The Alpha Luna’s True Mate

The Humiliation

Elira

I stared right into my husband's eyes and felt nothing but cold, heavy disgust. The panic that usually kept me quiet was completely gone, replaced by a strange sense of clarity.

"I am not apologizing for something I didn't do," I said, my voice steady, echoing off the high stone walls. "I did nothing to her, Leon. She is a liar."

Nyra let out a fresh wave of pathetic, shuddering sobs, burying her face deeper into Leon's shirt. The crimson stain on her sleeve was spreading, but she made sure to peek out just enough to look broken.

"I just wanted to apologize to her, Leon," Nyra whimpered, her voice cracking perfectly as she played her part. "I told her I never meant to come between the two of you, and she just snapped. She grabbed the blade and cut me."

"Shh, I know, Nyra. I have you," Leon murmured to her, his voice softening in a way he had never once used with me. "I am so sorry this happened to you."

He pressed a brief kiss against the top of her head before his head snapped back up to look at me, the warmth vanishing from his face instantly.

"You have one final warning, Elira," Leon growled, his jaw clenching so hard a muscle twitched in his cheek. "Apologize to my mate right now if you do not want to see my other side. Do not test my patience today."

"I don't care about your other side," I shot back, taking a small step forward, refusing to back down. "I didn't do anything wrong, and I will not beg for forgiveness from a fraud."

Before Leon could open his mouth to unleash whatever threat he was cooking up, the heavy oak doors of the throne room burst open with a loud bang.

Ares came charging into the room, followed closely by a squad of royal guards. They had obviously heard Nyra's high-pitched, piercing scream echoing all the way down the grand corridor.

The moment he walked in, my wolf stirred instantly inside my chest, her senses tuning into his presence. My heart did a familiar, frantic dance against my ribs, recognizing its true match without my permission.

But I didn't look his way at all. I kept my eyes locked strictly on Leon, refusing to show any vulnerability in front of the court.

"What is going on in here?" Ares demanded, his deep voice slicing through the thick tension like a blade.

Leon ignored him entirely, focusing his murderous gaze solely on me as he took another step down the marble dais.

"Apologize to her, Elira," Leon ordered again, his voice dropping into a dangerous, gravelly register.

Suddenly, he unleashed his alpha pheromones into the room, making the air feel thick, heavy, and completely suffocating.

My thighs trembled, and my wolf whined, feeling the intense pressure of the royal bloodline commanding us to obey.

I clamped my jaw shut, clenching my fists until my fingernails bit into my palms, using the sharp pain to stay anchored.

I pushed back against the heavy hold and the compulsion that came with his scent, refusing to let him break my spirit.

"I said no," I choked out, forcing the words past my tight throat while staring him down. "I did nothing to Nyra."

Leon's face turned a dangerous shade of purple, his control completely snapping at my public defiance.

"Guards!" Leon roared, his voice booming through the chamber. "Take the queen and throw her into a cell in the pack house immediately. She tried to murder my fated mate out of jealousy."

The royal guards stood frozen in their spots, exchanging uneasy, uncomfortable glances with one another. They looked completely shocked by the brutal order. Throwing the Astral Luna into a cell was a violation of ancient laws.

"Did you not hear me?" Leon bellowed, his eyes flashing a dangerous, volatile blue as he growled at his own men. "Move your feet and execute my command right now!"

The guards flinched, their hands moving hesitantly toward their weapons as they prepared to step toward me.

"Stop right there," Ares commanded.

His voice wasn't a roar, but it carried a cold authority that made every single guard freeze instantly in their tracks. Not a single man moved an inch from his spot.

Ares walked past the line of soldiers, his heavy boots thudding against the marble as he stepped directly between me and the throne.

His massive shoulder completely blocked Leon from my sight, shielding me from the worst of the alpha pressure and it made me breathe out a sigh of relief.

He turned his head slightly, facing his brother with an expression that was completely unreadable and stone-cold.

"You will not lay a single hand on her," Ares said, his tone flat and incredibly dangerous. "Elira is the Queen of Eryndor, and she should be treated as such."

I stared at the broad back of his leather jacket, shock washing over me, followed by a quiet, blooming sense of warmth.

He was standing up for me, risking a full-blown treason charge, even when he had absolutely no idea what had actually happened inside this room before he arrived.

Leon let out a harsh, incredulous laugh, tightening his grip on Nyra's waist as he glared at his half-brother.

"You seem to forget who you are talking to, bastard," Leon sneered, his arrogance flaring up. "I am the crowned king of this realm. My orders are absolute, and I say she goes to the cells."

Ares didn't even flinch at the insult, keeping his posture perfectly still and imposing.

"You are the king, Leon," Ares reminded him, his voice deadly calm as he tilted his head. "But Elira is the Queen in her own right, chosen by the Moon Goddess herself. You do not have the authority to throw the Astral Luna into a dungeon without a full council trial, and you know it.”