luna Queen - Chapter 42: Chapter 42

_Leah's POV_
I lay in bed, my body tense, waiting for Tariq to fall asleep. Every breath I took was shallow, my heart pounding against my ribs like it might give me away. Beside me, I could hear Tariq’s breathing slow, becoming steady and deep, signaling that he had finally drifted into sleep.
Carefully, I shifted in bed. I couldn’t afford to wake him, not now. My eyes flicked to his phone, resting on the nightstand by his side. My pulse quickened as I stretched out a trembling hand, fingers hovering over the device for a moment before I finally picked it up. It was warm from being near him.
Holding my breath, I slid out of bed, moving as quietly as I could. The room felt too quiet, the only sound the soft rustle of the sheets. My heartbeat seemed too loud, like it might betray me. But Tariq remained still, his form unmoving under the blankets.
I tiptoed toward the bathroom, closing the door behind me as gently as possible. Once inside, I locked it, my back pressing against the cold wood as I clutched the phone to my chest. My hands were shaking, my mind racing. I couldn’t believe I was doing this. But I had to know the truth.
I unlocked the phone with ease. Tariq had trusted me enough to share his passcode long ago. My fingers moved quickly to the messages, searching for the contact labeled "Honey." My stomach twisted with unease as the name appeared on the screen, but I forced myself to open the chat.
The first few messages were light, casual, but I knew better than to be fooled by their tone. I scrolled through the conversation, my eyes scanning over the words as my heart sank deeper and deeper. The messages became more frequent, more intense, discussing plans. Plans I hadn’t known about.
Tariq had sent a flurry of messages to this person.
“We need to make sure everything is perfect. She’s starting to get suspicious, but I can handle it.”
My chest tightened as I read further.
“The ritual has to be done soon. I need her to trust me completely for it to work.”
My breath caught in my throat. A ritual? What ritual? My fingers moved faster, scrolling through the texts, desperate to understand what Tariq was talking about. Then I found it; a message that made my blood run cold.
“The sacrifice will give us the power we need. Once she’s out of the way, we’ll have everything.”
My hands began to tremble uncontrollably, my entire body going numb. I blinked, trying to process what I had just read. Tariq was planning to sacrifice me. He was using me. He had been using me all along.
The room seemed to spin around me as I continued reading, my stomach churning with a sickening mix of fear and betrayal. The person on the other end of the conversation was named Selena. My heart clenched. Was it the Selena I knew? The one from Kayden's pack? Or was it someone else entirely? I had to find out, but first, I needed to understand how deep this betrayal went.
I scrolled through more messages, bile rising in my throat with every word. Tariq and Selena had been discussing this for months. They were plotting together, waiting for the right moment to carry out their plan. My mind reeled. How could he do this to me? We had spent so much time together, shared so many moments. Had any of it been real?
I felt my throat tighten, tears welling in my eyes, but I refused to let them fall. I couldn’t break down, not now. I had to be strong. I needed to figure out what to do next. I couldn’t confront him, not yet. I didn’t have a plan, didn’t have anywhere to go.
I could feel the walls closing in around me. I couldn’t run. If I did, Tariq would find me. And if I went back to Kayden’s pack, they would kill me on sight. Becoming a rogue was out of the question too. I knew I wouldn’t survive alone.
My mind raced as I tried to piece together a plan. I had to stay. That much was clear. I needed to stay close to Tariq, pretend I didn’t know what he was planning. I needed to gather more information, find out what he was really after. And I had to find out who Selena was. If it was the Selena I knew… the betrayal would cut even deeper.
My hands clenched into fists as anger and fear swirled inside me. I couldn’t let Tariq win. I couldn’t let him use me like this. But how could I fight back? How could I outsmart him when he had been planning this all along?
I had to stay calm. I had to be strategic. If Tariq suspected that I knew anything, it would be over. I took a deep breath, trying to steady myself. I needed to go back out there, act like everything was normal. If I didn’t, he would know something was wrong.
I glanced at myself in the mirror, my reflection pale and wide-eyed. I barely recognized myself anymore. The confident woman I once was had been replaced by someone filled with doubt and fear. But I couldn’t afford to be that woman now. I had to survive. I had to outplay Tariq at his own game.
I turned off the phone, slipping it back into my pocket as I quietly unlocked the bathroom door. The house was still silent, the only sound the soft ticking of the clock on the wall. I crept back to the bedroom, sliding the phone onto the nightstand without making a sound. Tariq was still asleep, his face peaceful, as if he hadn’t been plotting to destroy my life.
I climbed back into bed. I lay down beside him, my body tense as I stared up at the ceiling. Every inch of me screamed to run, to get away from him, but I couldn’t. Not yet.
Tariq shifted in his sleep, his arm draping over my waist as if nothing had changed. I forced myself to stay still, to keep breathing evenly, even though my skin crawled at his touch. I had to keep pretending. I had to play the part, no matter how much it hurt.
But inside, I was already making plans. I wasn’t going to let Tariq sacrifice me. I wasn’t going to let him win. One way or another, I would find a way out of this. I would find out who Selena was, and I would uncover the rest of Tariq’s plan.
And when the time was right, I would make sure that he regretted ever thinking he could use me.
For now, I would wait. But the fire inside me was already burning.