The Perfect Luna by Marissa Gilbert

  Chapter 80.

Riannon was locked in her room and the feeling was not new to her. Now that she had time to think about it, she had been trapped before. In her first marriage with Brayden. She was a hostage to that relationship and her own reputation. Trying to be perfect all the time was exhausting. It was funny that only death helped her to see the vicious cycle. Gideon helped her to get free from it. And just like that time, soon he would help her to her freedom once again. She knew it.

But by the time he came to get her, she was sure that she would destroy this place. And when she heard a knock on the door, a smirk formed on her lips.

“Onyx, help me out to scan this place,” she asked her wolf, and now she could sense that there was only one person behind the door. A female. Two guards were standing at a distance that would make it hard for a regular shifter to know what they were talking about. Those two were new. The Paddington and the fox she knew were replaced by Castiel and now no one was fulfilling her every request like before. The fox king learned his lesson.

“Riannon,” Bridgit whispered, “Do you hear me?”

“Yes,” she smiled, knowing that the presence of the werebear was the proof of her plan working.“ How did you manage to get here? I thought that everyone would be punished…”

“Everyone was punished,” Bridgit confirmed with a sigh, “But I am not everyone. I have some privileges around here and Castiel either trusted me or forgot to strip me of them yesterday.”

“Good for you,” Ria chuckled, “He didn’t forget to strip me of my privileges, as you can see.”

“Oh, Riannon, you are still the most privileged woman here. Just the fact that you are locked in the room that’s right opposite to his own is proof of that.”

Ria swallowed. She did not want to think of Castiel sleeping this close to her.

“Anyway, he is not here now,” Bridgit assured her, “and I want to speak to you again. Do you have any kind of a plan?”

She did have a plan. A few actually. But this right now was her number one plan. She wasn’t sure though that sharing the details with the werebear was a good idea though. All they had was two conversations and during the first one, Bridgit tried to kill her. This wasn’t a friendship built on trust just

yet.

She was probably silent for too long and the girl on the other side of the door got that right. “Listen,” Bridgit sighed,”you probably don’t get how it feels to be betrayed by a man you loved.” Oh, the irony of that statement was not lost on Ria, but she did not say a word.

“When we joined the harem one by one, we knew that he wasn’t exclusive with either of us. But each of us believed that there was a possibility of that. Castiel could make you feel like you are the only one for him. While he is with you… but over time, I think all of us realised that this would never be the case. However, it was too late because each of us had feelings for him.”

“Bridgit,” Riannon couldn’t stop herself from saying, “he is hot as hell, yes. But there is no way that every single woman could fall in love with him. Have you seen his lab? Have you seen what he is doing there? He learned to create scents that give you a similar response that you would have if you met your mate. I hate to be the one telling you that, but he is so good because he was experimenting a lot. And I think that he was experimenting on you. All of you.”

The werebear girl on the other end of the door was silent but then started speaking again with

“We all came here willingly, and we agreed to be with him willingly too. The rest is history.”

For a moment there Riannon was worried that she had lost her new ally. Was it too late for those girls? Was there some kind of addiction to those scents? After all, Brayden was an Alpha and he had fallen to the charm pretty fast. She always thought that it was because of Roxy’s siren abilities, but what if those artificial scents were to blame too?

“But,” Bridgit chose to continue her speech, giving her hope, “When we entered the Eden there was an

it on both ends. Each girl agreed to be with him and not to be the only one. Each of us had a

different reason for that. Some had no choice, like me, some already liked Castiel, some were seeking, political gains and some were so poor that living in the harem of the fox king did not seem like a bad thing at all. The list goes on and on. But there was one condition that he himself set for all of us. He was always saying that it’s important to him that each of us lived here willingly. He made it a big point and this was one of the reasons we all trusted him so much. He said that we could leave whenever we wanted.”

“And?” Ria leaned over the cold door.

“And when after the revelations of yesterday, a few girls expressed the desire to leave, he did not let them,” the she-bear’s voice trembled. “Everyone is locked in the Eden now. Now we know why there is only one door and no windows except for the ceiling that we can’t get to.”

“The Eden is locked yet you are here,” Riannon pointed out. She still wasn’t convinced she could trust the woman she was talking to.

“I know how it looks,” Bridgit replied to that calmly, “but I was here for years. I earned his trust. And he doesn’t know yet that he lost mine. I was thinking about what you told me. As long as I stay here, I will never meet my mate. And I want to try that, to experience that. I want to be the only one for someone. I don’t think I want to share anymore. I want to love and be loved in return. I want a mate who would never lock me up or lessen me. I want what you described to me. I want all of it if that makes sense.”

“It does.” Ria could feel that the girl was telling her the truth. “So? Do you have a plan?” she asked once again. “I do,” Ria finally admitted, “Do you think you can fight and open the door of the harem on your

Own?”

