Luna of the forgotten pack

Chapter One

POV: Lucian Nightclaw

The forest was still, save for the sound of paws hitting damp earth. My wolf ran for the joy of it, muscles stretching, lungs pulling in crisp morning air laced with the scent of pine and distant snow. The Bloodfang territory stretched for miles in every direction—my land, my responsibility. Every path, every river bend, every cluster of ancient oaks was etched into my memory.

A flicker of movement ahead caught my eye. Two young wolves darted between the trees, their playful growls echoing in the quiet. I recognized them immediately—pups from the eastern ridge, still months away from their first full shifts. I slowed my pace, watching as they chased each other through a carpet of fallen leaves, their mothers calling for them from somewhere beyond the clearing.

Life was simple for them. No borders to guard, no rival packs to bargain with, no council breathing down their neck about heirs and alliances.

I shifted back into human form, the morning air cool against my bare skin, and reached for the jeans I’d left folded near the tree line. My Beta, Darius, emerged from the shadows just as I was buttoning them.

“You’re early,” he said, handing me a steaming cup of black coffee from a battered thermos.

“Couldn’t sleep,” I replied. My nights had been restless lately—no nightmares, just a persistent unease, like the moon itself was trying to whisper something I couldn’t quite hear.

“Or maybe you were avoiding the council meeting,” Darius said with a smirk.

I gave him a look. “It’s not until midday.”

“Which is exactly why they were already waiting in the hall this morning,” he replied. “I think they’re planning to lock the doors until you agree to something.”

We both knew what “something” meant.

The council had been pushing for me to take a Luna for months now. In their eyes, an unmated Alpha was a vulnerability—one that could be exploited by rivals or create instability within the pack. In my eyes, rushing into a bond just to quiet their worries was a recipe for disaster.

I’d seen too many arranged bonds turn cold. Too many wolves miserable because the mate chosen for them served politics, not hearts. I wouldn’t do that to myself—or to anyone else.

Still, I knew the council would never drop the subject.

By the time I reached the pack hall, the familiar tension had already settled between my shoulders. The hall was a long, open space lined with tall windows that let in the pale winter light. At the far end, the council sat at a crescent-shaped table—six elders in shades of gray and black, their expressions as welcoming as a wall of stone.

“Alpha Nightclaw,” Councilor Marella began, rising to her feet. Her sharp eyes swept over me. “We appreciate you joining us on such short notice.”

“I was told this was important,” I said, taking my seat at the head of the table.

“It is,” Councilor Thorne said, his deep voice rumbling through the hall. “The Bloodfang Pack needs a Luna. Your leadership is strong, but without a mate by your side, questions will arise—about succession, about stability.”

“This again?” I asked, leaning back in my chair.

“This always,” Marella replied, unamused. “Your father took a Luna before his twenty-fifth year. You are nearing thirty, Alpha. Packs without heirs draw trouble.”

I kept my expression neutral, though Darius—standing to my right—shifted slightly, ready to intervene if I lost my patience. “I understand the need for stability,” I said slowly, “but I won’t claim a Luna to satisfy politics. The bond is sacred. It’s not a chess piece to be moved for convenience.”

“You speak of romance,” Thorne said, his brows lifting, “but the Bloodfang Pack speaks of survival.”

“I’m not opposed to taking a Luna,” I said. “I’m opposed to being forced into one.”

Silence stretched. I could almost hear the clock ticking on the wall. Finally, Marella sighed. “Then perhaps we should bring potential mates to you. You will meet them, and if one suits—”

“No,” I cut in. “If I choose a mate, it will be because my wolf and I agree. Not because you paraded a line of strangers in front of me like I’m selecting a weapon.”

Her lips thinned, but she didn’t argue further.

The meeting dragged for another half hour, circling the same arguments like vultures around a carcass. By the time I left the hall, the sun was high and the scent of roasting venison drifted from the kitchens. My pack moved through the courtyard with practiced efficiency—warriors sparring, scouts returning from patrol, pups weaving between legs.

Darius fell into step beside me. “They’re not going to let this go, you know.”

“I know.”

“You also know they have a point,” he added, though there was no judgment in his voice.

I gave him a sidelong glance. “Are you offering to play matchmaker?”

“Not a chance,” he said with a laugh. “But it wouldn’t kill you to consider it. You’ve been restless lately. Maybe that’s your wolf telling you he’s ready for a mate.”

I didn’t answer. The truth was… my wolf had been restless. Pacing in my mind, ears pricked toward something I couldn’t see. But that didn’t mean I was ready to throw myself into a bond.

Instead, I spent the afternoon overseeing training. The warriors moved in pairs, the air filled with the thud of bodies hitting the dirt and the sharp bark of commands. I sparred with three of them, my muscles singing with the rush of combat. My wolf liked the fight—it silenced the noise in my head.

By the time dusk settled, the territory glowed gold and violet under the sinking sun. The council’s demands still echoed faintly in my mind, but I pushed them aside as I shifted back into my wolf form. My paws found the well-worn trail to the ridge above the river. From here, I could see the lights of the nearest human town flickering in the distance.

I rarely went there unless necessary. The human world felt cramped, noisy, artificial. But tonight, as the wind shifted and carried the faintest trace of jasmine and rain toward me, my wolf froze.

The scent was unfamiliar… and yet, something in it made my heart beat once, hard.

I scanned the distant lights, a strange pull tightening in my chest.

Darius’s voice reached me from the trees below. “You coming back, or are you planning to stand up there all night?”

I shook off the feeling, forcing my paws to turn toward home. But the scent lingered, faint and tempting, curling into the edges of my mind like a promise I hadn’t made yet.

I didn’t know it then, but that scent would change everything.