Avenging Luna
Chapter 54: Learning the Truth

Chapter 54: Learning the Truth

Leila’s POV:

The moment Raphael’s words sliced through the air, I felt something inside me crack open. The world around me blurred as if everything but the truth he spoke faded into the background. Daughter of the ones who murdered Drake’s parents?

It wasn’t Layla who reeled from the shock this time—it was me. Leila. My human side, the part of me I had buried deep to escape the pain and trauma, resurfaced with such force that it shattered the walls I had built around it. I could feel my humanity rushing back like a tidal wave, fierce and unrelenting. All the fear, guilt, and the suffocating weight of the truth I had kept hidden came crashing down on me. But instead of breaking me, it fueled me.

I had lived in fear for so long—fear of my past, of Raphael, of the pack that betrayed me. But now, staring at Drake’s back as he moved toward Raphael, I wasn’t afraid anymore. The shock of the moment stripped away the last remnants of my weakness. I was done hiding. I was done running from who I was and what I had survived.

Layla, who had been my shield, quieted inside me. She didn’t retreat, but rather, merged with me, her strength becoming my own. We were no longer two halves but a united whole—Leila, strong and unafraid, with the heart of a wolf that burned for vengeance.

I took a deep breath, steadying myself. I wasn’t the scared girl who had been cast aside anymore. I was the daughter of Alphas, trained to survive in the darkest of times. And now, I would stand and fight—not just for me, but for what was right. I would face the truth of my past head-on. Drake would hate me, but I would make things right. I would take down Raphael and anyone else who threatened the peace I had finally earned.

But first, I had to endure Drake’s fury.

His shoulders were tense as he stood over Raphael, the bloodlust in his eyes unmistakable. I knew that look—he wasn’t just angry, he was raging. His whole body was coiled with the violent energy of a predator ready to strike.

"Drake," I whispered, stepping forward.

He ignored me, his entire focus on Raphael. I could feel the sharp edge of his emotions, burning with betrayal and the need for revenge. For a moment, the bond we had shared—fractured though it was—seemed nonexistent. I was just another enemy to him now, not his mate.

Raphael lay on the ground, coughing, clutching his broken wrist, but even in his pain, he managed to smile. "So... what’s it going to be, Alpha? You going to kill me, or listen to what your mate’s been hiding from you?"

Drake’s fist tightened, and I could see him fighting the urge to tear Raphael apart. But the words struck him, I could feel it. His muscles tensed even more, and finally, he turned to me. His eyes—those eyes I had once adored—were filled with something I had never seen before: betrayal.

"Leila," he said, his voice so cold it sent a shiver down my spine, "is it true?"

I opened my mouth to speak, to explain, but the words caught in my throat. What could I say to make this better? Nothing. The truth was brutal.

"It’s true," I whispered, the admission like poison on my tongue.

Drake’s jaw clenched, his nostrils flaring as if he was trying to control himself. He turned back to Raphael, his hand wrapping around the rogue’s throat with vicious precision. Raphael gasped, struggling for breath, but Drake didn’t loosen his grip.

"I’ll deal with you later," Drake growled, his voice thick with barely-contained rage. He lifted Raphael like he weighed nothing and threw him to the ground, knocking the air from his lungs. Then, with a swift motion, Drake dragged him to his feet and shoved him toward the guards who had appeared at the treeline.

As the guards secured Raphael, Drake didn’t spare me a glance. His body was rigid, his breathing heavy. I could feel the distance between us growing wider with each passing second, and it tore at me.

"I trusted you, Leila," he said quietly, his voice trembling with rage as he finally turned back to me. "I gave you everything, and you lied to me. All this time, you were the daughter of the people who slaughtered my parents. Their blood runs in your veins, and you didn’t say a word."

I flinched at his words, but I held my ground. "I.....I didn’t want to hurt —"

"You hid it," he spat, cutting me off. "You hid it, and now you expect me to just forget it? The Moon Goddess mated me with you, the child of my parents’ killers. How is that supposed to make sense? How can I look at you and not see their blood?"

His words hit harder than any physical blow ever could. The depth of his hurt was palpable, and I couldn’t blame him for feeling this way. I had kept the truth from him, fearing it would destroy us. And now, it had.

