Avenging Luna
Chapter 49: Pretty Little flower is Weak

Chapter 49: Pretty Little flower is Weak

Leila’s POV:

I didn’t want Drake to leave me, but I understood that he had his own responsibilities. So when he left me at the pack healer’s place, I didn’t complain. The healer, a sweet lady in her mid-thirties, stayed with me, keeping me company with light conversation. It helped distract me from the incident with Raphael, if only for a little while. But deep down, I knew Drake was becoming more suspicious of me, and I had to find a way to keep my secret safe.

As the evening wore on, Nelly showed up. "I came to see you. The baby has been taking all my attention," she said with a smile. "I’ve really missed you, but I can’t just leave the poor pup. He’s so adorable, considering the bitch that bore him. I still can’t believe Lily left him all alone. Who does that? Who leaves a newborn baby without even caring who’ll take care of him?"

She told me she had just left him sleeping after feeding him, and I could see the exhaustion in her eyes. Despite everything, Nelly still had a kind heart. I decided to accompany her to see the baby. As much as his mother, Lily, had caused me immense pain, I couldn’t help but feel a soft spot for him. He was innocent, unwanted just like I had once been, and he didn’t deserve to suffer for his mother’s evil deeds.

We arrived at Nelly’s house. She and Lucas didn’t like staying in the crowded pack house, so they had their own cozy place. It was sweet, a little sanctuary away from the pack’s constant hustle. When we got inside, the baby was already awake, wailing. Nelly quickly went to fetch him, and when she brought him to me, I couldn’t help but smile at how adorable he was.

I couldn’t understand how Lily could leave something so precious behind. When I asked to hold him, Nelly handed him over without hesitation. His tiny blue eyes looked up at me, and I could see the innocence in them. He reached out, fascinated by my wavy black hair, giggling as he touched it, and my heart swelled with warmth.

"What did you name him?" I asked Nelly, watching the baby curiously tug at my hair.

"Michael," she replied, a shy smile on her lips. There was something so tender in the way she said it, like naming him gave her a sense of purpose, of protecting the little life Lily had discarded so easily.

We chatted for a while, cooing at the baby as he made little noises, trying to grab at the world around him. It was peaceful, but as much as I wanted to lose myself in this calm moment, my thoughts kept drifting back to Drake. The incident with Raphael still hung over me like a dark cloud, and I could feel the pressure building inside. I hadn’t told Nelly or anyone else. It was too dangerous, but the guilt gnawed at me.

Drake didn’t deserve to be kept in the dark, but I didn’t know how to tell him the truth.

Saying my goodbyes to Nelly and baby Michael, I headed home, my thoughts still in a whirlwind. I needed a shower, something to soothe both my body and my raging mind. The incident with Raphael haunted me more than I wanted to admit, and it was getting harder to hide the fear from Drake. The longer I kept the truth from him, the more distant he seemed, and that hurt in a way I hadn’t expected. But how could I tell him? How could I share the ugliness of my past with him when I couldn’t even face it myself?

The moment I entered our room, Drake’s scent hit me, wrapping around me like a warm blanket. It was comforting, grounding me in the present, and for a second, I felt the tension in my shoulders ease. Breathing in deeply, I let his scent calm my racing thoughts. This was my sanctuary, our room, the only place where I felt safe. At least for now.

I headed into the bathroom, craving the feel of hot water on my skin. As the shower’s warmth cascaded over me, my mind began to clear. The water soothed me, washing away the anxiety, if only temporarily. It was just what I needed to relax. My eyes closed, and I let myself drift into a moment of peace, forgetting about everything—Raphael, my fears, my secrets—just for a little while.

I was almost done when I heard the faint creak of the door. Assuming it was Drake, I called out to him, "Drake?"

But there was no response. I waited for a moment, but only silence greeted me. That’s strange, I thought, but I shrugged it off, figuring he didn’t hear me. Smiling to myself, I dried off quickly and slipped into one of his long shirts, the fabric draping over me like a shield of comfort. It reminded me of the first time we met, the way he had looked at me as though I was the only person in the room. I chuckled at the memory, letting myself get lost in the silly thought.

