Through a Villains Eyes

Hello, you guys! 🐺💜

Thank you for taking the time to read Through the Villain’s Eyes: The Luna Trials.

A little background before we get started, this is a werewolf/Alpha romance, but with my own twist. There will be love, curses, trials, difficult choices, and plenty of moments where you may find yourself questioning who the real villain actually is. 👀🌙

This is Book One, and I’m excited for you to meet Sydney and Cadence and experience their story as it unfolds.

🔞 This story is intended for mature readers and contains explicit adult content, strong language, and mature themes.I hope you enjoy Sydney and Cadence as much as I enjoyed creating their world. 💜🐺

Welcome to The Luna Trials.

— Téa Vale ✍🏾

Through the Eyes of the Villain

Chapter One

Sydney's POV

Dim lighting was supposed to create a romantic atmosphere.

There was nothing romantic about the sounds echoing through the room.

Bodies were twisted across the couch, and beneath Cadence, a leg was being held against his side as he moved against the panting body below him. Fingers curled tight around the cushion beneath my seat. I tried to steady my breathing. I didn't notice before, but my heart was pounding. My carefully constructed plan was becoming increasingly difficult to remember as my thoughts spiraled and the overwhelming sensations coursed through my body.

This was supposed to be strategic.

Calculated.

Another step toward everything I had spent years preparing for.

I hadn’t expected to enjoy it.

I had certainly thought about what it might be like to have Cadence this way. Any woman with eyes had probably thought about it at least once.

Cadence wasn’t Alpha King yet, but everyone knew he would be. His future had already been written in the stars and signed by the Moon Goddess herself.

He was born into royalty.

He had been raised for the role.

Trained for it.

And lived for the power and dominance provided.

I intended to be the woman standing beside him when he finally took his place. I've been there through many years already. Who would be better for the role of his mate?

I know him.

I was worthy of him and only him.

“Cadence,” Breathy and on the end of a moan.

His attention immediately settled.

The room was warm, my thoughts hazy at the edges, and every carefully maintained piece of control I’d possessed earlier had begun to slip through my fingers.

“Little princess.”

My nickname sent another shiver through me. I hated how much I liked hearing the pet name.

“You like that?” he murmured. “My little princess?”

Instead, a breathless, “Yes,” landed in the space.

His mouth found lips, glazed and plump in the dim room.

The moon's light came through peaked window drapes.

Fingers slid into his hair, as years of friendship suddenly blurred into something entirely different.

Cadence had been part of my life for as long as I could remember.

My friend.

My protector.

My future.

At least, that was how I had always seen him.

Maybe that was why hearing him call me something so intimate affected me more than it should have.

“I'm glad you can keep up,” he murmured against lips, between light nibbles, “ I might not ever leave.”

If only he knew.

That was exactly what I wanted.

His loyalty first, love could come next.

More moans and promises made through connected bodies. Singing praises and approvals through lustful eyes and dangerous lips.

He pulled out just as his pleasure was at his peak. He stroked himself once, then another. Before guiding himself back in between parted thighs.

Arched backs off the floor and nails scraping his back. "My little princess, I'm going to come." his body went stiff as he released.

Eventually, he collapsed beside the couch, breathless.

I stayed close, my wolf picking up the sounds of his heartbeat while my own slowly returned to normal.

Everything was going according to plan.

Better than planned, actually.

And Cadence didn’t have the slightest idea.

Cadence POV

Sydney was curled against my side.

That sentence alone felt strange.

Sydney.

My childhood friend.

The girl I’d spent half my life arguing with, protecting, teasing, and treating more like family than anything remotely romantic.

And now…

Well.

This certainly wasn’t very brotherly.

I stared at the ceiling and tried to figure out exactly when things between us had changed.

Maybe it had been when Sydney came back.

Not simply returned.

She’d come back into my life like a damn windstorm.

Beautiful. Confident. Brilliant.

Top of her class.

She’d left as the girl I’d grown up with and returned as a woman who seemed to command attention without even asking for it.

At first, nothing changed.

Friendly arguments.

Drinks with friends.

Group outings.

The occasional late-night conversation.

Then the looks lasted longer.

The jokes became flirtation.

