Chapter 5 : The Rightful Luna

*Estelle*

Gabe was smirking triumphantly at me, and I couldn’t think of a way to react. The knowing look in his eyes made me feel exposed. I wanted to hide, but I couldn’t move.

“Look me in the eye and tell me not to touch you,” Gabe repeated.

I opened my mouth, but to my mortification, all that came out was a breathy whine.

“You can’t, can you?” he said victoriously. “Because you want me to touch you. You want it so much it scares you.”

“That’s not true,” I said shakily.

Every part of me was telling him that I was lying. My breath was ragged, my heart was thundering in my chest, and my face was flushed. The smell of cedarwood was overpowering. I had to bite my lip to keep myself from whimpering.

He hadn’t even touched me yet. Just his proximity was enough to make me weak.

“If it’s not true, then just say the words,” he said again.

I could feel his body heat and it made me feel too warm. I had enough self-control not to move, not to close the distance between us just to see how his touch would make my skin tingle.

“What are you trying to prove?” I asked.

“I don’t have to prove anything,” he responded.

He brought his free hand up and trailed his fingers through my hair. He pulled lightly and I moved my head where he guided it. My neck was craned and exposed to him. I could hear his breathing change as he nuzzled into my skin.

Warmth washed over my body at his touch. It was an electric current that left my muscles taut and tense. I did my best to stay still and silent. My wolf was whining, and it was hard not to join it.

“How can you deny what you’re clearly feeling?” he asked softly. He pulled back and hovered inches from my skin. “You feel the pull, don’t you?”

“I don’t know what I’m feeling,” I said quietly. “I don’t understand what’s happening to me.”

“You’re mine,” he said firmly. “That’s what you’re feeling. You know that you’re meant to be mine.” I shivered as he moved his head, the tip of his nose brushing lightly behind my ear. “Why is that such a bad thing?” he asked.

“I–” my head was spinning and I didn’t know what to say. It was impossible to articulate what I was feeling. I wanted to scream, I was so frustrated. In other circumstances, maybe I wouldn’t have hesitated. As it stood, I felt like I was trapped in a nightmare.

My newfound freedom had been ripped from me in a hotel bathroom by an unprovoked attacker. I was lost in a forest with no hope of getting myself out and no chance that anyone would come looking for me. I had just discovered that I wasn’t a human and that every fear I’d ever had about my sanity was actually based on reality. The circumstances that led me to the foster system were even more shadowy and confusing than they always had been in light of this reality.

My entire world was spiraling out of control, and he honestly had the gall to ask me why I wasn’t giving in to his advances right now. It was infuriating.

I wanted to scream at him. I wanted to tell him how insensitive and cold and downright stupid he was being. If I were more confident and sure of myself, I might not be pinned to a hallway wall by the man who kidnapped me. But I couldn’t do anything. I could feel tears gathering in my eyes, and I knew I wouldn’t be able to hold them down.

“Don’t do that,” he said quietly. “Don’t cry.”

“I can’t help it,” I muttered. “I’m scared.” In the simplest terms, that was exactly what I was feeling. I was scared. Everything I thought was real wasn’t, and I didn’t know how to process it.

He pulled back–not completely, but enough to let me catch my breath. His eyes were intense as he looked down at me. I must have looked awful. My face was so heated that it nearly hurt and I was failing miserably to hold the tears back. I could feel them leaving trails on my overheated skin.

“You’re scared of me?” he asked.

His tone was carefully neutral. I couldn’t tell if he was angry or hurt, or even if he cared at all.

I nodded mutely. How could I not be afraid of him? The way he was making me feel so was foreign and I had no control over it. I hated it. I hated feeling like I couldn’t say no to him. I hated the readiness of my animal side to give in to him. I hated that I didn’t know who or what I was. If I’d grown up in a pack like this, would I be feeling this way now? Or would I be happy to have his attention?

“I feel like I'm losing my mind,” I said softly.

“Damn the humans who raised you, and damn whoever is responsible for leaving you in their care,” he said sharply.

His gaze was fierce, but it wasn’t aimed at me. He was staring at the wall behind my head, as if he were seeing through it. Whatever he imagined he was looking at, I couldn’t know, but the look of absolute hatred in his eyes was chilling.

I wanted to respond to him, but I didn’t know how. I wrapped my arms around my stomach, shielding myself from him the best I could. I felt exposed and raw. I was ashamed that my vulnerabilities were on display to a man I’d known for less than a day. I wished more than anything that I could fall through the floor and vanish.

