8.

Selene's POV

—

I barely slept. Every time I closed my eyes, the horrifying images returned, followed by the suffocating realisation of how serious the accusations against me were.

But worse than the accusations was the look in Theon's eyes.

For years, I had believed he knew me better than anyone. I had trusted him with parts of myself I had never allowed anyone else to see. I had believed that, no matter what happened, he would always know when I was telling the truth.

Yet, when it mattered most, he couldn't bring himself to believe me.

I turned onto my side, wincing as pain shot through the bruises along my ribs.

Perhaps I had expected too much. Theon was an Alpha before he was my mate. His first responsibility was to the pack, and Cora's accusation involved the death of someone the pack had regarded as its future heir.

Still, understanding his position didn't make his doubt any less painful.

I forced myself to push the thought aside. I had more pressing concerns, particularly one question that had been bothering me since the incident.

Had Cora ever been pregnant?

Everyone believed she had been carrying Eren's child, but the more I thought about it now, the less convinced I became.

She had deliberately lured me to the cliff before dragging me over the edge with her. Why would a woman carrying the one thing that could secure her position and influence in the pack risk both their lives?

A soft knock interrupted my thoughts.

"Come in."

The door opened, and Nessa, my handmaiden, stepped inside carrying a tray.

"Good morning, Luna."

"Nessa."

She set the tray on the bedside table, then crossed to the window to draw back the blinds.

"How are you feeling today?"

"Better than yesterday."

"That's good. The physician says you should be able to walk a little today, provided you don't put too much pressure on your ankle."

I nodded, waiting for her to say more. For a foolish moment, I had hoped that she would mention that Theon had left a message.

It was becoming increasingly pathetic how much I still wanted to see him. How accustomed I had gotten to him.

Nessa returned to the bedside table, arranging my breakfast so everything was within my reach.

"Nessa?"

"Yes, Luna?" She looked up at me.

I hesitated. Aside from Theon, she was probably the only person I still trusted, even if that trust was fragile.

Could I involve her in suspicions?

"The Alpha has been in his office since he left you," Nessa's voice broke through my thoughts "The investigation is in full swing, and he's been meeting with the pack officials and reviewing everything connected to the incident."

Some of the tension in my chest eased. At least he was investigating.

Before I could ask, Nessa continued.

"I know you're worried about him, Luna," she added. "You can always ask me."

I smiled faintly, holding my thoughts. That wasn't quite what I had wanted to ask, but it was enough.

"Could you tell him to come and see me as soon as he can? It's urgent."

"Of course," she said. "Eat up, Luna. I'll go get your bath ready..."

After Nessa left, I turned my attention to my breakfast in front of me, but my appetite had disappeared.

I had known Theon for almost three years. Sometimes, I wondered how my life would have turned out if I hadn't met him.

When I first encountered him, I was just an orphan struggling to find my place in a pack that had never been particularly kind to me. Being an Omega had taught me early that some people considered me less worthy simply because of my status.

I had never imagined becoming an Alpha's mate. The mere thought of it was just as scary as it was ridiculous, especially because my experiences with Alphas and wolves in general gave me little reason to trust anyone.

Back then, Theon was IronClaw's Beta, serving under his elder brother, Eren. Since Eren had no heir, the council had begun encouraging Theon to find a mate, believing he might eventually inherit the Alpha position if anything were to happen to Eren. A mate was part of the requirements.

I remembered how unexpected our first meeting had been. When the mate bond revealed itself, I hadn't immediately accepted it.

I was almost twenty, and all I wanted was to be eligible to access the borders and escape the life I had endured in my former pack. Trusting an Alpha was the last thing I wanted.

But Theon had been patient.

I had always felt unfortunate for not finding my mate soon like other wolves. Discovering that Theon had experienced the same thing had felt like a good sign.

Still, the idea of becoming his mate terrified me, especially when he decided to accept the bond and mark me.

What if he eventually regretted choosing an Omega? What if I gave him my heart only to have it broken?

I had so many questions, and Theon had spent almost a year answering them.

