The Masked Luna

Riona tried her best to breathe despite the smelly air of something rotten, she was sitting on the cold bare floor that made her backside hurt, blindfolded with her hands tied behind her in silver chains that burnt her delicate wrist. For days the darkness created by the blindfold tormented her with nothing but the quiet of the room.

How long have I been here? Maybe a week, how did I even end up here?

She bowed her head when her tears threatened her eyes, how did my life even come to this? Why did my father have to leave me alone to face this cruel world when I was not ready? I couldn't become the brave little girl you taught me to be. Sorry... I'm so sorry daddy.

Riona couldn't believe how much her life had changed after her father died. Her people found her disgusting because of her scar and would look away at her arrival and some would avoid her entirely but the one person who had kissed her and smiled at her even while looking into her eyes, not once paying attention to the mask on the one side of her face.

How could she have let him break down her walls, Marshall had abducted her and locked her up in here. He probably glared at her when she wasn't looking and washed up after being with her. Yes, he probably believed she was ugly behind her mask after all she was not his mate but he held her close at night and whispered fake words of love to her, fooled her good and she fell so hard for it. Blinded her with false love and the need to be accepted.

After so long Riona finally heard something other than silence, it was the clicking of heels. With her hearing trained on it, she perked up as the sound drew closer and someone was now in front of her. A hand caressed the mask that cover the side of her face that her scar was meant to be but wasn't.

She never found the courage to show her real face to her people since her father died, a coward luna hiding under a mask. Pathetic.

Riona flinched, moving her face away.

"Who is that?" She asked, her voice hoarse from staying long without water.

Her tense body relaxed in the slightest when her mask was left intact. The mask that had defined her whole life as the masked luna.

It was no praise but a curse to hunt her ever since the accident when her dad died, she had been living with a scarred face that made people murmur and question her capability as a luna. She has had to wear the mask since the doctors said she would have to live with a ruined face but the wound healed within the month she got it leaving no trace of its existence. Who cares?

I am really stupid for ever thinking someone could actually like me for me and to think I was considering taking off my mask one day.

Of course, she had dreamt about being with Marshall and smiled unconsciously in her sleep after they had been together she never set out in search of her true mate, and why would I when I was so comfortable with his fake acceptance.

If I knew... Would I be here? Probably not.

"Riona? Are you okay? What happened and why are you..."

Her mood lifted at the familiar voice. "Lily? Lily!" She gasped and darted her covered eye left and right in search of her best friend.

"Yes it's me Rinrin, your dear bestie," Lily said. Her tone blank "You are really dumb Rinrin."

"Lily what do you mean? Why are you here and how did you find me?"

"You would like to know won't you, my dearest bestie,"

Riona felt lily's hand skim her face just an inch below her mask, then she felt her reach behind her and untied the blindfold, taking it off.

"That is much better." She said while she pulled back.

Riona winced before she closed her eyes and pulled her face to the side the moment the blindfold was off, blinking several times to adjust to the brightness of the room it was like someone forced her to look at the blazing sun. She gazed up at Lily and now noticed another person was present holding Lily's hand.

Marshall in flesh stood next to Lily. The color from her face drained and fear clawed at her like an animal at the sight of the person that put her in her situation.

You little piece of...

"Lily get away from him, he is_"

"He is my mate," lily intercepted holding her sinister smile.

"What do you mean your mate?"

"Precisely what she said Riona, I hope you know what that means."

Our engagement is off? of course, it was of the moment you abducted me asshat but there is something more playing out.

"Rinrin I'm so sorry for not telling you sooner but I had to because you see we had this plan to get something I wanted." Lily pulled Marshall into a kiss, "your pack."

Her mouth dropped open, shellshocked and her eyes continued blinking at the two in an embrace.

You say what now?

"Once you are out of the picture bestie then your pack will have no choice but to accept my Marshall because it was their luna's last wish."

Gone. They are going to kill me? Riona's breathing had longed ceased. My pack, everything my father worked hard to achieve... They were going to snatch everything from me.

My best friend and my fiancee are going to destroy everything.

I am really a failure.

She snapped out of it when she heard a voice that once whispered sweet nothings to her. "You didn't think someone like me will marry an ugly thing like you but then again you were always so stupid and easy."

Marshall's words cut as deep as a knife... no, even deeper.

Stupid? EASY!? Fuck you two deceiving snakes, I can't believe I ended up at the mercy of my enemies without even knowing it.

"Speechless? Marshall, we got her good. Such a useless luna but no worries, the pack doesn't need a weak and ugly Luna." Lily looked down at Riona this time with a grim frown on her face. "Now I will be the Luna."

Riona's body was at a standstill her eyes wide staring at the couple, everything was about to end and she couldn't even cry like she wanted to.

"You are strong, I will give you that. I thought you would die after some days down here with nothing to eat or drink but no you didn't." Lily said such bitter things that Riona wanted to believe she was stuck in a nightmare, one she needed to get the fuck out of.

She really couldn't trust anyone, if only she took her father's advice to heart then she would never let the enemy invade her in every way.

"It's over for you Rinrin, now you can go see daddy dearest and I will take care of everything here."

She watched Marshall pull out a gun and pointed it at her.

"Any last words?"

She had just one thing to say.

"Actually I do."

Lily raised a brow at her, her voice didn't show signs of fear at the gun and her eyes had fire in them.

"I will be back to fuck you up so bad bitch," she spat out words so vulgar she didn't recognize herself.

"It's a date then." lily said.

The last thing she heard was the sickening laughter from the couple, the trigger was pulled. Riona felt the silver bullet penetrate her flesh, heading for her heart. She fell back with the force of the bullet, hitting her head hard on the floor. Her body went limp on the ground, blood flowing freely from her chest and her head as she lost consciousness.