Touches stopped feeling accidental.

And somehow we’d ended up here.

I wasn’t disappointed.

That was the problem.

I was pleasantly surprised.

My fingers moved absentmindedly along Sydney’s back.

Her hair smelled like vanilla and cinnamon—something warm and sweet that reminded me of walking into a bakery during winter.

Why couldn’t the Moon Goddess have simply made Sydney my fated mate?

The thought came unexpectedly.

I immediately pushed it away.

Fated mates.

I hated the entire concept.

Some supernatural force deciding that one stranger was suddenly supposed to know everything about me? My fears? My weaknesses? My secrets?

No.

I had enough expectations hanging over my head already.

Future Alpha of the Dark Smith Pack.

Future Alpha King.

Son.

Leader.

Protector.

And soon enough, there would be Luna candidates.

Women from powerful families would be presented to me as potential partners, each one scrutinized for what she could offer the pack and the crown.

Unless, of course, my fated mate appeared first.

My jaw tightened.

Sydney shifted against me, snuggling into me. Her head rested slightly under my arm, and her face was covered. Knowing her she was probably embarrassed.

Maybe tonight didn’t need to become another responsibility. I didn't need to think about the future or what this may mean for us.

Maybe, for once, I could simply enjoy what was right in front of me.

Sydney POV

Hours Earlier

Everyone was celebrating.

We had graduated within the past month, and tonight was supposed to be nothing more than drinks, bad decisions, and one final celebration before adulthood swallowed us whole.

At least, that was what everyone else thought.

The local bar on pack grounds was packed.

Music shook the walls. Drinks covered nearly every table, and half our graduating class seemed determined to find out who could embarrass themselves first.

I wasn’t competing.

My attention was on Cadence.

It had been all night.

Women circled him relentlessly.

Of course they did.

He was young, gorgeous, powerful, and next in line to lead one of the wealthiest and most feared packs in the nation.

More importantly, Cadence wasn’t merely going to become Alpha of Dark Smith.

One day, he would be Alpha King.

Which meant every unmated she-wolf with ambition suddenly seemed to own the tightest dress ever manufactured.

I watched one woman laugh much too loudly at something Cadence said.

Pathetic.

Another leaned close enough that her breasts practically rested against his arm.

Even more pathetic.

I didn’t need to parade myself around him.

I wasn’t some desperate stranger trying to get Cadence’s attention.

I’d had it since childhood.

I needed more.

I needed to move out of the friend zone and into something else.

And eventually, I’d have everything else too.

I would become his mate, his Luna.

I’d spent my life around his family. I understood this pack. I understood Cadence. I understood the responsibilities that came with standing beside someone like him.

Some random woman wasn’t going to walk into his life and take the future I’d spent years pining for.

No.

Fate could have whatever scraps I left behind.

Cadence was mine.

I picked up his next beer.

My fingers hovered over it.

Then I added the aphrodisiac I’d brought with me.

Just enough, I’d told myself, to lower his inhibitions.

Cadence was already several drinks in.

He trusted me.

That was important.

Trust made people careless.

I slipped between Cadence and the woman currently occupying far too much of his personal space.

“Here, Cadence.” I placed the bottle in front of him. “Got you another round.”

His eyes met mine.

“You’re my favorite person tonight.”

“I know.”

He grinned and lifted the bottle.

No questions.

No hesitation.

He drank.

I smiled.

Like I said.

Trust made people careless.

I paced myself for the remainder of the night, staying close enough to monitor Cadence without making it obvious.

Eventually, his movements became less coordinated.

His laughter grew louder.

His eyes struggled to focus.

Time to go.

I told everyone goodbye and volunteered to get our future Alpha King safely home.

Nobody questioned me.

Why would they?

I was Sydney Pierce.

His oldest friend.

The responsible one.

The woman everyone trusted with Cadence.

Getting him into my car was easy.

Getting him upstairs was another matter entirely.

“Moon Goddess, Cadence,” I muttered as most of his weight landed against me. “Could you possibly be any heavier?”

He mumbled something incomprehensible.

“Very helpful.”

Eventually, I managed to get him into the room.

The candles were already waiting.