For an entire year, he pursued me, reassuring me that my status meant nothing to him. He promised to protect me, respect me, and give me a place where I would never have to feel inferior again.

He never made me feel beneath him. Even when I tried to push him away, he remained patient.

Eventually, I believed him.

I accepted the bond and joined him in IronClaw. When Eren eventually died, Theon became Alpha, and I became his Luna.

The transition hadn't been easy. I had gone from being an ordinary Omega to the Luna of one of the most powerful packs in the underworld. Suddenly, I had responsibilities I barely understood and people who expected me to know exactly how to handle them.

But Theon had helped me through it all.

I remembered how proud he had looked the first time I successfully presided over a council meeting without his assistance. He had even taken me out to celebrate.

A faint smile touched my lips.

Those had been happy days...until Cora.

I closed my eyes, recalling how our relationship had gradually deteriorated.

Cora had been Eren's mate and Luna. At first, we had little reason to interact, and our relationship remained polite but distant.

After Eren's death, I assumed her occasional hostility was simply grief. I tried to be considerate, giving her space and never questioning her place in the pack.

But things changed drastically when I became Luna.

Suddenly, she had an opinion about everything I did. She questioned my decisions, made unnecessary remarks about my upbringing, and frequently challenged me in front of other pack members. And when I defended myself, she made it seem like I had attacked her.

I remembered one particular council meeting when I suggested giving younger Omegas opportunities to work in the administrative wing of the packhouse.

Cora had immediately questioned whether I truly understood the responsibilities of managing IronClaw. She suggested I should concentrate on learning my duties as Luna before attempting to change the pack's traditions.

I had been embarrassed enough to question myself afterwards.

But Theon had reassured me that I shouldn't let anyone discourage me from making decisions I believed were right; he had stood up for me.

Back then, I had thought Cora was simply struggling to accept her new position. Now, I wasn't so sure.

There was also the way she behaved around Theon. Their familiarity had always struck me as unusual, but whenever I considered questioning it, it felt unreasonable.

Sometimes Cora interrupted our private moments with one excuse or another, insisting she needed to discuss matters concerning Eren's former responsibilities with Theon.

I had never objected. She was his brother's widow, after all. It seemed natural that she would seek his assistance.

But looking back, I remembered how uncomfortable I sometimes felt watching them together.

At times, I genuinely felt like an outsider.

And Theon never seemed to notice.

A bitter laugh escaped my lips. I knew Theon would never intentionally hurt me; he never had.

My thoughts returned to her pregnancy.

When Cora announced she was expecting Eren's child, the entire pack had celebrated. I had been happy for her too, even visiting her chambers with gifts to congratulate her.

At the time, I hadn't considered what the pregnancy meant beyond the arrival of a new life.

But with Cora's accusation, I allowed myself to think that far.

If Eren's child had been born, he would eventually have inherited the pack. Cora would have become the mother of the future Alpha, securing her influence and making her position within IronClaw virtually untouchable.

And what would that have meant for me?

I would still have been Theon's mate, but I would ultimately lose my position as Luna; that was enough for anyone to think I could have caused the child's death.

However, I would have been content with just being Theon's mate.

Thinking about everything now, Cora's hostility seemed to make more sense.

My stomach tightened as the memory of the cliff returned.

She had known exactly what she was doing. She had deliberately dragged me over that edge, then somehow managed to turn the entire situation against me despite having so much to gain from the pregnancy, unless all of it was one big lie.

I stared at my hands, my thoughts racing.

What if everything had been carefully orchestrated from the beginning? What if Cora had fabricated the entire pregnancy, then staged the child's death to get rid of me and gather sympathy?

The thought was absurd and chilling. But after everything that had happened, I could no longer afford to dismiss any possibility.

I knew no one would believe me without proof, especially with such a damning accusation hanging over my head.

The only person I could hope to convince was Theon. But even that wouldn't be enough. I needed something concrete to back up my suspicions.

And if Cora had indeed fabricated her pregnancy, then Warren was the first person I needed to question. He had been responsible for her diagnosis and subsequent checkups.

What if he had been part of all of it too?