The Forsaken Luna's Dark Secret Vengeance

Adalynn POV:

I hung up with Jenna, her promises to dig into Isadora Bennett's background echoing in the silent car.

The shopping bags sat on the seat beside me, a toxic monument. The blended scent of Garrison's cedar and Isadora's cloying floral perfume was a physical assault, making my stomach churn.

My phone buzzed. An unknown number. I hesitated for a fraction of a second before answering.

"Luna?" The voice was soft, feminine, and sickeningly sweet. "It's Isadora Bennett."

My hand tightened on the leather armrest, the material groaning under the pressure. My knuckles turned white.

"Garrison left something at my place," she continued, her tone dripping with false innocence. "His cufflinks. He's always so forgetful. I just wanted to let you know, so you wouldn't worry."

It was a declaration of war. A deliberate, calculated display of her intimacy with my husband.

I met my own eyes in the partition glass. A cold, hollow smile touched my lips. "Is that so?" I said, my voice light. "The obsidian ones with the Britt family crest? They are rather important."

I wanted her to know that I knew every detail of his life. That I was not ignorant.

There was a slight pause on her end. A flicker of surprise. "You're so attentive, Luna," she recovered smoothly. "Unlike me. I only pay attention to Garrison himself."

"Miss Bennett," I cut her off, my voice dropping its feigned lightness and turning to steel. "If you find my husband's property, you are to return it to the estate's butler. You do not call me. That is the protocol."

I didn't wait for a response. I ended the call .

The car swept through the iron gates of the Britt Estate. Garrison's assistant, Belle Beach, was waiting on the steps of the main house, her expression rigid.

I got out of the car. Belle approached, her posture stiff with self-importance. "Luna. The Alpha has requested your immediate presence in the Ceremony Hall."

I saw the flash of contempt in her eyes. The flicker of satisfaction. It was an open secret in the estate that Belle was hopelessly in love with Garrison.

The Ceremony Hall was vast and empty, its stone walls seeming to absorb all warmth. A single, hard cushion sat in the center of the marble floor.

Belle followed me in, her arms crossed over her chest. "Luna, you missed your meeting with the Crescent Moon Pack emissaries today. You've damaged our Pack's reputation. The Alpha has ordered you to kneel here and reflect on your failure until he returns."

My gaze turned to ice. "Are those his exact words?"

Belle's chin lifted. "Do I need to repeat an order from the Alpha? Or is a simple act of obedience too much for an Omega to manage?"

The insult hung in the air, thick and deliberate. She was using his authority as a weapon for her own petty jealousy. Garrison might have expressed displeasure, but this-this command to kneel, this public shaming-had Belle's venom all over it.

I looked at her, my expression unreadable. "Belle," I asked quietly, "how long have you been in this position?"

She was taken aback by the question. "Five years," she answered automatically.

"Five years," I repeated, my voice a soft murmur, as if speaking to myself. "Long enough to learn many things... and make many unforgivable mistakes."

Before she could process my words, I moved. I walked to the cushion and slowly, deliberately, knelt.

My knees met the cold, unyielding stone. A sharp pain shot up my legs, but it was nothing compared to the frozen void in my chest.

Arguing now was pointless. It would only give Belle more ammunition. I had to endure.

A triumphant smirk spread across Belle's face as she saw me kneel. She had won.

"I hope you reflect well, Luna," she said, her voice dripping with false concern. She turned and walked out, pulling the heavy oak doors shut behind her.

I was alone in the echoing silence. My back was ramrod straight, like a winter tree that would break before it would bend.

I closed my eyes. There was no humiliation in my heart. Only the cold, clear calculation of my next move.

This, I would remember.

And Belle Beach would be the first to pay.