The Alpha Luna’s True Mate

The Alienation

Elira

My breath hitched as I woke up, my heart hammering against my ribs. The sheets were twisted around my legs, and my skin felt flushed and damp with sweat.

I sat up in the dark, trembling from the intensity of the dream. It had felt so real, so vivid, like the sensation of heavy hands pinning me down was still on my skin.

In the dream, a man had claimed me, tearing through my defenses and marking me until I could only scream his name. My entire body was aching right now, a deep, restless throb settling between my thighs. My p***y slick with every movement I made.

"It was Leon," I whispered into the empty bedroom, trying to force the lie down my own throat. "It had to be Leon."

But I was only fooling myself. The face in my mind didn't belong to my husband.

Those intense, glowing golden orbs that had stared down into my soul during the climax of the dream were permanently etched into my mind. They belonged to Ares. Those eyes belonged to my husband's brother. My mate. Mi—

I buried my face in my hands, letting out a shaky breath as guilt washed over me. I couldn't be dreaming about my husband's brother like this, especially not when I was the queen.

I forced myself out of bed, showering quickly to wash away the heat of the nightmare—because I refused to see it as anything else—before heading to the council chamber. I had a meeting scheduled for the kingdom's feeding budget, and I needed to focus.

The round table was already filled with older council members when I walked in, their faces tight and impatient. I took my seat at the head, smoothing down my skirt.

"Let us begin," I said, opening the ledger in front of me. "The lower districts are facing severe shortages this winter, so I want to increase the feeding funds by twenty percent."

The elders immediately started murmuring, shifting uncomfortably in their seats.

"Your Majesty, that is a substantial amount of cash from the royal treasury," Lord Marcus said, frowning. "We must think of the military assets first."

"The people are starving, Marcus," I replied, keeping my voice firm despite the anxiety in my chest. "A kingdom cannot fight if its citizens cannot eat."

Before he could argue again, the heavy wooden doors of the council chamber suddenly swung. Every head turned toward the entrance to see Nyra standing there, holding a silk handkerchief to her chest, looking startled to see us.

"Oh, goodness," Nyra gasped, her voice dripping with sweetness that made me want to throw up. "I am so sorry to interrupt, everyone."

She took a hesitant step inside, looking directly at the council members instead of me.

"I missed my way," Nyra said, offering an innocent, helpless smile. "The palace corridors are just so confusing, and I was looking for the solarium."

"Lady Nyra, please, do not worry at all," Lord Elder stepped in, immediately standing up from his chair. "You are more than welcome here."

I tightened my grip on my pen under the table. This was my meeting, a private royal council briefing that she had absolutely no right to attend.

"Actually, we are in the middle of an official budget review," I said, trying to maintain my authority. "Nyra should probably find her way to the gardens."

"Nonsense, Your Majesty," Lord Marcus cut in, giving me a dismissive look. "Lady Nyra is the king's fated mate, and her perspective could be highly valuable to this meeting."

Nyra lowered her head, acting shy and modest as she walked over to an empty chair.

"If the council insists, then I would love to join and learn," Nyra said, sitting down right across from me. "I only want what is best for the kingdom."

I swallowed the bitter taste in my mouth and turned back to the papers, refusing to let her see how much this situation annoyed me, how much it bothered me.

"As I was saying, we need to approve the increased funding for the food distribution centers immediately," I stated, looking at the elders.

Nyra leaned forward, resting her chin on her hands while looking at the ledger with wide eyes.

"If I may speak, Queen Elira," Nyra said softly, her tone polite but calculating. "Increasing the budget seems like a temporary fix that wastes our reserves."

I locked eyes with her. "It keeps people alive, Nyra."

"Of course, and that is so sweet of you," Nyra purred, turning to face the council elders. "But shouldn't we focus on money generating revenue instead of just handing out feeding funds?"

She smiled warmly, gesturing with her hands as she spun her web.

