Chapter 28 – Wildfire Gossip & A Friend’s Secret
Rhianna’s POV
I locked my bedroom door the moment I got in.
The walls felt too quiet, the air too still, but at least no one could see my face.
I sat on the edge of the bed, staring at the moonlight spilling across the carpet.
It was silver and soft, nothing like the sharp words that had been thrown at me earlier in the hall.
I thought I was prepared.
I thought hearing Brittany’s news in front of the whole pack wouldn’t break me because I already knew about the pregnancy.
But I wasn’t prepared for the whispers, the stares, the way the air in that hall had felt too heavy to breathe.
My wolf shifted restlessly beneath my skin, whimpering like it wanted to hide somewhere deep where no one could reach us.
I didn’t cry.
Not yet.
The tears felt stuck somewhere in my chest, heavy and unmoving.
A soft knock at the door startled me.
“Rhianna? It’s me,” Tia’s voice came through. “Open up, please.”
I hesitated, then wiped at my face even though there were no tears yet, and opened the door.
Tia slipped inside quickly like she was sneaking into forbidden territory.
Her eyes scanned my face the way a sister would check for bruises.
“Are you okay?” she asked, her voice soft but carrying worry.
I gave a small shrug.
“I’ve been better.”
She closed the door behind her and leaned on it with a dramatic sigh.
“You have no idea what’s going on outside,” she said. “The news has spread like wildfire.
Everyone is talking about it. Even the kitchen staff were whispering when I passed by.”
I managed a weak smile.
“I expected it. Packs love gossip more than they love meat on full moon nights.”
“Still,” she went on, walking over to sit beside me on the bed, “I wanted to make sure you’re not sitting here beating yourself up. Because you shouldn’t.”
I stayed quiet for a moment, staring at my hands on my lap.
“I knew about the pregnancy,” I admitted. “But hearing it out loud… in front of everyone… felt like being ripped open.”
Tia’s expression softened.
She reached out and squeezed my hand.
“I know. They were cruel for doing that to you.”
Her comfort was warm, like a blanket wrapped around a cold heart.
For a while we just sat there in silence, the air heavy with unspoken thoughts.
Tia broke it first.
“Want me to break some bones?” she asked suddenly, her tone playful.
I blinked at her in surprise.
“What?”
She grinned, her eyes sparkling mischievously.
“I’m serious. I can trip Brittany in the dining hall tomorrow morning. Make it look like an accident. She won’t even know what hit her.”
I let out a small, unexpected laugh.
It felt strange coming out, almost rusty, but it loosened something tight in my chest.
“You’re ridiculous.”
“See? I got you to laugh,” she said, looking proud of herself. “Mission accomplished.”
I shook my head, a faint smile still tugging at my lips.
“Thanks, Tia. I needed that.”
“You always need me,” she said in a mock-serious voice. “That’s why I’m here.”
We fell into a more comfortable silence.
Tia lay back on the bed with her arms stretched above her head, staring at the ceiling.
“Want to hear something that will really distract you from all this drama?” she asked.
“What now?”
“I have a crush,” she declared, as if she’d just revealed the moon’s biggest secret.
I turned to look at her, genuinely surprised.
“You? A crush? Who?”
She sat up halfway, holding up a finger.
“Promise not to laugh.”
“I promise… unless it’s funny.”
“It’s kind of funny,” she warned. “It’s… Leo.”
I blinked, confused.
“Leo… the warrior who trains the new recruits?”
“Yes! The same one who nearly broke his nose trying to spar with Hardin last month,” she said, giggling at the memory.
I covered my mouth to stifle my laugh.
“Oh no… Tia!”
“Don’t judge me! He’s actually cute if you ignore the constant bruises.”
I shook my head, still smiling.
“How long has this been going on?”
“Two weeks,” she confessed. “I saw him helping a pup pick flowers near the training grounds, and I swear my heart did a weird flip. And then he smiled at me the other day— you know, the smile that makes you feel like you might trip over your own feet.”
“You’re blushing,” I pointed out, unable to hide my amusement.
“I am not,” she said quickly, then covered her cheeks. “Okay maybe a little.”
I laughed again, and this time it sounded almost normal.
“So, what’s the plan? Going to confess to him during training? Or wait for him to trip over his own feet again?”
Tia groaned and flopped back on the bed.
“No plan yet. I’m still gathering courage. Plus, he’s always so serious when Hardin’s around. I need to catch him alone when he’s not trying to impress the higher-ups.”
I chuckled softly.
“You always go for the difficult ones.”
“Says the girl who married an Alpha,” she shot back.
I smiled, though the smile faltered for a moment at the mention of Sebastian.
Tia noticed, her grin fading a little.
“Hey,” she said gently, sitting up again. “You’re still the Luna. No one can take that away from you unless you let them. And Sebastian… he’s a fool sometimes, but he doesn’t hate you.”
I looked away toward the window where the moonlight was slipping in.
“I just wish things were simple,” I whispered. “But they never are.”
Tia nudged me with her elbow.
“Then we make them as simple as we can. One day at a time. One laugh at a time.”
I met her eyes and nodded slowly.
“Thanks. For being here.”
“Always,” she said.
We stayed up for a long while after that, sharing small stories about the pack and making quiet jokes.
Tia told me about the time she almost got caught sneaking cookies from the kitchen as a kid.
I told her about the first time I tried to shift and ended up stuck halfway, howling at a frog.
We laughed so hard my stomach hurt.
For the first time that day, the weight in my chest felt a little lighter.
Later, when Tia finally got up to leave, she paused at the door.
“Don’t let them break you, Rhianna. You’re stronger than they think.”
I gave her a tired but genuine smile.
“Goodnight, Tia.”
“Goodnight. And hey— if I ever trip Brittany, remember it was totally an accident.”
I laughed softly as she slipped out.
When the room was quiet again, I lay down, staring at the ceiling.
The whispers outside, the gossip spreading through the pack like wildfire, all of it still hurt — but at least I wasn’t facing it alone.
For tonight, that was enough.