Library
Search
Home / Werewolf / The Tribute Luna: A Year with the Enemy / Chapter 40: Simply Stand Up

Share

Chapter 40: Simply Stand Up

Author: Zoia Zatserkovna
last update publish date: 2026-06-15 19:50:35

Stellan

On pure instinct, I jumped into the pool and pulled Rebecca out — sobbing, trembling, her arms already snaking around my neck before I’d even set her on her feet.

“Stellan, thank you. If it weren’t for you, I’d already be dead.”

Emiliya, Garrison, and Brian had arrived at a dead run, warriors at their backs. They stood in a loose half-circle, chests heaving, eyes moving between Rebecca clinging to my chest and Leona standing three feet away, completely dry, completely still.

Skoll
Continue to read this book for free
Scan code to download App
Previous Chapter Next Chapter
Locked Chapter

Latest chapter

  • The Tribute Luna: A Year with the Enemy   Chapter 58: The Night I'd Mark Him

    Leona Watching the fire devour the pages of the contract was incredibly satisfying. "Now, the bright future ahead. I'm looking forward to Emiliya's mating ceremony — and to a litter of our own pups," Stellan laughed, hugging me from behind. Ah, Emiliya's ceremony — postponed several months because she wanted her art professor there, and he'd been overseas until next month. But the mention of pups caught me off guard. We'd never talked about them before. "Do you want pups?" I asked, hiding how emotional I'd suddenly become. "Of course I want pups with you, my love," he whispered, kissing my hair. "But only if you want them too. I can wait as long as it takes for you to be ready." I didn't answer right away. The truth was, the question undid something in me. I'd been a child no one wanted — a daughter my stepmother tolerated and my father forgot, raised on the understanding that love had to be earned and never quite could be. For most of my life, the idea of a family of my own ha

  • The Tribute Luna: A Year with the Enemy   Chapter 57: A Winning Card

    RoseI clenched my fists, digging my nails so deep they drew blood, biting my lip to keep from screaming. Again — again — that bitch Leona had come out of the trap victorious. Rebecca had her cornered; she'd stolen some contract proving Leona and Alpha Stellan's relationship was fake. I'd been waiting for the day I'd hear that Leona had crawled out of North Storm, humiliated and completely ruined. Instead, my cousin brought sad news: somehow Leona had been marked by her king and raised higher than ever.It made my blood boil. The veins at my temples pulsed, my vision blurring with fury. I closed my eyes, forced my breath to steady, and wiped the blood from my lip and palm with a white handkerchief.My hand slid to my still-flat belly — not with tenderness, but with the quiet satisfaction of a gambler covering her winning card. This was my guarantee. Erik could mourn Leona all he liked; no Alpha in the North could refuse to make the mother of his heir his Luna. The pup was the one chip

  • The Tribute Luna: A Year with the Enemy   Chapter 56: He Chose Me

    Leona"Rebecca, that won't be necessary," Stellan said sternly, then looked out at the crowd. "There is one mistake I made seven months ago. And now it's time to correct it."His expression was unreadable, and the audience gasped, utterly confused.I watched Stellan's eyes sweep through the hall, searching for Sybilla — and his face darkened."Leona. Come to the stage. What has to be done needs to be done. No time to waste." Each of his words landed like a slap.So this was it. We'd agreed he couldn't let the contract go public — that it would destroy all of us — and that if Sybilla failed, we'd fall back on plan B: rejection. But even knowing that, I'd still nursed a fragile hope that in the end he'd choose me. Over the pack. Over the crown. Neither of us would rule anything after a humiliation like this, but we could still be together, even stripped of our titles. Our love just wasn't enough against power.I exhaled and began to climb the stage, my chin high. I would not let myself

