CHAPTER 19: THE RITUAL

REAH'S POV 

I got out of the bathroom and quickly dried my body. I dried my hair while also searching for an ointment to apply to my broken lips due to all the last night's biting. 

I finished dressing in no time, wearing a short skirt and a shirt that made me look like an experienced Secretary. Being a Secretary was something I had always wanted, I even watched many dramas where secretaries made themselves proud and were appreciated by their boss. 

However, Getting the job right now seemed like a nightmare because I knew Alpha Xavier would only make me want to run away from his office. His mother was the one who suggested it and he agreed to it so he could make life more difficult for me. 

We left the room together and made our way downstairs. "Luna Bella!" I called excitedly when I saw Luna Bella sitting on a couch. 

For a moment, I lost my composure as I was glad to see her. 

She immediately stood up from her seat and walked over to me. She took my hands with a big smile on her face and pulled me in for a big hug "You look good, my darling," She said softly as she broke the hug. "Did you sleep well?" She asked. 

I nodded, "I did," Maybe I was starting to grow a thicker skin, whatever happened last night no longer restrained me and I was feeling better already. "What about you? Do you feel better, too?" 

Luna Bella pouted and shook her head, "I can only be fine when you call me mother instead of Luna Bella," She replied and my eyes widened. 

I felt a bit embarrassed as I lowered my eyes and tried to stop the small giggle that threatened to escape my throat. "Mother..." A small tiny voice came out of my vocal organs and my eyes shone brightly. 

It indeed felt nice to call someone as sweet as her "Mother!"

She laughed excitedly "That's the spirit. I'm like a mother to you, okay?" She said and I nodded. "Okay, When it's the weekend, you and I will go shopping. We need to get a lot of things and the ritual for the new Luna is coming up too," She told me. 

"Ritual for the new Luna? What's that?" I asked curiously. 

Luna Bella turned to look at Alpha Xavier with angry eyes and she rolled her eyes at him. "This cold brick was supposed to tell you but I can see he didn't. Luna's Ritual is very common in our Pack here. After the Ritual, he will be able to feel your pain and vice versa. You would feel each other's mood and the most advantageous part is that you will finally be recognized as the Luna of this Pack. You will be enshrouded with the aura of Luna which will protect you when your life is in danger at the time. Assuming you are a werewolf too, you will be able to communicate with him through mind link and he will be able to teleport to anywhere you are, no matter how far it is," She explained. 

My eyes twinkled when I listened to everything and I marvelled at the powers of werewolves. But what stood out to me mostly was the fact that Alpha Xavier would start feeling my pain, too, he would no longer be able to inflict any pain on me because he knew we would suffer it together. He would feel my mood too, does that mean he would be sleepless when I'm sleepless too?

"Also, He won't be able to hurt you ever again because he would go through much more pain whenever he does that," Luna Bella concluded and I covered my mouth. 

An uncovered joy splattered in my heart and I felt intoxicated with it. The Ritual was Luna's freedom. It indicated my freedom and when it happened, I would finally be able to raise my head in front of him and face him like the sassy girl that I had always been!

"When will the Ritual be?" I was curious already. I really couldn't wait to have it done. 

Luna Bella saw the look on my face and she smiled "In a month. It's a very big celebration that will bring many Alphas all over the world." She replied. 

Though I wasn't very satisfied with the day being a month later, I knew I had no choice and thinking about Joyce and her brother whom I was yet to tell about the things that had been happening to me, it was a nice thing to have those days in between. They would be very disappointed if they saw or heard the news before I told them myself. 

"We should leave now, We are late already," Alpha Xavier interrupted us and walked away. 

"Hnmph! Such a cold person!" Luna Bella rolled her eyes and took my hand in hers "Let's go, okay? I will lead you to the car," 

We got to the car together and I entered. "See you later, Mum," I waved at her and she waved back. 

The car drove out of the compound, Alpha Xavier was beside me and the Beta was the one driving in front. My mind kept thinking of different ways on how I could explain the situation to Joyce and her brother but I still felt a bit scared for some reason. 

"Can I see my mother today?" I asked Alpha Xavier.

"You can't," He replied and I frowned. "Starting work for the first time and you already want to ditch work? You must be kidding," His tone was filled with annoyance as he replied. 

I looked at him and rolled my eyes before focusing on the road. I knew the words that Luna Bella said affected him. Not only because he wouldn't be able to control me anymore but because he did not want to perform the Ritual with me either. 

"You don't want to perform the Ritual with me, right?" I asked him. 

"Glad you know," His voice was deeper than the abyss as he replied to me. 

I breathed in, suppressing the sadness in my heart, "Why?" 

He turned to look at me and once again, I could see the hatred I saw in his eyes the day we got married "I told you, You are just a substitute. I have someone I deeply love and she's going to come back soon. Why do I have to perform the ritual with a woman I don't even love?" He questioned and my heart clenched. 

My eyes turned moist with unshed tears. "Really? Where is she right now? Why is she not back yet?" 

Alpha Xavier suddenly turned to face me and his eyes turned menacing. He grabbed my neck and pulled me closer "Don't you ever mention her with that filthy mouth of yours!" He warned and pushed me away!

I looked at his side profile, breathing and coughing roughly as I tried to stabilize my breathing. With holes in my heart, I kept questioning myself why I had to fall in love with someone like this. Why I had to keep loving him despite the way he treated me and tears flowed down my face... "I hate you, Reah," I hated myself more than anyone else. 

I wished I could just stop being me~ Being Reah was sad and I hated it~