Moonlight Betrayal-Chapter 61

Chapter 61

Astrid’s POV

Kaeleen’s declaration hung in the air, thick with defiance and possessiveness. The shock on Leon’s face was almost comical, a mixture of disbelief and sputtering rage. The elders had frowns plastered on their faces. Some gave Leon a discreet look and if I wasn’t sure they were in cohorts with Leon, I was sure of it now.

"That’s impossible," Leon finally managed to choke out, his voice trembling with fury. "Astrid can’t be your Luna. She’s mine! She belongs to the Moonshade pack!"

Kaeleen simply smirked, his eyes glinting with amusement. "Astrid doesn’t belong to anyone. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again so get that in your thick brain."

The Elders exchanged glances, their expressions unreadable. I knew they were weighing their options, trying to determine the best course of action. They were bound by not only tradition but the deal they had with Leon. It was so fucking obvious to anyone who had eyes to see what was going on.

"Even if what you say is true," Elder Thorne said, his voice carefully measured, "it doesn’t change the fact that Astrid left the Moonshade pack without Leon’s permission. She is still bound by our laws."

"And what law is that, Thorne?" I asked, my voice calm but firm. "The one that says a woman is the property of her Alpha? The one that allows abuse and mistreatment to go unpunished?"

The Elders shifted uncomfortably, their faces flushing with anger. They didn’t like being challenged, especially by a woman.

"Those are not our laws," Thorne insisted, his voice strained. "We simply believe in upholding tradition and maintaining order."

"Ah...but those are not our laws. Disrespect and abuse are not to be left ongoing. The laws have changed, am I right?" Kaeleen asked him.

Thorned levelled him with a glare. "And she cannot point out any sign of abuse. It’s obvious she’s lying."

"Lying?" I asked him with a scoff. "Do I have to be left alone in a ditch, rotting before you all realize that I was being abused?" I asked him.

"That’s not the issue at hand right now." Another spoke up. "The issue now is that you were taken from your pack without permission."

"Permission we do not need because she is my Luna." Kaeleen said to him.

That seemed to irritate Leon more. It was obvious he wasn’t expecting this to happen. He turned to me.

"What did he promise you? I can get it for you. I can do more than he could do for you." He said taking up another tactic but it wasn’t going to work for me though. My mind was made up.

"Really?" I asked him with a smile.

Kaeleen turned to me, a frown plastered on his face. He coul not understand why my tone changed. I knew he was worried, I could feel his confusion radiating off him so I took his hand in mine to reassure him. I wasn’t going anywhere...at least for now.

"Yes." Leon said with a wide smile. "You just have to tell me. I’ll do anything. We belong with each other."

"Then I need you to leave me the fuck alone." I said to him.

Leon stared at me with a frown. He looked so pathetic and he had claimed I was the without sound reasoning? Fuck that. It was obvious he was the one with an issue. But since he had bought the elders off, they pretended not to see it.

"You conniving bitch." Leon said with a laugh like he couldn’t believe he had been played by me no less.

Kaeleen interjected, his voice sharp and commanding. "This has gone on long enough. Astrid is not going back to the Moonshade pack. She is my Luna, and she will remain here, under our protection."

"So you are sticking with him?" Leon asked me.

"I was never anywhere else." I told him.

"You don’t care what happens to your sister then?" He asked me with a smirk in his eyes.

"Clara?" I asked him.

"Who else? Di you have any other sister?" He asked me.

He had a look in his eyes like he had won but he was so wrong.

One thing Leon knew was my history with Clara. I had told him about Clara when I had first thought we were end game and that he loved me. I thought he was my designated mate but that view changed after all. He knows how much I am attached to Clara but what he doesn’t know is that I don’t care about the present Clara. I cared but not anymore.

"She’s not my sister though." I said to him.

"What?" Leon asked me, the smirk falling from his face.

"I have no family. Perhaps you are mistaken about me having a sister." I told him.

"What about Clara?" He asked me.

"What about her?"

"You don’t care about her?" He asked me.

"She’s your Luna why should I care about her when I’m sure you are going to take care of dr veey well?" I askee him with a smirk.

"But she’s your sister." He said, disbelief in his voice.

"I don’t have a sister. My sister died a long time ago. I have no family." I told him.

"So you are going to deny her then?" He asked me.

"I’m not denying anybody." I said with an exasperated sigh.

Just then, Kaeleen spoke up. "I believe the issue you all came here for has been resolved right?" He asked them.

The elders turned to look at each other.

"Give us a minute." Thorne said.

The Elders huddled together, whispering amongst themselves. They made sure Leon was part of their decision and I understood. He could t be allowed to keep on making a fool of himself. I wasn’t going anywhere and it was time he realized that. They were debating my fate, deciding whether to side with Leon or to acknowledge my new status as Kaeleen’s Luna.

The tension in the room was almost unbearable. I could feel Kaeleen’s hand tighten around mine, his presence a source of strength and comfort.

Finally, Elder Thorne stepped forward, his face set with determination. "We have reached a decision," he announced, his voice ringing with authority. "We acknowledge Astrid’s right to choose her own path. She is no longer bound by the laws of the Moonshade pack. But instead is a leader of the Emerald Glade Pack." freewēbnoveℓ.com

I turned to Kaeleen who gave me a nod. They didn’t even care to verify if the bond was true or not. They just gave up perhpas they saw how Leon was making a fool of himself or perhaps it escaped them but still, I thanked the moon goddess for making them forget.

A sigh I never even realized I was holding left me. I felt a wave of gratitude wash over me, a sense of freedom and liberation that I had never experienced before.

"We don’t need you to tell us what we already know. She was recognized as the Luna even before your asses walked in here." Kaeleen said to them with a sneer.

"Mind your tongue boy." Thorne said to him.

"Should you be telling me that after you disrespected my Luna in my presence?" Kaeleen asked him calmly.

The air around him was even chiller than before. Thorne gave him a look then chose to turn the other way.

"What? No response?" Kaeleen asked him.

"I apologize for disrespecting your Luna." Thorne said to him.

Kaeleen chuckled and turned to the rest of them. "Nothing from you all?" He asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Now who the fuck do you think you are? Just because you are alpha doesn’t mean..."

"And who the fuck are you again?" Kaeleen asked, interrupting Leon.

He looked calm but I could see he was angry. It seemed he had just been holding himself back all this time.

"The wannabe alpha of the wannabe Moonshade." Alex muttered making me chuckle despite everything.

I could see the vein pulse on Leon’s throat. He was angry.

"I’m going to say this calmly. This will be the last time any of you will step foot in my pack. I do not care if it’s something urgent or not, neither of you are to step foot in this pack building unless I say so or my Luna gives you the go ahead. We’ve endure your disrespect for long and it’s high time you got out. You are messing with the energy in here." Kaeleen said to them.

Thorne was about to speak but Kaeleen cut him a glare and he went quiet. He seemed a bit scared of Kaeleen? I wasn’t sure and I couldn’t put my hands on it but it was something.

"Escort them out." Kaeleen said to the guards who now made themselves known.

"We can get out by ourselves." Thorne said to Kaeleen who waved, his attention on me.

Immediately they left, Alex took a sit next to me.

He had a huge grin on his face. "My Luna. You were so fucking badass just now."

Kaeleen turned to him. "How is she yours?"

"Um, we belong to the same pack right? And she’s your mate, my leader." Alex said to him.

Kaeleen shook his head but turned to me with a smile. "He’s right though. You were badass."

"Thank you." I said as a blush made its way to my cheeks.

"But I have to ask though." Kaeleen said. "What’s the issue with you and Clara? I don’t know the full story."