From Betrayed Luna to Wolf Queen (Lillian) novel Chapter 8

Lillian's POV:

"Just your little divorce lawyer?" Eleanor snapped, her impatience boiling over. "Consult whomever you please! You won't find a single attorney in this city capable of prying a single penny from the Graves Pack's coffers."

"An attorney, yes," I said, my words slow and deliberate. "But not for divorce. One who specializes in intellectual property theft and plagiarism disputes."

"What?" Eleanor's brow furrowed in genuine confusion. "What are you babbling about? What plagiarism?"

"You don't need to understand the details," I said, meeting her gaze with a calm that felt sharper than a shout. "Just relay the message to Iris. She'll know exactly what I'm referring to."

"This involves Iris?" Eleanor's anger reignited, hotter than before. "Lillian! What fresh scheme is this? The Graves Pack has sheltered you for years—what more could you possibly want? What trouble are you trying to concoct now?"

"Sheltered by the Graves Pack?" The phrase grated against my raw nerves. I raised a brow, staring her down. "Do you honestly believe I ever wanted to be dependent on your pack's so-called generosity?

"Mrs. Graves, your memory is faulty. I became Julian's mate because he pursued me for three years. He was the one who swore vows before the Moon Goddess and begged me to accept the bond. I never clamored for an invitation into your hallowed Graves territory!"

Had it been my choice to marry into this den of snakes? Did I not see the chasm between Julian's world and mine? He had stormed into my life and rewritten it. Yet, after binding himself to me, he had consistently failed to be my shield.

Eleanor's face lost all color.

"And thanks to you—a mother-in-law who monitors my every breath, eternally finding me lacking—I haven't touched a single resource belonging to the Graves Pack in all this time. Not one."

Eleanor was so furious she seemed to struggle for air. "You... you ungrateful wretch! Raised with wolves, with no concept of propriety—you lack even the most basic respect!"

She accused me of having no upbringing? What respect was owed to an elder who dedicated herself to belittling and tormenting her own son's chosen mate?

I didn't reply. I simply held Eleanor's gaze, my own eyes twin pools of glacial ice.

My silence and stare were the final provocation. "If you haven't used a cent of ours, then where did the money come from for the clothes on your back and the food in your mouth all these years?"

My retort was swift and cold. "Why don't you audit the household accounts for the villa at Inkwood Gardens over the last few years? Once you do, you might find it's the Graves Pack that owes me compensation."

Inkwood Gardens was the villa we'd lived in after the bonding. Julian had given me access to accounts, but Eleanor watched each one like a hawk. Every purchase prompted an interrogation. Eventually, the scrutiny wasn't worth the hassle, and I stopped using them entirely.

"Compensate you? Have you lost your mind?" Eleanor was so livid she swayed, bracing a hand on the chair for support.

Just then, a powerful, familiar Alpha presence saturated the room. Julian entered, his aura a wave of cold, oppressive energy.

Eleanor instantly found her champion, pointing a trembling finger at me. "Do you hear her? Do you see how she speaks to me? I am still her elder, the former Luna! And she dares to hurl such insults! And she will apologize to Iris! Her behavior is completely beyond the pale!"

Julian's cold, tawny eyes shifted to me.

I didn't look away, meeting his gaze with a defiance just as icy.

Eleanor pressed on. "She must apologize to Iris. This is unconscionable."

Julian stared at me, silent, but the tense line of his jaw and the disapproval etched into his features screamed that he, too, believed attacking a postpartum female was a line crossed.

A humorless smile tugged at the corner of my mouth.

"An apology," I heard myself say, the words crisp and clear. "Fine. I'll apologize."

Eleanor paused, then a smug, I-knew-you'd-see-sense look flashed across her face.

"I'll go right now," I said, swinging my legs off the hospital bed, my bare feet meeting the chill of the linoleum floor. "And give her the apology she so richly deserves."

If Eleanor was this insistent, no doubt Iris had spun a masterpiece of victimhood for her.

If they denied me peace, then I would ensure no one had any.

A cold laugh escaped me as I strode toward the door. As I passed Julian, his hand shot out, capturing my wrist. An Alpha's grip was immovable, his skin burning against mine.

"Enough," he said, his voice a low, warning rumble. He knew me—he could tell this "apology" would be anything but sincere.

I yanked my arm. An Omega's strength was nothing against an Alpha's, but the sheer, wild force of my will made his fingers slacken for a fraction of a second.

"What's enough? If I don't apologize, will your mother ever cease her harassment?" I sneered.

Just as Julian moved to grab me again, Eleanor caught his arm. "Let her go! After what she did, what is wrong with demanding an apology? If she doesn't, how in the Moon's name am I to explain this to Margaret?"

While they were momentarily entangled, I didn't hesitate. I walked straight out of the room and down the hall toward Iris' ward.

Eleanor's POV:

Lillian's POV:

Well, from now on, this was how Lillian bowed.

Iris was still struggling when suddenly, her eyes caught something at the doorway. Instantly, the fury and fear melted, replaced by a shimmer of fresh tears. Her voice shifted into a weak, trembling plea.

"I never meant for any of this... Lillian, I truly don't understand why you're so angry with me... Please, just let me go?" She sobbed, then gasped, her face draining of color as a hand flew to her abdomen. "Ah... the pain... my incision..."

That cry of pain was the trigger. Eleanor's roar of outrage erupted from the doorway.

"Lillian! Release her this instant!" Eleanor shrieked, charging into the room like a she-wolf defending her pup.

The moment Iris switched performances, I knew the audience had arrived. A cold smile touched my lips as I met the faint, triumphant glint deep in Iris' watery eyes.

Then, with the hand still tangled in her hair, I slammed her head forward.

"Thud!"

Her forehead connected solidly with the hard metal rail of the hospital bed.

"Ah!" Iris' shriek was genuine this time.

Eleanor screamed too, rushing forward to shove me violently aside and gather Iris into a protective embrace. She looked at me with the feral glare of a cornered animal, as if she wished to tear me limb from limb.

"You vicious creature! If you want to throw a fit, take it elsewhere! She just gave life to two pups—her body is shattered! How can you be so cruel!" Eleanor's voice shook with a blend of rage and terror.

Iris curled into a ball, clutching her stomach, her face a deathly white, a red welt already rising on her forehead. "It hurts... It really hurts..."

Hearing her whimpers, Eleanor completely lost control, jabbing a finger toward me. "You are poison! She bore the next generation for the Graves Pack—she is a heroine to our bloodline! How dare you!"

I flexed my numb hand and let out a cold, brittle laugh. "She was willing to throw herself from a wheelchair last night, risking her own healing, just to keep Julian's eyes on her. And you expect me to handle a scheming, postpartum she-wolf with kid gloves?"

That "accidental" collapse in the ER—the timing had been too perfect. A female who cared so little for her own recovery, who used her vulnerability as a weapon, deserved no quarter.

Eleanor trembled with incoherent rage. "You're twisting everything! You're just a—"

"Still want that apology?" I cut her off coldly, shifting my gaze from the sputtering Eleanor to Julian, who had been standing silently just inside the doorway since his arrival, his expression unreadable.