42

Livia’s POV

“I don’t want to go.” The words slipped out before I could stop them, barely louder than a whisper, yet they felt like they shook the walls of the room.

Clara, who was there with me, froze behind me, her hands stilling mid-motion as she adjusted the clasp of my dress. “You don’t have a choice, Luna,” she said calmly.

Clara has been one of the maids in the palace who has been so close to me.

“I know,” I said tightly, gripping the edge of the vanity. “That doesn’t mean I have to want it.”

The mirror reflected a woman I barely recognized, poised and dressed in elegance, with every strand of hair in place. A Luna and a symbol.

My stomach twisted violently. “The Crescent Pack will be there,” I muttered, my voice dropping. “He will be there.”

Clara hesitated. “Alpha Zach…”

“Don’t say his name,” I snapped, too quickly, too sharply.

Silence fell in the room immediately as Clara flinched a little.

I exhaled shakily, pressing my fingers to my temples. “If I see him, I don’t know what I will do.” I express my fears.

“Hold your head high,” Clara said softly.  “You are not the same woman anymore,” she added.

A bitter laugh escaped me. “That’s exactly what scares me.” I said, but before she could respond, my phone buzzed on the table.

The sound was sharp and jarring.

I stared at it for a while, and something inside me twisted, an instinct, a warning.

“Open it,” Clara urged gently as she saw my hesitation in opening the content of the message.

“I don’t want to,” I whispered, but my hand moved anyway.

The screen lit up, a single message that read. “Happy birthday, Emerald.”

My breath caught almost immediately.

“What?” Clara asked, stepping closer. “What does it say?” she asked.

I didn’t answer immediately because I couldn’t. The words didn’t make sense because they made too much sense that I don't even understand.

“Say something, Livia.” Clara beamed at me.

“Her birthday isn’t today,” I said slowly.

Clara frowned. “What do you mean?” she asked 

“It’s in two months.” My voice dropped to a hollow whisper. “Exactly two months.”

The room suddenly felt too small, too tight like the walls were closing in. “Who sent it?” Clara asked.

“I don’t know.” My fingers trembled as I turned the phone toward her. “Unknown number.”

She read it, then looked up sharply. “This isn’t normal,” she said.

“No,” I said, my heart pounding violently now. “It isn’t.”

A cold wave of realization crashed over me.

“They know,” I muttered.

Clara’s eyes widened. “Know what?” Clara asked.

I swallowed hard. “About Emerald.”

“That’s not possible,” she said.

“Isn’t it?” My voice rose, panic creeping in. 

“Hayden made sure people talked about her, he wanted attention on her, remember? But this isn’t normal attention.”

Clara shook her head. “It could be a mistake,” she said, trying to make me feel better.

“No,” I snapped. “It’s not a mistake,” I muttered because to me it felt deliberate, calculated and cruel.

“Who would do this?” she asked.

My mind spiraled, faces flashed one after the other.

“Bella,” I said immediately, my voice laced with fear. “She’s capable of anything.”

“And Zach?” Clara asked carefully.

My chest tightened painfully.

“Or Zach,” I whispered. The thought alone made my skin crawl.

“What if he knows?” I said, my voice breaking slightly. “What if he already found out?”

Clara stepped closer. “Luna,” she called softly.

“What if someone told him?” I pressed, panic rising uncontrollably now. “What if Perry told him?”. 

“Perry wouldn’t…” Clara said.

“You don’t know that!” I snapped. “You don’t know what they would do if they found out Emerald is…”

I cut myself off, my breath hitching violently. Clara’s silence was deafening.

“Say it,” she whispered.

“I can’t,” I muttered.

My hands curled into fists.

“…his,” I finished, barely audible.

The word hung in the air like a death sentence.

Clara inhaled sharply. “If that’s true…”

“It is true,” I said, my voice shaking. “And if he knows…”

I couldn’t finish the thought because I knew exactly what it meant. War, control and possession of everything I had tried to escape.

My phone buzzed again, and I flinched violently this time.

Clara grabbed my wrist. “Don’t open it yet.” she said.

“I have to,” I whispered.

“You don’t.”

“I have to know,” I whispered as I slowly, with trembling fingers, unlocked the screen and there was another message.

“You should be more careful, Livia. People are watching.”

A sharp gasp tore from my throat as Clara read over my shoulder and cursed under her breath. “This is bad.” she said.

“No,” I said faintly. “This is worse than bad.”

My heart pounded so hard it hurt.

“They are watching me.” I muttered, my voice came out hollow and broken.

“I told you,” I whispered, backing away slightly. “I told you I felt like I was being followed.”

Clara’s face paled. “We need to tell Alpha Hayden immediately,” she suggested.

“Yes,” I said quickly, desperation flooding me. 

I turned on my heel and rushed out before she could say anything else. “Hayden,” I called as soon as I got to where he was seated but he didn’t look up.

“Hayden,” I repeated, sharper this time.

“I’m busy, Livia,” he said flatly, his eyes still glued to the documents spread across his desk.

My chest tightened. “This can’t wait.” I snapped, showing the urgency of the situation 

“Everything can wait,” he replied coolly. “Except what I’m dealing with right now.”

My fingers dug into my palms. “I’m serious.”

“So am I.” he replied, giving me no attention.

The dismissal stung more than it should have as I stepped closer. “Someone is sending me messages.”

That got his attention, barely as his eyes flickered up for a split second. “What kind of messages?” he asked.

“About Emerald,” I muttered and that made him pause but not enough.

“We expected attention on her,” he said calmly. “That was the plan.”

“This isn’t attention!” I snapped, my voice rising. “This is something else.”

He sighed, finally setting the papers down. “Livia….”

“They said happy birthday to her,” I cut in. “Her birthday is in two months.”

A flicker of something crossed his face.

Was it annoying? Concern? I couldn’t tell.

“And?” he asked.

“And?” I echoed in disbelief. “Does that not sound wrong to you?” I asked.

“It could be someone guessing,” he said dismissively.

“No,” I said firmly. “It’s not a guess.” I stepped closer, forcing him to look at me.

“They said I’m being watched,” I added and that made his jaw tighten slightly, but even then, he didn’t react the way I needed him to.

He was silent for a while before he finally spoke, “That's just scare tactics.”

My stomach dropped. “A scare tactic?” I repeated. “That’s all you think this is?” I asked as my chest tightened painfully.

“Hayden, what if it’s not?” I pressed.

He exhaled sharply, standing up now. “You are overthinking,” he said.  “And I don’t have time for this right now.”

The words hit harder than any slap. “I’m scared,” I said, my voice breaking despite my effort to stay composed.

“I will handle it later,” he said, stepping closer.

“Later?” I echoed. “Hayden, I need you now.”

He leaned in, pressing a brief kiss to my cheek.

“I said I will handle it,” he repeated, and just like that, he pulled away, already turning and leaving.

“What you are dealing with right now,” I said quietly, “is it more important than this?” I asked.

He didn’t stop, the door closed behind him, and just like that, I was alone.

The silence pressed in on me, heavy and suffocating.

I stared at the door long after he was gone, my 

The chest rising and falling unevenly.

“They are watching you.” The words echoed in my head over and over again.

I wrapped my arms around myself, trying to steady the trembling that refused to stop.