The Perfect Luna by Marissa Gilbert

Chapter 5. The Beta Female Best Friend

Goddess, she hated her. Roxy was looking at Ria with huge doe eyes in front of everyone and even shaking slightly to add some drama. She always did this. Their every meeting was a performance.

Riannon used to always be reserved towards her, leaving it her priority to supress her feelings and hide how hurt she was with the whole situation. And Roxy used it to her advantage masterfully, painting herself as the sweet girl and the Luna as the icy queen.

Well, Riannon wasn’t going to let her do this anymore. This pattern had to change. Luckily, she had just the best teacher – Roxanne herself. She put her through so many awkward and humiliating situations in the past that now Ria was ready for everything.

Moreover, she knew that what she did before did not work.

So, she was going to try something else.

“I am so sorry, Luna,” Roxy prepared to fall to her knees again but Riannon rushed to her aid and gave her the biggest of hugs. The two women froze together like this while the room filled with awkward silence. Someone dropped a fork and from the corner of her eye Ria noticed that it was her friend Maya.

“Roxy,” Riannon finally distanced herself and sighed with a sad smile on her face, “I can call you that, right? I want you to know that this is a safe place for you. No one will ever hurt you. We are nothing like the pack that you came from. You will always be treated nicely here since you are a member now. The hard days for you are over.”

She grazed her eyes quickly over the room to see stunned expressions on the faces of her pack mates. They did not expect that. Back in her past life, she tried to ignore Roxanne as much as she could, while staying polite when they had to talk. Everyone understood but the more Roxy cried, the more they felt pity towards her. She found her way into people’s hearts.  Over time, a lot of them stood on her side because she was, after all, their Alpha’s true mate and she had a hard life prior. Meanwhile, Riannon was born with a silver spoon in her mouth. And however great of a Luna she was, they thought that it wasn’t a big deal since she was born and trained to do it. No one understood how much she worked and what she sacrificed to reach this perfection.

Suddenly, Roxy threw herself in Ria’s arms again.

“Thank you!” she whined, making Riannon want to strangle her. If Onyx, her wolf, was here, it could have ended fast. But Onyx wasn’t close and she knew that this was a battle of acting skills now.

Meanwhile Roxy went on, “I was sure that the nightmare in which I lived in this whole time would repeat here as well! But you are so kind! I am ready to do any job! However hard it is…I’ll be your personal maid if I have to.”

At the head of the table, her husband Brayden was watching them with his lips clenched. It was hard for Ria to hold back a laugh, since she knew by the way he looked that he had been busy all night looking for the intruder. He hated that his mate was ready to become a cleaner. And on top of that, his wife did not behave the way he expected her to. She was sure that she shocked him for life now.

Get used to that, my love.

“Don’t be ridiculous, Roxy!” Ria gasped and even forced a small tear to roll down her cheek. After all, hugging her worst enemy was horrible and a part of her did want to cry. “You suffered enough and my heart goes for you. I will assign you work according to your abilities. And if they aren’t enough at the moment for a decent job, we will send you to study at the local college. Everything will be fine, do not worry. You will not be mistreated here. Our pack is a fair one. Brayden and I were building it for years. Everybody gets what they deserve. And so will you.”

The omega frowned but quickly regained herself. Did she know that it was a promise?

“I am the luckiest girl alive,” she smiled innocently, flapping her eyelashes,“No wonder my mate… I mean, the Alpha is so in love with you, Luna. Now I see that what people say about you is true.”

to the chair she was sitting at prior. Luckily, she didn’t risk taking the Luna’s seat or the one right next to Bray. She would soon take it of course. But at least

was wearing fell off her shoulder “accidentally”, making Brayden look at her with eyes filled with lust. The damn mate bond was already

sip of her coffee and it seemed more bitter than

again, the whole room went

spoke, “She

omega,” Riannon raised her chin high and put a perfect smile on her face, “She is our Alpha’s mate. He did not reject her and

kind of you, Luna,” Maya couldn’t stay silent anymore, “Some would even say too kind. I mean,

words, “And let’s make this clear once and for all. I was very serious about Roxy being treated nicely here. I don’t want anyone to bully her just because the three of us are in a peculiar situation now. I wish her no harm and will

as if nothing special happened, catching glances of her pack

to give to Roxy. Now they were rewarding

it in front of everyone. And in the end, Roxy played them and made them believe that Ria mistreated her

At least she was getting exactly the

to lock the door properly. The

her friend, “You are welcoming his mate?! You should have insisted again and again on

the girl once again. She still smelled

kind!” Maya almost sobbed, “You loved him all your life! He marked you for Goddess’s sake!

Ria sighed, stepping away, “But that ship has sailed. No one can fight the mate bond. That battle was lost the moment he met her and didn’t reject

believe this!” the girl shook her head, clear signs of worry

she could entrust this secret to anyone, it would be her best friend since

Riannon took Maya’s hands and led her to the armchair, sitting on the verge of her desk. “But I will need you to be open-minded about what

part about Maya’s own death. There was no need for that. She knew that the

Maya looked at her with

I know,” Riannon

a tight squeeze, “Ria! That’s awful! What you had to

meant you have no doubts in what I said now?” the Luna

wouldn’t joke about it at a moment like that,” Maya leaned back on her chair, “And as far as I know, you were madly in love with Brayden just yesterday. But now… You are so calm that it’s frightening. So this explains a lot. You don’t get over love like that in

had for Brayden was gone, but she definitely wasn’t the same girl from before. She was twenty-five but it felt as if she lived much

crazy that sounds?” Ria decided to

Brayden to be with someone like that… Roxanne. But I will