“I promise you,” he said, cupping the side of my face in his large hand, “that I will find out who caused this, and I will make them pay.”

My lip quivered when I tried to speak, but I pushed on. “There’s no point,” I said. “It doesn’t matter what caused it. This is just how it is.” I’d given up any hope for answers years ago. It didn’t matter how I ended up abandoned; the damage was done. Knowing the reason wouldn’t change that.

He shook his head vehemently. “Someone hurt my mate and they will pay.” He said it with such conviction that it startled me. He didn’t even know me. Why was he so angry on my behalf?

“Gabe, that–”

“Gabe!” Isolde’s voice shattered the intimate moment into a trillion pieces.

Gabe stepped away from me and turned an irritated glare down the hallway. I wiped frantically at my face, trying in vain to erase the evidence of my tears.

“Oh, there you are,” Isolde said sweetly. “I’m sorry if I’m interrupting. I know you said to wait–”

“So why didn’t you?” he demanded angrily. He glanced at me, but I couldn’t meet his eye.

“Charles asked me to come get you,” she said. She lowered her eyes and bit her lip, looking contrite. “I’m sorry. I was only trying to help.”

Gabe exhaled sharply through his nose and tore his eyes away from me. He looked like there was more he wanted to say, but couldn’t with Isolde standing there. “Wait for me,” he said.

“Yes, Alpha,” Isolde answered.

“I wasn’t talking to you,” Gabe bit out.

Isolde looked shocked at his tone.

“Don’t go anywhere,” he said to me.

I nodded mutely. Where could I go? Gabe didn’t look at Isolde as he stormed down the hallway.

I wiped my eyes again, but it was no use. With my pale skin, it was always painfully obvious that I’d been crying. I pushed away from the wall and started walking down the hall. I wanted to find somewhere to sit down while I waited. I felt incredibly drained by that exchange and I just wanted to rest.

“Estelle,” Isolde said.

I paused and looked back at her. Any semblance of kindness was gone from her face. She looked me over slowly, scrutinizing every inch of me. I straightened my back and stared at her. I was sure I looked anything but confident, but I tried.

“What?” I asked.

I had no energy left to deal with her. It was clear from the brief interactions I’d already had with her that she didn’t like me. With no one else around, her sweet act was forgotten, and I didn’t want to deal with whatever was underneath it.

“What could Gabe possibly see in a pipsqueak like you?” she asked. “I heard what he said,” she continued. “Raised by humans? No wonder you’re so pathetic.”

“Who the hell do you think you are?” I said in disbelief. “You don’t know the first thing about me.”

“I don’t need to. It’s obvious you don’t belong here,” she said.

“I didn’t ask to be here!” I shouted. “I just want to go home. Tell Gabe to let me go and I gladly will!” I threw my hands in the air in frustration. How delusional was this woman? She was acting as if she’d just caught me flirting with her boyfriend or something.

“Don’t you dare talk about him,” she growled. “You aren’t fit to speak his name.” She stepped closer to me. Her shoulders were tense and her fists were clenched at her sides. She wanted to hit me.

“You better back off,” I said carefully. I was small, but I’d won more than my share of brawls, although I wasn’t confident I could take her. She looked strong, but I wouldn’t go down without a hell of a fight. A cold rush of adrenaline filled my veins, and I clenched my own fists in preparation to defend myself.

“I am the rightful Luna,” she said angrily. “I’ve been by Gabe’s side all my life. I know him better than any other woman can hope to.” She was shaking with barely contained rage. “I’ve already taken on the responsibilities of the Luna. No stranger could possibly be a better choice than me, especially some pathetic human girl who doesn’t even know what she is. I’m only going to tell you this once; stay out of my way.”

She slammed her shoulder into me, staggering me backward as she stormed off.

I took several deep breaths through my nose in an attempt to calm myself. I wanted to punch her square in her pretty, perfect nose. I gritted my teeth and shook my head in an attempt to shake off the thought.

She thought I was a threat to her and that was how she handled it? She must have really been spoiled. Only a spoiled brat used to having their demands met would lay out their insecurities like that to someone they saw as an enemy. If I wanted to play her game, it would be easy.

But I didn’t want to play.

I just wanted to go home, and I couldn’t help but look toward the treeline where I had entered less than twenty-four hours before, and sigh.