  • The Tribute Luna: A Year with the Enemy   Chapter 55: The Dawn Bride

    StellanSunlight streamed into the room. Leona was still asleep, her hand resting possessively on my abs as if to declare ownership, and I smiled.Yesterday, once we'd finally hatched a plan and Sybilla had left, we made love. And it was an out-of-this-world feeling — even though we'd done it countless times before, it had never felt so good. For the first time, there were no regrets. No guilt. No clock counting down over the bed. I could be with Leona openly, and I lay there a moment longer than I should have, just watching her breathe, letting myself have it — this ordinary, impossible thing, a morning that belonged to us.Skoll purred like a docile, fluffy cat, and I suppressed a chuckle. Though honestly, it wasn't time to laugh yet — we still didn't know if our plan would hold. Everything rested on Sybilla. She'd slipped away before dawn to do the one thing none of us could: reach what Rebecca had hidden by means the rest of us simply didn't possess. All I had to do was keep the p

  • The Tribute Luna: A Year with the Enemy   Chapter 54: Nobody Decides My Ending but Me

    LeonaThe door opened and Stellan entered without knocking. His face was pale as a sheet, his eyes darting between me and Sybilla — the two of us casually clutching wine glasses like old friends."Care to join us?" Sybilla said, raising hers."I definitely need something stronger than that," he mumbled, lowering himself into the armchair.Was he this worked up over the whole situation of me leaving? I hated seeing him miserable — and yet, somewhere deep inside, a flicker of satisfaction ignited. He cared. He loved me.I poured him a glass of whisky, and he downed almost all of it in one go."Stellan, there's something I have to tell you," Sybilla began."And there's something I need to tell both of you," he replied, his tone making it clear nothing good was coming. "But go ahead first, Sybilla.""I've decided to release you from your promise to mate me. I do love you — but I won't stand between you and Leona. And frankly, I see myself as a witch, not a Luna. Maybe it was fate that pul

  • The Tribute Luna: A Year with the Enemy   Chapter 53: A Heart Chooses Better Than Fate

    Leona"Leona, I may look naive, but I'm not. I can see exactly how Stellan looks at you, and how you look at him — even though you both try so desperately to hide it. Even behind your composed mask, I saw the way your hand trembled when he covered it with his. The pain in your eyes while you forced those fake smiles. I know everything."I set my glass down slowly. If she wanted a confession, she'd be waiting a long time. "And what exactly do you want me to do with that?""Nothing. I'm not accusing you." Sybilla sipped her wine, unbothered by the ice in my voice. "I dreamed about the day I'd see Stellan again. How ecstatic he'd be. The moment he'd drop to one knee and propose. I imagined it countless times — walking down the aisle in a pearl-white gown, Stellan waiting there with the face of the happiest man alive. But dreams and reality aren't the same. I came home only to find my place already taken, my man already standing beside another woman.""Then say what you came to say," I cu

  • The Tribute Luna: A Year with the Enemy   Chapter 5: I Reject You

    Curiosity peaked, and I bolted out to find Alpha Caleb and see what was going on. But before I could reach the doorknob to exit the packhouse, a strong hand grabbed my wrist and spun me around."Babe, it's not safe out there," Erik said, his voice laced with concern."Shouldn't you be worrying abou

  • The Tribute Luna: A Year with the Enemy   Chapter 4: The Mark of Another

    I grabbed my silk robe and tied it swiftly."And why shall we postpone our mating ceremony?" I asked sternly, crossing my arms.Erik was dressing with such speed you’d think the room was on fire. "Baby, please understand. Rose is sick. She has Moonshade disease. Have you ever heard of it?" His voic

  • The Tribute Luna: A Year with the Enemy   Chapter 3: The Ruby Bribe

    “I hope you do not mind Rose coming with us. I want my sister and mate to become friends,” Erik announced, opening the passenger door for me.But Rose chimed in before I could step toward it. “I am sorry, but I feel so sick in the back. The motion makes my head spin. Could I please take the passeng

  • The Tribute Luna: A Year with the Enemy   Chapter 1: Broken Vows

    Leona "The mating ceremony of my son, Erik, and Leona, daughter of Alpha Alaric, will take place on the next full moon!"Alpha Caleb's voice rolled out over the hall, and the crowd answered with a roar of applause. I stood beside my fiancé on the stage, his hand in mine, a champagne flute in my oth

More Chapters

You May Also Like

Explore and read good novels for free
Free access to a vast number of good novels on GoodNovel app. Download the books you like and read anywhere & anytime.
Read books for free on the app
SCAN CODE TO READ ON APP
DMCA.com Protection Status