Page 29 of Losing My Siren Luna (Hidden Cove #1)

Waiting outside, I continued to watch the people in the town going about their daily lives.

Everything seems so mundane and I find it lovely.

As insufferable as I find Lachlan, I can’t help but to be impressed by the prosperity and happiness of his town and its inhabitants.

This is the kind of normal I have always craved.

He may be intolerable to deal with personally, but it’s nice to see he effectively runs his pack well.

The people all looked happy. There may be small issues, such as I have always heard about the pack’s race discrimination because of the wars, but I think any place or territory will have its issues.

This place is thriving, so unlike my uncle’s pack.

Maurice makes a face after a few minutes, then whispers something to Cherum before slipping inside the building.

“Everything okay?” I asked.

“Oh, it’s fine, Luna. The madam just asked for a favor and Percy was busy helping Yasmin, so Maurice went to help.”

“Oh,” I said, thinking of what favor Lady Vera would need a warrior for.

“Delta!” I heard a shrill voice, breaking me from my thoughts. “I didn’t expect to see you here again so soon.” I turned and saw the woman who was with Lachlan last night. Leona.

She is wearing an outfit much like the one she wore yesterday. Her chest is almost completely exposed, spilling from a corset top, and her skirts are hiked up on one side, revealing the entirety of her left leg.

Her painted red lips quirk up in the corner in a smirk as her eyes scan my modestly clothed frame.

“My, if you are here to take out the trash for the alpha, I don’t think our establishment could use a skinny little girl like this.

She has absolutely no redeeming qualities to offer a man, but I’m sure your alpha is already aware of that. ”

Cherum places a protective hand on my shoulder, growling at the woman.

Her words do not offend me. Not in the least. Not after everything I have heard of her, and the things I have witnessed myself.

She seems miserable, and the type of person who tries to hurt others for the sake of her own fragile ego.

I am not offended, but after hearing of her part in what happened to Yasmin, I do not wish to tolerate her presence at this time. If I felt I had actual power as a luna, not just the support of Cherum and the Luna’s guard, I might do something drastic, such as expelling her from the pack.

She may have circumstances like Yasmin’s, but that doesn’t excuse the actions she used to harm another woman. I can’t tolerate that, even if my husband might tolerate a number of things for the woman in front of me.

“What did I tell you about the way you speak of our Luna?” Cherum growls. “I should have you-”

“It’s alright, Cherum,” I placed my hand on his arm, flashing him a quick but grateful smile before turning my attention back to the horrid woman.

“She is of little consequence to me. Words are merely words. It is the actions of a person that I believe define their worth, and she seems of little worth to anyone, including us. If we ignore an insignificant pest, they tend to eventually go away and die off all alone. No need to squish this one just yet.”

Leona’s face turns bright red, no longer holding that smug expression. Instead, she looks livid, glaring at me, while Cherum is chuckling close behind me in my ear.

“You are right, Luna. I know your husband would be most upset about this incident, though. I feel like something must be done.”

I grimace thinking about Lachlan. I doubt he would stick up for his whore wife before sticking up for this woman, but now is not the time to voice that thought.

“Let him deal with her, then. She is not worth my time, and it's up to him to decide if she is worth his,” I muttered, mostly to Cherum.

If Lachlan continues his nightly meetings with this woman, that is his choice. I want no part in it or with her. This morning was testament that I have no control over him and he has no consideration for me in this life any more than he did in my past one.

Leona makes a snide face, almost like she was sure that Lachlan would be fine with her speaking to me this way, but then Cherum snorts before glaring at Leona.

“I know he would be more than displeased at hearing that, again, a mere prostitute with less worth to him than the dirt on the bottom of his boots is speaking ill of his wife. He told me just this morning after hearing of the things she said last night that if it were to happen again, exile would be the punishment,” he pulled me gently to stand behind him, “I think I already gave you that warning too.”

Leona took a step back fearfully.

Cherum looks about ready to drag Leona out of the territory right now. I almost want to let him do it, but speaking ill of me shouldn’t be the reason she is exiled. I want her to answer for the wrongs she did to Yasmin first.Lachlan will have to be the one to do that.

I rested my hand on Cherum’s arm. “Why don’t you save this to deal with later after speaking with your Alpha?”

