The Mafia King's Deadly Returned

Chapter 4

SERAPHINA'S POV

I stand outside the magnificent palace, my hand tightly wrapped around Alpha Xander's as nervous excitement swirls inside me. "Go inside, I'll join you soon," he says before walking away with his bodyguards.

Taking a deep breath, I gather my gown and carefully step into the grand hall filled with glittering chandeliers, expensive dresses, and powerful guests. A waitress approaches me politely. "Ma'am, who are you?" she asks.

"I'm Alpha Xander's Luna," I reply confidently. The moment those words leave my lips, several people turn to look at me in shock, but just as quickly they return to their conversations as if I don't exist.

The waitress lowers her gaze nervously and hurries away. Confusion settles in my chest. Shouldn't the Luna of the most powerful Alpha be treated with respect? Why is everyone acting like I'm invisible?

Feeling increasingly uncomfortable, I walk deeper into the crowd when suddenly my foot catches on something and I stumble forward. Laughter immediately erupts around me. My cheeks burn with humiliation as I look down, only to find nothing on the floor.

Then my gaze lands on a beautiful woman in a red gown standing nearby, her heel still slightly stretched into my path and a smug smile playing on her lips. "Oops," she says mockingly. More people laugh, and as I stare at her in disbelief.

The woman in the red gown slowly walks toward me, the sound of her heels echoing across the silent floor while people around us watch with amusement. A cruel smile plays on her lips as she looks me up and down. "So you're the Luna?" she asks mockingly, crossing her arms. "Honestly, I expected someone prettier." More laughter breaks out around us.

She steps closer until only a few inches separate us. "Do you really think you belong here?" My heart pounds as whispers spread through the crowd. "Alpha Xander brought me here," I reply firmly. "I'm his Luna."

The moment I say it, she throws her head back and laughs loudly. Soon several others join her. "His Luna?" she repeats between laughs. "Oh, that's adorable." My stomach twists painfully. Something in her expression makes me uneasy.

She leans closer and whispers, "Hasn't he told you yet?" I stare at her. "Told me what?" Her eyes fill with satisfaction. "That he loves me." The world seems to stop around me. "You're lying."

"Am I?" she asks sweetly. She pulls out her phone and begins scrolling through pictures. My breath catches when I see photo after photo of her standing beside Xander at galas, private dinners, and events. Some pictures look years old. Others are recent.

"We've known each other for a very long time," she says proudly. "Long before you appeared." I force myself not to react, but my chest feels tight. "If that's true, then why didn't he choose you?"

She smiles again. "Because powerful Alphas don't always marry for love." She circles around me slowly like a predator. "Sometimes they marry for duty. Sometimes they marry for politics. And sometimes..." Her eyes drop meaningfully to my stomach. "...they marry because they need secrifice."

My heart skips a beat. "What are you talking about?" She leans close enough for only me to hear. "You're a sacrifice." The words hit me like a slap. "No."

"Yes." She smiles. "You were simply useful. A girl chosen for a purpose. Once that purpose is fulfilled..." She shrugs carelessly. "...what do you think will happen?" My throat tightens. Around us, nobody stops her.

Nobody defends me. They simply watch. "You're lying," I repeat, though my voice sounds weaker now. "Then why isn't he here?" she asks instantly. "Why did he leave you alone in a room full of strangers? Why has nobody welcomed you? Why does nobody respect you?"

I look around. Every face avoids mine. Every expression holds pity, amusement, or indifference. Not respect. Not acceptance. My confidence begins to crack. The woman notices immediately. "See?" she murmurs.

She raises her voice so others can hear. "Ladies and gentlemen, let's welcome Alpha Xander's temporary Luna!"

Laughter erupts throughout the hall. My face burns with humiliation. Someone whispers, "Poor thing." Another person chuckles, "She really doesn't know."

Tears sting my eyes, but I refuse to let them fall. The woman steps even closer. "You know what the funniest part is?" she says softly. "Every time he looks at you..." She places a hand on her chest dramatically. "...he's probably wishing you were me."

The crowd laughs again. My heart feels like it's being ripped apart piece by piece. Yet despite the pain, anger slowly begins replacing the hurt. I lift my chin and meet her gaze directly.

She says mockingly. "No matter what happens, you'll never be me. You'll never be Liza." Her words cut deeper than any blade. I try to walk away, but she grabs my arm. "Don't believe me?" she asks sweetly. "Then ask Alpha Xander's mother yourself."

