Chapter 8: Among Enemies

The journey was long. Alpha Stellan was buried in his laptop, so I decided to use the time to catch up on sleep. But the moment I closed my eyes, Renata’s shrill voice screamed in my mind.

“Leona, how dare you defy your family?” she shrieked through the mind-link. “We told you to fix the mess you created, and instead, you run away? Do you have any idea what this union means to our pack? Your father and Alpha Caleb are trusted allies, and now everything is on the line because of one spoiled, ungrateful brat!”

I sighed deeply. Again, she didn't even try to pretend she cared about my wellbeing. To her, it was a pure business.

“I got you a better deal,” I replied coldly. “The North Storm is a far stronger pack.”

“I do not care! Generations were spent building our ties, and you destroyed everything in a single day. Come back and beg Erik for forgiveness. Tell him you were emotional and confused. Promise him—”

Alma roared angrily in my head, a sound so fierce that Renata paused, shocked.

“Do you even hear yourself?” I spat. “Erik disrespected me openly by putting his adoptive sister above me. He rejected me, raised his hand to me, and left me as a tribute during an attack. I could have been raped, killed, or enslaved, and you still think I need to apologize? NEVER! You do not care about me, Renata, but I care about my dignity. I will never go near Erik again.”

“It is your fault that you angered him,” she hissed. “If you were softer, more obedient—sweet like Rose—he would never have turned on you.”

I saw red.

“So, instead of protecting your daughter, you want to throw me into the lion’s den? To accept being second best? To rot in the shadows while Erik parades Rose around? Guess what? It isn’t happening. I will be the Luna of North Storm, and nobody is going to stop me.”

“Do not crawl back to our door when Alpha Stellan begins to abuse you,” she spat, her voice dripping with venom. “Even if he beats you to death, we will not interfere. You chose this ruthless monster over your family. You are dead to us.”

I severed the mind-link. No tears. No regrets. None. I was done with them.

A shiver of discomfort ran through me, and I realized Alpha Stellan’s blue eyes were focused on me. I wasn’t sure how long he had been watching, but I probably looked furious during my "silent" conversation with Renata.

“Any problem?” he asked.

I inhaled, steadying my uneven breath. “Not at all. My parents are dying to meet you,” I lied effortlessly, a fake smile touching my lips.

Alpha Stellan simply nodded, his eyes shifting back to his screen.

I looked out the window. It was late spring, and the views were breathtaking: a cloudless blue sky, emerald grass, and jagged mountain peaks dotted with wildflowers. This was to be my home for a year.

My gut feeling was never wrong, and right now, it was telling me a new storm was brewing. Never in history had a pack welcomed an outsider Luna easily, and my case would be no different. I would have to earn my place.

“And you will show them who you truly are,” Alma beamed proudly.

I smiled. They might have challenges prepared for me, but they had no idea what was coming.

As we reached the gates, I expected to see a lavish, modern territory, given how much the North Storm had thriven. But as the SUV rolled toward the packhouse, I didn't expect to see a crowd of people lined up to welcome us.

I glanced at my wrinkled clothes, still stained with blood from Erik's beating. My hair was a mess, and I wore no makeup. But the moment the warrior opened the door, I raised my chin and stepped out, tall and proud.

Alpha Stellan immediately moved to my side, taking my hand and squeezing it in reassurance. I glanced at him. He looked just as rough—he had been led an attack, after all, not attending a party.

I scanned the crowd. I saw confusion in their eyes, lust in the eyes of some males, and clear disgust from a few she-wolves looking at my messy outfit.

One older she-wolf, graceful and beautiful with features similar to Stellan’s, stood at the front—his mother. Beside her was a petite blonde, and on the other side, a woman with dark hair and piercing brown eyes. The blonde watched Stellan with eyes full of adoration; the brunette looked indifferent, her thoughts seemingly miles away.

Stellan’s voice rang out with undeniable authority. “North Storm! I promised you the head of the villain, and I have delivered. I have brought Jeremy to face his punishment!”

The crowd whispered, clapped, and roared happily. Stellan raised his hand for silence, and the air went still.

“But revenge is not the only good news I bring,” Stellan continued. “I have also brought someone vital to me and to this pack—my future Luna, Leona Lombardi. I demand you treat her with the same respect you show me. A formal introduction will follow during the Town Hall.”

I observed the crowd, identifying my enemies in an instant. Stellan’s mother’s jaw went tense—she was visibly displeased. The blonde was on the verge of tears. A handsome blonde guy nearby narrowed his eyes in anger.

“Stellan, don’t you think you’re rushing things?” his mother asked, stepping forward with a faint, tight smile.

“Mother, I know what I am doing.” He brushed her off and guided me toward the house. “I will introduce Leona properly at lunch. You will have plenty of time to get to know her then. For now, I am going to help my bride settle in.”

I was grateful he was giving me a chance to breathe. I noticed the blonde girl gasping for air like a fish out of water. She definitely wasn’t a member of my fan club.

“Keep your friends close and your enemies closer”, I thought. I didn’t ask where we were going. I simply studied the area and the people, calculating my moves. My battle for survival was about to begin, and I didn't plan on losing.