Avenging Luna
Chapter 31: Dungeon for my Mate

Chapter 31: Dungeon for my Mate

Drake POV:

After ordering Lucas to take Leila to our room and lock her inside, I turned back to Lily. She was trembling in my arms, her body shaking uncontrollably from the shock of what had just happened. Her fear was visible, and I couldn’t help but worry that the trauma might push her into labor. I scooped her up carefully, cradling her against me as I carried her to her room. Her sobs echoed in my ears, filling me with a sense of dread I hadn’t felt in years.

Once I tucked her into bed, I tried to reassure her. "Nothing’s going to happen to you, or to our baby," I whispered, smoothing her hair away from her face. "I promise." She eventually stopped shaking, but her eyes still held that haunted look, one that made my chest ache.

I quickly linked the pack doctor, urging him to come and check on both Lily and the baby. My thoughts were spiraling, torn between what I had seen and the reality I wanted to believe.

When I finally left Lily’s room, I felt like I was on the brink of losing control. I went straight to my office, trying to find some peace in the solitude. But my mind wouldn’t stop racing, every thought consumed by what had just happened.

Lucas knocked lightly on the door, stepping inside before I could respond. He looked troubled, his brow furrowed with concern. "Drake, we need to talk," he said quietly.

I could already guess where this was going. Lucas had always been one of Leila’s biggest supporters, and I knew he wouldn’t let this go easily. But I wasn’t in the mood for his defense of her, not when I had witnessed what I saw.

"Leila wouldn’t do this," he insisted, his voice steady but imploring. "You know her, Drake. She would never harm an innocent, especially not a child."

But how could I believe that now? I wanted to. God, I wanted to believe that what I saw hadn’t been real, that it was some kind of twisted mistake. But I had seen it. With my own eyes, I had watched Leila push Lily. If someone else had come to me with this story, I would’ve defended Leila to the end. But this time, it was different. This time, I was the one who had seen her do it.

Lucas didn’t back down, his eyes locking with mine, searching for any sign that I was willing to listen. "Drake," he said more softly, "you know Leila. This doesn’t add up. I’ve seen her with you, with others in the pack—she’s not capable of this. There has to be another explanation."

I wanted to believe him. Every fiber of my being screamed that there had to be some mistake, that the woman I had come to care for deeply couldn’t be the one who just tried to harm my child. But the memory of what I saw kept replaying in my mind, like a loop I couldn’t escape from.

"I saw her, Lucas," I said, my voice breaking. "I saw her push Lily. What am I supposed to do with that? Pretend it didn’t happen? Ignore what I saw with my own eyes?"

Lucas’s face twisted in frustration, and I could see he was struggling to find the right words. "Maybe... maybe there’s something we’re missing. You said yourself that she seemed off lately. What if something’s wrong with her? Some kind of spell, or... I don’t know. But this doesn’t make sense."

His words planted a seed of doubt in my mind. Was there something more at play here? I knew our world was filled with magic, with forces that could manipulate even the strongest minds. But I couldn’t shake the image of Leila’s cold expression, her refusal to even try to defend herself. It felt too real, too deliberate.

"I can’t take chances, Lucas," I said finally, feeling the weight of my responsibilities crushing down on me. "I have to protect my child. Until we know what’s going on, Leila stays confined."

Lucas sighed heavily, realizing that I wasn’t going to budge. He nodded reluctantly and left the office, leaving me alone with my thoughts once again.

The rest of the day passed in a blur. I went through the motions of pack duties, but my mind was elsewhere. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw Leila’s face—first filled with warmth, then with the cold indifference I had witnessed on the porch. It was like I was watching two different people.

As night fell, I found myself standing outside the door to our room, my hand hovering over the doorknob. I hadn’t spoken to Leila since the incident, and the thought of facing her now filled me with a mix of anger and guilt. I wasn’t ready for this, but I had to know the truth.

I opened the door slowly, stepping inside to find her sitting on the edge of the bed. Her eyes were red and puffy, evidence that she had been crying, but she quickly wiped her face when she saw me. She looked up at me with an unreadable expression, and for a moment, I almost didn’t recognize her.

"Drake," she began, her voice hoarse from disuse. "I didn’t do it."

I clenched my fists, trying to keep my emotions in check. "Leila, I saw you."

Her eyes widened, and she shook her head vehemently. "No, you saw what she wanted you to see. Lily... she’s manipulating you. I swear, I didn’t push her. I would never harm your child."

I wanted to believe her, but the doubt gnawed at me, relentless. "Then explain it to me, Leila. Why didn’t you defend yourself? Why didn’t you say anything when I asked you? You just stood there, letting me think the worst."

Tears welled up in her eyes again, and she looked away, unable to meet my gaze. "Because... because I knew you wouldn’t believe me. You’ve always protected her, and I knew that no matter what I said, it wouldn’t matter."

Her words hit me like a punch to the gut. Was that really how she saw me? As someone who would choose Lily over her, without a second thought? I thought back to all the moments we had shared, the connection we had built, and I realized how much I had taken for granted.

"I’ve never doubted you before, Leila," I said, my voice softer now. "But this... this is different. You have to understand that."

