Shattered Moonlight, Broken Luna Chapter 04

Shattered Moonlight, Broken Luna Chapter 04

Ella laughed so hard she was almost doubled over, like she was telling the funniest story she had ever heard.

“That night Damien went to take a shower, his phone was on the table. That broke little Chloe texted.”

“You know what she wrote? Goddess, I still remember. She said, ‘Damien, please help my dad, I am begging you, I just need fifty thousand… I will spend the rest of my life paying you back.'”

“Pathetic, right? So pitiful.”

“I was just thinking, how could someone like Damien get dragged down by a girl who smelled like poverty from head to toe? He should belong to me, to a bigger sky, not get pulled into her swamp!”

“So…” She paused, eyes glinting with something close to madness. “I helped Damien send a text. I deleted her little cry-for-help, and I replied in his tone. Two words. ‘Get lost!'”

She threw her head back and laughed out loud. “You guys have no idea. That little beggar really waited in the rain all night! I watched from the window while she stood there like a stray dog, soaked to the bone, then dropped to her knees and sobbed in despair. I laughed till my stomach hurt!”

“Hey, don’t you think I did a great deed? If I hadn’t done it, how would Damien have shaken her off? How would he have become who he is today? Damien, you should really be thanking me…”

The sharp crack cut her off. Damien’s wineglass had shattered in his hand. Shards of crystal buried themselves deep in his palm. Blood and red wine ran together, dripping through his fingers onto the white tablecloth, shockingly bright.

He didn’t seem to feel the pain. He just stared at Ella. The eyes that had been merely cold a moment ago were shot through with red. “What did you say?”

Ella didn’t realize anything was wrong. She was still drunk on her own performance. “I said I helped you get rid of that broke—”

“Shut up!” Damien flipped the coffee table with one violent motion. The crash made Ella scream, sobering up in an instant.

She looked in terror at the Alpha before her, raging like a lion, stammering, “Da… Damien, what is wrong with you? I was joking…”

“Joking?” Damien swayed to his feet and advanced on her, step by step.

“You mean that night, she didn’t leave with that rich playboy? She didn’t text to say she wanted to break up because I was poor?”

“You mean she was at the pack hospital, begging me to save her?”

His voice grew louder and louder, until he was almost roaring. Ella crumpled back onto the sofa under the force of it.

Damien did not look at her again. He turned instead, sharply, and his gaze locked on me in the corner.

“Chloe.” My name came out of him in a ragged whisper, his voice carrying sobs. “Is that true? Were you waiting for me that night?”

Everyone in the room fell silent as death, not daring to breathe.

I set the water pot down and met the truth that had arrived seven years too late. My heart was completely still.

Too late. Far, far too late.

I pulled a napkin from my pocket and walked over, holding it out to him. “Alpha, your hand is covered in blood. You should wipe it. It is dirty.”

Damien ignored the napkin and seized my wrist instead. “Answer me, Chloe! Tell me that is not true!”

I looked into his bloodshot eyes and smiled, very slightly.

“What if it is?” I said. “What does it change, Damien?”