Alpha’s Rancor: His Forsaken Luna

Chapter 6

“Nothing,” I swallow. “I won’t touch her.”

“Ugh,” Axel whistles. “Our boy has woman troubles, between Miss Perfect,” he says with an eyeroll, referring to Ariella. “Poison and ghost? You’re fucked.”

Ghost.

The woman whose face I’ve been unable to see for years, and yet she haunts my dreams. All I’ve seen of her is that little tattoo, a semi-colon and half butterfly that becomes clearer every time she appears in my dream, whimpering beneath me.

I spent a night with her during my first rut, and not knowing who that girl was has haunted me. Not only has she not left my mind, but I haven’t had a rut that long again. Ariella and Doctor Mikhail said she sated me, maybe that's why I dream of her faceless.

“Good luck with your poison,” Axel says as he grabs my laptop and starts typing on it.

“I have a feeling life just got more interesting. It’s been a boring few years, you know.” Vincent smirks. “I miss thrashing boys.”

I shake off the memories before they hit. I spent years protecting the very girl who hurt my sister. “That won’t be happening.”

“Hey, do you think she’s your mate because you chose her?”

“I didn't choose her, Vincent.” I frown. “She’s just always been there.”

Axel whistles, “I found something.” He says, a menacing smile playing on his lips.

“What?”

“This is her now?” His head tilts, staring at the screen.

“Let me see…” Vincent grabs the device. “That’s little Storm?” He gasps

“Don’t call her that,” I groan, massaging my temples. I’m getting a headache from all this talk about her.

“Your mate is gorgeous, Killian.” Axel hisses, as if considering her for a second chance mate. The thought is unsettling, i know he’s been looking for a second chance mate, since Valerie rejected him, and in a way, I guess that would solve my problem. “Did she have some work done? That can’t be natural.” He shakes his head. “She must have gotten that thing Princess wanted.”

“A bbl,” Vincent tells him.

“Can you stop looking at her pictures for a moment?” I snap. “The camera lies, she’s still hideous,” I say, the lie bitter on my tongue. Raelynn is a lot of things, but hideous? No, the girl has always been gorgeous, unbelievably so. Her beauty was always soft, the kind that threatened the other girls. That was why they hated her, being a runt as an excuse they clung to.

“There’s something I don't understand,” I ponder out loud.

“What’s that?” Vincent asks

“Raelynn knows we are mates.”

“She does?” Axel feigns a gasp. “Is that not how things work? I know that she’s not very bright, but it's obvious.”

“Earlier,” I shake my head. “I mean, she has known for years. How did she know that, and why did she wait this long to reveal it?”

Vincent shrugs, “Maybe she has some ability to make up for the lack of every other ability.”

“Isn't it obvious?” Axel snickers. “She kept it from you so she could use it against you when the time is right.”

I nod, I too thought the same thing, but it doesn't make any sense. There have been plenty of chances for them to use the bond, but they didn’t. What were they waiting for? What was the game plan? “To do what?”

“Save Beta Ronan.”

“She’s late,” I sneer. She’d had to have come back at least a week in advance or at the very least four days.

“Because you caught him by surprise.” Axel reminds me.

“He has a point,” Vincent nods. “You wouldn’t murder your mate's father, would you?”

I lean back in my seat. “Already did.”

“I still can't believe he did that,” Vincent sighs. Beta Ronan’s betrayal left us all in shock. The man built a reputation for himself, he convinced everyone he was honourable. He hated liars, and he was the biggest one of all.

“Doesn’t surprise me,” Axel sighs. “He probably taught his daughter too, there’s no way she who we do not name would’ve killed Violette on her own. They must have worked together, how else could a runt have managed that?”

I pause, thinking back to the second-worst day of my life. Beta Ronan was on a trip with Gamma Reynolds, so there's no way he could have helped her kill him. She did it herself, she had one of her episodes and went crazy on my sister.

“Killian!”

My eyes shift to the doorway, meeting Valerie. “Yes?”

“That witch you brought here is making noise,” she pouts.

Vincent snickers, “Hello to you too, princess.”

Valerie pauses, “What’s going on here?” She asks, motioning between us. “You three together…”

“We are together all the time, Valerie.” Axel sighs.

“Hmm,” she nods, his eyes meeting mine again. “Well, the witch you brought home is crying.”

I can’t hear anything from this side of the house, and it slipped my mind that she’d be conscious again. “She’s looking for attention, ignore her, she’ll stop.”

Valerie mutters something incoherent under her breath. “Fine, you should come out to eat. Dinner is ready.”

“I’ve had a long day,” Vincent groans, stretching in his seat. “I hate war tactics.”

“They’re working,” I tell him. “We haven’t had a war in years, and now I think it was always Penrose who—”

“Dinner,” Valerie repeats. “Hurry up before it gets cold, boys.”

We get up the moment she leaves, with Axel whining about how bossy Valerie is, and her rejecting their bond saved him. It’s his way of coping, he hasn't shown interest in any other woman since, not for longer than a night.

At dinner, the food tastes bland.

Everyone else seems to be enjoying their meal, and Vincent comments on how well roasted the pork is, but to me, it tastes the same as my glass of water. I can’t seem to enjoy it, not when I can hear wailing from the servants' rooms.

“Killian, honey,” Ariella coos, lightly tapping my shoulder.

“Yes, Ari?” I look up, realising she’s probably been calling me for a while, and I was lost in thought, trying to make sense of my messy life.

Ariella frowns, “What’s going on?”

“Nothing, I’m just a bit confused, and a lot upset about what the goddess did.”

She smiles, “You should be grateful, many long for a bond that strong.”

“I don't need it,” I shake my head, my fork clattering onto my plate. “I….you’re my chosen.” I swallow. For years, I haven't imagined my life with anyone else, and if I did, it was a dream I couldn’t touch. Ariella is my chosen mate, we’ve been engaged since she was eighteen, that’s five years, five years of planning our future together and a total of twelve years since I promised I would marry her and make her my Luna.

“Kill,” she nudges my arm. “She’s your fated.” She says, her voice pained, but she maintains her soft front.

“She has no right over anything,” I assure her. “Raelynn is just…”

“Have some,” she smiles, feeding me a piece of watermelon. “It will sweeten your words.” She winks.

Valerie scoffs, “That won’t work, Ariella.” She sulks, stabbing her food. “Why are you encouraging him to speak sweetly about her? Did you forget who that is?”

“No, but bestie…” She trails off. “She’s already here. Nothing we do will reverse the bond between him and her. And besides, second chance?” She probes, her voice low. “I know what she did is unforgivable, but we are a very forgiving pack, are we not?”

“Not,” Vincent snickers. “If we were, Uncle Ronan would be alive. Forgiveness can only stretch so far, Ariella. You need to toughen up.”

Ariella frowns, “I’m tough.”

“I agree,” Liam nods. “You keep worrying about the runt the goddess sent to replace you.”

“She was hurt, and I didn’t want her wound to get infected.”

Wound?