Truth

LAKE

I stare blankly as Lee and Shayna dress my shoulder. The antiseptic stings all the way to my bone.

“Luna, are you okay?” Lee asks. I can hear the remorse in her tone.

“Lee, it’s not your fault.” I put my hand over hers. “Nor is it yours, Shayna. This isn’t the worst thing that has happened to me.”

“We would have taken the punishment for you, Luna,” Shayna interjects. “You shouldn’t have this gauze on your shoulder for your ceremony.”

I sigh heavily. It appears that neither of these girls knows I’m mated to another male, even if my mark from Derrick is prominent through the low-cut bustline of this dress.

“Well, don’t you look lovely.” Morana appears behind me. “Leave.”

Shayna and Lee start to do as they’re told, but I’m quick to stop them. If Lucas wants me to be luna so badly, I’ll play along.

“They are to be by my side at all times, Morana,” I say plainly. “What is it that you want?”

Morana raises an eyebrow. Her minidress and stiletto heels match her slutty position as this alpha’s mistress.

“So what? Are you finally bending to the rules like everyone else?” Morana scoffs.

“State your business or be on your way,” I say, ignoring this she-wolf’s impudence.

“I wanted to let you know that I’ve recently found out I’m pregnant with Lucas’s heir.” Morana smiles triumphantly, obviously wanting a reaction from me.

Shayna and Lee look at me, waiting for my response. I tilt my head to the side.

“What wonderful news.” My words are cold and stiff. “Too bad neither of you will live for much longer when this whole fiasco is over.”

Morana looks me up and down in disgust. “Lake, no one is coming to rescue you. Derrick is probably humping another female right now as we speak. You’re better off just living as this pack’s luna.”

My eye twitches slightly at Morana’s claim about my mate. I can feel Lynne’s lust to bathe in her blood.

“Please escort Morana out of my sight,” I say. “I have a ceremony to get ready for. My hair still isn’t done.”

“Luna, if Ms. Morana gives birth, you’ll be—”

I cut Lee off by offering her some green grapes Shayna brought up from the kitchen. “Lee, please don’t worry. I’ll be fine.”

~Yes. I’ll be just fine as soon as my teeth sink right into that bitch’s neck.~ I could hear the distasteful sound of her pup’s heartbeat.

Lucas has kidnapped me, tortured me, and embarrassed me. Morana, on the other hand, touched a nerve that will never be the same again.

I’m not particularly fond of the idea of her giving birth to yet another pup. She doesn’t deserve it. She left Henry to die.

Derrick’s pup or not, Henry will get revenge in the form of Lynne tearing through his mother’s throat. My wolf can’t wait.

The last strand of my hair is finally curled and brushed out of my face. Shayna makes up my eyes in blue to match my dress. She says how much she’s jealous of my luscious eyelashes. Her words, not mine.

“Luna…” Lee smiles. “You look absolutely gorgeous.”

I glance at myself in the mirror. The dress hugs my hips and is very tight fitting at the waist. My girls almost spill from the bustline.

My hair is curled with a small French braid on the right in order for Lucas to have easier access for marking me. That thought makes my blood boil.

My eyes still have their normal black dilated pupils that could rip anyone’s soul apart if I were to look at them right.

“We have to take off this necklace, Luna.” Lee points to my crystal. “Alpha ordered us to.”

“No one can remove it but my mate, Lee,” I say simply. Then an idea pops into my head.

“Lucas will have to do it himself. The Moon Goddess ordered it, though he doesn’t know because it was to be a surprise for the Prophecy and all.”

Lee nods slowly at this information. I can tell she and Shayna are overwhelmed with questions and concerns. I’m glad they don’t ask or voice anything.

DERRICK

“This is insane,” I say. My frustration is growing by the second as Jake explains what this whole Prophecy thing is.

“Trust me, I know,” Jake replies. “But it’s true.”

I pinch the bridge of my nose. My mind’s going a million miles a minute. Drax is spinning in his own thought pool, so he’s no help.

“How do you know all this?”

“Remember how I mentioned Oliver?” Jake grabs his necklace and puts it next to mine.

“She’s the one who told me. It will happen if both of us don’t mark her by the time the moon reaches its peak tonight.”

The crystals glow bright blue. I know Oliver gave these stones her signature blue color, but I never realized it indicated when someone was telling the truth.

It’s her trick in order to get people closer to each other in order for them to trust each another.

“I have a lot of questions.” I roll my eyes. “But for now, both of us need to get to Lake before Lucas—”

“Trust me.” Jake puts a hand on my shoulder. “We will.”

“I still don’t understand,” I say as Jake leads the way down the cliff. “Why did Lake and I see you in the bathroom?”

“Did Lake ever mention the White Witch having a master?”

“Briefly, when she explained everything to me.”

“My guess is,” Jake growls, “this master was the one who attacked her and made me the source of her nightmares.”