Avenging Luna
Chapter 26: An Act Well Played

Chapter 26: An Act Well Played

Leila’s POV:

The pack doctor emerged from behind the curtain with a neutral expression that made my heart sink. The room seemed to hold its breath as he addressed us. "Alpha, everything is fine. Both she and the baby are okay; there’s no need to worry. Fortunately, her wolf’s healing abilities took effect before anything truly dire could happen. She will need a lot of rest and nutrients, as she’s due in a few weeks."

A wave of relief washed over the room, and Nelly quickly asked if we could see Lily. The doctor nodded, giving us a brief window to visit her. After thanking him, we all moved to Lily’s room. Nelly hurried to one side of the bed while Drake took the other. Lucas stood beside me at the edge of the bed.

Nelly clasped Lily’s hand, her eyes moist with sincerity. "I thought I’d lost you, Lily," she said softly, her voice breaking. "I should have forgiven you sooner. I’m so relieved you’re okay." She even tried to lighten the mood with a joke. "I’ll be the baby’s godmother and steal all the baby love for myself."

Lily laughed, a warm, relieved sound. She turned her head slightly towards me, her eyes betraying a flicker of skepticism before she smiled and said, "It’s good to have everyone here. It feels like old times, doesn’t it?"

I felt a pang of jealousy, but I quickly chastised myself. This wasn’t about me, yet I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was being sidelined. Lily’s drama continued as she turned to Drake with a melodramatic sigh. "I was so scared I’d lost our baby," she said, her voice trembling. "I don’t think I could ever forgive myself if something happened to our baby."

Drake’s face softened as he tried to soothe her. "Everything will be alright. I’ll protect you and the baby. We’ll get through this together."

As if on cue, Lily started acting faint, her voice dropping to a soft whine. "I’m craving berries," she said, looking at Nelly with a pleading expression.

Nelly moved to get up, but Lily pouted and took her arm. "You’ve only just reunited, and you want to leave already?" she said with a sweet, yet slightly manipulative, smile. "Leila, would you mind getting me some berries?"

The room fell silent as everyone’s eyes turned towards me. I felt an awkwardness creep over me, the tension visible. Drake immediately said he’d go, but Lily interjected with a feigned look of distress. "No, Drake. Your presence calms me. I don’t want you to leave I’d rather not eat the berries if it means you have to go."

Lucas and I both spoke up at the same time, "I’ll go." We exchanged a brief glance, both recognizing the unspoken understanding between us.

Lily turned to Lucas, waving him off with a dismissive gesture. "It’s alright, Lucas. Let Leila go. We haven’t had much time together lately, and having you by my side during this time would mean a lot to me."

It was clear what she was doing. In so many words, she was pushing me out. I was caught in a difficult position; if I refused, it would seem as if I was being unsympathetic to someone who had just gone through a horrible experience. And yet, her request felt like a calculated move to ensure I wasn’t part of their intimate moment.

Feeling isolated and unwanted, I offered a tight smile and nodded. "Alright, I’ll go," I said, trying to mask my feelings. I turned and left the room, the weight of exclusion heavy on my shoulders. As I walked away, I couldn’t help but feel like a spectator in a drama I had no part in, left on the fringes of a situation that seemed to exclude me at every turn.

I couldn’t help but think about how quickly things had changed. I had been on the verge of something so intimate and passionate with Drake, only for it to be interrupted by a situation that seemed to serve as a constant reminder of how unwelcome I was in certain parts of his life.

The stark reality of being an observer in my own life hit me hard. I was supposed to be part of this family, part of the bond that was being forged around Lily and her baby since it would be my mate’s child, yet I felt like an outsider, unneeded and pushed away.

As I left the hospital, the sting of being pushed aside gnawed at me with an intensity I hadn’t felt in a long time. Every step away from the room was heavy with the weight of exclusion and hurt, the feeling of being a spectator in my own life surging back with a vengeance. It was as though the old wounds I thought had healed were being reopened, each memory of being an outsider replaying with painful clarity.

I found myself walking aimlessly, my thoughts a jumbled mess of emotions. The familiar surroundings of the pack grounds offered no comfort; instead, they served as a stark reminder of how isolated I felt. I needed somewhere to escape, somewhere I could be alone and let my emotions run free.