So was everything else.

I’d prepared earlier.

That was the difference between wanting something and actually getting it.

Preparation.

I lowered the lights and helped Cadence onto the bed. A glass of water waited on the nightstand.

Then I went into the bathroom.

Everything was exactly where it needed to be.

Including her.

The omega.

She looked at me nervously.

She had been chosen carefully.

Similar height.

Similar build.

Similar complexion.

Hair close enough to mine that darkness could erase the differences.

She wasn’t identical to me.

She didn’t need to be.

Cadence wasn’t going to be studying anyone’s face tonight.

I reached behind my neck and unclasped my necklace.

Her eyes dropped toward it.

“You remember what we discussed?”

She nodded.

“And the money?”

“Your mother’s treatment gets paid.”

Her expression changed immediately.

That was why I’d chosen money.

People liked pretending loyalty was the strongest motivator in the world.

It wasn’t.

Desperation was.

I placed my necklace around her throat.

Cadence had seen me wear it hundreds of times.

If he remembered anything tomorrow, he’d remember that.

“Wait here.”

I stepped back into the bedroom.

Cadence stirred.

I approached him carefully.

The next part mattered.

He needed to remember me.

Not clearly.

Just enough.

I sat beside him on the bed.

Wiping his forehead with a damp towel.

His hand found my wrist.

Stopping me.

It's ok, Cadence, I'll take care of you.

I removed his shirt the best I could, but just before I had it fully off, he hugged me. I was snuggled, or should I say trapped, against his chest.

For several moments, I allowed the closeness.

His hands started to roam freely. From my arms down to my waist. Then to the hem of my dress. I allowed him to rub my thighs, the outside first. His hands were a little rough, but his touch was soft. He made it all the way to my panties.

The thought of just letting him have me played in my mind. I wanted this experience. I wanted Cadence. So when his fingers touched my panties, the wetness was true. Cadence's touch and smell alone did something strange to my body. I ached for him, and my mind played games. Visions of him on top of me and how it would feel to have him inside me.

Ummmm.....

I didn't even realize that was me until after the sound came from my throat. Cadence's fingers had found their way inside my panties, and his fingers were currently playing with my clit.

Then I stiffened.

“No.”

Cadence blinked.

I pushed his hand away.

“Sydney?”

“We can’t.”

Confusion crossed his face.

Perfect.

I scrambled away from him.

“What’s wrong?”

“I’m a virgin, Cadence.”

The words seemed to penetrate some of the haze surrounding him.

I let my bottom lip tremble.

Years of getting exactly what I wanted had taught me something useful:

People believed tears.

Especially men who thought they’d caused them.

“If you take that from me…” My voice cracked. “And then tomorrow you decide this was a mistake, I paused for effect, what happens to me?”

“Syd…”

“Who’s going to want me after the future Alpha King has already had me?”

His expression changed.

There.

Guilt.

Exactly what I needed.

I covered my mouth and ran into the bathroom.

Then I locked the door.

Seconds later, Cadence knocked.

“Sydney?”

I covered my mouth to suppress my smile.

“Syd, come out.”

I looked at the omega.

She looked terrified.

I pointed toward the necklace around her throat.

Then toward the door.

Everything had led to this moment.

Cadence knocked again.

“Sydney, please.”

I leaned toward the omega and whispered,

“Your turn.”

Because Cadence could never know the truth.

And if everything went according to plan…

He never would.

I leaned toward her and lowered my voice.

“Make it believable.”

Her eyes widened slightly.

“He can’t wake up tomorrow questioning whether it was me. You know how I talk. You know how I sound. Keep the lights low. Don’t let him study your face.”

She swallowed and touched the necklace I’d placed around her throat.

“Um Sydney,” she started to say

“Don’t.”

I didn’t need to hear about her nerves. We’d already discussed what she needed and what I was willing to pay for it.

I stepped closer.

“Tonight, you’re me. So act like it.”

Another knock rattled the bathroom door.

“Sydney?”

Cadence.

His voice sounded clearer than it had a few minutes ago.

Not clear enough.

But clearer.

I looked toward the second door leading out of the bathroom, then back at the omega.

