The Luna

Forty-one

It's crazy (and not in a good way) being back at Lotus. Knowing what I know now, I can see the overall insanity that this pack is, and I wonder how I had so easily dismissed it before.

I woke this morning, after a long night of tossing and turning, to an invite from Caspian's mother to join them for breakfast, as if nothing has changed. I refused, much to the dismay and urging from my new guards that I reconsider.

It's rude to refuse an invitation from the Alpha. At this, I rolled my eyes and huffed out an annoyed sigh.

The audacity of them for thinking that I should just bow down and be thankful that I've been chosen by them.

They're going to kill me! They know it and they know that I know it. So what's with all the pretense?

Why would I ever want to sit down to a meal with my future murders? Talk about twisted.

So I've done nothing but sit in this room, with the comfort of a cell, watching clouds move across the sky. I'd be lying if I said my mind didn't slip to Larkspur.

To Austin.

If I stare at the wall long enough, I can see his eyes, looking at me in a way that would have me convinced he felt more for me than he ever said.

In the silence, I can hear his laugh or the whisper of sweet nothings in my ear as I laid in the safety of his arms.

And when I close my eyes, I can pretend that he's with me and I'll hold onto that until Caspian is finished with whatever he's got planned.

I can hear the guards on the other side of the door, pulling me from my thoughts, from Austin, before three soft taps sound from my door.

I'm surprised that they even let me have any privacy at all. But I guess with all the bars, they don't expect me to escape again.

And honestly, neither do I.

I don't acknowledge them knocking. Don't call for them to come in or even glance at the food they've been leaving for me.

"Luna?" One of the guards steps into my peripheral vision, but I don't open my eyes, trying desperately to bring the memory back, but it's useless with the guard in here, "The Alpha has requested to see you in his office,"

"No," my voice is a little more hoarse than I thought but I don't care.

"It's not optional, Luna,"

"Then it wasn't really a request, was it?" I snap, finally turning to face him.

His hair is cut short and his eyes, a dark brown that I could almost call black. I don't know which one he is and frankly, I don't care.

He doesn't deserve for me to use his name, so I will call him muppet. Just another string that the Alpha can pull on his puppets to get what he wants.

Like a sheepdog herding their flock, the muppet twins surround me, one in front of and behind me as I walk out the door.

I want to yell that I don't need an escort or to be babysat, but it would only be a waste of breath.

"Ah, Luna, Good Morning," Atticus sits behind his large desk as the guards usher me in.

I just stare at him as impassive as I can manage and when it becomes painfully aware that I won't be responding, Atticus clears his throat and looks to the muppets.

"I've got her from here," he shoots them a smile that is so fake it's sickening and gestures to the door.

The muppets don't even blink before they shut the door behind them.