4

The old nurse was smiling as she stared aimlessly, her eyes clouding with the memories of the past.

“I'm so sorry. But how did you cope with it? Did you… Stay with him even after everything or you left him?” Vera asked.

“Both.”

“Both?”

“Mmhmm. I have two daughters, twins. They were nineteen when it happened. So for their sake I decided to stay with their father. They loved him a lot and I didn't want them to hate the man they thought was their superhero.” The nurse's lips thinned. “But my husband… He took my quiet for my submission! He brought that bítch home, not caring about our daughters. You want to know who that girl was, Luna?” Vera nodded curiously. “She was my daughter's classmate. She met my husband during a parents and teachers meeting at college.

“My daughters were traumatized when they found out. They berated me for living with a man like him. But when I told them it's for them, we cried all night while hugging each other.” She went quiet.

“Then what, ma'am?”

The nurse looked up, eyes teary but lips adorned with a peaceful smile, “We left him with that bítch. My daughters were studying product designing and software engineering respectively. They continued their studies and did part time jobs while I also continued to serve here at the hospital as a nurse. They're twenty-five now. One of them is getting married to an Alpha of a faraway located pack. He treats me like a mother and calls me mom. He's an orphan.

“I'm on my notice period, Luna. He's invited me and my other daughter to stay with him in his house after the marriage.”

Vera's body relaxed. She was glad that this nice woman here had a good ending. However, her heart beat restlessly again as she thought about her own life.

Fred cheating her for a younger girl? That was impossible. Vera was 28 and it wasn't very old, was it? It's not like she looked older or exactly as per her age. If anything, she looked younger like 23 or 24.

It could be that Tory drugged him to take those pictures! She didn't feel the pain of betrayal either.

"B-but I don't feel the pain of betrayal!" Vera exclaimed as the thought crossed her mind.

"Luna," The old nurse spoke calmly. "You're a human. Humans don't feel it when their mates cheat. It can only happen when you have a wolf because it's the wolf who has direct connection with the wolf of your partner."

Vera was breathless. Even if she didn't want to, she could make sense of the old lady's words. All this while, she never had a reason to doubt her husband because 'she couldn't feel it'.

She. Couldn't. Feel. It.

Her wolf had been inactive. Even if Fred cheated, she had no way to find it out.

Now that she was made aware of this dire situation, she grew impatient.

"What are you doing, Luna?" The nurse panicked when she saw Vera pull the pipe of the drip and try to get out.

"I need to go. M-my husband and kid... They're alone. They need me."

"They don't need you, Luna. It's you who needs their care— But they're not here." Those words stung and she went still. They stabbed and twisted into Vera's chest like a poisoned dagger. "I'm sorry for causing you stress. But I thought you needed to know."

The nurse bit her lip, clearly regretting talking about the Alpha and his betrayal. It was still a doubt, but it was so possible.

"Well," the nurse sighed nervously. "I'll be in trouble if you leave now, Luna. There's another thing that I'm not supposed to tell you but I'll tell you anyway. Erm, Alpha Fred ordered the doctors looking after you to make sure you stay under observation. When I say you’re under observation, I don’t mean it’s for a medical reason, Luna."

Vera wasn't an idiot. She knew what it meant. She was being spied on— So her husband's betrayal won't get exposed.

"So please don't do anything reckless. Please don't leave your room."

Vera nodded her head in understanding. Although her heart didn't feel like itself after the truth was told to her, she was glad it was brought to her notice. Otherwise it seemed that everyone else was just going to keep quiet and let her husband cheat on her because he was the Alpha.

The pack belonged to the Alphas. They were the leaders. It was fair for the doctors to be loyal to him. But what about her, their Luna? She didn't do anything less for them. In fact, she worked harder than the Alpha to improve the quality of their life.

She curled up in pain in realization that she had no support even though she gave her all to the pack.