"If we invest that same coin into the trading markets or the weapon manufacturing sectors, the kingdom will grow wealthier," Nyra suggested. "The citizens can then find jobs and buy their own food."

The council members began nodding in agreement, their expressions changing from skeptical to impressed.

"That is an exceptionally brilliant strategy, Lady Nyra," Lord Marcus praised, openly smiling at her. "It solves the long-term economic strain on the treasury."

"But the trading markets will take months to build," I argued, my voice rising slightly in frustration. "The people need food right now, this week as a matter of fact."

"They will manage, Your Majesty," Lord Elder dismissed, writing down Nyra's suggestion on the main scroll. "We will go with Lady Nyra's revenue plan instead."

I sat back in my chair, utterly defeated and burning with annoyance. My authority had been stripped away by a woman who didn't even hold a royal title.

I couldn't even speak on it further because the council was already moving on to the next topic, ignoring my presence completely.

As soon as the meeting was adjourned, I practically bolted out of the room, needing to get away from the suffocating atmosphere.

I hurried down the long eastern corridor, my mind racing with anger and humiliation.

I rounded a sharp corner and stopped dead in my tracks. Ares was standing there, talking quietly to a group of royal guards.

He must have felt my presence because his head snapped up instantly, his dark gaze locking directly onto mine.

The memory of my dream… no, nightmare, flashed through my mind like a lightning bolt, making my face burn with heat. The golden color of his eyes made my stomach flip.

Panic seized me. I couldn't look at him right now without thinking about what his hands would feel like if he placed them on my aching body.

I spun on my heel and practically ran in the opposite direction, my heels clicking loudly against the stone floor. I didn't stop until I reached the safety of the residential wing.

By the time evening arrived, the tension inside me hadn't faded at all. Dinner had been another silent, excruciating ordeal, and I was glad to finally return to my quarters.

I walked into the joint bedroom that Leon and I shared, intending to change out of my heavy gown.

As I walked past the large mahogany wardrobe, something caught my eye. The doors were slightly ajar, revealing the empty hangers inside.

I frowned, moving toward the vanity table. Leon's silver hairbrushes were gone. I opened his side drawers, finding them cleared out. None of his personal belongings were left in the room.

My heart sank into my stomach as the reality of the situation hit me. He was moving out of our bedroom.

The heavy doors of the suite suddenly opened, and Leon stepped inside, his expression cold and completely indifferent. He didn't even look at me as he walked straight toward the side table to grab a gold watch he had left behind.

"Leon," I said, my voice trembling slightly as I stood by the empty wardrobe. "Where are your things?"

He snapped the watch onto his wrist, finally turning his eyes toward me.

"I moved them to the western wing this afternoon," Leon said flatly, his voice devoid of any emotion.

"Why?" I asked, a lump forming in my throat despite how much he had hurt me. "This is our room. We are married, Leon."

Leon let out a harsh, irritated sigh, crossing his arms over his chest as he looked down at me.

"Do not start being jealous, Elira," Leon sneered, his tone sharp and full of arrogance. "It is unbecoming of a queen."

"Jealous?" I echoed, a bitter laugh escaping my lips. "You are abandoning our marital bed."

"Nyra is going through the severe pains of the mating bond right now," Leon stated coldly, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "She needs my constant presence and my scent to stabilize her wolf."

The words felt like a slap to my face.

"She is your mistress, Leon," I whispered, my voice breaking. "I am your wife."

"You are an omega who was given a crown out of duty," Leon retorted, his words cutting deep into my chest. "Nyra is my fated mate. My place is with her."

He turned back toward the door, not casting a single glance backward to see the damage he had just caused.

"Do not wait up for me," Leon added carelessly as he gripped the door handle. "I will not be returning to this room."

He stepped out into the hallway, slamming the heavy wooden door shut behind him.

The loud bang echoed through the silence of the massive, empty bedroom.

I stood there entirely frozen, staring at the closed door while the tears finally spilled over my eyelashes.

He had left me alone in the dark, choosing another woman without a single ounce of hesitation or regret.