“Your Alpha?” Leona huffs. “You can’t even call Lanny by his name after marrying.”

Val growls in my head, hearing this woman referring to our mate in familiar endearment, but I keep my face passive. It doesn’t bother me…..well….It shouldn’t bother me. It does irk me a bit, but I refuse to let it show.

“You, lass, are the one who should be refraining from addressing our alpha so familiarly. You have no clue why we are in this place right now, do you?”

She furrows her brows, “I already made my assumptions and was threatened for doing so. I’m not stupid enough to try guessing again.”

Cherum growls, “Well, your disrespect of the Luna is just one of the things I will have to discuss with Alpha later. The other is inside packing her belongings.”

“What do you mean?” Leona looked at the building behind us in confusion.

“What he means is,” a large, curvy woman, with strong floral-scented perfume and a bodice so overflowing, it makes Leona’s look small, and mine seem like a child’s, pushed past the swinging doors with Maurice, frowning at Leona.

“You put one of my girls, and a member of this pack, in danger in the worst of ways, you conniving little tart faced cunt. You know my damn rules, good and well, and you broke them, stealing from her in the process.”

“Lady Vera,” Leona cringes, not looking afraid of the imposing human, just annoyed that she got caught.

“How did you…,” her eyes narrow as Yasmin slips out the door behind Lady Vera, and Percy is close on her heels with a large bag on his shoulder, placing his hand on her lower back as he looks down imposingly on Leona.

She must realize that she is vastly outnumbered and outranked right now.

I’m the unwanted bride of her Alpha, Yasmin is a werewolf, and Lady Vera is a human, but Leona could never intimidate the Delta and two top warriors of the pack.

At this realization, she shrinks back, but the hostility in her eyes never fades.

“Quite the snitch you are, Yasmin. A man gets a little rough with you, and you go blabber like it was something unexpected? That was hardly something to get worked up about.”

“Three men tying up a woman with wolfsbane infused ropes and raping her for hours on end is not something to get worked up over?” Lady Vera tilts her head, “Good to know. Next time I get such a request, the job will go to you. Since Yasmin was given a position serving the new Luna at the castle, she will not need such work any longer.”

At Lady Vera’s words, Leona’s eyes widened, and flashed in anger while quickly looking at me.

“You hired a woman to serve you who continuously served your husband in the past? If I had known such a position was open, I would have gladly-”

“I created the position for a poor woman who was tricked by one of her colleagues into being brutally raped all night,” I growled. “There would never be such a position for you.”

“And Yasmin will be serving no one but the Luna from this day forth,” Percy snarls, “because she has already agreed to become my chosen mate.”

To say I was surprised would be an understatement, but not as surprised at Leona. She almost appeared to be steaming from the ears, staring at Yasmin with so much jealousy and hatred.

She tried to ruin the girl last night, but instead it led to Yasmin’s way out of such a harsh life, and now she has a wonderful man wanting to claim her as his chosen mate.

It makes me curious what happened to his fated mate, since chosen mates are usually only taken in the case of a fated mate’s death, but that is his business.

If he or Yasmin wish to tell me one day, they can.

If not, that is fine too. I am just happy for both of them.

“You would take a whore werewolf as a chosen mate?” Leona snaps, making Percy growl menacingly, stepping forward as if he wished to dismember Leona himself.

“No,” Yasmin pulls on his sleeve, “I just want to leave in peace. She isn’t worth it.”

Cherum snorted, “The Luna said much the same.”

Lady Vera threw her head back with a “Ha!” then smiled sweetly at the miserable woman. “Seems we are all in agreement then. Leona, go ahead and pack your things, for you will be leaving here at once. I will not have someone I can not trust in my establishment.

Leona scoffs, “You’re throwing me out?! I’m your top earner. Everyone asks for me.”

“Now, that’s not true. Everyone requests Yasmin's service every night, and you try to permanently harm her to steal her favor with her clients. What madame would I be if I let you stay and remain a danger to the other women who also work here? No,” she shakes her head, “Maurice here has been kind enough to call for more guards, and you are to leave at once, or be forced out. Your choice.”

Leona growled, “You will regret this,” she then turned her hate-filled eyes towards me, “All of you.”

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