Vera was glad the old woman took her chances. At least one person thought about her and recognized her efforts towards the pack. She wasn't about to put her in trouble by leaving so suddenly.

"Thank you, Luna. And I'm sorry. I know I shouldn't have..." She bit her lip. "But someone had to. Alpha is not the only one we promised our loyalty to."

Vera forced a smile that shook. Tears now trickled down her cheeks. But still she gracefully held the nurse's gaze and thanked her. When the woman was ready to leave, Vera wiped her tears and called out.

"Ma'am, can you do me a favour?"

"Anything for you, Luna." The nurse's voice came before her eyes on her Luna.

"Can you arrange for a bottle of Elixir of life for me?" The nurse's eyes popped out as her face went pale.

"L-luna... I-it is used for... It is... Luna, you're not a human entirely, are you?"

Vera smiled politely, although her hurt was visible.

"Can you arrange it for me?"

The nurse composed herself and blinked her eyes, "It's not impossible but it's risky. Elixirs of both life and death are kept in a storage room backed by tech security with other important medicines. I don't have a password."

"95421... The password."

"Luna? Y-you know the password."

"I am the Luna, remember? You just confessed that I drove the pack to its success. How wouldn't I know!"

The nurse was impressed. She offered a smile and then a nod.

"I’d say you took the human healing potion because you wanted to return to your Luna duties quickly."

The nurse left, and shortly after ten minutes, she was back with a little vial holding a dark red liquid resembling blood— The elixir of life.

It did the opposite of what Elixir of death did to a wolf. Consuming a single shot of the former could revive one's dormant or comatosed wolf. Vera was going to do just the same.

She was going to let her wolf wake up from the long sleep she had put her to.

Tbc…

5

Taking the vial from the nurse Vera gulped the liquid in a single swig.

"I've got several more dosages for you, Luna. I heard one is not enough to revive one's wolf put to sleep by the Elixir of death. Just make sure there’s a two-hour gap between each dose, alright?"

"Thank you, ma'am. Your help is appreciated. I won't forget this favour." Vera gave her a pained smile as the elixir was starting its work on her body.

"It's my duty, Luna. It's afternoon. Take a rest now. I'll switch the lights off for you."

"Thank you."

"Rest well, Luna. I'll come back with your dinner in the evening."

"D-don't bother. I want to be left alone."

"Understood, Luna. You will need time and space to let the elixir work. Take your time, Luna. I'll make sure that no one interrupts you."

Vera couldn't reply to the kind lady. She felt pain like she hadn't experienced before. It was like someone was clawing her on the inside. Her belly, chest, shoulders, skull, and even between her legs... She got the sensation like someone was scraping the walls on the inside of her body with long pointed claws. The sound of chalk on the board erupted in her ears too.

This was exactly how Elixir of death made her feel. But this was more painful.

Sweat drenched her. The room was air-conditioned, and she still felt like she was in a stuffed closed room. However, with passing time the pain lessened. In the next eight hours, Vera took four more bottles of Elixir of life. Her wolf was no ordinary. She was with Alpha king's blood. She needed more potion to revive her than she had consumed to put her to sleep.

As the night folded over the day, Vera could hear her wolf's anguished and angry heaving. She was trying to recollect herself. After all, it was after seven years she was waking up. In the other two hours, Verity, her wolf, was able to growl maddeningly and talk.

'You ungrateful bitch! How dare you put me to sleep?' Her howl made Vera's head throb.

She clutched her skull in her trembling hands and heaved like she was about to die.

'Aarghh, I'm hungry. I need meat! Lots of meat!!!'

"You can't have anything now."

'What do you mean that I can't?! Who do you think you're saying no to?'

"I'm sorry, Verity. But to our mate and everyone in the pack I showed them that I'm a human."

'Bitch, I recall that much! What I want to know is why you woke me up if you were so happy with your good for nothing mate?!' Verity snarled.

