Chapter 118 Elara's POV
I woke up alone, which wasn't surprising.
Kaden had left before dawn as usual, probably to deal with yet another crisis. I lay there for a moment, hand on my stomach, thinking about everything that had happened in the past twenty-four hours.
The note. Selena naked in Kaden's bed. Lyssa's suicide attempt the constant threats and manipulations.
I was done being reactive, letting other people control the narrative. Done waiting for things to happen to me.
It was time to take control.
I got out of bed and sat at the desk in my room, pulled out paper and started making a list.
‘Things that need to be handled.’
1\. Lyssa - visit her, get the truth, make sure she understands the boundaries.
2\. Selena - final warning or permanent solution.
3\. The note - figure out who left it and what it means.
4\. My role as Luna - stop hesitating and fully claim the position.
I stared at the list. It all seemed overwhelming. But I had to start somewhere. Lyssa first she was in the hospital, vulnerable, and probably the easiest to deal with.
I got dressed carefully, choosing clothes that accommodated my growing belly but still looked authoritative. If I was going to start acting like Luna, I needed to look like one.
Kara met me in the hallway. "Where are you going?"
"To the hospital to visit Lyssa."
"The woman who cut herself? Are you sure that's a good idea?"
"Probably not but I need to understand what happened. And I need to make sure she's not going to try it again."
"Want me to come with you?"
"No, this is something I need to do alone."
The drive to the hospital was quiet. I rehearsed what I'd say, how I would approach this. But all my planning went out the window when I actually entered Lyssa's room.
She was sitting up in bed, looking pale but alert. The moment she saw me, her expression shifted to something carefully crafted: sad, vulnerable, apologetic.
"You must be Elara," She said softly. "Damian's told me about you."
"Has he?"
"Yes he said you're kind and compassionate. That you always see the best in people."
She gestured to the chair beside her bed. "Please, sit. I owe you an apology."
I stayed standing. "Do you?"
"Of course my behavior yesterday was inexcusable. Hurting myself like that. Putting Damian in that position. I was just so upset, so desperate, that I wasn't thinking clearly."
"Right. So upset and desperate that you managed to cut yourself in exactly the right places to cause dramatic blood loss without hitting anything fatal."
Her expression flickered. "I don't know what you mean-"
"Yes, those cuts were precise. Calculated. Designed to look life-threatening while actually being survivable. You knew exactly what you were doing."
"I was in emotional distress-"
"You were manipulating Damian. Trying to force him to come back to you through guilt and fear."
I moved closer to the bed. "Damian told me everything about the arranged engagement. About the Dark Moon Pack about why he left. So you can drop the act."
Lyssa's facade crumbled and her expression went cold. "He had no right to tell you that those were private matters."
"He had every right you made it public the moment you hurt yourself in front of witnesses and blamed him for it."
"I didn't blame him-"
"Yes, you did, you told the paramedics he attacked you. You were prepared to destroy his reputation, possibly get him arrested, all to manipulate him into doing what you wanted."
She was silent for a moment then she smiled. "You're smarter than I expected. Damian said you were naive and easy to manipulate. But you're not, are you?"
"No. I'm not."
"Good. I prefer dealing with people who are honest about what they are."
Lyssa settled back against her pillows. "So let's be honest. You want me to leave Damian alone. I want Damian to come back to the Dark Moon Pack. We're at an impasse."
"Not really you are going to leave today and you're never going to contact Damian again."
"Or what? Will you have me arrested? Exiled? Please. I'm a guest from a powerful pack, you can't just throw me out."
"Actually, as Luna of Blue Moon Pack, I can do exactly that guests who attempt suicide and make false accusations don't get to stay."
"Luna?" Lyssa laughed. "You are not Luna. You are just the Alpha's knocked-up mate. There has been no ceremony, no official recognition, you have no real authority."
"Kaden declared me Luna in front of the entire household staff. That's official enough."
"For servants, maybe. But the rest of the pack? The elders? They don't see you as Luna. They see you as an omega who got lucky."
She leaned forward. "And speaking of getting lucky, does it bother you? Knowing Damian is in love with you? Knowing he watches you with this desperate, hungry look? Knowing he would do anything for you even though you're with someone else?"
"Damian's feelings are his own business."
"But they affect you, don't they? Make things awkward. Make you wonder if his care for you is professional or personal, make your mate jealous and possessive."
Lyssa's smile widened. "I saw how Kaden reacted to the rage yesterday. The jealousy that's going to destroy your relationship eventually. Damian's love for you is like poison, slow-acting but fatal."
"Are you done?"
"Not quite one more thing Damian will never truly move on from you or from the girl who died. He has a type, you see. Women he can't have women who belong to someone more powerful. It's a pattern of sickness and you are just the latest in a long line of doomed obsessions."
I had heard enough. "You have twenty-four hours to leave Blue Moon territory. If you are still here after that, I will have you escorted out in chains. Are we clear?"
"Crystal." Lyssa's expression was pure venom.
"But you should know—I'm not the only one who sees what's happening. Damian's feelings for you are obvious to anyone paying attention. And sooner or later, your mate is going to do something about it, something permanent."
I left without responding. Let her have the last word if it made her feel powerful. I had bigger problems to deal with.