Chapter 126 THE FALSE QUEEN

Chapter 126 THE FALSE QUEEN

LUNA LEENA POV (Trapped Inside)

Early the next morning, loud noises woke the palace. Shouts and angry voices rose from outside the gates. I could hear them clearly even from deep inside my own mind. The people were protesting.

Gotham stirred in my body. She sat up slowly on the bed, stretching my arms with a lazy smile. She walked to the window and looked down at the growing crowd. Hundreds of pack members had gathered, holding torches and shouting.

“We don’t want these rules!” someone yelled.

“Stop this madness!”

“Bring back our real Luna!”

Gotham smirked with my lips. She didn’t seem worried at all. Instead, she looked amused, like she was watching children throw a tantrum.

A guard knocked nervously on the door and entered when she allowed it.

“My… my Queen,” he said, bowing low. “The people are protesting outside the gates. They are demanding that the new rules be stopped. They say they will not accept them.”

Gotham tilted my head, still smiling. “Let them shout. It changes nothing.”

She took her time getting ready. She bathed slowly, then chose a dark, elegant gown that clung to my body tightly. She brushed my hair carefully, letting it fall in long waves down my back. Every movement was deliberate, as if she wanted the people to wait longer and grow more frustrated.

Inside my mind, I was screaming at her.

Stop this! These are our people! They are suffering because of you!

But she ignored me completely.

When she was finally satisfied with how I looked, she walked out of the room. Guards followed her closely as she made her way to the front gates. The shouting grew louder the closer we got.

The moment the gates opened, the crowd surged forward. Two strong men led the protest at the front. One was a blacksmith named Torin, the other a farmer named Garrick. Both had families and had always been loyal to the pack.

“Stop this nonsense!” Torin shouted. “We don’t want your harsh rules! We want our real Luna back!”

Garrick raised his fist. “You are destroying our homes! Our children are scared! This is not the way!”

The entire crowd joined in, chanting loudly.

“Stop the new rules!”

“Bring back our Luna!”

“We will not obey!”

Gotham stood at the top of the steps, looking down at them with cold red eyes. She raised my hand slowly, and the crowd quieted a little, waiting to hear what she would say.

“You dare raise your voices against me?” she said, her multi-layered voice carrying over everyone. “This is what I want. This is how the pack will become strong. No one will stop me. Not you. Not anyone.”

The two men at the front grew bolder. Torin stepped forward.

“Then we say you should be disposed!” he shouted. “The Luna should be removed! We don’t want someone like you ruling us!”

Garrick joined him. “Dispose of her! She is not our Luna! Take her away!”

The crowd picked up the chant. “Dispose of her! Dispose of the false Luna!”

Gotham’s eyes burned brighter red. In a flash, my body moved with unnatural speed. I appeared right in front of Torin. Before he could react, my hand shot out and grabbed him by the neck, lifting him off the ground with strength that wasn’t mine.

The crowd gasped in horror. Torin choked, his legs kicking helplessly in the air. His eyes were wide with terror.

Gotham spoke through my lips, voice low and deadly. “You want me disposed? You dare speak against your queen?”

She squeezed tighter for a moment, then threw him to the side like he weighed nothing. Guards rushed forward and grabbed both Torin and Garrick.

“Take them to the dungeon,” she ordered coldly. “Let them rot there until they learn their place.”

The guards dragged the two men away as they struggled and shouted. The rest of the crowd stepped back in fear, their chants dying immediately.

Gotham turned my body slowly, looking at the frightened faces.

“Anyone else?” she asked sweetly. “Anyone else who wants to challenge me?”

No one spoke. The square became deathly silent.

Inside my mind, I was crying and screaming at the same time.

Please… stop hurting them… These are our people…

But Gotham only smiled and walked back inside the palace, leaving the terrified crowd behind.

The nightmare was getting worse.

And I didn’t know how much longer I could watch my pack suffer like this.

……

It was time for breakfast. Gotham walked into the dining hall with slow, confident steps. The long table was already set with fresh bread, fruits, roasted meat, and warm milk. Several maids stood nervously along the walls, ready to serve. The moment she entered, they all froze. Their hands trembled as they held the plates and pitchers. Their eyes were filled with fear.