The training grounds came into view, and I headed there with a sense of urgency. It was a place where I hadn’t spent many hours, but now it seemed like a refuge—a space where I could release my pent-up frustrations and tears without anyone watching.

As I stepped onto the training field, the echoes of clashing steel and grunts of exertion from earlier sessions seemed distant, almost ghostly. The area was deserted now, the sun setting and casting long shadows across the open space. I moved to the center of the field, where I fell to my knees, the cool earth beneath me offering little comfort.

I tried to hold back the tears, but they came anyway—hot and relentless, spilling down my cheeks in a steady stream. The emotions I had been trying so hard to suppress finally broke free, and I found myself sobbing openly, the sound of my anguish mingling with the silence of the evening.

I thought back to the way I had been treated, the way I had always felt like I was on the outside looking in. It was a painful reminder of my past, of how my own family had never really accepted me, and of how even now, I seemed to be struggling to find my place.

In the midst of my tears, I remembered the warmth and acceptance I had felt from some pack members, especially Nelly. But now, with Lily’s calculated manipulation and the subtle exclusion, the old feelings of being an outsider seemed to reassert themselves. The pack dynamics that had seemed so promising and welcoming were now marred by feelings of inadequacy and rejection.

I let my head fall forward, my shoulders shaking with the force of my sobs. The physical exertion of crying, combined with the emotional strain, left me feeling drained and hollow. I felt like a stranger in a world where I should have belonged, a feeling that was all too familiar.

As the night deepened, the chill in the air began to seep through my clothes, but I didn’t care. I was too consumed by the torrent of emotions to notice the cold. The training grounds, usually a place of strength and purpose, now felt like a sanctuary for my grief.

Kneeling on the training grounds, wrapped in my sorrow and pain, I felt completely alone. The world outside had fallen away, and the only thing left was the quiet of my own despair. My sobs had subsided into soft whimpers when suddenly, a presence stirred the air around me. I hadn’t heard him approach; I was too deep in my emotions to notice. But as I looked up, I saw Lucas standing there, his expression gentle and understanding.

He offered me a handkerchief without a word, silently helping me to my feet. His presence was steady, a quiet strength that reminded me I wasn’t entirely alone, even if it felt like it. I took the handkerchief gratefully, wiping the remnants of my tears away as he spoke softly, careful not to startle me further.

"Drake asked me to check on you," Lucas said, his voice a calm contrast to the emotional storm still brewing inside me. "He wanted to let you know that he’ll be staying at the hospital to make sure everything goes smoothly with Lily."

I forced a small smile, trying to appear more composed than I actually felt. "Okay," I replied, though the hurt in my voice was barely hidden.

As I turned to leave, heading back toward the pack house, Lucas called after me. "You know," he began, his tone more serious now, "nobody else might have seen what transpired in that hospital room, but I did. I know exactly what game Lily is playing."

His words froze me in my tracks. My heart thudded in my chest as I turned to face him again, unsure of what to say. Lucas looked at me with quiet reassurance, his gaze steady and sincere.

"Don’t worry," he said gently. "Drake wouldn’t leave you for her. I know it may feel like you’re being pushed aside, but he’s loyal to you."

I swallowed hard, his words offering some comfort but not enough to fully quell the doubt that had settled in my heart. I managed a soft "Thank you" as I started to walk away again, though my mind was still heavy with thoughts of Lily and her manipulation.

Before I got too far, I paused, turning back to Lucas. "Please," I began hesitantly, "don’t tell Drake... about how you found me."

He gave me a small nod, a promise in his eyes that he would keep my secret. "Alright," he said simply, before wishing me goodnight.

As we parted ways, I felt a strange mixture of gratitude and sadness. Lucas’s kindness had helped, but the weight of everything that had happened still lingered. I knew I had to be strong, but that didn’t mean the pain I was feeling would just disappear. It would take time to navigate these emotions, to figure out where I stood in all of this.

As I walked back to the pack house alone, the night seemed colder, the silence more profound. Lucas had seen what others hadn’t, and his quiet understanding made me feel a little less invisible.