Chapter 91 – The Awkward Meeting

(Quinn's Perspective)

The pain was dull now, like a quiet, nagging whisper in the background. Not enough to knock me down, but just enough to remind me it was there. Like my own little secret, tucked beneath the layers of carefully applied powder and rouge the ladies maids had smoothed onto my face.

My abdomen protested as I shifted in my seat, but I masked it with a sharp breath and a forced smile. Always a forced smile these days. I'd felt something yesterday, something strange. It was like a rush of anger, but it wasn't mine. It was heavy, consuming, and dark, and it left me shaken.

At first, I thought it might be Trinity, but no—I hadn't heard or felt anything from her in over a week. The silence clawed at me, more painful than any wound.

What had I done to her? Had I pushed her too far? Was she angry at me for taking that risk, for putting us both in harm's way?

Maybe.

She'd have every right to be.

But I couldn't regret it. I'd saved the Beta. The only one I could trust in this hellhole.

If I hadn't acted, he would have died but that didn't stop the guilt from gnawing at me, though. Guilty for being arrogant, for thinking I could fix everything without consequence.

The wound had healed, at least. That was something but my muscles still ached, my abdomen tender, but it wasn't unbearable. Kimmy and the ladies maids who were also omegas of the pack, fluttered around me like nervous sparrows, helping me into the dress Cale had chosen. Soft lavender silk that clung in all the wrong places, exposing too much, but that wasn't my decision. Nothing ever was.

"How does it feel?" Kimmy asked, her voice low but warm as she laced the corset tighter.

Too tight.

It cut into my ribs, forcing the air from my lungs, but I nodded. "It's fine," I lied. Kimmy's lips pressed into a thin line, her hands pausing on the laces. She wanted to say something, I could tell. Something defiant, something angry, but we both knew better. Not with the omegas lingering, their eyes darting like they were cataloging every move, every whispered word.

The moment was broken when the double doors slammed open, the sound ricocheting off the walls and making everyone flinch. Cale strode in, his presence sucking the air from the room.

"How is my Luna today?" he boomed, his voice too loud, too commanding. He didn't care for an answer, not really.

I plastered on that weak smile, the one that didn't quite reach my eyes. "Fine," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. "Just getting ready."

His gaze swept over me, assessing, judging. He didn't miss the way Kimmy reached out to steady me when I shifted to stand, her hand hovering near my arm.

"Don't," he snapped, his voice sharp enough to cut. Kimmy's hand recoiled as if burned, her eyes narrowing but her head bowing in submission. "She is a fully fledged Luna Wolf," he said, his tone dripping with disdain. "She can get up herself."

The weight of his command pressed down on me, and I straightened, forcing my legs to move despite the protest in my muscles. Slight pain shot through me, but I didn't let it show. Not here. Not now. My pride wouldn't let me.

Cale's lips curled into a cruel grin, amusement flickering in his cold eyes as he stepped closer. His hands clamped down on my arms, firm and unyielding.

"Today, you meet with Alpha Luca and Alpha Deacon," he said, his voice low and menacing. "You will not show weakness like you're showing me now. Right now, you look like a pathetic omega."

I bit my tongue, the taste of copper flooding my mouth. His words stung, but I swallowed the anger, the frustration. Cale thrived on power, on control. He wanted to see me break, to see me lash out. I wouldn't give him the satisfaction.

"Yes," I murmured, my gaze dropping to the floor. "I understand."

Cale's grip tightened for a moment before he released me, stepping back. "If I hear any reports of weakness from my Beta or Gamma, you will be punished," he warned. "But I'm getting rather tired of punishing you. Maybe tonight you'll finally give me a reason not to."

His words sent a shiver down my spine, bile rising in my throat as he leaned in, pressing a kiss to my cheek. It was a mockery, a claim, and I fought every instinct not to flinch. As he turned to leave, his grin was triumphant, like he'd already won some unspoken battle.

He suddenly stopped, turned his head and said something that made my body turn cold. "Actually, I think I will go to the meeting with you this time. I want to see with my own eyes how you manage yourself." 

The moment the door closed behind him, Kimmy stood in front of me, her fury radiating like a storm about to break. Her hands balled into fists at her sides, her jaw tight. I sent her a silent plea, my finger brushing my lips in a subtle 'shush' motion. She got the message, but her glare didn't waver. I shook my head, silencing her with another gesture.

The omegas were still there, their ears pricked for any scrap of gossip they could use. Omegas, all of them, desperate for any chance to climb the ranks, even if it meant selling their souls to Cale. Kimmy didn't say another word, but the fire in her eyes burned bright. She was ready to fight.

Hell, so was I. But not yet. Timing was everything.

Once my hair and makeup were done, I stood, ignoring the pain and discomfort. I straightened my shoulders, donning the mask of a perfect Luna. Graceful, composed, untouchable. It was all a lie, but it was a lie I needed to survive. The car ride was quiet, the hum of the engine filling the silence as we sped toward the meeting with Luca and his father. My thoughts raced, a thousand possibilities and plans tangling together. What would Luca see? Would he notice the cracks in my façade? Would he sense the pain I was trying so desperately to hide? The bond we shared, however fragile and strained, made it impossible to keep secrets.

He'd know something was wrong.

He always did.

And that terrified me.

The car slowed as we approached the meeting point, my heart pounding in time with the wheels on the gravel. As we came to a stop, I took a deep breath, steeling myself. Whatever happened next, I had to be ready.

For Cale. For Luca. For whatever chaos was about to unfold. I stepped out of the car, the weight of their eyes on me, and I prayed to whatever gods were listening that my mask wouldn't slip. The air was thick with tension as I entered the room, the sharp scent of pine and earth filling my senses. Luca was there, his presence commanding as always, but there was something different.

His eyes—those piercing, wolfish eyes—were darker, stormier. He looked at me, really looked at me, and I knew. He knew. Cale's hand tightened on my arm, his grip like iron, and I forced myself to remain still. My pulse quickened, my throat dry as Luca's gaze bore into me.

"Luna Quinn," he said, his voice low and steady. But there was an edge to it, a challenge.

"It's good to see you again." I nodded, my voice failing me.

The weight of the moment pressed down on me, suffocating. And then, like a lightning strike, I felt it again—that strange, intense anger. But this time, it was stronger. Sharper. And it was coming from him. Luca took a step closer, his eyes narrowing.

"Are you all right?" he asked, his tone laced with suspicion. Cale's grip tightened further, his nails digging into my skin.

"She's fine," he said, his voice cold and dismissive. But Luca didn't look away. He didn't believe it. And for a split second, neither did I. Because deep down, I knew this was only the beginning.

As the meeting began, the room seemed to hum with an unspoken tension. Luca and Cale exchanged barbed words, their rivalry palpable. But I wasn't paying attention. My focus was elsewhere. On the darkness brewing behind Luca's eyes, on the way his hands clenched into fists at his sides. He was holding something back, something dangerous.

And then, just as the conversation reached its peak, he turned to me. His gaze locked onto mine, and for a moment, the world fell away. I felt it then, like a tightness in my chest.

"Quinn," he said, he voiced through their minds. "What the fuck did he do to you?"