She nodded, her shoulders slumping in defeat. "I know. And I’m sorry that you were put in this position. But Drake, you have to believe me. I didn’t do this. I don’t know how to prove it to you, but I’m telling the truth."

I stared at her, my heart torn in two. I wanted to trust her, to believe that she was telling me the truth. But the image of her standing on the porch, Lily’s cries ringing in my ears, wouldn’t leave me.

"I’ll find out the truth, Leila," I said finally. "And if you’re innocent, I’ll do whatever it takes to make this right. But until then, I need you to stay here. I need to protect my child."

She didn’t argue, just nodded and looked down at her hands. I turned and left the room, closing the door behind me, but the image of her broken expression stayed with me long after I walked away.

As I walked down the hallway, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was making a terrible mistake. But I didn’t know how to fix it, not without risking everything I held dear.

The minutes ticked by, each one feeling like an eternity. I tried to calm my breathing, to center myself, but the panic gnawed at my insides, relentless and unforgiving. I thought back to every moment with Leila—every smile, every touch, every promise we had made to each other. I had thought our bond was strong enough to weather anything. But now I wasn’t so sure.

I needed answers, and I needed them fast. But I wasn’t sure I was ready for what I might find.

The weight of everything was crushing me—Leila’s denial, Lily’s accusations, and the haunting image of Leila pushing Lily on the porch. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t reconcile the woman who carried my child with the one who I loved. It was too much. I needed to clear my head.

Without another thought, I left the house, stripping out of my clothes and shifting into my wolf form the moment I hit the forest. The wind whipped against my fur as I took off, running as fast as my legs would carry me, the ground blurring beneath me.

Running had always been my escape—a way to block out the noise and focus on the present. But today, it wasn’t working. No matter how far I ran, the confusion and anger gnawed at me. My heart pounded in time with my racing thoughts, and I couldn’t shake the memory of Leila’s blank expression when I confronted her.

Was she lying? Was there something I had missed? Could Lily really be that manipulative, or was I fooling myself? The questions spiraled, refusing to quiet, even as I pushed myself harder, the forest a blur around me.

Eventually, exhaustion caught up with me. My muscles burned, my breath came in ragged gasps, and I finally slowed to a stop by a small stream. I shifted back into my human form, crouching down to splash water on my face. The cold shock of it did little to soothe the turmoil inside me.

I sat there for what felt like hours, trying to make sense of the situation, but the truth eluded me. No matter what I wanted to believe, I couldn’t ignore what I had seen with my own eyes. But Leila... she wasn’t capable of this. Or was she?

Sighing, I stood up, knowing I couldn’t stay out here forever. I had responsibilities, and one of them was ensuring the safety of Lily and the child she carried. I needed to check on them, and maybe then I’d have some clarity.

With a heavy heart, I shifted back into my wolf form and made my way back to the pack house. My legs felt heavy, each step weighed down by the burden of uncertainty.

When I arrived, I shifted back and went inside. The house was quiet—eerily so. Something didn’t feel right, and a sense of foreboding settled over me as I made my way to Lily’s room.

As I approached the door, I heard muffled voices inside—one of them was Lily’s. I frowned and reached for the doorknob, pushing it open.

"Stop, please! Don’t hurt me!" Lily’s panicked voice pierced the air just as I stepped into the room.

My heart stopped as I took in the scene before me. Lily was on the bed, clutching her swollen belly, her face twisted in fear and desperation. Standing over her was Leila.

"What the hell?" I barked, shock and anger surging through me. "Leila!"

Leila whipped around, her eyes wide with surprise. I didn’t wait for an explanation. I shoved her aside and rushed to Lily’s side, my heart pounding in my chest.

"Drake, she was trying to hurt me again," Lily sobbed, her voice shaking. "I told you... she wants to kill the baby."

I stared at Leila, my mind reeling. "How the hell did you get out of the room?" I demanded, fury bubbling up inside me. "And why? Why would you do this again?"

Leila didn’t answer. She just stood there, her expression a mixture of shock and hurt. But I couldn’t think about that now. I couldn’t let my emotions cloud my judgment. Not when Lily and my child were in danger.

"I trusted you, Leila," I spat, my voice trembling with rage. "But I can’t keep doing this. I can’t risk their lives because of you."

I linked Lucas without hesitation, my mind made up. "Lucas, get here now," I ordered through the link. "Take Leila to the dungeon."

A few moments later, Lucas arrived, his face grim as he looked between me and Leila. He didn’t say anything, but I could see the questions in his eyes.

"Take her," I said, my voice cold and resolute. "And this time, make sure she doesn’t get out."

Lucas hesitated for a moment, glancing at Leila with a pained expression, but he followed my orders. He took her by the arm, and Leila didn’t resist, her face a mask of numbness as she was led away.

As the door closed behind them, I turned back to Lily, who was still trembling on the bed. I pulled her into my arms, trying to calm her.

"It’s okay," I whispered, stroking her hair as she clung to me. "You’re safe now. I won’t let her hurt you."

But even as I said the words, a hollow feeling settled in my chest. Something didn’t add up, but I couldn’t figure out what it was. All I knew was that I had to protect my child, even if it meant locking away the woman I loved.