The Luna Queen - Chapter 50: Chapter 50

_Leah's POV_
I waited until Tariq’s breathing deepened. His body relaxed beside me as he drifted into sleep. I lay still, heart pounding, watching the steady rise and fall of his chest. Every instinct told me to run, but I knew I needed to be cautious. Moving slowly, I slid my hand under my pillow and pulled out the old leather-bound diary.
The weight of the book in my hands felt heavy, almost as if it were pulsing with dark secrets. I slipped out of bed, careful not to make a sound, and crept toward the bathroom. Once inside, I locked the door behind me and leaned against it, breathing heavily. The only light came from the dim bulb overhead. It was casting a soft glow over the room. I placed the diary on the bathroom sink. My fingers brushed over its worn cover. That strange symbol embossed on the front, a triangle with three circles inside, seemed to mock me.
With trembling hands, I opened it to the pages I had already read. The chilling entries about the Alpha and his rogue mate, Sarah, filled my mind. The words were filled with bitterness and pride. My heart ached for the rogue who had been mated to a cruel man, only to be rejected and betrayed.
Taking a deep breath, I flipped forward, reaching the entry dated August 17, 1998.
"Today, I am the Alpha. My father has handed over the title, and he and my mother will leave soon for their journey. Finally, I will be able to do what I wish without anyone’s interference. Sarah will be gone soon. I can’t wait to get rid of her."
I shuddered. I could almost hear the cold tone of his thoughts in each word. This Alpha was ruthless. He was willing to destroy anyone who stood in his way, even his own mate. My fingers shook as I turned to the next entry.
"August 22, 1998: Today, my parents left. I wasted no time. The witch’s ritual was more painful than I anticipated, but the bond is severed. She was furious and tried to fight me. I can still hear her threats, that she would tell my parents everything. But she underestimated me. She’ll pay for her insolence."
I felt bile rise in my throat. The thought of someone going to such lengths and harming their own mate, was unimaginable. I turned the page, my heart sinking as I read the next entry.
"August 25, 1998: She is dead. I killed her. There was no other way. She wouldn’t have stopped. Now I am free to choose a mate of my own. Someone strong, someone worthy of my status."
I covered my mouth, horror filling me. I whispered to myself, “He killed her... just to be rid of her.”
My hands shook as I continued to the following entry, dated August 26.
"I have buried her in the woods. No one will ever know. When my parents return, I’ll tell them that she ran away. It will be easy enough to convince them. After all, who would believe a rogue would stick around when she isn’t wanted?"
I felt a chill deep in my bones. I flipped through the pages, my fingers brushing over each entry, skimming through the dark and twisted confessions. Then, my eyes fell on an entry dated September 9, 1998.
"Last night, I had a nightmare. The Moon Goddess appeared. Her voice was as cold as ice. She condemned me for my actions. She cursed me, vowing that I would live as a rogue, stripped of my title and cast out from the pack. She said that I would suffer in solitude, that I would know no happiness and that I would be forever bound to this pain."
My heart ached. The Moon Goddess had seen his cruelty, had punished him for his sins. I wanted to believe that justice had been served. But the entries didn’t stop there.
"September 10, 1998: My father stripped me of my Alpha title. They accused me of a crime I didn’t even commit. It was almost laughable. But now, I am truly alone and I have been banished from my own pack. I would no longer be the next Alpha. The Moon Goddess kept her word."
The entries grew sporadic after that. The pages were filled with rants of anger and desperation. I scanned through them until I reached one dated November 22, 1998.
"The witch has told me that there may be a way to lift the curse. She spoke of a princess from the neighboring pack, one with pure blood, descended from the Moon Goddess herself. If I wed her and sacrificed her under a full moon, I could be free. But I must bide my time and gain her trust."
My heart skipped a beat. A princess of pure blood… Who was that princess?
With a sense of dread, I continued to read. I flipped through the entries about the Alpha’s attempts to court the princess, only to be thwarted when she met her mate and ran away. I felt a flicker of relief that his plan had failed, only for it to vanish with the next entry, written years later.
"May 4, 2004: She returned with a child. A little girl. The witch confirmed it; the child bears the same royal blood. All I need to do is wait until she is of age, and the curse will be lifted."
The room seemed to spin around me. I felt like I couldn’t breathe, my chest tightening with realization. I frantically flipped through the pages until, finally, I reached the last one. My eyes landed on a small photograph glued to the page, a faded image of a young woman with gentle eyes and a kind smile. I recognized her immediately. She looked just like me.
It was my mother.
“Oh… oh no…” I whispered, clutching the book to my chest. My fingers trembled as I shut the diary. My breathing was quick and shallow. The truth settled over me like a dark cloud. I was the child in the diary, the one this cursed Alpha had waited for, the one he planned to sacrifice.
And that Alpha was Tariq.
A knock sounded on the bathroom door, jarring me out of my thoughts. My pulse quickened. I was starting to panic. I couldn’t face him, not now. Not after what I had read.
“Leah?” Tariq’s voice was soft, almost gentle. “Are you alright?”
My mind raced. I forced my voice to stay calm. “I’m fine. I...I just needed to pee.”
There was a pause. “Okay. Come back to bed quickly.”
I swallowed, nodding even though he couldn’t see me. “Yes.”
I gripped the diary tighter, fighting the urge to cry. I couldn’t let him see my fear. Not yet. If he knew that I had discovered the truth, that I knew he was planning to use me to break his curse, there was no telling what he might do.
As I heard his footsteps retreat down the room, I sank to the floor, my hands still clutching the diary. My mind was filled with questions, my heart with terror. Everything I had believed about Tariq had been a lie. The man I was about to marry, the one who had promised me a life of love and safety, was planning to betray me in the worst possible way.
Tears slid down my cheeks as I stared at the closed diary. I was the descendant of the Moon Goddess, the one meant to end the curse. But I wouldn’t let him use me like that. Somehow, I would find a way to escape. I had to.
Taking a shaky breath, I wiped my tears and stood. I knew I couldn’t let Tariq see any sign of my fear. I would play along, pretend everything was normal, until I found a way to break free. The future that I had dreamed of with him was gone, replaced by the terrifying truth of who he truly was.
But I was stronger than I looked. And as long as I had breath in my body, I would fight to protect myself from Tariq’s twisted plans.