“When you go out there, make him believe you want him. If he says my name, answer. If he calls you little princess, let him.”

Her fingers curled around my necklace.

“And afterward?”

“Afterward, you leave.”

“And you?”

A smile tugged at my lips.

“I’m not going anywhere.”

Because there was one part of tonight I hadn’t told her about.

I needed to see it.

Not because I wanted to watch Cadence with another woman. The thought alone made something vicious twist inside my chest.

But I needed to know exactly what happened.

What he said.

What she said.

What he remembered.

There could be no surprises tomorrow morning.

I slipped through the adjoining door and made my way to the concealed sitting area overlooking the bedroom. From there, darkness kept me hidden while giving me enough of a view to make sure everything went according to plan.

A moment later, the bathroom door opened.

Cadence looked up.

My necklace caught the dim light first.

Then her silhouette.

“Sydney?”

She hesitated.

My nails dug into my palms.

Answer him. I thought.

“Yes.”

I relaxed.

Cadence reached for her.

And she went to him.

Watching another woman step into the place I’d spent my entire life believing belonged to me should have made me sick.

Instead, I reminded myself of one thing.

She wasn’t taking my place.

She was holding it.

There was a difference.

The omega was temporary.

Cadence was not.

Neither was the crown.

So I stayed hidden and watched my plan unfold, memorizing enough to make the story mine afterward.

Every word.

Every mistake.

Every detail Cadence might remember when morning came.

Because tomorrow, there would only be one version of what happened tonight.

Mine.

Before he could say more, she kissed him.

Currently.....

Eventually, Cadence’s breathing changed.

Slow.

Deep.

Even.

I waited.

One minute.

Then another.

Only when I was certain he was asleep did I step from my hiding place.

The omega carefully slipped out from beneath his arm. Cadence shifted at the loss of warmth but didn’t wake.

She hurried toward the bathroom, and I followed.

The second the door closed behind us, I held out my hand.

“My necklace.”

She unclasped it and dropped it into my palm.

Then I handed her a small pill.

She stared at it.

“What’s this?”

“Insurance.”

Her eyebrows pulled together.

I gave her a pointed look.

“No pups.”

Understanding crossed her face.

I lowered my voice.

“The future Alpha King’s first child will not come from you.”

She swallowed the pill. Then opened her mouth for me to check.

I looked inside.

“Good.”

I opened the second bathroom door and gestured toward the hallway.

“The rest of your money will be delivered tomorrow. Go home. Take care of your mother.”

She hesitated.

For one terrifying second, I thought she might say something sentimental.

Thankfully, she didn’t.

She left.

I locked the door behind her.

Then I looked at myself in the mirror.

Hair.

I loosened it.

Clothes.

Gone.

Perfume.

I dabbed more onto my wrists and neck, the same vanilla-and-cinnamon scent Cadence knew so well.

Finally, I fastened my necklace back where it belonged.

There.

Sydney.

I returned to the bedroom.

Cadence hadn’t moved much.

I carefully slipped beneath his arm, fitting myself into the warm space the omega had occupied only moments before.

His body reacted immediately.

Not by waking.

By pulling me closer.

My breath caught.

Cadence buried his face against my hair and tightened his arm around my waist as though, even unconscious, he was afraid I might disappear.

For the briefest moment, something inside me softened.

Then he murmured against my hair.

“Always knew you’d stay.”

I went still.

His voice was heavy with sleep, the words barely coherent.

Still, I heard them.

Every single one.

A slow smile spread across my face.

“Of course I will,” I whispered.

His fingers tightened against me.

“My loyal girl.”

Loyal.

I stared into the darkness.

Such a beautiful word.

Cadence meant devoted.

Steadfast.

Someone he could trust without question.

And he was right about one thing.

I was devoted to him.

Devoted enough to lie for him.

Scheme for him.

Destroy for him.

And if the Moon Goddess herself ever tried to put another woman between Cadence and me…

I would deal with her too.

I closed my eyes and settled against the future Alpha King.

By morning, Cadence would wake with me in his arms.

And as far as the rest of the world was concerned, Sydney had never left his bed.

Some lies were difficult to maintain.

The best ones simply gave people exactly what they already wanted to believe.