The Silent Luna's Trial (Maple and Finn) novel Chapter 11

11 /82

Blair’s Perspective

The sharp, sterile smell of antiseptic invaded my senses the moment I opened my eyes. The harsh scent seemed to crawl up to my scalp, burning with an intensity that made me wince.

“Luna! You’re awake!” Lexie’s voice was a mixture of relief and exhaustion as she threw herself onto the edge of my bed. Her eyes were puffy and red from crying, and she clutched my cold fingers as if they were the only thing keeping her anchored to this world. Her hands were rough, calloused from hard work, but somehow they radiated a comforting warmth.

For a moment, I almost forgot where I was.

“I…” I tried to speak, but my throat felt raw, like it had been shredded from the inside. Words barely formed. “How… did I survive?”

Tears welled up in Lexie’s eyes again, shimmering with a desperate hope. “There was a healer—a kind man—who was just passing through our pack. He saw the snake that bit you and immediately went to the infirmary. When he realized you were poisoned, he didn’t hesitate. He couldn’t just stand by and watch.”

She swallowed hard, her voice trembling as she continued. “He risked everything—punishment, exile—to secretly give you the antivenom. He said if it had been ten minutes later, you wouldn’t have made it.”

My heart skipped a beat, a sudden surge of gratitude mingling with disbelief.

“I begged Alpha Lysander to believe me, to believe you’d been bitten,” Lexie choked out, struggling to keep her composure. “But he thought you were faking it. Alpha Orion wouldn’t even see me. And Alpha Zayden… he said you deserved what happened.”

I gripped the blanket tightly, my nails digging into the fabric, though I felt no pain. It was as if my body was numb, disconnected from the turmoil inside.

“Alpha Christian was the worst of all,” Lexie sobbed, her voice breaking. “I got down on my knees, begging him to come check on you. But he just said you were being dramatic again, that I was helping you put on a show.”

Her grip on my hand tightened, as though it was the only thing holding her steady. “Luna, you were always so good to them. Last winter, when Alpha Lysander came home drunk after that late-night pack summit, you made him a bitter tonic in the freezing kitchen—and caught a cold yourself.”

“When Alpha Orion got tangled in gambling debts, you secretly sold your grandmother’s heirloom to pay them off. When Zayden was sick with a fever for three days straight, you stayed by his side until you collapsed.”

Her voice faltered, tears choking the words. “And Alpha Christian… you remembered everything—the coffee beans he liked, the brand of ties he wore, things even his own mother forgot. You never forgot.”

Chapter 3

8.21%

“And now, they’re all fawning over Carrie,” Lexie spat bitterly. “That sister who bullied you your whole life, the one who ran away from her own wedding like a coward. And now she’s the adored Luna?”

I didn’t respond. My lips were sealed, but tears streamed freely down my cheeks, soaking the pillow beneath me. The sting of each tear felt like acid, searing deeper with every drop.

Yet none of that pain compared to the ache in my chest.

It didn’t matter anymore. Soon, it would all be over.

I had already signed the papers for the island—a place far from the mainland, far from the lies, the betrayals, and them.

Two days later, I found myself back “home.”

The second I pushed open the door, a sudden burst of birthday music assaulted my ears—sharp, grating notes clawing at my eardrums, mingling with laughter and the clinking of champagne glasses.

Beneath a sparkling crystal chandelier, Carrie stood by the cake, dressed in a flowing gown, her smile dazzling and radiant. My three brothers and Christian surrounded her, their faces alight with admiration.

The scene was painfully familiar, twisting my stomach into knots.

I lingered in the doorway, the air thick and heavy around me.

“I thought she was supposed to be dying?” Lysander’s voice cut through the noise, icy and sharp as he glared at me from behind his glasses.

Orion took a slow sip of wine, his brow furrowed in confusion. “She doesn’t have long to live. Can’t you cut her some slack?”

Zayden scoffed. “Same old drama. Can’t she come up with a new act?”

Christian approached me with that ever-so-gentle facade still in place. “I know you’re upset about my past with Carrie,” he said softly. “But you have to understand—my Luna, my wife now, is you.”