Gotham smiled with my lips. She loved it. She loved seeing the terror in their eyes, the way they avoided looking directly at her, the way their bodies shook whenever she moved closer. This was exactly what she wanted fear everywhere.

“Serve me,” she ordered, sitting down at the head of the table.

The maids moved quickly but carefully. One of them almost dropped a plate, catching it just in time. Gotham watched them with amusement, my red eyes glowing faintly. She leaned back in the chair, enjoying the heavy silence in the room.

“This is how it should be,” she murmured to herself. “Everyone trembling before their queen.”

I screamed inside my mind, helpless and furious.

Stop enjoying their fear! These are our people! They used to smile at me!

But Gotham only laughed softly, clearly pleased with the atmosphere she had created.

Suddenly, the door opened. The children walked in, holding hands. Ryker, Thorne, and Elara looked hesitant but hopeful. The moment they stepped into the room, Gotham sprang up from her chair so fast that it fell backward with a loud crash. She stumbled back several steps, her red eyes wide with fear.

“What are you doing here?!” she shouted, my voice sharp and panicked. “Get them out! I don’t want to see them again! Take them far away from me! Now!”

The children stopped in their tracks, their small faces filled with shock and sadness. Elara started crying softly. Thorne held her tighter while Ryker looked at her with hurt eyes.

Gotham kept screaming, backing away until her back hit the wall. “Take them away! I don’t want them near me! Get them out of my sight!”

Damian rushed into the room at that moment. His eyes widened in shock when he saw the scene, Gotham pressed against the wall, breathing hard, and the children standing there crying. He quickly moved to the kids and gently led them out of the room, his face tight with pain and confusion. He glanced back at me once, his expression full of heartbreak, before closing the door behind them.

The room fell silent again.

Gotham stayed pressed against the wall for a long moment, hugging my body tightly with both arms. She was breathing fast, remembering the pain from last night when the children’s golden eyes had glowed. That pure light had burned her, burned me so badly that she had run out of the room screaming. The children were not ordinary. Their power was real. And it terrified her.

“I don’t ever want to see them near or close to me again,” she yelled at the maids. “If any of you bring them close to me, I will punish you severely. Do you understand?”

The maids nodded immediately, their faces pale with fear. “Yes, my Queen,” they whispered.

Gotham slowly walked back to the table and sat down again. She picked up a piece of bread with my fingers, but her hand was still shaking slightly. She tried to hide it, but I could feel her unease.

Inside my own mind, a small spark of hope grew. My children had power. Real power. They had scared her. Maybe… just maybe… they could help bring me back.

But Gotham pushed the thought away quickly. She forced my body to relax and continued eating, acting like nothing had happened. Yet I could feel her mind racing. She was planning something. She was afraid of my babies.

And that fear gave me strength to keep fighting.

……..

ALPHA DAMIAN POV

After leaving the dinning room, I went straight to the children’s quarters. My heart felt heavy, but I knew I had to be strong for them. When I opened the door, Ryker, Thorne, and Elara were sitting together on the bed, looking small and scared. The moment they saw me, their eyes lit up with a little hope.

“Daddy,” Elara whispered, climbing down from the bed first.

I knelt down and opened my arms. All three of them ran to me at once. I hugged them tightly, feeling their small bodies tremble against me. They smelled like soap and innocence, and it broke my heart knowing how much they had been through.

“I’m here,” I said softly, kissing each of their heads. “Daddy is here.”

Ryker looked up at me with serious eyes. “Is Mummy coming back? The bad woman… she’s not our mummy.”

I swallowed the lump in my throat and nodded. “Your real mummy is still inside there. She is fighting very hard. I promise you, she is going to be fine soon. We are going to bring her back. All of us together.”

Thorne wiped his eyes. “We miss her. She used to play with us and tell us stories.”

“I know,” I said gently. “But today, let’s do something fun. Let’s train and play like we used to. Would you like that?”

Their faces brightened a little. They nodded eagerly.

We went to the private training ground behind the palace. I gave each of them a small wooden sword. At first they were hesitant, but I started showing them simple moves. I demonstrated a slow spin and strike, then let them try.

Ryker copied me carefully. “Like this, Daddy?”

“Yes, just like that,” I said, smiling. “You’re getting stronger every day.”

