Seven Years Later...
~Ezinne~
I awoke abruptly, my scream piercing the silence of the night, a familiar terror gripping my heart from the same nightmare that had plagued me for years. There was no one rushing into my room to check on me anymore; my nightly outbursts had become routine, and I had been labelled a witch by those who heard my screams. The worst part was that every detail of the dream would slip from my memory upon waking, leaving me drenched in sweat, and heart racing with an unnameable fear.
Glancing at the clock, I noticed it was still dawn, the hour when the servants bustled around, preparing breakfast for the pack house. It had been seven long years since Garrick, and I became mates. Our union was the result of that visit to Louisa's house seven years ago, an arrangement Garrick still resented to this day. His father, however, had insisted he accept his destined mate, and so I became his mate and the Luna of this pack. But in all these years, I had never seen a glimmer of love in Garrick's eyes.
He despised me, avoided my presence, and had never shown any romantic interest in me or touched me in any sensual way. It was as if I lived with myself despite being married to him. Garrick went to great lengths to ignore me. I loved him and still did, or perhaps, the mate bond compelled me to love him. He had been the first and only man I had ever felt this way about, but I couldn't deny the hurt his attitude inflicted upon me.
Initially, when I married Garrick, I endured his coldness and absence out of love, partly because his parents adored me. I took care of the late Alpha Icarus and Luna Camilia until their passing. They had a particular fondness for my cooking. I became the only person who could cook anything they would eat. It was all thanks to my mother's cookbook which I discovered at the age of fifteen when Louisa had asked me to dispose of my mother's belongings. But now, I remained with Garrick out of a sense of duty. Beyond being his wife, I was the Luna of the pack and had responsibilities to fulfil. Garrick made no pretence of loving me, not even in public or at social gatherings. In the beginning, I would cry myself to sleep, but after seven years of consistent indifference, I had come to accept my fate.
I consoled myself with the thought that at least he had not taken another woman in the pack as a mate, not to my knowledge, anyway, because even if he did, I wouldn't know, since he hadn't marked me to seal our mate bond. While I had shed some weight since my teenage years, I was still not as slender as I would have liked, and although nobody openly ridiculed me anymore, I knew that many pack members held a grudge against me, especially my stepbrother, Canice, who now served as the pack's beta.
I did my best to avoid him, but Canice delighted in spreading venomous rumours that poisoned the pack against me. Candice, who once pretended I didn't exist, now revelled in tormenting me since I became Luna. In the early years, she had teamed up with Elara to torment me, but with time, Elara had mysteriously vanished from the pack, which I was not informed of where she went, and I had no interest in discovering her whereabouts. Candice, on the other hand, had taken a job in a finance company and seemed to have moved on with her life.
I got out of bed, craving coffee. I didn't want to ask any of the servants to bring it up for me, since I had a way I made my coffee and enjoyed it, so I headed towards the kitchen. I passed Garrick's room on my way to the kitchen and hesitated in front of his door for a moment. I reflected on my relentless efforts to be a devoted wife and a competent Luna. What more could I do to earn even a fleeting glance of affection from him? Losing all this weight was not easy and I was easily tired to exercise or follow a diet plan, no matter how much I tried. I remembered one time I passed out in college from self-imposed starvation, all in a desperate bid to capture Garrick's attention as he had for Elara. My health had even deteriorated to the point of developing an ulcer during a misguided attempt at intermittent fasting.
Shaking off these thoughts, I continued towards the kitchen. As I approached, the whispered conversations of the female servants reached my ears. The subject of their discussion piqued my curiosity, and I paused just outside the door to eavesdrop on their discussion.
"I swear she's returning," whispered one servant, her voice laced with a mix of awe and apprehension. "She's reclaiming what's rightfully hers. Her rightful position.”
"Her rightful position?" queried the second servant, her tone a blend of curiosity and disbelief. "What rightful place?"
"Yes, as the Luna of this pack." the first servant explained. "Don't you remember that it was Miss Elara whom our Alpha truly loved? I can't fathom why some women desire to be where they're unwelcome. Besides, it's not as if she's been able to bear children," her voice dripped with disdain.
"Shush, be cautious!" the second servant warned in a hushed tone. "If someone overhears and tells her..."
The first servant scoffed dismissively. "Who cares for a Luna unable to provide an heir? She stole the role that rightfully belonged to someone else and expects to enjoy it. But the moon goddess has different plans for her."
"But she didn't exactly steal the position," the second servant countered softly. "She was compelled into this marriage with our Alpha. It's hardly her fault she hasn't conceived."
Overhearing this, I stood frozen, my jaw practically hitting the floor in shock, and I had no intention of picking it up. How could they label me as barren when Garrick hadn't even touched me once in this marriage? Were they all blind to see that I wasn't marked with his claim?
"I suppose the stone that was rejected is on the verge of becoming the cornerstone," the first maid gloated.
At that moment, Rose, the head servant, entered the kitchen, her presence commanding immediate silence. "Engaging in gossip so early in the morning, are we?" she chastised, her voice firm yet not unkind. "The personal affairs of our leaders are not our concern. Our role here is to serve and fulfil their needs, not to pass judgment or spread rumours. Have I made myself clear?"
"Yes, Rose," the maids responded in unison, their voices blending into a chorus of compliance.
"Now, get back to work."
Seizing the moment, I emerged from my hiding place and stepped into the kitchen. My gaze settled on the maid who had spoken so harshly of me. I noticed her shoulders stiffen under my scrutiny, her eyes darting away, seeking refuge from my stare. But I chose not to exert my authority in retaliation; engaging with her petty spite would only diminish my own stature. Those who engage in such mean-spirited talk are best left unanswered. As I entered, the servants collectively lowered their heads, a gesture of respect and acknowledgement.
Of all the conversations, one phrase lingered in my mind. I needed to understand what she meant by the "rejected stone becoming the chief cornerstone."
"Rose," I called out, my voice cutting through the muted atmosphere of the kitchen, my focus solely on her, disregarding the other servants in the kitchen.
"Yes, my Luna."
"In my office, now."
"Yes, Luna."
