CHAPTER 24

CHAPTER 24
“Will she ever stay out of our lives?” I repeated my question to Raven when he continued to stare at me and said nothing.

“Aine,” I had Elara speak into the pack link. I looked at her, and she shook her head at me. I turned back to Raven, still waiting for him to say something. I can’t let Raven keep coming with his one-night stands in the pack house now. I’m the Luna of this pack. Things should change for the better.

The strange woman turned slowly, a smirk tugging at the corner of her perfect lips when she saw me. “Our lives?” she repeated, her tone dripping with mockery. I glared at her immediately. She should stay out of this.

“Oh, sweetheart, you think you’re part of his life?” A few pack members nearby paused their training, their attention snapping to us. Raven visibly stiffened beside her. 

“That’s enough, Sia,” he said, his voice low but warning. I looked up at him, surprised and offended that he even called her by her name. Why would he not call her by her name? I inwardly facepalmed myself for the extreme jealousy.

She ignored him, stepping closer until I could smell her expensive, flowery, fake perfume. “It’s cute, though,” she continued, tilting her head as her eyes scanned me from head to toe. She clearly does not feel threatened by me; instead, she sees me as a pest. Why else would she be so challenging?

“You really think you’re enough for him? A witch, half-blooded. A broken little thing who can’t even be the Luna for one night.”
The words sliced deeper than I expected. I swallowed hard, trying not to let the tremor in my chest show. 

How could she have known about what happened? Could Raven have betrayed me and told her about me in their pillow talks? He still didn’t say anything; instead, he stood there like a statue with his mouth open slightly. For the slightest second, I doubted everything that I had learned to love about him. Is he worth losing myself for?

But then she suddenly laughed. A cruel, frightening laugh that didn’t match her flawless face. 

As I watched her face scrunched up in laughter, suddenly, something in me snapped. I couldn’t hold the anger anymore; my whole body was shaking vigorously.

I chuckled too, but it was dry, hollow. “Raven, who’s this woman?” I turned to Raven, who flinched slightly at my tone.

“Sia is an old friend, Aine. Nothing more.”
Sia scoffed. “Old friend,” she echoed, mocking him. I had known that she would do or say something stupid.

“Sure, if that helps her sleep at night.” My hand moved before my mind caught up. The gun was out, cold and heavy in my grip, its barrel pointed straight at Sia’s face.

Gasps rippled across the training field. Sia’s smirk vanished. “You wouldn’t,” she whispered, her confidence faltering for the first time. I took a step closer. “Try me.” I bit my lower lip to stop myself from pressing the trigger. I imagined her cold blood splashing on the ground.

For a heartbeat, all I could hear was the wind rustling through the trees and the rapid pounding of my pulse. There was silence, so quiet that you could hear the slightest movement from anyone.

Raven’s voice roared through the air.
“Aine!” Before I could react, he was in front of me. He must’ve only snapped out from whatever spell she had her under because he has been quite all along.

His hand shot out, grabbing my wrist so tight the gun slipped from my fingers and hit the dirt with a dull thud.

“Are you insane?” he shouted, his voice cracking with fury. “You just pointed a gun at one of my pack members!” I laughed in disbelief. Maybe I am crazy because he makes me crazy.

“She isn’t one of your pack members!” I screamed back, tears stinging my eyes. One minute she’s an old friend, and the next she is a pack member. I have never seen this strange woman here.

“She’s—” I tried to explain, but he shut me out.

“I said enough!” The field went silent again. Sia stepped back, her face pale but victorious. The others pretended not to stare as Raven dragged me by the arm toward the house.

I stumbled after him, my heart pounding against my ribs. His grip didn’t loosen until we reached the door, where he finally turned to face me, eyes blazing with anger and disappointment.

“You need to control your emotions, Aine,” he said, each word slow and sharp. “You can’t act out of haste whenever someone upsets you.” I swallowed hard, my throat tightening. 

“You’re defending her—” I could feel my heart breaking at the sight of seeing him angry, but I’m the one who was bullied with words while he watched. He couldn’t even take action when that witch spewed horrible things about me, his Luna.

“I’m protecting you!” he barked, echoing through the room. 

“How the fuck is it protecting me if you make me feel like you are against me!?” I shouted, feeling like him, and the world turned against me.

“I have been with you this whole time! When have I not been with you?” I swallowed my words; every word he spoke seemed to be against me. It felt like daggers shot in my chest.

The tension between us hung thick, heavy, impossible to breathe through. And then he turned away, running a hand through his hair.

“You need to make a choice,” he muttered, his voice quieter now but no less angry.
I stared at his back, feeling the sting of tears I refused to let fall. “You need to decide if you are with me to build this pack or leave.” I stared at him, shocked. 

Is this not the same man who told me I could stay and rule the pack with him? Now he's saying I must choose.

My chest ached with words I couldn’t say: apologies, accusations, love, and pain, all tangled together. But instead, I just stood there silent.