The Luna Queen - Chapter 61: Chapter 61

_Leah’s POV_
I stayed very quiet. My hands were still tied. My feet were bound and my heart was thudding in my chest like it was going to burst. I didn’t know what to say. My mouth felt dry. My thoughts were spinning wildly.
Athena was stirring inside me. She was tense but strangely calm. “He looks like he truly regrets it,” she whispered.
And that scared me most of all.
Kayden was apologizing to me? Kayden; the man who had rejected me, who had punished me, who had left me in a dark cell like I was nothing? It felt like I was dreaming. Could this be real? Or was this some new plan to trap me? My hands were trembling even though they were tied.
And then I thought of Tariq. Tariq would surely be looking for me now. How would I escape him? Maybe Kayden was working with him. That thought made my heart pound even faster.
“Is this a trick?” I asked Athena.
“I don’t feel him lying,” she answered softly. “But we need to be careful. Even if he seems regretful.”
I shifted in my seat. My eyes were fixed on Kayden’s face.
He could sense my silence and my thinking. He was watching me so carefully. His hands were fidgeting as if he wanted to do something to soothe me but didn’t dare.
“I know you don’t believe me,” he began softly. “But please, give me a chance to prove myself. I swear, Leah, I will not let you down.”
My lips parted, but I stayed silent for a long moment. My thoughts tangled together like a knot. Could I trust him? Could I ever trust him again after all he had put me through?
He saw my hesitation and my trembling hands.
“I understand that you can’t trust me so easily,” Kayden went on, his voice shaky. “And I deserve that. But at least let me show you that I mean what I say. Give me one chance.”
“You say that,” I finally whispered, my voice trembling, “but what if you hurt me again?”
He flinched like my words were knives. “I won’t,” he said. “I swear it. By my life, I swear it. But you probably won’t believe that either.” He paused and took a deep breath. “So tell me. Tell me what would make you feel safe. Tell me what conditions you want. I will agree to any of them.”
That made me blink.
“You would do anything?” I asked, my voice so small.
“Yes,” he answered without hesitation. “Anything.”
Athena spoke up, low and cautious. “That is surprising. Maybe he is serious.”
And I realized that this was my chance. If Kayden really wanted me to come back with him, if he was desperate enough, then I could make sure I was safe. I could demand promises that would protect me.
I thought carefully. What could keep him from hurting me again? What would make me feel safe enough to go back with him to the Blood Moon Pack?
“You will never touch me,” I began, my voice firmer.
He nodded at once. “Never. Unless you want me to.”
“You will not lock me in a cell,” I added.
His hands curled into fists but he nodded again. “Never. I promise.”
“You will allow me my own room,” I continued, feeling my confidence grow.
“Yes,” he said. “Your own room. Whatever you want.”
“You will give me a guard. Someone I can trust, who will protect me if I call,” I went on.
That one made him frown slightly. “Anyone you want,” he agreed after a heartbeat. “Even if they hate me. They will answer only to you.”
“You will never take my freedom,” I whispered.
That one hit him hardest. He looked into my eyes for a long moment. His hands were trembling in his lap. “Never,” he whispered back. “Your freedom will be yours. Wherever you want to go, whatever you want to do, I will not stop you.”
I swallowed hard. My heart was pounding.
And then, because I was scared and because I had to be sure, I pushed further. “And if I ever want to leave Blood Moon Pack,” I said, “you will let me go. No matter the reason. No questions. No one will follow me.”
He hesitated. I could see pain flashing across his face. But then he nodded slowly. “If that is what you want,” he agreed. “You will always be free to leave. I swear on my honor as the Alpha.”
Athena was tense but she whispered, “He sounds truthful.”
And I felt it too. Some part of me could sense that he wasn’t lying. That was the most terrifying part of all. Could Kayden truly be sorry? Could he truly want to make this right?
“You would really do all of that for me?” I asked, my voice trembling.
“Yes,” Kayden breathed. “I will do anything. Just give me a chance. Please. I will spend the rest of my life making this up to you if you let me.”
My hands were tied but they felt colder somehow. My legs were trembling. I was scared..... scared of him, scared of myself, scared of hoping for something I thought was impossible.
“He’s not lying,” Athena whispered gently. “And remember, going back to Blood Moon Pack would also hide us from Tariq. He would never look for you there.”
That was true too. Tariq would never believe I would go back to Kayden. It was the last place he would look. Maybe going with Kayden wasn’t so terrible, at least until I could figure out my next plan.
I stared into Kayden’s eyes. “Why?” I whispered, my voice small. “Why are you doing this? Why do you care now?”
His gaze broke at my question. “Because I was blind,” he answered, his voice rough. “And because losing you showed me what a fool I was. I can’t stand myself for what I did to you, Leah. Every time I close my eyes, I see your face and hear your cries. I hate myself for it.” His hands were trembling as he reached toward me and then pulled back. “And if you never forgive me, I will understand. But please. Please don’t run again. Let me prove myself.”
I felt my chest ache at his words. My heart was so confused. I was scared to believe him, scared to trust him again. But I could also feel that this was my best chance. Going back to Blood Moon Pack was the one thing Tariq would never expect. Maybe this was my safest place for now.
Athena spoke up again, her voice calm. “He’s not lying, Leah. I can feel his regret. You can use this to your advantage.”
I took a shaky breath. “Fine,” I whispered.
Kayden blinked. “Fine?”
“Yes,” I whispered, my hands trembling. “I will go back. But you will do everything you promised. And if you ever try to hurt me again, if you ever lie to me, I will leave. And I will never come back.”
“I swear,” he breathed. His eyes were shining with relief and pain. “You have my word. Thank you. Thank you for this chance.”
I looked away, my heart aching. Nothing felt real.
The car kept moving along the dark road. My hands were still tied. My feet were still bound. But somehow, something between us had shifted. Maybe it was hope. Maybe it was fear. I couldn’t tell.
“Stay cautious,” Athena whispered. “But I don’t feel him lying.”
And I held on to that thought because it was all I had.
And as I stared out the window into the dark forest, my hands trembling and my heart aching with confusion, one thing was clear: I was going back.
And I didn’t know what would happen when we got there.