Meeting her

Meeting her
Nora’s POV

The bakery’s warmth enveloped me as I stepped inside, the scent of fresh bread and sugar wrapping around me like a fleeting comfort.

I’d come for a distraction, a moment to breathe amidst the chaos of my vengeance, my heart still raw from Ethan’s tentative alliance in my fight against Nelson and Sophia.

The Lunar Eclipse Festival loomed, a stage for my reckoning, but the weight of my past - trapped in Becky’s body - pressed heavy on my soul.

I scanned the room, my eyes catching on a familiar figure at a corner table, her dark hair spilling over her shoulders, her swollen belly visibly unmistakable.

Sophia.

My twin sister, my betrayer, sat sipping tea, and not looking like a murderer.

My blood ignited, rage and pain surging, but I forced a smile, my steps deliberate as I crossed the room and slid into the seat beside her.

Sophia’s head snapped up, her eyes - widening in surprise, her hand pausing mid-air, the teacup trembling.

“Can I help you?” she asked, her voice sharp, guarded, her gaze flicking over me, taking in Becky’s face, my borrowed body, unaware of the truth coiled beneath my skin.

I leaned back, my smile soft but laced with venom, my heart pounding with the thrill of this moment.

“I’m Becky,” I said, my voice smooth, deliberate, watching her closely. “Luna of Ethan’s pack. I’ve heard so much about you, Sophia. I thought it was time we met.”

Her expression softened, curiosity replacing suspicion, a faint smile curving her lips as she set her cup down, her hand resting on her belly, a gesture that twisted in my chest.

“Ethan’s Luna?” she said, her voice warm, almost eager. “I’m flattered. Nelson mentioned being with Ethan, with the festival coming up. It’s nice to finally meet you.”

I nodded, my eyes locked on hers, my smile a mask as we fell into easy chatter - pack politics, the festival, the weather - her voice light, oblivious to the storm brewing in me.

She laughed, her hand brushing her belly, and I saw it then again, the undeniable swell of her pregnancy, eight months gone. I think. A life growing where mine had been stolen.

The memory crashed over me - my own pregnancy, the child I’d carried, lost when I found her and Nelson in our bed, their bodies tangled, her gasps a betrayal that broke me.

My hands clenched under the table, my nails biting into my palms, the pain grounding me as I fought to keep my voice steady.

“How far long are you?” I asked, my tone casual, but my eyes burned, fixed on her belly, the life she carried within.

She smiled, radiant, oblivious, her hand caressing the curve.
“Eight months,” she said, her voice soft, proud. “It’s been a journey, but we’re so excited. Nelson’s thrilled.”

My heart twisted, rage flaring hot, but I kept my smile, shaking my head slowly, my voice dropping to a low, dangerous purr.

“You’ve come far, Sophia,” I said, my eyes locking onto hers, watching the warmth in her face falter. “But I wonder… Do you think that baby will make it? Alive, I mean.”

Her smile vanished, her eyes widening, shock and fear flickering as she leaned back, her hand protective over her belly.

“What?” she whispered, her voice trembling, her tea forgotten. “What do you mean by that?”

I leaned closer, my voice sharp, soft but cutting, my eyes burning with the truth I’d carried through death and rebirth.

“I know your secret, Sophia,” I said, my words deliberate, each one a strike. “You and Nelson. What you did. The betrayal, the lies. You thought you could bury it, but you can’t. I’m coming for you.”

Her face paled, her breath catching, panic flashing in her eyes as she gripped the table, her knuckles white.

“Who are you?” she demanded, her voice shaking, her gaze searching my face - Becky’s face - for answers she couldn’t grasp. “What are you talking about? I don’t even know you!”

I smiled, slow and sharp, savoring the fear in her eyes, the way her world tilted.

“Don’t you?” I said, my voice a whisper, my heart pounding with the thrill of this moment, the vengeance I’d planned since the Moon Goddess gave me this body.

“Think, Sophia. Think about Nora, about what you did to her. You and Nelson, in her bed, while she carried his child. You broke her, killed her, killed her baby.”

Her eyes widened, horror dawning, her breath shallow as she shook her head, her voice a desperate plea. “Nora’s dead,” she whispered, but doubt crept into her tone, her gaze darting over me, searching for the sister she’d betrayed. “You can’t… you’re not…”

I leaned closer, my lips inches from her ear, my voice soft,but venomous.

“Sisters forever, through storm and star,’” I whispered, our childhood words, the promise we’d made under the moonlight, now a weapon in my hands.

“Remember that, Sophia? You said it when you guys were young, before you stole everything from her.”

She gasped, her hand flying to her mouth, her eyes wide with realization, horror, as the truth hit her - Becky wasn’t Becky.

I was Nora, her sister, her ghost, reborn to haunt her. “No,” she whispered, her voice breaking, tears glistening as she shrank back, her body trembling. “It’s not possible… Nora, you’re dead…”

I stood, my smile cold, triumphant, my heart racing with the power of her fear, her recognition.

“Not anymore,” I said, my voice steady, my eyes locked on hers, letting her see the fire of my vengeance, the strength of my rebirth.

“You and Nelson will pay, Sophia. For me, for my child. Enjoy your tea… if you can.”

I turned, my boots soft on the bakery’s wooden floor, the air thick with the scent of sugar and her panic.

Her eyes followed me, wide and terrified, her hand clutching her belly as if she could protect her child from me.

The bell above the door chimed as I stepped out, the night air cool against my skin, my heart pounding with the thrill of this first strike.

Sophia knew now, knew I was coming, and the fear in her eyes was only the beginning.

The Lunar Eclipse Festival was near, and with Ethan by my side, I’d tear their world apart, piece by piece, until their betrayal was repaid in blood.

I walked into the night, my smile sharp, my resolve a blade honed by years of pain.

Sophia’s shock, her realization, was my victory, a spark to the fire of my vengeance.

I was Nora, reborn, and nothing - not her tears, not Nelson would stop me.