Blatant Lie

Georgina Sinclair's POV:

The next morning, I wake before the sunlight filters through my window. My body feels tense and aching with unspent emotion. I head to the training grounds hoping that moving my body will shake the feeling off. Ver is already there and her eyes lights up when she sees me. I smile at Ver and approach her.

"Good morning, Ver. Right timing." I said. "I need to tell you something but you should promise not to tell anyone about it."

Ver wipes the sweat from her brow and looks at me with concern clouding his expression.

"Of course, Luna." Ver said. "What is it?"

I look around first before I lower my voice.

"How many of our people from Dark Shadow have joined the River Moon Pack?"

Ver looks at me first before she replies.

"A hundred. more or less."

"Good."

"But why are you asking, Luna?"

"It's because I am going to take back my pack from Ryan." I said.

His eyes widen in surprise.

"Luna, this is a dangerous plan. You could be killed if this reaches Alpha Ryan's ears. He might brand you as a traitor!"

I can understand Ver's worries. I know that my actions can make me a traitor in the eyes of the others. But I also don't want to be in a position where a mere mistress can treat me rudely just because my husband is favoring her too much. I feel like my remaining self-esteem will be shattered if I do not do something about it.

"Do you not believe in me?" I asked her. "You are originally from the Dark Shadow pack. I would have been your Alpha if I didn't marry Ryan and merged our pack with his."

"I know that, Luna. And until now, my loyalty belongs to you." she replied with conviction in her voice. "But I am also worried about you."

"I can understand your worries, Ver. But I need to do this. And for that, I need your help."

Ver looks at me for a moment before she takes a deep breath and nods her head.

"Of course I will help you, Luna. Please tell me what can I do for you."

"I need you to watch Danica closely." I said. "You can sense it, right? There is something wrong about that woman. So I need you to report everything she does to me. Can you do that?"

This time, Ver gives me a serious and firm nod.

"I will follow your orders, Luna."

"Thank you, Ver." I said.

And I mean it with every battered pieces of my heart.

After that, we continue our morning sparring. When I return to our mansion, I pour myself a glass of water. It is still too early but I need to prepare a lot. And while thinking, Danica arrives in the kitchen too.

"Oh? Good morning, Luna." Danica greeted in a sweet voice.

But I ignore her. And my attitude makes Danica to sneer in annoyance. Then she walk towards me while wearing her velvet robe and fluffy slippers. From our distance, I can smell the scent of expensive perfume and some hint of Ryan's scent from her.

"By the way, how is it?" Danica asked.

"What?" I asked her with a frown.

Then Danica smirks at me.

"How does it feel to become a cheap whore last night?"

"Mind your language, Danica. I am still the Luna of this pack!" I snapped at her.

But Danica simply rolls her eyes at me and twirls her hair with her finger.

"Oh, please. Stop with your righteous act." she said. "How did you pleased Alpha Marius last night? Did you spread your legs wide for him while you two were inside his private room?"

I stare at Danica but I control my expression. It seems like she wants to get a reaction from me. But too bad for her, I am not willing to do that today.

"And as for your position as Luna..." she added and smiles sweetly at me. "Who knows? Maybe you will wake up one day and that title doesn't belongs to you anymore."

I can imagine Lira snarling in my mind even though she remains dormant. It seems like Danica's goal for today is to make me mad. But still, I meet her gaze without blinking.

"Is that so? But I don't think I will lose it. If anything, it seems like you are getting senile first thing in the morning."

Danica's expression tightens in an instant.

"Ryan loves me a lot." Danica announced. "In the end, he will definitely choose me."

I give Danica a mocking scoff.

"Then keep all of his love to yourself for all I care."

"You should be worried though. As you can see, I can give Ryan a child. And what about you? You still cannot get pregnant until now. How pitiful."

The words she speak stings. The Mood Goddess knows how many times I desperately asked her to bless me with a child but she never gave me a response. But in front of Danica, I give her a look before I let out a chuckle.

"Why are you laughing?" Danica asked with a frown.

