The Alpha Luna’s True Mate

The Betrayal

Elira

My breath hitched in my throat as I waited for Leon to speak, my hands clenching into tight balls under the mahogany table.

Every single elder in the council room was staring at the king, waiting to see if he would really strip my title away and hand it to his mistress.

Leon slowly lowered his hands from his temples, his blue eyes scanning the faces of the greedy nobles before finally landing on Lord Marcus.

"The motion is dismissed," Leon surprises me by saying, his voice flat and final. "We're not rewriting the ancient laws of succession today, Marcus. Drop the subject and move to the next item on the agenda."

I felt a wave of relief wash over me, my shoulders dropping as I stared at my husband in total disbelief. From across the table, Nyra's facial expression darkened considerably, her glossy lips twisting into a hideous, bitter scowl before she quickly wiped it away.

Despite Leon's unchanging cold stares and the heavy distance between us, hope grew deep within my chest. He was still protecting my position, still keeping me on the throne, which meant he hadn't forgotten who I was to him.

The meeting ended quickly after that, the elders scurrying out of the room like rats while whispering among themselves about the king's sudden defense of my crown.

I didn't stay to chat with Leon, heading straight to the grand entrance hall of the palace because the clock was ticking down.

Delegates from the neighboring kingdom of Mooncrest were arriving at any moment for the Red Moon festival celebration, and it was my duty to greet them at the gates.

The iron doors swung open, and a line of high-ranking foreign alphas walked into the courtyard, their faces looking strict and highly formal.

"Welcome to Eryndor, Alpha Raymond," I said, stepping forward with a smile as I offered my hand to their leader. "We're deeply honored to host you and your pack members for this sacred season."

"The honor is ours, Luna Elira," Alpha Raymond replied, bowing his head respectfully as he took my hand. "We look forward to witnessing the strength of your pack."

Before I could even utter another word, a loud click of heels echoed across the marble floor behind me, breaking the quiet of the greeting.

Nyra came bounding down the grand staircase, wearing a ridiculously flashy dress, her face splitting into a bright smile as she forced herself right into the middle of the circle.

"Oh, hello everyone!" Nyra claimed, her voice high-pitched and loud as she squeezed past my shoulder. "I'm Nyra. I just wanted to assist Elira with welcoming the guests today since she has been so overwhelmed with the festival planning."

I felt a sharp flash of irritation spike in my chest, my jaw locking tight as I looked at her uninvited intrusion.

"Nyra, please step back," I tried to subtly send her off, leaning close to her ear so the guests wouldn't hear my sharp tone. "This is an official royal greeting, and you don't hold a rank. So please, go back inside the palace."

I was deeply aware of the delicate peace between Eryndor and the visiting kingdom, a peace that had taken years of careful negotiation to maintain.

The Mooncrest pack was notoriously traditional, and seeing a mistress barge into a royal greeting would look disrespectful to their elders.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, Elira," Nyra whimpered loudly, her eyes watering instantly as she took a dramatic step backward. "I only wanted to help you. You don't have to be so mean to me in front of our visitors."

She didn't even wait for me to reply, turning on her heel and running straight toward the back hallway where Leon was currently walking down from his study.

She went crying to him as usual, her shoulders shaking with fake sobs as she buried her face into his chest the second she reached him.

Leon's face turned a dangerous shade of dark purple as he listened to her whispers, his eyes locking onto me from across the foyer with fury.

He shoved Nyra gently behind his back and marched straight over to where I was standing with the bewildered delegates.

"What is wrong with you, Elira?" Leon barked, his voice dropping into a dangerous hiss that made the Mooncrest warriors narrow their eyes. "Why are you being so selfish and cruel to her? She was just trying to show some hospitality to our guests."

"Leon, this is a formal reception," I reminded him, keeping my voice low and steady despite the hot anger burning my throat. "Alpha Raymond expects to be greeted by the ruling monarchs, not a random member of the household. It's a matter of respect for their pack laws."

"I don't care about your excuses," Leon waved this off entirely, cutting me off with a harsh swipe of his hand. "Stop antagonizing Nyra every time she tries to be useful. You are acting like a bitter, jealous child, and I'm sick of hearing about it."

I stared at him, my heart cracking a little further at his blindness, before I simply backed off and took a step away from the group.

"Fine," I muttered, my voice cold as ice. "Let her run the show then."

Since she was preparing the main festival event already because Leon had stolen my project, I decided to let her handle the social gatherings too, wanting to see how fast she would crash and burn without my guidance.

That evening, the grand dining hall was packed with the visiting delegates and our own high-ranking wolves for the formal welcome dinner.

The long tables were covered in silver platters, the wine flowing freely as the nobles laughed and gossiped.

When I walked into the hall a few minutes late, I stopped dead in my tracks, my entire body freezing as I looked at the head table on the royal dais.

Nyra sat right on the ornate velvet chair meant strictly for the Luna, laughing softly at something Leon was saying as she adjusted her silk skirts.

Leon looked up and saw me standing there, his face blank as he gestured toward the lower end of the royal table.

"Sit over there, Elira," Leon asked me, pointing his finger toward an empty chair located two seats away from him, separating me from the royal couple. "We needed to adjust the seating arrangement for the guests tonight."

"No," I refused point blank, my voice echoing clearly over the chatter of the nearby nobles as I walked straight up to the dais. "I'm not sitting down there, Leon."

"Don't start this right now, Elira," Leon hissed to me, his jaw clenching hard as he leaned across his plate. "You’re making a scene in front of our allies. Just sit in the empty chair and eat your dinner."

"I'm the Queen of this pack, Leon, and I will not be demoted to a side table like a discarded servant," I demanded, keeping my eyes locked onto his mistress. "Get out of my chair, Nyra. Sit in your rightful place at the lower tables where you belong."

Nyra's face turned pale, her fingers clutching the table runner as she looked at Leon with wide, begging eyes, waiting for him to defend her again.

Suddenly, Alpha Raymond, who was sitting directly across from the king's throne, let out a loud, heavy chuckle that silenced the entire head table.

He set his golden goblet down with a sharp thud, his sharp eyes scanning the three of us with a look of unbothered amusement.

"You know, King Leon, back in our territory, we have a very strict understanding of the sacred laws," Raymond commented on the situation, his deep voice carrying easily across the top section of the hall. "A true Luna is chosen by the heavens to guide the spirit of the pack. Her position is superior to any other wolf in the pack house, even the Alpha himself when it comes to the domestic order of the court."

He tilted his head, giving Nyra a cold, dismissive glance that made her flinch.

"It's highly unusual to see a common pack member sitting in the seat of the goddess while the true queen is asked to sit like a stranger at her own table," Raymond added, his tone dripping with a quiet, biting sarcasm. "It makes your court look incredibly disorganized, if I'm being perfectly honest with you."

Leon tensed instantly with the slight tongue lashing he receives from one of the most powerful delegates on the continent.

A dark, angry flush crept up his neck, his hands clenching into tight fists against his thighs as he realized he couldn't bark orders at another alpha without starting a full-blown war.

He couldn't defend his mistress without looking foolish and lawless in front of the very people he was trying to impress for the upcoming trade alliance.

Nyra on the other hand looked frustrated that she didn't get her way as usual, her chest heaving with a sharp, ragged breath as she realized Leon wasn't going to fight this battle for her.

She slowly stood up from the velvet throne, her lips trembling with rage as she gathered her skirt and scurried down the steps of the dais toward the lower tables.

I walked around the high table, pulling my rightful chair back with poise, and sat down directly next to my silent husband without saying another word.