It had been three weeks since I left the hospital, three weeks since I found myself confined to this wheelchair, and three weeks since everyone began to label me as the “crippled Luna.”
The council of elders had decided that Mia would take over my role, stepping in as the Luna to support my mate during official events while I remained a mere spectator.
Not a single person had the bravery to defend me, to voice that this was unjust.
As my maid wheeled me into the hall, laughter rang out around me, and a wave of bitterness surged through my heart.
I felt like a discarded puppet, easily replaced. My eyes scanned the room until they landed on Mia, my so-called best friend, sharing a laugh with Ethan.
My hands shook with fury at the sight of their happiness while I languished, left in the dark about their intentions for me.
Without a second thought, I commanded my maid to roll me toward them. “Mia!” I shouted, my voice cutting through their laughter. Heads turned, and an uneasy silence enveloped the room.
Mia's smile faded the moment she spotted me. “What do you want, Lila?” she snapped, attempting to mask her discomfort.
My heart raced, emotions threatening to spill over. “Aren't you embarrassed? Don’t you have any dignity? What kind of best friend takes over for her best friend? Why do you act like I’m invisible when I’m right here?”
Mia’s eyes widened, disbelief washing over her. “What are you saying? You’re just being paranoid. You shouldn’t even be here—you're crippled, Lila.”
“Paranoid?” I repeated, my voice rising in intensity. “I heard everything! You thought I was asleep, but I was wide awake. I overheard you two talking about your affair, you didn't even care I was there, you were kissing your best friend's husband shamelessly!”
Gasps echoed through the crowd, their eyes flitting between us. I felt their gazes pierce me, but I pressed on. “You think I’m oblivious? You think I’ll just ignore this?”
Mia’s face turned red with fury. “You’re out of your mind! Ethan would never do that to you!”
“Wouldn’t he?” I retorted, bitterness dripping from my words. “You’ve been pretending to be the loyal friend while sneaking around with my mate! How could you betray me like this?”
Ethan, who had been quiet until now, finally stepped forward. “Lila, this isn’t the right moment—”
“This is the moment!” I interjected, my voice trembling with emotion. “You’ve both turned your backs on me! Do you think I don’t understand what it’s like to be trapped in this body? To feel utterly powerless? I’m finished with your games, and I’m putting a stop to it right now!”
Mia moved closer, a mix of defiance and fear flickering in her eyes. “You’re just trying to play on everyone’s sympathy. You’re upset about your situation, but that’s not my doing!”
My heart raced, anger surging within me. “You believe I’m upset solely because of my legs? I’m furious because you’ve stripped everything away from me! Everyone calls you Luna now—do you even know how that feels?”
“It was the elder council's choice, not mine! Why are you blaming me?”
“I heard you! How could you betray me like this?” I yelled, tears streaming down my cheeks. “You were meant to be my best friend!”
Mia’s face contorted in disbelief. “I don’t know what you think you heard, but you’re mistaken! This is all in your imagination!”
Ethan finally rose to his feet, his expression hardening. “I’m done tolerating your nonsense,” he said, looking directly at me. “I grew weary of you long before your accident. I won’t stand by while you accuse me of betrayal.”
I let out a dark chuckle, the sound cutting and bitter. “You’ve left me broken, Ethan.”
“Don’t say that!” he retorted, but I could see the cracks forming in his bravado.
I turned to the healer, who was cowering in the corner. “You! Get over here!” I commanded.
The healer approached, visibly trembling. “I… I didn’t mean to—”
“Speak up! Tell them what you know!” I urged, my voice rising with urgency.
The healer stuttered, “Alpha Ethan ordered me to… to do something horrific. But I couldn’t follow through. The Luna has always been kind to me. He asked me to poison the Luna with a portion to make her crippled and eventually kill her”
Ethan lunged at her, rage burning in his eyes, ready to silence her for exposing the truth. But he halted when I raised my hand and stood up, my body shaking with newfound strength. “No, Ethan. Guards! Seize him!”
“She’s lying about me, sweetheart, you know I care for you,” he pleaded, desperation creeping into his tone.
“Save your words for the day you face the flames. As you can see, Ethan, I’m not truly crippled; she merely gave me injections that numbed my legs for a few days. How could you do this, Ethan?”
“Why isn’t Mia being arrested too?” he yelled, his voice rising in panic. “She’s just as guilty!”
Mia let out a sharp, mocking laugh. “You’ve been played, Ethan. We were testing you to see if you were worthy of marrying Lila—worthy of leading her pack as Alpha. And like the greedy fool you are, you failed.”
The room fell into stunned silence, the weight of her words sinking in. Ethan’s face twisted in disbelief, his bravado crumbling. “You... you can’t be serious.”
“I’m very serious,” Mia replied, her voice steady. “We needed to know if you truly loved Lila or if you were just using her to gain power. And it seems you’ve shown your true colors.”
“You can't just arrest me Lila, I'm the only man you love and I love you, what would become of me if you do this?”
“Perhaps you should have thought about that before you decided to betray me” I said, my voice steady. “You lost the right to call me yours the moment you plotted against me.”
