Chapter 3
Reyna’s body needed to remain in the royal chamber for seven days before her burial in the West Sea. While I was preoccupied with organizing her funeral and notifying the leaders of the packs to attend the ceremony, Emiliano had been absent for days, busy bringing Isabella and Aisha into the royal territory.
On the final night before the burial, I had just placed Reyna’s body into the wooden casket when the chamber door slammed open. Isabella stormed in with Aisha trailing behind her, her nose wrinkling in disgust as she surveyed the room. “Why is there a coffin in here? Get rid of it immediately! My daughter has just arrived in the royal territory, and I won’t have her exposed to such misfortune.”
I shot her a cold glare. “This is my chamber. Watch your tone.”
She looked at me with incredulous disdain. “Emiliano promised us we could stay wherever we wanted. Clean up this mess and leave!”
Aisha, though young, mimicked her mother’s haughty demeanor. “Yes, leave! Or I’ll tell Papa to make you go!”
I let out a bitter laugh. “I am the Luna of this pack. Who do you think has the authority to banish me? Two outsiders like you?”
Isabella’s face flushed with anger, her finger trembling as she pointed at me. “You—you—”
Aisha, unfazed, sprinted toward the wooden box where I’d stored Reyna’s few remaining belongings—a small rattle and a silver pendant. She snatched them up, tossing them in the air with a sneer. “What’s this? Some old junk?”
“Put those down! Don’t touch them!” I shouted, my voice sharp with fury.
She paused, then smirked. “Oh, this must be that little brat’s stuff, huh? Well, I’ll just play with it!” With that, she hurled the items to the ground.
Isabella clapped her hands in approval. “That’s my girl! Show her not to mess with us!”
I stared at them, my rage boiling over. I lunged forward, grabbing both Isabella and Aisha by their collars. “You dare mock Reyna while using her essence?!”
Isabella struggled against my grip, her voice shrill. “You lay a hand on us, and Emiliano will make you regret it!”
My eyes flicked to Reyna’s casket, and my anger faltered. She wouldn’t have wanted this—not the violence, not the chaos. Slowly, I released them.
At that moment, Emiliano burst into the chamber. “Noemi! What are you doing?!” His voice was a roar as he shoved me back, shielding Isabella and Aisha behind him. His expression was colder than I’d ever seen, his alpha aura radiating a palpable fury.
“You’re the one who agreed to bring them here! If you had a problem with it, you should have said so then. Why take it out on them? They’re just outsiders! Do you think being Luna gives you the right to abuse your power?!”
His accusations hit me like a tidal wave, leaving me speechless. Here, in front of Reyna’s casket, he chose to defend those who had disrespected our daughter’s memory.
I let out a bitter laugh. “So this is who you really are.”
His eyes narrowed, his voice icy. “What nonsense are you spouting now? As Luna, you’ve crossed a line by threatening innocents. I’ll confine you to this chamber for now. Reflect on your actions. And don’t tarnish Reyna’s memory with your behavior.”
With that, he ushered Isabella and Aisha out of the room, their mocking glances lingering on me like daggers.
Confined? I wasn’t Luna anymore—what confinement?
The next morning, I carried Reyna’s casket to the West Sea for her burial. After the ceremony, I turned westward, away from the royal territory, and didn’t look back.
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