The Alpha Luna’s True Mate

The Hidden Plot

Elira

I didn't wait around to see how Leon would react to his brother's words. I spun on my heel and walked away from the dining room, my heels clicking loudly against the marble floors as I practically sprinted down the hallway.

My body was trembling all over, shaken by how fast everything had fallen apart tonight. I was sick to my stomach thinking about how quick Leon had been to declare me a thief in front of the entire pack council.

I had been nothing but loyal to him for years, protecting his secrets and running his kingdom while he chased his vices.

Yet the very second a random maid dropped a box in my room, he was ready to lock me in a dungeon without a single shred of hesitation.

The sound of heavy footsteps echoed behind me in the empty corridor, making me slow my pace slightly. I didn't even have to look back to know who it was.

Ares.

He didn't say anything to me, keeping a respectful distance of a few feet, but his presence was actually comforting and calming.

His deep, earthy scent wrapped around me like a warm blanket, instantly soothing the wild, chaotic panic that was making my wolf howl with rage inside my chest.

It was pathetic how much I needed him at that moment, how much I just wanted to lean against his solid chest and cry about how unfair my life had become.

We finally reached my room, the hallway empty and draped in long shadows. I stopped walking and turned around to face him, my back pressing against the cool stone wall.

"Thank you," I whispered, my voice cracking slightly in the quiet space. "Again."

"You don't need to keep thanking me for doing what is right, Elira," Ares said, his voice a low, gravelly rumble that vibrated right through my skin.

He took a step closer, his golden eyes locking onto mine with an intensity that made the air feel thick.

Suddenly, the air between us shifted, becoming charged with a dangerous, suffocating heat that made my heart race wildly against my ribs.

The mate bond between us flared to life like a volcano, demanding to be recognized, demanding to be fulfilled right then and there.

Every single cell in my body was screaming at me to close the distance, to reach out and touch his face, to let him take me away from this miserable palace.

Ares froze, his knuckles turning white as he clenched his fists at his sides, fighting the same invisible pull that was tearing me apart.

His chest heaved as he took a ragged breath, intentionally forcing himself to take a step backward into the shadows.

"Go inside your room, Elira," Ares muttered, his voice thick with restraint as he looked away from me. "Right the f**k now. Please."

"Good night, Ares," I breathed, my hand trembling as I reached for the handle of my door.

I slipped into my bedroom and locked the door, sinking down against the wood as I tried to remove the taste of his name from my tongue.

~~~

The next day, I woke up early to the sound of a soft knocking on my door. I threw on a simple silk robe and opened it, finding Mona standing there holding a beautiful, polished mahogany box.

"A royal messenger brought this for you just now, Your Majesty," Mona said, handing me the box with a small, curious smile. "Apparently, it's from the king."

I took the box and carried it over to my vanity, clicking the brass latch open with a soft pop. Inside sat a stunning, intricate gold jewelry set encrusted with tiny emeralds that practically glowed in the light.

There was no note inside, no words of explanation, just the flashing stones sitting on a bed of black velvet.

Despite myself, a tiny, stubborn hope bloomed deep within my chest as I stared down at the expensive glittering pieces. I wondered if maybe this was Leon's twisted way of saying he was sorry for what he had done last night, a silent apology for publicly branding me a criminal.

Maybe he had finally realized how horribly he was treating me and wanted to make things right between us.

I decided to wear the necklace, letting Mona clasp the heavy gold chain around my neck before I headed down to the dining room for breakfast.

The palace was quiet, the servants moving quickly as they cleaned the long corridors after the events of the previous evening.

As I walked down the grand spiral staircase, a familiar, annoying scent filled the air, and I froze. Nyra was standing at the landing below, her arms crossed over her chest as she waited for me, a smug smile plastered across her face.

We cross paths at the center of the steps, neither of us willing to move aside to let the other pass by smoothly.

"That's a beautiful necklace, Elira," Nyra said, her voice dropping into a low, nasty whisper so the nearby guards couldn't hear her. "But you shouldn't get too comfortable wearing his charity gifts."

"Move out of my way, Nyra," I replied, keeping my head high and my voice ice-cold. "I'm really not in the mood for your childish games today."

Nyra didn't move an inch, stepping closer until her shoulder almost brushed against mine.

"Leon only sent you that box because he felt a little guilty about the maid," Nyra subtly told me, her eyes flashing with malice. "But don't ever forget that he will always bend to my will in the end. It doesn't matter what you do, or how hard you try to play the perfect queen, because I'm his fated mate and he belongs to me."

I let out a soft, mocking chuckle, refusing to let her see the sharp sting her words left behind.

"Leon and I grew up together, Nyra," I reminded her, looking down my nose at her short frame. "We have a bond that goes back way before you ever crawled out of whatever hole you came from. No matter how distracted he gets by a shiny new toy, he will always come back to his senses and remember who actually keeps his crown on his head."

Something violent flickered deep in Nyra's eyes at my words, a dark, dangerous look that I couldn't quite decipher before she quickly masked it with a fake pout.

"We'll see about that, Your Majesty," Nyra sneered, turning around and flouncing down the steps with her skirt swishing loudly behind her.

I took a deep breath, smoothing down my dress before continuing my walk toward the grand council chamber. An important meeting was to be held right after breakfast, and I knew I couldn't afford to look weak in front of the pack elders after the scandal.

When I pushed the double doors open, the room was already packed with nobles, generals, and pack lords sitting around the long mahogany table.

Leon was at the head of the table, looking hungover and tired, while Nyra sat in a small chair right behind him, out of place for an official political gathering.

The moment I walked in, I noticed that most of the council members vied for Nyra's attention, leaning over one another to compliment her dress or ask about her health. They ignored my entrance, acting as if the Luna of the pack didn't even exist.

I walked over to my designated seat on Leon's left, pulling the chair out and sitting down. I held my head high despite their unhidden disrespect towards me, refusing to show a single shred of vulnerability to these vultures.

The meeting started out normal, with the beta reading the weekly trade reports and border patrols, but the atmosphere remained tense and heavy.

Halfway through the session, Lord Marcus, who had always been a close ally of Leon's father, cleared his throat loudly to command the room.

"Your Majesty, we need to address a matter of extreme importance regarding the stability of our pack’s bloodline," Marcus said, looking directly at Leon before his eyes slid over to me with a cold glare.

"Speak, Marcus," Leon muttered, rubbing his temples as if his head were splitting open.

"The Red Moon festival is approaching rapidly, and our people are highly traditional," Marcus brought up, leaning forward on his elbows. "They are uncomfortable with the current arrangement of our court. The Moon Goddess has clearly chosen Lady Nyra as your true mate, yet she holds no official rank while a mateless woman sits on the throne."

The room went dead silent, the clock on the wall ticking loudly as every single elder stopped writing.

"What are you suggesting, Lord Marcus?" I asked, my voice cutting through the quiet like a piece of broken glass.

Marcus didn't even look at me, keeping his gaze strictly fixed on my husband.

"I'm officially bringing up the motion of dethroning Elira as Luna," Marcus declared boldly, his words echoing off the stone walls like a bomb. "It's time we remove her from the position so that Lady Nyra can legally become the Luna of Eryndor, since she is Leon's true fated mate by right.”