As I ended the call, my hand fell limply to my side, and I let out a breath I didn’t realize I’d been holding. The silence around me felt heavy, suffocating. I wanted to scream, to cry, to tell her the truth and feel her arms around me, telling me it would all be okay.
But I couldn’t. Not yet.
Instead, I stood there, alone, haunted by the lie that now sat between us. My mind spiraled, imagining the questions that would follow if she found out. What would she say if she knew the truth? If she knew the man she’d once trusted, once adored, had been lying to us both?
And then another thought crept in—a terrifying, shameful thought. What would she think of me for not knowing this had been happening behind my back?
The next day after consulting with my emissary, I felt my resolve solidify. I couldn’t avoid this confrontation any longer. If Amara thought she could taunt me, I’d show her she was sorely mistaken. So I reached out, and, to my surprise, she agreed without hesitation. It was like she wanted this face-off just as much as I did.
But I had another motive other than annoy her.
We met in a secluded clearing on the edge of the pack’s territory, where the trees seemed to close in, isolating us from the world. The air was thick with tension, and Amara stood there, arms crossed, with a smug smirk on her lips as if she’d already won some twisted game. Her eyes danced with satisfaction, relishing every second of this encounter.
"Well, look who finally decided to show up," she sneered, her voice dripping with mockery. "I think I don’t need to introduce myself further, right?”
I held her gaze, refusing to let her see even a flicker of hesitation. "Oh, I know exactly who you are,” I replied, keeping my voice steady, a slight smirk touching my lips.
“Good.” She lifted her chin, eyes gleaming with malice. “So, how did you like the little ‘present’ I sent over? Those pictures, the videos…did they hit hard enough?”
I felt a wave of disgust, but I smirked, refusing to give her the satisfaction of seeing me break. “Thanks for that, Amara. They really helped me see the truth,” I said coolly. “In fact, they almost made me puke.”
Her smug expression faltered, but she quickly recovered, raising an eyebrow. “Oh, Luna…you should know it didn’t take much to have Jaxon wrapped around my finger. The mighty Luna, all alone now, huh?”