The night was thick with silence, broken only by the soft hum of crickets in the palace courtyard and the rustle of trees swaying under the pale glow of the moon. Outside, tied mercilessly to the ancient tree, Liora shivered with her swollen belly pressing painfully against the ropes that bound her. Her lips were parched, her gown torn, and her tears had dried into streaks of salt upon her cheeks.
But inside the palace walls, beyond the golden double doors of the Alpha's chambers, a very different world unfolded.
Alpha Gonzalo reclined lazily on a pile of silk cushions, his broad chest glistening with oil as Vanya's hands worked deliberately across his shoulders. The chamber was dimly lit, scented with burning incense and roses, the air warm and indulgent. A tray of wine and half eaten roasted meat lay abandoned by the bedside.
"Harder," Gonzalo murmured, his voice rough with satisfaction, "your touch is better than any healer's, Vanya."
Vanya smirked, sliding her hands down the muscles of his back, her nails grazing his skin in a way that was both tender and possessive. "My Alpha deserves every ounce of my devotion. Especially tonight."
Gonzalo chuckled, the sound low and cruel. He reached back, gripping her wrist to still her hand, then turned his head slightly, his lips brushing against her fingers. "Devotion… and revenge. Both are sweet, aren't they?"
Her amber eyes gleamed with fire. "Revenge most of all. Tonight, I am no longer the grieving mother of a drowned child. Tonight, I am whole again. Thanks to you."
At her words, Gonzalo shifted, turning and pulling her onto his lap. She straddled him easily, the silk of her gown pooling around her thighs. He cupped her face in his hands, tilting it so she was forced to meet his gaze.
"Do you realize how easy it was to fool her?" he asked, his lips curling in disdain. "She believed every single word that dripped from my mouth. When I called her 'my Luna,' when I paraded her in front of the pack, when I gave her chambers fit for a queen… she thought it was real. The pathetic fool."
Vanya laughed, the sound like a serpent's hiss. "Oh, I saw her eyes, Gonzalo. The way they sparkled, the way she floated about the palace, smiling as though she belonged. She truly believed she was finally loved. That's what made this sweeter. You gave her the world just to strip it away."
Gonzalo's grin widened. He poured himself a goblet of wine, then another for her. Handing it over, he raised his cup high. "To her downfall."
"To her downfall," Vanya echoed, their cups clinking in the silence of the chamber. They drank deeply, the wine staining their lips like blood.
When Gonzalo set his goblet aside, he pulled Vanya close and kissed her hungrily. His mouth dominated hers, filled with a heat that was both passion and cruelty. She responded with equal fire, her hands tangling in his hair, her body pressing firmly against his.
They broke apart only for breath, and Vanya whispered against his lips, "You gave me the perfect revenge, Gonzalo. You let her carry your child — her burden, her curse. She thought it was her crown, her joy. But we know better. That child will never see the light of day."
A cruel chuckle rumbled in his chest. "And when it dies with her, the pack will still kneel to us. I will tell them she was weak, that the Moon Goddess did not favor her. They will mourn for a moment, then forget her. Because only you are my true Luna."
Vanya's eyes burned with triumph. "As it should be."
The Alpha shifted suddenly, standing with her in his arms. She squealed softly, then laughed, clinging to his neck as he carried her toward the bed. He laid her down against the silken sheets, his gaze roaming over her body with hunger.
"Do you know what excites me most, Vanya?" he asked, peeling away her gown with deliberate slowness.
"What?" she whispered, her breath already shallow.
"That while she is tied to a tree in the cold, shivering, praying for me to come save her… I am here, burying myself inside the woman I truly want."
His words sent a shiver through her, and she arched her back in anticipation. Gonzalo lowered himself over her, his lips trailing fire across her neck, his hands firm and claiming. Their bodies tangled fiercely, moving with primal hunger. Every kiss, every touch was a celebration of cruelty, an affirmation of their shared scheme.
As they made love, laughter escaped between their gasps, mocking laughter meant for Liora, for her trust, for her unborn child.
When at last they collapsed together, breathing hard and spent, Vanya rested her head on his chest, her nails tracing lazy patterns across his skin.
"She looks so pitiful," Vanya murmured with satisfaction. "Did you see her face when they tied her? Did you hear her cry out for you? 'Gonzalo will not forgive this,' she said. The poor thing still believed you'd come."
Gonzalo barked a laugh, cruel and unrestrained. "Let her believe. Let her cling to hope until it chokes her. By dawn, she will know the truth. And when her body breaks, it will be her fault for trusting me."
"She'll die knowing she was nothing more than a toy," Vanya added with venom. "Nothing more than the vessel of a child destined to perish."
The Alpha tilted her chin up, kissing her forehead softly, mockingly gentle. "And you, my Vanya, will live forever as my Luna. Tonight, we've sealed her fate. Tomorrow, we'll watch her break."
Vanya smiled, curling into his embrace like a cat. "I love you, Gonzalo."
"And I love you," he answered without hesitation, his tone coldly sincere. Not a flicker of guilt darkened his voice.
The two lay together in the warmth of the chamber, their bodies tangled, their laughter softening into whispers of triumph.
Outside, beneath the merciless tree, Liora stirred in her half conscious state, her swollen belly rising with shallow breaths. Her lips formed the name of the Alpha who had abandoned her, her voice too faint to carry.
But inside, Gonzalo and Vanya toasted once more, the goblets of wine glinting red under the flickering torchlight.
"To revenge," Vanya purred.
"To revenge," Gonzalo echoed, his smile heartless.
And with that, they kissed again, sealing the betrayal with passion as their victim shivered in silence only a few steps away.