Avenging Luna
Chapter 52: Turning Dark

Chapter 52: Turning Dark

Drake’s POV:

Gile had explained it to me after I finally managed to calm down. The trauma she’d experienced—the near rape—had forced her to shut down, leaving only her wolf behind. Her human side was gone, buried so deep that it severed the mate bond. That bond only works when she’s whole, both her human and wolf in sync. Now, the red edge in her iris is the only sign I have that her wolf, Layla, has taken full control.

The emptiness gnawed at me, a hollow pit where our bond used to be. I stood by the window of the pack house, staring out at the fading sunset, but it was all just background noise. The beauty of it meant nothing. My thoughts were far away, consumed by her—by Leila. My mate, the one person I was supposed to protect, was slipping further and further away from me.

That red ring around her once-bright, sky-blue eyes haunted me every second. It was a constant reminder that Leila wasn’t in control anymore. The woman I loved, the one I swore to stand beside, was lost inside her own mind.

It had been two weeks since the attack. Two weeks since Raphael’s betrayal. And two weeks since Leila’s human side had completely shut down, leaving only Layla, her wolf, to guide her actions. The memory of finding her, nearly lifeless, burned into my mind, like a scar that would never fade. I should’ve been there. I should’ve stopped it. And because I didn’t, I was losing her now—losing her in a way I never imagined possible.

Layla had taken over. She was driven by instinct, by primal urges that I couldn’t reach or understand. Our mate bond, which had once been my source of warmth and comfort, now felt like nothing more than cold emptiness. The connection between us, the thread that tied us together, thrived only when Leila was whole. But now, her human side was gone, leaving Layla to dominate every part of her being.

I clenched my fists, the frustration and helplessness building inside me like a storm I couldn’t contain. I was the Alpha. I was supposed to protect her, but here I was, watching her slip away.

I sighed heavily, turning away from the window. How do you fight something you can’t see? How do you bring someone back when they’ve shut down so completely? The fear that I might never be able to reach her again—my Leila—terrified me.

I tried reaching for her through the mate bond, desperately searching for some trace of the connection we once shared. But there was nothing. Just that hollow emptiness, a painful reminder of what we had lost.

Layla was the only part of her left, a wolf driven by pure instinct. Rage. Pain. A primal need for vengeance. Where there was once love and laughter, now there was only anger and a hunger for retribution.

I ran a hand through my hair, my chest tight with the ache that never seemed to go away. I didn’t know how to fix this. I didn’t know how to bring her back. The woman I loved was slipping away, and I felt powerless to stop it.

Every time I looked into her eyes and saw that red ring, I knew it wasn’t Leila anymore. It was Layla, her wolf. And I didn’t know if I’d ever get my mate back.

Layla’s POV:

Every time I looked at him, it wasn’t through Leila’s gentle eyes, but through mine—fierce, primal, and unrelenting. The hunger in me was far from love; it was raw, unfiltered desire. And he knew it. Drake saw it every time our gazes locked, his eyes betraying that thin line between caution and craving.

Tonight was no different.

I found him alone in his office, the tension between us simmering like a fire barely contained. His broad shoulders hunched over paperwork, unaware of my presence at first. But I didn’t bother with pleasantries or hesitation. That was Leila’s way, not mine.

"Drake," I purred, letting my voice slither through the room like a sultry whisper, thick with everything I wanted him to feel.

He looked up, his body going rigid the second he saw me. His response—caution, hesitation—only fueled the thrill in my chest. Good. He knows who’s in control now.

"Layla," he acknowledged, his voice tight. Always cautious, always holding back.

I crossed the room slowly, my hips swaying deliberately, savoring how his eyes couldn’t help but follow. There was no space between us that I didn’t already own. I slid onto his desk, the wood creaking beneath me as I perched on the edge, legs brushing his knees. Close enough to feel his warmth, close enough to drive him mad.

His eyes dropped to where my fingers were lazily tracing patterns across his scattered papers. I smiled, knowing the effect I had on him. The power was intoxicating.

"I miss you," I whispered, leaning closer, my lips hovering near his ear. I could feel the heat radiating off him, the subtle shift in his breath. "Don’t you miss me?"

I didn’t wait for him to answer. I didn’t need to. My lips grazed the skin of his neck, just barely touching, just enough to make his pulse race beneath my mouth. His body tensed under my touch, the delicious scent of his confliction pouring off him. My fingers roamed down his chest, trailing heat and hunger, lingering just long enough to make him want more.

His breath caught. He was fighting it, fighting me—but I could feel how close he was to giving in. I smiled against his skin, lips brushing his jaw. This wasn’t about love. This was about claiming him, about what he made me feel, what he could never deny.

"Leila..." he whispered, trying so hard to pull her back to the surface. But she was gone. And I was in control now.

"I’m not Leila," I murmured, my breath hot against his ear, my voice dripping with lust. "I’m what she can’t be."

My hand slid lower, fingers teasing the waistband of his pants. I felt him tense beneath me, his wolf stirring just beneath the surface, craving what I was offering. I could smell his restraint, taste the war inside him, and it only made me want him more. My lips found his neck again, trailing soft, wet kisses along his skin, feeling him break little by little beneath me.

But then, just as my fingers brushed lower, he snapped.

His hands clamped down on my wrists, pulling them away from his body with a growl that sent a thrill down my spine. His grip was tight, almost painful, but I liked the sting. It fueled the fire in my belly.

"Stop," he growled, his voice thick with both restraint and desire.

I pulled back slightly, meeting his eyes, my chest rising and falling with each rapid breath. I could see the torment in him—the fight between giving in and holding back. My heart pounded, but it wasn’t with love; it was with frustration. Why was he resisting me?

"Why?" I demanded, anger flaring in my voice. "Why do you resist me?"

He looked at me, his eyes heavy with something I didn’t want to see—something too soft, too caring. His hand reached out, his fingers brushing against my cheek, and it only made me angrier. "Because you’re not her," he whispered, his voice full of aching tenderness.

I recoiled as if he’d slapped me. The rejection stung deeper than I could have ever imagined. I could feel fury surge inside me, My growl rumbling in my throat. I turned away from him, my body shaking with a mixture of lust, anger, and frustration.

Without another word, I stormed out of his office, leaving him behind, trembling with the intensity of what almost happened.

But I’d be back. And next time, I wouldn’t take no for an answer.

Back in our room, I barely noticed the silence around me, my mind still pulsing with frustration and need. But something caught my eye—a note, slipped beneath the door. I bent down, picking up the small, crumpled paper, my curiosity quickly giving way to rage as I read the words scrawled across it.

’Meet me at the stream alone at midnight. If I don’t see you, Drake will know your little secret. Until then, my little pretty flower.’

A growl ripped from my throat, vibrating through my chest. Pretty flower? That fool had no idea who he was dealing with. He thought he was taunting Leila, fragile and scared. But I wasn’t Leila. I was Layla—an Alpha—and I was far from ordinary. He would regret ever thinking he could toy with us.

My grip tightened on the note, crumpling it into a ball as my lips curled into a savage smile. He had no idea the beast he had awakened. Tonight, I wouldn’t just meet him. I’d make him see who I really was.

Tonight, I thought, feeling the surge of power coursing through me, I will show him the Alpha I am. And I will avenge us.

With a flick of my wrist, the note hit the floor. My decision was made, my mind clear.

Midnight would be his reckoning.