"Drake, I—"

"No." His voice was sharp, final. He stepped closer, his eyes dark with fury. "I vowed on their graves that I would eliminate every single one of the bastards responsible for their deaths. And now... I’m mated to one of them."

Tears pricked at my eyes, but I refused to let them fall. "I’m not them," I whispered, my voice shaking. "I’m not the ones who did this to your family. I’m still your mate, Drake."

"You’re not my mate." His words were venomous. "Not anymore. Not after this."

With that, he turned and walked away, leaving me standing there, the weight of his words crushing me.

Drake’s words echoed in my head, a cold knife twisting deeper with each passing second. Not my mate. Not anymore. The finality of it pierced through the last of my defenses, and I felt my heart shatter into a thousand pieces. My body trembled, not from fear or shock, but from the overwhelming sense of loss.

I had always known this moment would come—that one day, my past would catch up with me. But I had never imagined it would hurt this much. I had never imagined that Drake, the man who had sworn to protect me, the man whose love had once felt unbreakable, would look at me like I was a stranger. Worse, like I was the enemy.

But I’m not the enemy, I told myself, trying to find some semblance of strength amidst the chaos inside me. I wasn’t responsible for what my parents had done. I wasn’t the one who had destroyed his family. But to him, it didn’t matter. All he saw now was the blood running through my veins, the connection to the monsters who had taken everything from him. And no matter how much I wished it otherwise, I couldn’t change that.

I stood there, frozen in place, my mind spinning with a thousand thoughts. Layla stirred within me, sensing the depth of my pain. But instead of retreating like she had in the past, she rose to the surface, her strength and rage intertwining with mine. We had come too far, endured too much, to let this break us. We were one now—human and wolf—and together, we were stronger than ever.

Drake might hate me now. He might be furious with the Moon Goddess for what he saw as her cruel twist of fate. But I wouldn’t let his anger destroy me. I wouldn’t let it take away everything I had fought so hard to regain.

I straightened my spine, forcing the tears back. I couldn’t afford to be weak. Not now. Raphael’s words still lingered in the air, a sinister promise of more to come. He wasn’t done with us, and I had no intention of letting him win.

I am Leila, I reminded myself. I am the daughter of an Alphas, a survivor of unimaginable cruelty. I’ve faced worse than this, and I’ve come out stronger every time.

Drake might be lost to me for now, but I wasn’t going to crumble under the weight of his betrayal. I would fight for myself, for us, even if he wasn’t ready to fight alongside me. And if Raphael thought he could use my past to control me, he was sorely mistaken.

With renewed resolve, I turned on my heel and walked toward the guards holding Raphael. His smirk had faded, replaced by a mixture of pain and fear of what Drake would to to him now that he is caught.

"You think this is over?" I said, my voice low and dangerous. "You think you can manipulate us with your lies and your threats?"

Raphael’s eyes flicked up to meet mine, the spark of defiance still lingering despite his obvious discomfort. "You can’t run from your bloodline, Leila. No matter how strong you think you are."

"I’m not running," I hissed, stepping closer until I was mere inches from his face. "I’m embracing it. I’m going to take everything you’ve used against me, every secret you think you can hold over my head, and I’m going to turn it into the weapon that destroys you."

Raphael’s smirk returned, though it was weaker now, tainted by the fear he was trying to hide. "We’ll see."

I turned away from him, my focus shifting back to Drake. He was pacing a short distance away, his fists clenched, his jaw tight. He wouldn’t even look at me. But I knew he had heard every word.

I’ll make this right, I vowed silently, my heart aching even as the fire of determination burned within me. I’ll show him that I’m not like them. That I’m still his mate, no matter how broken we are right now.

But deep down, I knew that proving myself to Drake wasn’t going to be enough. The battle ahead was far greater than just mending our bond. Raphael’s threats were real, and the Blood Moon Pack wasn’t far behind. If they were coming for us, I had to be ready.

Because this time, I wouldn’t let anyone take away what was mine. Not my freedom, not my mate, and certainly not my life.

I was Leila, the daughter of Alphas, and I was done being afraid.