Avenging Luna
Chapter 95: Follow up

Chapter 95: Follow up

Lily’s POV:

I followed Nelly through the hospital corridors, pretending to be the concerned pack member I wasn’t. My real reason for being here was far from sympathetic. Leila had narrowly escaped death, but that didn’t change the fact that everything was going according to plan—well, almost everything. Her collapsing should’ve been the end of it, but the universe seemed to have a twisted way of prolonging my annoyance.

She was still alive, much to my disappointment. But from what I’d heard, her relationship with Drake was in tatters. And that, in itself, was enough to make me smile. If I couldn’t kill her off, I could at least rip her life apart, piece by piece.

As we entered the hospital room, I kept my expression neutral, maybe even a little sympathetic. Nelly walked ahead, oblivious to the storm of satisfaction brewing inside me. She had no idea of my true intentions, no idea that the woman she was trying to comfort had become the target of my carefully laid plans.

"Leila," Nelly said softly as she approached the bed, her voice filled with genuine concern. I had to stifle the urge to roll my eyes. She was too soft, too trusting. All that care and worry for someone who wasn’t even worth it.

Leila was lying there, weak and pale, hooked up to machines. The sight of her in such a vulnerable state should’ve made me feel something—anything. But all I felt was satisfaction. The baby survived, unfortunately, but she was still broken. Fragile. Good. That was a start.

"Hey," I said, my voice dripping with fake warmth as I moved closer. "How are you feeling?"

Leila looked up at me, "I’m doing great," Leila answered, her voice strained but trying to sound cheerful. Her eyes flickered over to Mike, who I had perched on my hip. The way she looked at him, all soft and maternal, made me want to gag.

"Hey, Mike... ooh, how you’ve grown up quickly," she added, a weak smile pulling at her lips.

I forced a smile of my own, holding out the basket of fruit I’d brought with me. Keep up appearances, Lily. After all, the best lies are the ones wrapped in a little bit of truth.

"I brought you some fruit," I said, trying to sound casual, as if I actually cared whether she ate or not. "Thought it might help you get your strength back."

She glanced at the basket, her eyes tired but thankful. I knew Nelly was watching us closely, and I had to be careful. One wrong move, one slip, and she’d be suspicious. And I couldn’t afford that. Not when I was so close to getting everything I wanted.

"Thanks, Lily," Leila murmured. "That’s... really thoughtful of you."

Thoughtful. If only she knew. But she wouldn’t, not yet. I had to play my cards right, and the game was far from over.

Nelly, ever the doting friend, sat on the edge of Leila’s bed, her eyes full of worry. "Are you sure you’re okay, Leila? You still look a little pale."

Leila sighed, her hand resting on her stomach, where the baby had once been. "I’m just... I don’t know, Nelly. I feel so empty. Like something’s missing."

Well, of course something’s missing, I thought to myself, barely containing a smirk. You’re broken now. Perfect.

But out loud, I said, "That’s understandable. You’ve been through a lot. But you’ll heal, Leila. You always do."

Nelly shot me a grateful smile, and I knew I was playing my part perfectly. The concerned friend, the supportive packmate. No one would suspect a thing. Not yet, anyway. Leila was too weak to put the pieces together, and Nelly was too trusting to see the truth behind my words.

This was all falling into place.

Drake wasn’t here, I noticed. Interesting. He must still be out sulking or brooding or whatever it was that big, strong alphas did when they realized they’d messed up. I wondered how long it would be before Leila pushed him away completely. After all, he thought she’d tried to kill their baby. That kind of thing didn’t just go away.

Perfect. Just perfect. If I could keep them apart long enough, I might just be able to weasel my way into his life.

"Okay, I’ll leave you two to talk. I’ll just take Mike for a stroll. Do you guys want coffee? I can bring you some," I offered, my voice sweet, knowing full well they’d appreciate the space to talk.

Leila and Nelly exchanged grateful glances. Of course, they wanted me out of the room. They probably thought I was being considerate, giving them a moment alone. If only they knew how much I hated being in their presence. It took everything in me not to roll my eyes at their little display of friendship.