“We can, but there are more guards here than usual. We wouldn’t be able to tackle them on our own.”

“You won’t have to,” the Alpha smirked, “All you have to do is wait for my signal to act.”

“What will the signal be?” Bridgit asked.

“Oh, don’t worry,” Riannon chuckled, “You will recognise it when you hear it.”

lives to you,”

any promises.” Ria wanted to be honest with these girls, who were already lied to so many times. “I am asking for your trust, yes. But I cannot promise you that when the action starts every one and each of you will survive. If you want to have your freedom, you will have to fight for it yourselves. I will be with you – this is something that I can promise. Because I will be fighting for my own freedom and the freedom of my people. I have already been fighting for

werebear wanted to hear. But

tell the others,” she said, “I can’t speak for them now. But I am

she smiled to herself. This was exactly what

willing to fight will

– it

best warriors to the place where, according to the little fox, his mate was kept. They took mostly lycans and some of the very best werewolves since Maya insisted on it. A huge force was left slightly behind them in case things

the glimmering of the distant lights. The palace of the fox king was well hidden deep inside the woods. This kind was used to not being together all the time and hiding in small groups so that enemies couldn’t find them even within their territory. They would have

better

feel that she was agitated and not happy. He could also feel that, despite all that, she wasn’t broken. She was determined and stayed

her name via the mind link and immediately felt a wave of happiness and

that she missed him. He never admitted it to himself, but he had been worried. He had been worried that Castiel would do something to her, trick her, bewitch her or whatever. He had been worried that he could hurt her even though he knew that his mate was strong. Waiting

okay?” he

and he could tell that she was smiling through tears. He could feel her sharing

now! I am coming for you,” he chuckled, “Just give me a moment or two.” “I

not have to, my love,” he gave her a promise that he intended to keep. But then suddenly he felt her worried

to take me somewhere,” she informed him quickly. “He knows that you are

couldn’t have been anything else,” he tried to calm her down and give her strength, “I am ready to face

you,” his mate promised, switching off their

soon,” he said into the emptiness before him, hoping that she could feel his

then he shifted his men following his

bushes before their enemies could even see them, digging their sharp teeth into the werebears, leaving the foxes to

was ripping throats and guts out, each kill bringing him closer

mansion with a glass dome towering

is wrong?” He asked him via the link while still

They were expecting a backup from this side I guess,” his Beta notified him, growling. Reid was probably fighting too now. This meant

king asked. “Yes, but it will take time. Will you manage without

replied, “But when you are done there, come here. Since they know already, there is no point

it. He hated that someone tried to take his mate and his friends away from him. This

he heard the loudest and

Castiel burst into Riannon’s room, grabbed her hand roughly

against him, not making it easy for

Ria, I am just taking you to a safe place! I don’t want you to get hurt!” he gritted his teeth, throwing

people over there and they came for me! I’d rather believe that you are trying to cover

of her head, tugging

tongue was forcing itself inside and trying to dominate her. The two guards were still holding her hands and she felt him using Gideon’s scent again. As if it could have helped to make her agree to any of

boiled inside of her, like lava. It spread down her veins and filled her whole. So much for not forcing

she got because she bit him as hard as she could, spilling the warm

It took him a few seconds to process what she had done,

was punctuated with the growls from the outside which

blood onto the immaculate marble floor of the passage they used, “Bring her to the dungeons and lock her in the best cell until it’s over. Tripple the men guarding her. I want them to never

one of the bears said, and Riannon burst out laughing. She couldn’t stop for a while and now the three men looked

and tilted her head slightly, “this is exactly your problem! You recognised me as this special, perfect Luna but even now you are not taking me into consideration. And this is exactly why a man like you

dear,” Castiel smirked, “but I know that

captors’ hands to give them a false feeling of

face changed but

I am a powerless female who can’t shift?” Riannon snarled, her eyes glowing with pure light, “The Moon Goddess herself

through her and she knew that she could destroy anyone in her way now. She had been brought back for a reason. And this fight that was ahead of her today was a

lift her head up to the moon and let out the deepest and longest howl of her life. In that howl, the Moon Goddess herself

she recognised the sign they all had been waiting for. They felt the ancient goddess’ call and most of them chose

and one by one they were turning into their beasts – wolves, bears, lionesses, panthers, birds, reptiles… Castiel sure got himself an amazing and rare collection.

of Eden and to attack the guards outside of it. But the rest joined her quickly, destroying anyone who stood in their way. They all

they all craved freedom

out of the window. He was finishing off yet another bear when he finally could have a glimpse of what was going on inside. And it seemed like there was pure

but he dealt with them at ease, amazed by the sight of a huge eagle pecking out one

at the very same moment.  beautifui queen was lignting two werebears at once, siashing