Revenge served in a black dress (Nora and Jace) novel Chapter 68

Nora

She almost couldn’t believe it. Jace wanted them to stand out in front of the packhouse and pretend that nothing was wrong with them. That he was a good Alpha and Mate, when he was anything but. Wanted to be standing out there not only together but holding hands for her parents to see.

What a crock of s**t, that man was just trying to save face, not that he could. Her parents were only coming here to see her stand up to him and reject him, show their moral support, and make sure that she was able to get out of this pack. The very same reason, her former Alpha and Luna were attending.

There was no actual need for her former Alpha and Luna to be in attendance for a Luna Ceremony. She wasn’t a ranked member or one of their children, and from all she knew, it was mostly just done with the Alpha and his Mate in front of their own pack. Not many invited other packs to Luna Ceremonies.

That usually depended on whether there was a need for it. If the Alpha believed that they needed to show the wolfen world, they’d claimed their Mate and Luna. It generally meant they had been seen as having done something wrong, and inviting others was a show of them pledging their loyalty. It was a promise to their Luna that it would never happen again, after whatever had gone wrong between them, had been resolved.

Just like what Jace was doing now.

It normally wouldn’t have to be done, if the Alpha understood what he was supposed to do, loved and cherished the Mate he had been granted by their Moon Goddess. She couldn’t say no to being out there with him, but she could tell him no to holding his hand. She also wasn’t going to be doing that.

He didn’t like hearing it, but her calmly spoken explanation of why seemed to resolve that for him, and once again there was more for him, to learn about what he’d done to her and how he’d made her feel. She had used him for s*x just once, and he’d not liked it at all. Now he knew she thought that was all he had ever done to

her inside their mate bond.

“Despite what you say, Jace. That is how it felt every single time I was woken with your hands on me. Do you think it’s a nice feeling? It wasn’t,” she told him simply. “You actively used the bond to your advantage to get s*x from me. The one time I did that to you, in Gloria’s office. You hated it, grated out words at me and stalked off angry about it. That, what you felt that one afternoon, was how I felt every single time you touched me, after I realized I was just your Mate and never to be the woman you loved or your Luna.”

He was just staring at her now as he absorbed this final piece of information. Today was the last day she would be doing this. He now had all the information as to what he’d done to her, over the course of their mate bond, to see he didn’t actually deserve her. All bar those words she’d overheard, and she was keeping those

for the ceremony.

“I’m sorry, I would take it back, Nora, if I could. But I can’t go back in time and change it. I can only admit I was very wrong and try to make it up to you from here on out,” he told her.

old

“I understand that,” she nodded slowly and sighed a little, “But you holding my hand or touching me? When you’ve never once pledged your loyalty to me, just claimed me as your Mate. Never announced me as anything other than your Mate until what? Four and a half months into our mate bond. All the things Gloria you were going to do to me, so the two of you could be happy, raise my pup as yours and hers.

“Why would I be willing to let you touch me? With that in the back of my mind, how do I know you’re not just

trying to sway me into your bed, to get that hest, so you can post put up with our HO DOAN How am I to trust you or have faith that you’ll do everything you say? Unless I make you men veta alta Luna Ceremony, after you will pledge loyalty to me and only me, so this pack can hold you your own words.

“I pledged my loyalty to you when you initiated me into this pack” she shook her head “And have cave one given you cause to doubt me and my loyalty, even now. My word is true, so devoted mestres

d that I never once allowed anyone inside this pack to see or hear me suffer, at the hands of you and her

“So, there will be no regrowing of anything, nor touching any of me, until you do that. So, no, i will not be holding your hand when my parents arrive or my former Alpha and Luna. It even at the Luna Ceremony, when I walk in will I take your hand. Because until those words come from your mouth to the ears of this entire pack. My parents, for my former Alpha and Luna, the others you have invited, and, of course, that she–wolf you have loved for 60 years,

“When she hears it and understands, she is nothing inside this pack. Only then will I believe you mean it. Because you’ll be held accountable from that moment onwards, to all those Alphas who are your allies that you’ve invited to this pack. If you go back on your pledge, you’ll be seen as disloyal, and make yourself look like a fool in their eyes, by betraying your own Goddess–Gifted Mate, because I will never stand for it again… I’ll just reject you the next time I feel pains of betrayal.”

He was just sitting and staring at her now as the true reality of his life was starting to fall into place for him. If he wasn’t trying to keep her calm and placated all the time, she was damned certain he’d have just lost his temper and yelled at her, about he was doing everything to fix it. She could see there was something there in his expression. She also had a feeling he was very unhappy about her very direct words.