Thorne attacked the wooden dummy with more energy, grunting with each swing. Elara was gentler but very focused. I moved between them, correcting their stances and cheering them on.

After training, we played. I chased them around the grass, pretending to be a big wolf. They laughed loudly as they ran away from me. Elara’s giggles were the sweetest sound I had heard in days. I caught Ryker first and tickled him until he begged for mercy. Thorne tried to save him but ended up caught too. Soon all three of them were on the ground laughing while I tickled them one by one.

For a while, the darkness of Gotham felt far away. Their smiles made my heart feel lighter.

When we finally sat down to rest, I pulled all three of them into my lap and hugged them tightly. They wrapped their small arms around me.

“I promise you,” I said softly, my voice thick with emotion, “I will protect you and your mother no matter what happens. I will never stop fighting for our family. Even if things get scary, Daddy is here. We are going to bring Mummy home. Together.”

Elara buried her face in my chest. “We love you, Daddy.”

“I love you more,” I whispered. “All three of you. So much.”

We stayed like that for a long time, hugging each other under the afternoon sun. Their laughter from earlier still echoed in my ears. I knew the road ahead was dangerous, but moments like this reminded me why I had to keep fighting.

No matter what Gotham did, I would protect my children.

And I would bring my Leena back.

…….

LUNA LEENA POV (Trapped Inside)

Gotham lounged on the grand chair in the private royal sitting room, my body relaxed against the soft cushions. She had spent the whole morning giving orders and watching people tremble before her. Now she waved my hand lazily at one of the maids standing nearby.

“Bring me a drink,” she commanded, my voice cool and bored. “Something sweet and strong.”

The young maid bowed quickly, her hands shaking as she hurried away. A few minutes later, she returned with a golden cup. Her face was pale, and her eyes were filled with terror as she handed the drink to Gotham with both hands.

Gotham took the cup and brought it to my lips. She took a long sip, savoring the taste. For a moment, everything seemed normal. Then her expression changed suddenly. My eyes widened. The taste was wrong, bitter, metallic. She coughed sharply and slammed the cup down on the table.

“What did you do?” she snarled, my voice filled with rage. She stood up fast, grabbing the maid by the front of her dress and dragging her closer. “You poisoned it, didn’t you? Answer me!”

The maid trembled violently, tears running down her face. “I… I didn’t have a choice,” she said fearfully. “I can’t allow you to send my family out of the pack. My brother is too young to become a warrior. He will die if you force him to fight. Please… I just wanted to protect them.”

“Mad woman!” Gotham shouted angrily. She dragged the maid out of the room by her hair. The maid screamed in pain as she was pulled along the hallway. Palace workers and guards quickly gathered around to watch, their faces filled with fear and shock.

Gotham stopped in the middle of the open courtyard where everyone could see. She threw the maid roughly to the ground. The young woman fell hard, sobbing.

“Whip her,” Gotham ordered the guards coldly. “Whip her until she dies. Let everyone see what happens to those who try to poison their queen.”

The guards hesitated for a second, looking at each other with pity. But they knew better than to disobey. Two of them stepped forward, holding long whips. The first strike landed on the maid’s back with a loud crack. She screamed in agony. The second strike came, then the third. Blood stained her clothes as the whipping continued.

The crowd of workers watched in horror. Some turned their heads away. Others cried silently. I screamed inside my own mind, begging Gotham to stop.

Please! She was only trying to save her family! Don’t kill her!

But Gotham only smiled, enjoying the punishment. The maid’s screams grew weaker and weaker until they stopped completely. Her body lay still on the ground, covered in blood.

Gotham turned to the gathered people, my red eyes glowing brightly.

“Let this be a lesson to all of you,” she announced, her multi-layered voice carrying across the courtyard. “Anyone who tries to go against me will end up like her. And starting tomorrow, all the weak ones in the pack, the old, the sick, the useless will be moved to the temple. You will never see them again. They will serve a greater purpose.”

The people stood in stunned silence. No one dared to speak. Fear hung heavy in the air.

Gotham turned and walked back inside the palace, leaving the dead maid’s body lying in the courtyard for everyone to see.She was still smiling with my lips.

Inside my mind, I felt sick. Tears fell in the darkness where no one could see them.

This was no longer my pack. This was a kingdom of fear. And Gotham was only getting started.