Leila nodded. "Coffee would be great, thanks."

Nelly smiled at me. "Yeah, thanks, Lily. You’re a lifesaver."

Oh please. If only they knew how close I was to blowing my cover. Being around them made my skin crawl. I hated playing nice, pretending I cared. But I had to. For now.

I took Mike’s small hand, his little fingers wrapping around mine as I led him out of the room. I plastered on another fake smile as I glanced over my shoulder. "I’ll be back soon with the coffee. You two... take your time."

As soon as I was out of earshot, I let out a long breath, the forced smile dropping from my face. "Finally," I muttered under my breath, the tension easing from my shoulders as I walked down the hospital corridor with Mike. It took all my strength not to show my true feelings back there. The last thing I needed was to let my disguise slip, but it was getting harder and harder.

I glanced down at Mike, who was looking up at me with his wide, innocent eyes. I felt a pang of annoyance at how easily he trusted me. Poor kid had no idea what was really going on.

As we strolled through the hospital, I felt the satisfaction creeping in. Everything was falling into place. Leila was weak, Drake was distant, and soon enough, their bond would be shattered beyond repair.

All I had to do was keep playing my part, bide my time, and let their little world crumble. Then, I’d be right where I wanted to be—by Drake’s side, where I belonged.

For now, though, I’d keep smiling. Keep pretending. Because the game wasn’t over yet. Not by a long shot.

Thinking of the damn devil himself. As I was walking with Mike, cooing and making him giggle like the perfect mother, I spotted Drake sitting in the waiting lobby, his head buried in his hands, looking dejected and miserable. What a perfect sight. The mighty Alpha, brought to his knees by his precious Leila.

It was the perfect moment. I could offer my "support," play the role of a concerned friend, and drive the wedge between him and Leila even deeper. Of course, I had to be careful. I couldn’t afford to incriminate myself, but as long as I planted the right seed, I knew it would grow on its own.

I steered Mike towards Drake, making sure to act like I hadn’t noticed him. I pretended to be completely absorbed in making Mike laugh, bouncing him on my hip and whispering silly things to him.

"Who’s the cutest little guy, huh? Yes, you are! Lily loves you sooo much," I said in a singsong voice, all the while inching closer to Drake.

Just as I was a few steps away, I "noticed" him and gasped dramatically. "Drake!" I exclaimed, acting as if seeing him was a surprise. "I didn’t expect to see you here." I glanced at Mike, then back at Drake, feigning concern. "Are you okay? You look... exhausted."

Drake lifted his head slowly, his eyes red and heavy with the weight of everything he was going through. For a moment, I almost felt bad for him. Almost.

"I don’t know anymore, Lily," he muttered, running a hand through his hair. "It’s all falling apart."

I had to hold back the smirk that threatened to surface. Perfect. This was exactly the opening I needed. I shifted my expression to one of sympathy and walked closer, gently bouncing Mike on my hip.

"I’m so sorry, Drake. I can’t even imagine what you must be going through right now." I lowered my voice, careful to sound genuinely concerned. "Leila... she’s been through so much, but so have you. It must be so hard, not knowing if you can trust the person you love most."

There. Just a little nudge, a tiny suggestion to feed his doubt.

Drake’s jaw tightened, and I could see the internal struggle in his eyes. "It’s not that I don’t love her. I do. But after everything that’s happened... I don’t know if she even...., Lily. What if... what if she really did try to...?"

He couldn’t finish the sentence, but I didn’t need him to. I could see the pain in his eyes, the guilt eating away at him for even thinking it. It was almost too easy.

I gave him a sad smile, gently placing a hand on his shoulder. "Drake, sometimes people make choices that hurt the ones they love... without even realizing it. Maybe Leila’s been under so much pressure, and with everything going on... maybe she doesn’t even realize how much she’s hurting you." I hesitated for effect, then added, "It’s all about trust...she needs to understand your side of things ."