Rising From The Ashes, The Vengeful Luna

Betrayal: Hope POV

The omegas were gossiping as usual but there was something else that caused the tension in the room to increase as they blatantly ignored me, speaking in hushed whispers. Even though they were trying to be cautious, I could still hear what they were saying. The fools should have remembered that even without a wolf, I still had sensitive hearing. I decided it was in my best interest not to remind them. I wanted to hear what they had to say. It was probably something to do with this so-called guest of Alpha Kobe's coming in the next few days.

“Did you hear? The rumors are flying all around the pack that Alpha Kobe is finally going to declare who our new Luna is going to be.”

“Really? Who do you think it might be?” one young girl asked looking slightly fearful. “Do you think she’s from another pack?” she added as the other omegas laughed at her.

“No, you silly girl. How can you not guess who? It’s obvious that Tiffany Wiliams is going to be his choice. She’s the most beautiful in the pack and she got her wolf only two days ago. At least she’s not useless” the omega added, glancing around and sneering at me before continuing, “and everybody likes her, at least all the other girls in her group do. We need somebody to help around the household and take responsibility for all of us. We can’t expect Alpha Kobe to know what needs doing when he should be dealing with the Warriors and the other pack business instead.”

I almost snorted. A good Alpha would be able to keep on top of things, both inside the pack house and out of it. To use the excuse of getting a Luna so that she could take control of the household was both sexist and demeaning. Most packs tended to have that mindset though. It was quite infuriating. It was what I liked to deem, weaponized incompetence. Men were getting away with doing the bare minimum because we let them.

“But Tiffany Williams doesn’t know yet, so shush” another omega whispered, her eyes darting frantically towards the doorway.

“Oh please. She’s smiling like a damn Cheshire cat. She knows” another omega objected, rolling her eyes and moving away to go and check on the dining table so that we could clear it.

“Everybody to the dining room.”

Kobe’s voice was a loud roar. The omegas startled, perhaps fearing he might have overheard them, and scuttled, their heads bowed low, their cheeks flushed with embarrassment. I put down the tray I was still holding and walked back in, leaning up against a wall and eyeing Kobe with genuine interest. Were the rumors true? Part of me was angry he would do such a thing but another part of me was learning to accept what I could not change. Why get angry when I didn’t want him any longer? This was inevitable. It didn’t stop the pain from rising in my chest, however, making it feel as though it was hard to breathe. If this was the moment that he announced his Luna, everybody would be celebrating except for me. I had hoped when he found somebody, he would let me go, but now I knew that was never going to happen. If Tiffany became Luna, I shook my head inwardly and gave a grim smile. The omegas had no idea of how bad her temper was, let alone how cruel her true nature would be. She was sweet as anything on the exterior, providing a mask of kindness and love to everyone while her interior was ruthless, vindictive, and vicious. Everybody was going to regret Alpha Kobe taking that b***h as a Luna when they found out the truth.

“Finally.” Kobe exhaled and looked at the pack solemnly, getting to his feet to address everyone.

I saw his eyes flit momentarily towards me before he turned back to the task at hand. Tiffany was smiling widely, her hands in her lap, the very picture of decorum. I could see several girls shoot looks of jealousy towards her as they saw Alpha Kobe look at her and then back at the pack. It appeared that the gossip mill was right for once. I wasn't sure how to feel about the fact that my stepsister was taking essentially my place as Luna but if anybody deserved to be together, it was these two horrible people.

“I have an announcement to make. It’s been a long time coming, but I feel as though with everything falling neatly into place and with our pack beginning to grow stronger, the time for a Luna has come. I want everybody to know who I take as my other half; my chosen mate and I want everybody to acknowledge her. Please stand up” he said, and Tiffany smoothly stood, smoothing down her dress and gazing at Kobe with adoration on her face.

“My chosen mate will be Tiffany Williams. We will be having the ceremony on the very night that our special guest arrives as a way of including him and making him feel welcome.”

“Alpha Kobe,” his Beta Jefferson asked quietly, his hands folded across his chest as he stood and leaned against the wall nearby. “Who exactly is this special guest?” he asked, sounding curious and also intrigued.

Kobe brightened, moving to grab Tiffany’s hand and bring her to the head of the table. “That is the other news I wish to impart. Alpha Liam Salvadore of the Blood Lust Pack has agreed to visit and discuss the possibility of a treaty between both of our packs. I need everybody to assist in the preparations and make him feel welcome. We don’t want to miss this opportunity” he added gravely as the other pack members nodded in agreement.

“Alpha Kobe, what about…” one pack member had the nerve to ask, staring at me pointedly.

“Hope continues to be a valued member of this pack,” he said as pack members laughed, openly recognizing his sarcasm. “When Alpha Liam Salvadore is present, Hope will be in the dungeon where nobody can lay eyes on her, and nobody is to acknowledge she is there. We don’t want the humiliation of the Alpha knowing we have a pack member who is wolfless. It could cause a potential problem when it comes to signing the agreement or treaty with him. He doesn’t need to know about Hope anyway.”'

I stilled, even as Tiffany blew me a kiss from the palm of her hand, her eyes sparkling. Kobe kissed her on the cheek. “Now then,” he said as though nothing had just happened, his eyes softening as he looked down at my stepsister and my heart seized, “I want everybody to put their hands together and welcome Tiffany as the soon-to-be official Luna.”

The pack exploded into wolf whistles and loud applause. Tiffany was popular, I thought idly, beginning to make my way back into the kitchen where I could gather my thoughts. Then again, one tended to be popular when she was willing to sleep with anybody who showed her even an ounce of interest. I doubted that Alpha Kobe knew that he had not been her first but was one in a long procession of pack members who had openly dated and slept with her.

I began to blindly clean up the kitchen, putting dishes into the dishwasher and hand washing pots and stoves as the noise in the background began to slowly fade. Omegas came and went, eyeing me critically, but in a good mood from the news, they decided to leave me be. I carried out my duties automatically, feeling like a robot, and then felt a hand on my shoulder, the fingers digging into my back and forcing me to turn around against my will. A smile curved on her face as she looked at me and she arched a brow.

“Hope” she purred, licking her lips and eyeing me gleefully. “I didn’t see you come and congratulate me. Aren’t you going to wish me well? I'm sure that you're going to enjoy the fact that I'm going to be able to lord it over you" she hissed.

I laughed at her threat. “I think you have a big enough ego as it is, don’t you? What is there to congratulate?” I asked, my voice dripping with venom. “The two of you are going to ruin this pack when you run it together. Kobe is doing the pack a disservice choosing somebody like you to act as Luna.”

“Jealous?” she said smirking. “If only he had chosen to take you as his mate, but you’re just a pathetic nobody” she drawled.

So, she knew then. Of course. Kobe wouldn’t have kept that tidbit of information to himself. He must have enjoyed telling my horrid stepsister about me and what he did. The two of them were like birds of a feather after all. I glared at Tiffany, but she was unfazed. “He might keep you around,” she said icily “but that’s only because he has to. I’m going to be the leader of this pack Hope, not you. I bet you wish you hadn’t killed our father, and ended up in this situation to begin with, don’t you?” she added knowingly, twisting the knife in and knowing exactly how to hurt me. I was speechless, wishing I could defend myself but also unable to, blaming myself for what had happened just as much as she and the rest of the pack did. I was a murderer and nothing was going to change that. I couldn't bring my father back from the dead, but it never stopped me from wishing I could. If I could have taken his place in order for him to live, I would have done it without hesitation. It was too bad the Moon Goddess had never granted me that option.