“Will you be attending your Luna Ceremony?” he asked her directly. I’m kind of getting the feeling you’re not going to show up.”

“I’ll be there,” she nodded. “I’ll wear a Luna gown and stand next to you, make a speech of my own. Do all the things I, as your Mate and Luna, have the right to do. I will also see that she wolf be punished… Seeing as you still can’t seem to manage to do that yourself,” she put to him in a disappointed tone.

“It’s just complicated.” He sighed heavily. “I have done everything I can until you’re instated with the full title

of Luna.”

“It shouldn’t be complicated at all. I don’t understand why it is complicated. She has attacked me, helped to ruin our bond, caused me pains of betrayal on purpose. Why can’t you just haul her out and punish her for it? In any other pack she’d either be dead, or on a shaming post having taken lashes for her behavior. What actually stops you from doing that to her, I wonder?” she asked simply.

He was again just looking at her. He didn’t want to state why, and she knew why. Nora shook her head.” Maybe Jace, I am right about doubting you still, and all of this that you’re doing is just for show after all.” “Nora please, it is not. I…” he sighed. “I’ve never once punished her for anything where you’re concerned, and to do it now, the pack will not understand why I never did it before. That is why it is complicated.” “Ah, I see…” she nodded thoughtfully. “You don’t want the pack to know about all the harm you yourself caused to me… Something she’ll out, everything the two of you did to me, to the pack. All your word way you plotted to steal my pup for her to raise even… You’re still trying to keep your image intact is all,” she shook her head.

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CH 68

“Nora, it’s not like that, he murmured. “I just need to walt until you’re instated.”

“Yes, so I can deal with her,” she nodded. He was never going to punish that she wolf. He saw no need to even now and she knew it. “Well, I’m happy to inform you, I will deal with her and if you so much as lay a hand on me to halt me, I will be the one to tell the pack what you did. I will be the one to ruin your image.

“You stopping me or trying to lessen any punishment I deem appropriate as your Mate, who was on the receiving end of her cruelty the entire time I was here, will see me reject you and walk away from you. This is the only warning you’ll get on that front. Because if you get between her and I, to defend her ever again,” she stated in a hard, cold, emotionless tone, allowing him to see how she truly felt about this matter.

“Regardless of how small your defense of her is, I’ll see it as you still love her. I’ll reject you and your pack, and leave. But Jace, if you do that, are disloyal to me even once, after you’ve pledged your loyalty to me at the Luna Ceremony.” She leaned forward and stared hard at him, letting him see she wasn’t about to be his doormat or that she was a weak pushover. “I’ll be looking to kill her before I leave this place, so you’ll have no one, not your Goddess–Gifted, and not the woman you love either.”

He was frowning now, it was a full threat, and he knew it. He was realizing right that very minute that she meant every single word she was saying, that she was in fact strong and unyielding, showing him the type of Luna he would have had if he’d done things right in the first place.

“I won’t tolerate any more disrespect from you, or her… Oh, there is one more thing, after the ceremony… That I want from you.” she smiled right at him, and leaned back in her chair. “I want you, Jace, to personally de–rank that b***h, right before me, before everyone, all the way down to omega status, and tell her she’ll be the one to clean all the toilets in this packhouse from now on.”

He was really looking at her now as she laid out her list of demands for him to make sure she was getting everything she wanted, and Gloria would be seen as nothing inside this pack forever. “If your intentions are in fact honorable as you say they are, then this shouldn’t be a problem for you, now should it.” she finished up.

“It’s not a problem, I’ll do that after you accept me,” he nodded. “You’re different right now. I’ve not seen this side of you before,” he stated, and she knew he had not.

He was seeing her for the first time as an actual Luna right at that minute. His calm but very pissed–off Luna, who was dealing with things as one should, calmly, but with a resolute attitude to fixing things that were wrong, pushing aside all the pain she’d suffered at his hands.

She now sat before him as his Luna and equal, who was going to hold him accountable for everything from now on. Showing him that no leeway was going to be given to him in anything from this moment forward.” Hmm, I guess this is me showing you, that I’m not some weak pathetic she–wolf, that hid my pain from the pack, because I was ashamed of it. It’s showing you just how resilient and strong I am. I guess it’s Selena’s way of showing you, the Luna inside of me. The side that is determined to stand up and fight for what I want,” she told him.

He nodded and smiled just a little with those last words. He thought it meant she wanted to be his Luna, to be on his arm, and she was fighting for them. He had no idea how wrong he was. He was so self–absorbed and arrogant; had the Alpha mentality of thinking everything was about him, that he could have his cake and

eat it too.

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