The crowd immediately parts, revealing an elegant older woman standing nearby. Hope flickers inside me for a moment. Surely she will deny these cruel accusations. Surely she will tell me this is all a lie. My trembling eyes meet hers. "Please... tell me she's lying."

The older woman studies me for a moment before sighing coldly. "Lying?" she repeats. Then a small smile appears on her face. "Why would she lie?" She takes a slow sip from her drink. "Even when we adopt dogs, we check their bloodline first. Did you really think our family would choose an ordinary human girl as Luna?"

The hall falls silent. Every word feels like a hammer crushing my chest. The woman continues mercilessly, "Xander was cursed from birth. The prophecy said his first Luna would die."

My breathing becomes uneven. "And because of that curse you were chosen." Tears instantly fill my eyes. "No..."

"You were never meant to stay," she says. "You were simply a sacrifice. Once the curse claimed you, Xander would be free to marry the woman he truly wanted." Her eyes move toward Liza. "The woman worthy of standing beside him."

Liza's victorious smile says everything. The entire world seems to collapse around me. My knees almost give out. Every memory with Xander flashes through my mind. Every smile. Every touch. Every promise. Was all of it a lie? Was I nothing more than a shield against death? The pain in my chest becomes unbearable.

I can't breathe. I can't think. The crowd's whispers blend into a deafening noise. "Poor thing..." "She finally knows." "What did she expect?" I can't listen anymore. With tears streaming down my face, I turn and run.

Someone calls my name, but I don't stop. I push through the palace doors and burst into the cold night air. My heels slam against the stone pathway as I run blindly into the darkness.

I don't know where I'm going. I just need to get away. Away from their faces. Away from their laughter. Away from the truth that is tearing me apart. The palace lights disappear behind me as I race down an empty road surrounded by darkness.

My vision blurs with tears. Suddenly a sharp pain explodes in my chest. I stumble forward. "Ahhh!" My body crashes to my knees. The pain grows stronger. Hotter. It feels as if molten fire is spreading through my veins. I clutch my chest desperately. "It hurts..."

My entire body begins trembling violently. My skin feels like it's burning from the inside out. Every nerve screams in agony. I gasp for air, but even breathing hurts.

The moonlight above suddenly appears brighter. Strange silver light flickers across my skin. My heartbeat becomes irregular, wild, unnatural. "What's happening to me?" I cry. Another wave of pain tears through me. I scream into the empty night.

The fire inside me keeps growing, consuming every part of my body. My entire body trembling violently as unbearable pain tears through every part of me. My throat burns with thirst, and all I want is water, help, someone to save me, but there is nobody there except darkness and silence.

Above me, the moon suddenly begins shining brighter and brighter until its silver light floods the entire road. A glowing circle slowly forms around my body, growing larger with every passing second, its blinding light illuminating strange symbols that make fear crawl through my veins.

I writhe helplessly on the ground as my skin feels like it is being burned alive, every nerve screaming in agony. Tears stream down my face as I clutch my stomach protectively. "My baby..." I sob, terrified for the innocent life growing inside me.

Yet deep inside, I already understand the truth. This is the curse. The curse Alpha Xander always knew about. The curse that was meant to take my life so he could finally be free. A bitter laugh escapes my lips through my tears.

So this is what my love was worth. I was never his Luna. I was never his choice. I was only a sacrifice. The realization shatters what remains of my heart. Every memory of his smile, his touch, his promises feels like a cruel lie. Anger slowly replaces my grief. "I will never forgive you, Xander," I whisper brokenly. "Never."

Suddenly a violent pain explodes through my abdomen, so intense that a scream rips from my throat. The glowing circle erupts with silver energy, and a powerful force suddenly lifts my body into the air.

I hang helplessly beneath the moonlight, my back arching as unimaginable agony tears through me. It feels as though my soul is being ripped apart from my body. Then, without warning, the force releases me. I crash back onto the ground with a brutal impact.

The burning slowly fades. The pain slowly fades. Even my heartbeat grows weaker and weaker. My chest tightens as I realize my life is slipping away. A final tear slides down my cheek as I stare at the moon above. I think of the man I loved, the future I dreamed of, and the child I can no longer protect. My lungs struggle for one last breath before the air is completely stolen from me.

My vision darkens. My body becomes still. My heart stops beating. And as the silver moonlight finally disappears, my eyes slowly close.

TO BE COUNTINUE...!!!