"I am laughing at you." I sweetly said. "You keep saying that Ryan loves you a lot. But here I am, still his wife and Luna."

Then I slowly look at her from head to toe before I continue.

"Isn't that ironic?"

Danica is about to burst in anger when I hear chuckles coming from the kitchen. I glance over and sees two omegas from my original pack. A few of them are chuckling quietly while preparing our breakfast. Danica obviously hears it but she decides to focus on me first.

"Just admit that you are useless and a disgrace to this pack!" Danica hissed.

I give Danica a slow and deliberate smile.

"And what about you? Why don't you just admit that you are a runaway beta from another pack and trying to seduce someone else's mate? Pathetic move, don't you think?"

The whole kitchen becomes silent after that. Danica pales in my words. Everyone knows that being rude to me will suffer this kind of insult. Seeing Danica who remains shocked from my words, I smile victoriously to myself.

Out of nowhere, I suddenly remember the conversation I had with Alpha Marius while he was whispering to my ear in a husky voice.

'And do you know what I want?'

'...What?'

'You.'

Then I shiver. But not from fear. It is from the fact that deep inside, maybe I want to be wanted too. Even if I will never admit it out loud.

Soon, Danica opens her mouth again and desperately trying to reclaim control. Her face is now red with fury.

"You! Do you think you're untouchable just because of your bond with Alpha Ryan? You are just clinging to scraps, Georgina. Ryan is already mine from the very start!"

"Hah." I scoffed. "You are the one clinging to him. Do you think a child will instantly give you power here? No, Danica. It only gives you a heavy responsibility and not a crown."

She falters a little and start blinking her eyes. Then the silence thickens around us again. So I take advantage of it and continues.

"I am already a Luna before you ever knew how to kneel. And I will still be a Luna long after you choke on your schemes."

Danica opens her mouth but then falters. Her hands tremble slightly. I have don't have enough time to deal with her. But when I move past her, she lets out a sudden gasp and falls on the floor.

Danica collapses to the ground like a dropped puppet. Her velvet robe pools around her knees. And then, she starts crying. Danica lets out a loud and heaving sobs while crumpling herself on the tile like a shattered doll.

I turn around and feels unsure whether to feel concern for this woman or to prepare for the show I know is coming. And right on cue, Ryan rushes in through the kitchen entrance. His eyes immediately land on Danica's sobbing form.

"Danica!" Ryan called in an urgent voice. "What happened, Danica? Tell me!"

Danica lifts her tear-streaked face. Her mascara is smudged across her cheekbones. And then she slowly lifts her hand to point at me.

"Alpha Ryan..." Danica whined. "She... Luna Georgina pushed me."

Ryan's expression hardens like stone.

"You what?" he demands before stepping between us. "You pushed her?!"

"What? I didn't lay a finger on her." I said but my heart thuds once in my chest. "She's obviously lying."

"A-Alpha Ryan... She fell on her own." one of the omegas quietly said from behind the counter. "Luna Georgina never touched her."

"Y-Yeah." another whispers. "Danica just—"

Ryan turns his head sharply toward them. He gives those omegas a fierce glare that causes them to freeze in place. The kitchen then becomes quiet. Ryan's anger causes the omegas to retreat. Seeing this, I step forward and placed myself between Ryan and the staff.

"Don't take your anger out on them. Talk to me if you have anything to say."

Ryan glares at me while breathing hard. But soon, he takes a deep breathe before wrapping his arms protectively around Danica and lifts her into his arms.

"We will talk about this later, Georgina." Ryan coldly said. "Alone."

I don't respond. I just stand by and watch Ryan silently leave their wake after carrying his mistress away like a wounded queen. Then I turn slowly and meets the frightened ones behind the counter.

"Go on with your duties." I tell them softly. "Don't worry. None of you did anything wrong."

Although they all look subdued, they still nod their heads before watching me with something that looks a lot like quiet respect.

My blood is simmering beneath the surface when I leave the kitchen. Danica's blatant lie burns like acid in my chest. But the look in Ryan's eyes is the worst. He did not hesitate to believe her.

And since I am still his mate, that hurts me more than anything else.