The Forgotten Luna

The storm arrived before sunset. Dark clouds rolled over Ashford territory like bruises spreading across the sky, swallowing the last traces of daylight while thunder rattled the mountains beyond the pack borders. Inside the pack house, servants rushed through the halls lighting candles and securing windows against the wind. No one spoke loudly. Not tonight. Tonight, the Alpha was bringing his brother’s widow home. I stood alone at the top of the grand staircase, fingers curled tightly around the polished wooden railing as rain battered the tall windows behind me. Everything felt cold. The house. The silence. The bond between me and my mate. Three months ago, Kael’s younger brother had been slaughtered during a border ambush near Black Hollow territory. Since then, grief had settled over the Ashford pack like a sickness no one could cure. Especially not Kael. The sound of engines echoed through the courtyard below. My stomach tightened instantly. He was home. Servants straightened. Warriors moved toward the entrance. Omega girls lowered their heads respectfully. And still, no one looked at me. The Luna. Funny how quickly people forget your place when your Alpha stops seeing it himself. The massive front doors opened. Cold wind swept into the entrance hall. Then Kael walked in carrying another woman in his arms. My breath caught so sharply it hurt. Selene buried her face against his chest, trembling dramatically beneath the thick black coat draped around her shoulders. Her pale hair spilled across Kael’s arm while her son slept quietly against his other shoulder. Little Rowan. Only four years old. Too young to understand death. Too young to understand why his mother looked at my mate like he was the only thing keeping her alive. Kael’s boots echoed heavily against the marble floors as he carried them inside. “She’s freezing,” he ordered immediately. “Prepare the east wing.” The east wing. My wing. Shock rooted me in place. One of the maids hesitated nervously. “Alpha… the Luna’s rooms—” “I said prepare it.” His voice cracked through the hall like a whip. Instant silence followed. The maid lowered her head instantly. “Yes, Alpha.” I felt every eye in the entrance hall flick toward me before quickly looking away again. Humiliation burned hot beneath my skin. Kael finally looked up. Our eyes met for only a second. No warmth. No apology. No recognition. Nothing. The mating bond between us pulsed faintly in my chest, weak and exhausted from months of distance. Once upon a time, that bond had consumed him. I still remembered the way he used to touch me. Like he couldn’t breathe without it. Now he barely noticed I existed. Selene looked up slowly then, her blue eyes finding mine across the staircase. For a brief moment, something unreadable flickered across her face. Victory. Then it vanished behind practiced sadness. “Lyra,” she whispered weakly. “I’m sorry… I never wanted to impose.” Lie. Not a complete one. But not truth either. Before I could answer, Rowan stirred sleepily against Kael’s shoulder. “Uncle Kael?” he mumbled softly. Something inside the entrance hall melted instantly. Several servants smiled sympathetically. Kael’s entire expression softened in a way I had not seen in months. “I’ve got you,” he murmured gently to the pup. Gentle. God. I almost forgot my mate could still sound like that. The bond inside my chest twisted painfully. Selene leaned closer into him. And Kael let her. I should have walked away then. Instead, I stood there like a fool while my place inside this house shifted beneath my feet. Kael climbed the staircase toward me without slowing. Toward me— but not for me. When he reached the top step, he finally stopped. Close enough for me to scent rainwater, cedar, and another woman wrapped around his skin. My wolf whimpered quietly inside me. Kael adjusted Rowan against his shoulder before speaking. “Move your things from the east wing tonight.” I stared at him. For a second, I honestly thought I misheard. “You’re giving her my rooms?” “She needs privacy.” “So do I.” His jaw tightened immediately, irritation flashing across his face. Not guilt. Irritation. “Don’t do this tonight, Lyra.” A hollow laugh nearly escaped me. Don’t do this? As if I were the one creating a scene. As if I were unreasonable for bleeding quietly while he carved pieces from me. “You already decided,” I said softly. Lightning flashed through the windows behind us. For one brief second, Kael’s expression shifted. Regret. It disappeared almost instantly. “She lost her mate.” The words hit harder than they should have. Because the cruel truth was— I was losing mine too. Only no one cared enough to mourn it. Kael stepped past me. Selene followed him silently down the corridor toward the east wing while servants rushed behind them carrying luggage. Not one person asked where I would sleep. I remained standing at the top of the staircase long after they disappeared. Alone. Invisible. Forgotten in my own home. And somewhere deep inside me, something began to crack.