But when I stepped out of the bathroom, the air in the room felt different, colder. Something was wrong. Then, I froze.

That scent.

Raphael.

My heart raced in my chest, and all the calm I had managed to gather disappeared in an instant. Fear gripped me like a vice, turning my limbs heavy, but I bolted for the door, desperate to escape. I was just inches away when a hand snatched me from behind, yanking me back. My entire body went rigid, panic surging through my veins as I felt his breath on my neck.

The little girl in me, the weak, terrified girl who had endured this torment before, resurfaced. I hated it. I hated how powerless I felt in his presence, how easily he reduced me to this trembling, broken version of myself. His grip tightened, and I whimpered.

"Where does my pretty little flower think she’s going?" Raphael’s voice was a sickening whisper against my ear. His chuckle was low, wicked, and I could feel his breath against my skin. "I promised you, didn’t I? I said I’d see you again."

I could barely breathe. Every nerve in my body was screaming for me to fight, to run, but I was frozen in place. "Please, Raphael, no..." My voice was small, shaky. I hated myself for how pathetic I sounded, but I couldn’t stop the words from coming out.

He laughed darkly. "Oh, come now, my little flower. You don’t think I wouldn’t notice that clumsy Beta keeping an eye on me? Drake is a fool if he thinks that will stop me from seeing you." He paused, inhaling deeply. "Your scent... it intoxicates me. I couldn’t stay away, even if I wanted to. And seeing you all grown up... so beautiful, so tempting, I couldn’t resist."

My stomach twisted in disgust, and I felt bile rise in my throat. I struggled weakly, but it was no use. I was trapped, just as I had been before. Raphael’s hand roamed up my side, his fingers digging into my skin, and the terror paralyzed me. I was no longer the strong woman Drake knew. I was the scared little girl who had been helpless under Raphael’s control for so long.

"Hush now, my little flower," he whispered, his lips brushing against my ear, sending a shiver of revulsion down my spine. "I don’t have much time. That annoying nephew of mine will be back soon. But I promised you, didn’t I? I’d take my time with you, savor you."

Tears welled in my eyes as I choked out a plea, my voice barely a whisper. "Please... don’t..."

Raphael only laughed, twisting my words into something grotesque. "Oh, my little flower, if you’re going to beg, I’ll make sure you enjoy every second."

He lifted me up and tossed me onto the bed like a rag doll. My mind screamed at me to fight, but my body refused to listen. I felt his weight on top of me, his hands pinning my wrists above my head, and I struggled, but it was useless. I was trapped, powerless, just like before.

His hand fumbled with his zipper, and I felt my world collapse around me. This was it. Life had played a cruel joke on me, allowing me to believe I could find peace, love, safety. I had been fooled into thinking I could escape this nightmare, but it had found me again.

Just as all hope seemed lost, the door burst open with a deafening crash.

Drake:

His eyes were blazing with fury, glowing a deep, blood-red as his face partially shifted into his wolf. His muscles tensed, and he lunged at Raphael with a roar so primal, it shook the room. The sound was filled with raw rage, unlike anything I had ever heard from him before.

In an instant, Raphael was ripped off me and thrown across the room like a rag doll. He hit the wall with a sickening thud, but before he could recover, Drake was on him again, his claws ripping into his flesh.

Raphael screamed, but it was drowned out by the deafening growl that tore from Drake’s chest. His wolf had taken over, and the violence in his eyes was terrifying. Raphael was no match for him—not now, not ever.

I could barely move, frozen in place as I watched the scene unfold, my mind still reeling from the fear, the trauma. But as I lay there, watching Drake tear into the man who had tormented me, I felt something shift inside me.

The scene around me blurred as my vision darkened, my mind shutting down from the overwhelming stress of it all. The last thing I saw before everything went black was Drake’s enraged face, covered in blood, as he exacted the justice I had longed for.