The Luna Queen - Chapter 64: Chapter 64

_Leah’s POV_
Fred rushed after Kayden, leaving me alone in the dining hall with Ray, the Gamma. The room suddenly felt cold despite the warm tea in my cup and the golden sunlight slipping through the windows. My heart was pounding, loud and wild. Tariq was here. He had come for me.
Ray gave me a glance but didn’t speak. I sat frozen. Every second felt like an hour.
Athena whispered, "Stay calm, Leah. Breathe. You have the gun. You are not powerless."
My hand drifted to the scarf under my shirt. I could feel the hard metal tucked at my back. It was the only thing keeping me from bolting out of my seat.
I wanted to run. I wanted to hide. But I forced myself to sit still.
Minutes passed. Then footsteps echoed in the hallway. Kayden returned with Fred beside him.
I looked up quickly. Kayden's expression was tight and serious.
"He is gone," Kayden said as he approached me. "Tariq came asking about you. He said you had disappeared. He believes you came here. He was... certain."
My breath caught in my throat. "And?"
"I told him you weren’t here. That I hadn’t seen you. He argued with me, said there was nowhere else you could be." Kayden rubbed the back of his neck. "But I denied it. I didn’t let anything slip. After more arguing, he finally left. But he made it clear... if I’m lying, he’ll come back. With consequences."
Athena growled low inside me. "He will come again. He won't give up."
I stared at Kayden. "He won’t stop, you know. He’ll keep hunting me. Until I’m dead."
"He won’t touch you," Kayden said, his voice hard. "I won’t let him."
My eyes narrowed. "Why? Why are you going through so much trouble for me? Are you trying to use me? Do you have your own hidden agenda, Kayden?"
His jaw tightened, but he said nothing. Instead, he looked at me with something strange in his eyes. Pity? Pain?
Before I could speak again, he said, "Come. There’s someone I want you to meet. Right now."
I frowned. "Who?"
He stepped closer and gently took my hand. I tried to pull back, but he held firm.
"What are you doing?" I snapped. "Where are you taking me?"
"You need to see this, Leah. You need to hear the truth from her."
My stomach twisted. "Her? Who is her?"
"Selena."
My heart stopped.
"What?! Why would I want to see her?" I said and yanked my hand free. "Why is she even here? What is this? Some trap? Are you trying to scare me?"
"No!" Kayden stepped back with his hands raised. "She’s not here as a guest. I threw her in the cellar. She betrayed me. She’s the reason I rejected you. She gave me something... I didn’t know."
I blinked. I was stunned. "You expect me to believe that? That all this was because of her? That you were just some innocent puppet?"
"I know it sounds crazy, but it's the truth," he said, his voice raw. "Please, Leah. Just come with me. Listen to what she says. After that, you can decide whether or not you want to trust me."
Athena was quiet for a moment. Then she whispered, "I don’t feel any lies, Leah. He sounds sincere."
I clenched my fists. "Fine. But if this is a trick, I swear I will use this gun."
He gave a small nod. "Understood."
We walked through the pack house in silence. I had never seen the path we took now. It led down a narrow hallway to a door made of thick oak. Kayden pulled it open, revealing a dark stairway.
The air was damp and cold. I shivered.
"I never knew there was a cellar," I said. "Even when I lived here."
"That’s because you weren’t supposed to," he replied. "Only high-ranked wolves are allowed here. It’s a place for prisoners."
The moment we stepped inside, the heavy smell of blood and mold hit me. My stomach twisted. We moved past a row of cells. Each one was dark and silent.
Until we reached the last one.
Kayden stopped. "She’s here."
I stepped closer and peered inside. My breath caught.
Selena.
But not the Selena I remembered. This woman was broken. Her hair was tangled. Her clothes were torn and soaked in blood. Her wrists were chained above her head, and she couldn’t sit. Bruises covered her body. Her eyes were hollow.
She looked up slowly. A smirk curled her lips.
"Leah," she croaked. "How sweet. You came to see me. You must be happy to see me like this."
My hands trembled.
Kayden stepped forward. "Don’t talk more than necessary. You answer my questions. Nothing else. Understood?"
Selena gave a bitter laugh. "You’re still bossy. Go on then. Ask."
Kayden didn’t hesitate. "Do you admit that you drugged me? That you manipulated me into rejecting my mate?"
She glared at me before speaking. "Yes. I did it. Because she was never meant to be Luna. She’s an omega. She is weak and pathetic. I am stronger. I was meant to stand beside you."
My heart clenched. I wanted to scream at her. But Kayden beat me to it.
"Why insult her again?!" he shouted, and slapped her hard across the face.
Her head snapped to the side. Blood ran from her lip. She looked up slowly. Her eyes were burning.
"Oh, so she’s precious now, is she? And I’m nothing? Fine. But this won’t last. Someone powerful wants her. He needs her. For a sacrifice. He will come for her. You two? You’ll never be together."
My blood turned to ice.
Athena growled low. "Tariq. She’s talking about Tariq."
I took a shaky breath. "Who? Who wants me? Are you talking about... Tariq?"
Selena gave me a slow and cruel smile. "Yes. Tariq. You know him. You can’t run from him. He’ll find you."
My knees went weak. Kayden caught me before I could fall.
"How do you know him?" I asked, my voice barely a whisper.
Selena chuckled. "He came to me. He promised me power and money. He said if I helped him, I would get everything I ever wanted. He gave me the potion. The one I slipped into Kayden’s drink. I made sure to separate you and Kayden. It was easy."
"Why?!" I screamed. "Why would you do that?!"
She shrugged as best she could. "Because I wanted to be Luna. And he promised me I would be."
"What else did he tell you?" I asked quickly. "What about the sacrifice? What does he want from me?"
"I don’t know everything," she said. "Just that he needs you. There is something about your blood. He said you’re special. That you’re important to some ancient curse."
My skin crawled. I could barely breathe.
"Were you... involved with him? Romantically?" I asked.
Selena tilted her head. A grin spread across her bloody lips. "We went on a few dates. He’s a good kisser. Maybe I should’ve picked him instead of chasing after Kayden. I might’ve been safer."
My stomach twisted in disgust. I turned away, breathing hard.
Athena whispered, "It’s true. She’s not lying. I feel it."
I looked at Kayden. His face was pale and tight with rage and guilt.
"You were drugged," I whispered to him. "You didn’t do it on purpose."
He nodded slowly. "But I still hurt you. I still failed to protect you."
I turned back to Selena. "You did all of this for power. You sold me out. You let him come for me."
She said nothing. Just looked at me like I was nothing.
Kayden stepped forward. "That’s enough."
He grabbed my arm and pulled me out of the cell. He shut the door behind us and locked it tight.
We walked in silence back through the cold hallway. My head was spinning. My heart was breaking.
Kayden looked at me as we climbed the stairs. "Do you believe me now?"
I didn’t answer.
Because I did.
But that was the most terrifying truth of all.