Well, unlike other wolves, she wasn't happy to meet her mate. She was dissatisfied. Verity thought that Fred was unfit for them. That he was too weak and unimpressive.

But love and mate-bond did Vera bad. She was hopelessly in love with Fred. And no matter how much Verity attempted to convince her to reject Fred and look for their second-chance and compatible mate, Vera put her to sleep.

'It's not because you missed me, is it?' Verity scoffed.

Vera was about to reply to her wolf when it happened— She felt the excruciating spasms in her belly. It was as if someone was twisting the muscles of her belly in a fist.

"AAHHHH!" Vera screamed and quickly covered her mouth.

No one must know she consumed the Elixir of life. She still wanted people to assume that she was their wolfless human Luna.

"W-what is this pain, Verity? I... I.. I c-can't bear it. Ahh!" Vera clutched her mouth tighter while her wolf went insane in pain. She clawed Vera's mind and chest.

Vera squirmed and sweated in pain. Her wolf was experiencing the same assault within her. This went on all night. It stopped somewhere around sunrise. Crying mutely, Vera laid limply on the bed. Verity was cooing in pain. Both of them were battered.

The old nurse came back to see Vera around 6.30 am.

"Luna?!" She gasped and ran towards the bed the moment she flicked the lights on.

Vera looked like she was assaulted. Holding her breaths, the old nurse wiped her forehead. Then with shaking hands, she lifted Vera's shirt and a mock smile along with tears flashed in her eyes.

"T-the bruises are deep, Luna. Guess I wasn't wrong when I said Alpha Fred might be cheating on you. Men always fall for vulnerable young girls! And to say, this little bítch he's seeing is so young and has a 5 year old daughter." As she went on ranting, Vera and Verity breathed in sync, their hearts thudding violently.

They shed thick tears now. But they weren't of pain or for getting cheated on. They were of anger and remorse for falling for a díckless man.

'This is the man you put me to sleep for! You feel the pain from his infidelity, Verena? How long has it been since you two got married?' Verity asked, still sobbing.

"S-seven years. We also have a son."

"Seven years!' Verity growled. 'You stole seven years of my life, Verena! I could've done so much. But thanks to you, I'm here feeling this pain.'

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." Vera sobbed.

Her wolf sighed and tried to compose her emotions, 'I'm sorry too. It's not your fault alone. I kind of got carried away by his scent when we met. So what you felt seven years ago wasn't your feelings alone. They were ours combined.'

Vera laid there quietly shedding tears while the nurse sought after rubbing cooling ointment on her belly. She was still ranting, saying things like how Alphas ignored their mates and Lunas for a young-looking woman. How they insulted their relationship and how it was a cycle every second Alpha was a part of.

'What now? Will you co-exist with your Alpha husband's whóre like other Lunas or do you want to break the cycle?' Verity was healing faster than Vera.

Beside having an Alpha king's blood, she had no attachment with the man who cheated on them. Hence, it was easy for her.

But for poor Vera, it was difficult. It wasn't just their relationship crumbling. It was all those things she did in those seven years for him and for his pack as his Luna beside him.

'I want to know your answer, Verena, so I can prepare myself accordingly. One thing I know is that I'm not letting them see tomorrow's sunrise. I'll kill them even if it's not what you want to do.' Verity growled. 'So tell me, Verena. Which one is it? Choice one or two.'

Vera didn't reply until the nurse left. In the five minutes that followed, she had not only healed the claw marks but also the bruises from Fred's infidelity. Sitting up straight, she wiped her cheeks while her eyes blazed in the promise of revenge.

Verity cooed excitedly at the fire she felt blossoming in her human counterpart's chest. And when she spoke, Verity laughed wickedly.

"Not just the cycle, I will break each and every bone in his body and his whóre's. I'll rip them apart and set this pack ablaze and leave with my son. Alpha Fred, you're so gone."

What happened next was a nightmare turned to reality for Vera.

Tbc...