Chapter 3 Chapter Three

ELIZA’S POV

I frowned as I walked out the room and headed straight for my mother-in-law, Diana’s bedroom.

I was pissed that this was happening to me.

Not only did Derek want to dissolve our marriage for that bitch but he also planned on making me his mistress. The hell?

I could feel my wolf coming out and baring her fangs, wanting nothing more than to tear those ingrates limb from limb.

Derek for his betrayal and Maya for her sheer arrogance but I calmed her down. There was no point in attacking them and getting executed for my arrogance right now.

I bit my lip, almost drawing blood as I approached Luna Diana’s room, my mind swirling with thoughts.

I stopped at the door and knocked like I always did. Once I was given the go ahead to enter, I opened the door and stepped into the room.

It was always the same.

White pristine walls peppered with golden designs to give an ethereal look but these days the steady beeping of the ECG machine and the sight of a sickly and pale Diana hooked up to the machine by various wires casted a dim glow on the ambience that they were going for.

Normally Luna Diana was a bubbly personality, blonde hair and bright blue eyes, but ever since last year when Derek’s father passed away, she fell sick.

Cancer had riddled her body so much so that all the doctors we had met had given her just a year to live. Well, not on my watch.

Doctor Ardan Holt, the man who I had employed to heal my mother-in-law was hard at work, his mouth straight as he looked through Diana’s vitals.

He was the most esteemed healer in the Lycan Kingdom. No one even came close.

He had been instrumental in keeping Diana’s sickness at bay. It was no easy feat but I had managed to employ him even when others needed him for themselves.

Well, being called Luna also helped sway his choice.

Ardan and his nurse turned away from the machines and acknowledged me with a small nod as soon as I got closer. A nod to which I returned before gesturing for them to leave my mother-in-law and I alone.

The duo did one last check before turning away and leaving the room, closing the door behind them and giving us privacy.

I sighed and turned to Diana whose face was already on mine.

She smiled at me and even though I was going through something horrible, I returned the smile and walked up to her, taking a seat beside her bed as she always urged me to do.

Without any hesitation and like she always did, she grabbed my hand and held it in hers.

“How are you doing now Diana?” I asked her, wanting to get a feel for how she was today before I questioned her on what was really going on.

“A bit better. Doctor Ardan gave me the new drugs he prescribed and it’s working wonders already.”

“I’m glad to hear that.” I mentioned.

Diana chuckled and tried to sit up a bit. I helped her before she continued.

“I’m sure that’s not the only thing that you’re glad to hear. Derek is back.” She informed me with a gleam in her eyes.

I fought the urge to roll my eyes when I gave her a reply. She probably didn’t know what had happened.

“I know. I just saw him.” I mumbled under my breath.

Her eyes lit up at my words and she tightened her grip on my hand.

“Isn’t that wonderful? Finally the both of you can be together and then you can have his support. I know it hasn’t been easy to be running the pack on your own. At least now you can rest a bit.”

I opened my mouth to speak but she continued, cutting my off.

“Ever since Derek left for the war, you have been living in a really solitary state especially after your loss. It’s nice that you have the pack to rely on. If not, who knows what would have happened?” Diana spoke out of turn so much so that I pulled my hand away from her, a small scowl on my face.

She had never spoken to me in this manner, like she was trying to goad me into staying with the pack forever, with Derek for me to survive.

“Did you know what Derek would tell me when we met today? Did you know that he had brought back another woman to make his wife? To make his Luna?” I asked her bluntly, hoping that she had no idea of my husband's betrayal.

Unfortunately, she knew as I could tell by the downturn of her lips and the way she looked away from me in the moment.

Diana didn’t say a word and for a moment we sat in uncomfortable silence.

When I realized that she was not going to speak I asked her another question, taking her initial silence as a positive answer.

“It seems like you already knew. Have you already accepted Maya as Derek’s new wife? Do you think that she’ll make a better Luna than I am?” I questioned her, wanting to know her reason for keeping this huge bombshell from me even when I was always by her side through thick and thin.

Diana hung her head and spoke.

“It doesn’t matter what I think. Derek and Maya have accomplished so much on the battlefield that the king approved whatever they wanted and since he had passed on it, my opinion means nothing.” I scoffed and tried to move away but Diana tried to grab onto me.

“Eliza you need to understand, what Derek and Maya did out there has secured the future of the pack. It would be a farce to anyone else to keep them apart if they wished to be together. No matter what anyone says, the pack would rally behind their decision. Just stay with the pack. It doesn’t matter if you and Derek don’t work out. I can adopt you as my own daughter. That way you can still help the pack with its management and still reap the benefits of being the Luna. It’s far better than being a mistress isn’t it?”

Hearing Diana’s words, a frown crept onto my face.

So she knew about this and she didn’t tell me? She had turned against me too.

I couldn’t believe what she was telling me to do. Let go of my marriage and position to be a glorified assistant.

That was unheard of and I was definitely not abiding by her wishes even though she was on her death bed or not.

I stood up from the seat, dragging my hand away from hers.

“The only reason you kept me around and got close to me was to keep all the wealth I had accumulated for your son and the pack right? You never cared for me did you?” I said, not caring what she thought anymore.

She was never on my side. Hell, she wasn’t even acknowledging the wrong of her son.

She was trying to convince me to step down in rank and disgrace myself for his benefit.

“You can’t believe that Eliza.” Diana spoke up, her brows furrowing in distaste.

“It’s quite alright. I should have seen this coming. Derek did learn his manipulative ways from you after all.” I muttered as I turned away from her, not wanting to look at her anymore.

I could hear Diana shuffle in her bed, her voice raised at me when she retorted.

“Now listen here. I won’t allow you to insult me or my son. I didn’t…” Her shouts were cut off when she entered violent bouts of coughs.

I turned around and saw her grasping at her throat and she wheezed for air.

In the past, I would have rushed to her aid but after she had betrayed me in such a manner, I just didn’t care anymore.

Diana reached for me, a somewhat silent plea for help. I shrugged it off.

She was no longer in my care or the care of Doctor Ardan. She was on her own now.

“Don’t worry, your new family will help you. I hope betraying me was worth it.” I snapped at her, the anger in my voice evident.

As soon as the words left my mouth, her eyes widened and she realized that she had lost me.

With one last look, I turned around and left her alone in the room, wondering what the hell I was going to do next because one thing was obvious.

I was not going to stay here and be treated like a nobody.

If they wanted the title of Luna and me gone so badly then they could have it. I was done being used as their puppet.