Chapter 2: She's My Luna

Ever's POV 

“This is the third time this year we're catching you both out of your stations…without permission” The senior Matron let out, her voice full of frustration as she wrote our names down again in the black list.

If I were given a shekel for everytime my name had entered that list, I'd be richer than many merchants in the pack.

“It seems we haven't been punishing you both properly” She let out. “I don't think cleaning the outer pack house is enough punishment for two meatheads who never obey instructions” she lashed out.

“For the whole of this week, while the other omegas sleep. You both will tend the horses and keep their stables clean” She wrote down.

Kia and I glanced at each other, relieved.

“And…” She continued as we both jerked back in anticipation. “I’ll be cutting short your daily rations. One ration a day and that will only be mid-day when you're done with cleaning the royal pack houses” She penned again.

“Luna is also going to be needing extra assistance getting to know the Pack and she must be comfortable. At all costs. You both will be part of those making sure her chambers are as comfortable as possible. And if you cause any more troubles…” The matrons who had captured us glared at us.

“You'll be facing the elders directly and be permanently ousted from this pack. Or better still, evicted to the Harem” she let out, making sure her word sank in. And it did.

She eventually dismissed us and the matrons led us out. We were instructed on how to tend to the “Luna” and make sure everything was at her beck and call.

First, Hagan brings back this mysterious woman after being away for a whole month, then calls her his Luna before everyone in the Pack and now… I'm being made to serve her. God help me when I finally see him. I was going to bombard him with questions. Because why would he do this? Without even giving a thought about how I'd feel about it.

Three years we'd been together and now he wants me to be fine with calling another woman, his Luna?

I snapped out of my thoughts as we finally arrived at her chambers. Speak of the devil and she appears.

There she was again - wearing that same flawless smile she had on her earlier, which for some reason, always made me cringe on her behalf.

“These are your servants Luna” the Matron spoke first, introducing us. “Just let them know whenever you need anything” She told her. “And if any of them cause you any trouble” Her gaze shifted to Kia and I specifically. “Just let me know”

“That's fine, thank you. I'll take it from here” She responded. Even her voice was elegant. I couldn't hide how much something tightened painfully in my chest anytime I remembered Hagan reaching his hand out to her. Could he really have chosen a mate for himself? Did our mate bond no longer matter to him? He had a lot of answering to do when we eventually met.

“So…” She let out when the Matron left. "I'm Rhaeya." She smiled. "And you all look terrified." She let out a soft laugh and I found her sweetness very fake as many highborns hated Omegas, especially females. I knew she'd reveal her true self soon. It was just a matter of time.

The other omegas, excluding Kia and myself however, seemed to have fallen for her charade.

“We're at your service, Luna” We all kneeled and said in unison. I forced the words ’Luna’ down my throat.

“No, no… You don't have to kneel when we're alone. I particularly find that exhausting” She ushered us up.

“But you're…” One of the Omegas spoke as we were all dumbfounded, myself included.

“Luna, I know. But there are better things we could do than you spending time kneeling at my feet” She chuckled. I could swear I almost heard a maniacal laughter break out. Like she had something suspicious planned out. She'd make us believe she was sweet, only to torture us later when we got very comfortable.

We helped her prepare a bath as she requested and helped her take her garment off when she was ready to get in. She was as beautiful as you could imagine. Her blonde hair slid down her hourglass frame as her body slid into the water.

We spread ourselves out. Different people focused on different parts of her body. I was the one massaging her hair while Kia was one of the Omegas tending to her feet. 

I couldn't help but glance over her body. I wondered if she and Hagan had ever had anything intimate to do with each other. The thought alone broke me and I really hoped I was wrong.

“So…” She began again when the silence became exhausting. “As you know, I'm not from your Pack. My father's Alpha of Stonestorm, east of Rozaria” She let out, like we were supposed to applaud her for being an Alpha's daughter.

If there was anything Omegas hated more than Matrons, it was Highborns - females to be exact. This one might seem different for the meanwhile but I'm sure I wasn't the only one who believed she had something playing under her sleeves.

“Why don’t you tell me more about your pack…” She insisted. “And your Alpha” My fingers tightened before I forced them to relax but it was too late as my thumbs mistakenly pressed down too hard on her forehead. She winced in pain and turned to stare at me.

Kia gestured to me to apologize immediately.

“I'm…I'm sorry Luna” I knelt. “It was a mistake” 

The other Omegas glared at me, furious. 

“Here's a painkiller, Luna. Let me dab that for you” one of them requested.

“It's fine” She let out a nervous laugh. “It's just a bump, nothing too serious” she said as she turned to me. “What's your name?”

I lifted my gaze to hers trying to read the mischief hiding behind those emerald green orbs. 

“Ever, Luna” I answered back.

“Ever, well I think you may need to go slower” she said. “I have a pretty steep forehead” she giggled and they burst out laughing.

“Now where were we, your Pack…” She laid back down like nothing happened.

Maybe she wasn't as bad as I thought, I told myself. But that didn't change the fact that Hagan had everyone believing she was his mate. It wasn't just something I could brush off and act like it didn't happen. Especially when I knew who his true mate was.

The other omegas quickly got super comfortable as they began telling her most of what they knew about the Pack, the Alpha and how things weren't as different in Greymark than it was in other Packs in Rozaria.

“I'm glad we get to have someone like you as Luna” One of them spoke. “The Alpha lucked out on a mate like you” She said, all smiles.

Rhaeya blushed at the compliment. 

“And you, do you all have mates too?”

She asked, genuinely curious. 

We lowered our gazes, not knowing how to answer.

It seemed she barely knew much of how Omegas were treated in Rozaria. 

“Omegas like us aren't usually accepted by our mates” I found myself answering her before I could stop myself. “We're seen as shameful, unworthy or dirt, both to the pack members and to our mates” I found the courage to finish. My mind went back to the night when Hagan and I found out we were mates. I may have agreed to keep it secret but that didn't mean it didn't hurt that he tried his possible best to hide the fact that we were mates.

And for three years I played along.

A knock interrupted our girls' talk shortly after. 

“Rhaeya?” Hagan's thick voice tore through. “We need to talk” He let out, his tone, more serious than ever.

And as fate would have it, Rhaeya gestured to me to let him in.