Luna from Hell

Chapter 6: Elusive Echo of My LUNA

*Gage Sullivan*

The phone exploded against the wall in a shower of plastic and circuitry, but the remnants of my frustration didn't quite dissipate with that shattered piece of tech. I was still there—Gage Sullivan, son of the Alpha of the Silver Valley pack, sitting in my ridiculously expansive office that felt more like a gilded cage than a place of power. I let out a growl, a deep sound that rumbled from somewhere in my core, matching the turbulent storm of emotions that had been brewing inside me ever since Ariel walked out of my life.

Three years. Three infuriating, lonely years since she turned her back on everything we could have been. I could still see her, radiant and fierce, standing in the moonlight when I first leaped to confess my feelings. Filled with hope and young in my desires, I was ready to fight for her; however, my alpha training kept us apart for two years. At that moment, I promised myself that I would train hard and, despite what anyone else said, I would keep my promise to support her. But not as my Beta—she was meant to be my chosen Luna because my heart beat only for her.

When she walked into the ballroom, looking like a stunning mother f*****g Goddess in that sexy dress, I could hardly contain myself as the mate bond snapped into place. She was a vision, like an angel sent to me in response to my prayers. But the moment she rejected me, my heart had shattered into a million jagged pieces, each one stabbing me with the reminder that I was still just the Alpha's son, not yet the Alpha I so desperately wanted to be.

I ran my hands through my unkempt, overgrown blond hair, the untamed strands betraying my inner chaos. I had always been a fighter, but the fight had turned into a torment that gnawed at me day by day. This morning's update from my scout had been yet another dead end. Of course, there would be no news—Ariel had severed all ties with the pack. She was gone, as if the earth itself had swallowed her up.

Striding across the length of the office, I found myself in front of the wall that had become my obsession. Pictures of Ariel dotted the surface like Polaroids capturing fleeting moments, incomprehensible smudges of happiness that taunted me. I traced her smiling face with my finger, a bittersweet knot forming in my throat. The world map beside them bore markers of every potential lead, stained with my frustration. Green pins, red pins, dotted continents where I had hoped to find her, each one heavily weighted with expectation and dashed hopes.

In the interactions I had with my father, his dismissal of my bond with Ariel only fueled the fire of my determination. "She is wolfless, Gage," he would say, his voice heavy with disappointment. "You need to remember she is a disgrace. The Goddess chose her to bear the stigma." But what did that even mean? Being wolfless didn't diminish my feelings; it only made my desire to protect her more acute. While he held the title of Alpha, I was left feeling powerless, aching for the day I could warp the rigid role into something more malleable—something that included Ariel.

But she was lost to me, tangled in the refrains of abandonment that echoed through my soul. The pain of our severed mate bond was a wolf's howl in my chest, aggressive and insistent. Once a year, my wolf succumbed to primal urges, needing to rut and mate with any omega who would handle me, yet feeling hollow and unsatisfied afterward.

Not only that, but I knew Ariel was in the same situation. The bond we shared, which I couldn't reject, made me feel her presence several times. Each time, I was hit with waves of betrayal, accompanied by the painful realization that Ariel was with someone else. My mind would spiral into dark thoughts, conjuring images of her in the arms of another person. I felt like a traitor to my own desires, yet I was being forced to fill a void that could only be filled by her.

I focused on Sanguis Luna, my scout in that region, still searching for any sign of her, clinging desperately to hope. But even the sky could not hide the depth of my despair as I watched the spot on the map hopelessly. I let out a frustrated groan. Where could she be hiding? Did she think she could completely erase our bond? Could she really forget everything we had?

I imagined the comforting embrace of my wolf expressing its love for her, and just like that, a new emotion surged—rage. I felt rage directed not at her, but at the situation. My inability to change my fate, to find her, and for once, make her understand what she meant to me. I could feel the primal spirit coiling within me, urging me to take action. My wolf howled within my mind, a relentless call to hunt, to track, to reclaim what was mine.

But as I sank back into my chair, staring numbly at the shattered pieces of my phone, an unsettling thought took root. What if she didn't want to be found? What if she had found comfort, even happiness, in her new life? I had been obsessively hunting for a ghost, and the haunting reality forced its way to the forefront of my mind.

Pushing myself to my feet, I paced the room, the floor creaking under my weight. I needed to gather my strength, surround myself with whatever scraps of will I had left. Perhaps this time it wouldn't be about finding her but about understanding. What questions did I want answered? Would it hurt less if I knew why she rejected me and left? Or would it just deepen the wounds already carved into my heart?

I turned to the map once more, a lump forming in my throat. No amount of searching, no gathering of scouts could unravel the complexity of a heart that had been shattered. Yet, I was determined. If I had to scour every corner of the earth and face its harshest terrains instead of mending this fractured bond, then that was what I would do. She was worth every fragment of that shattered phone, every ounce of persistence I had left.

Because Ariel—the memory of her shape, her voice, her unyielding spirit—fueled me like fire. I wouldn't give up on her or the bond we shared, even if she were running miles away from it all. She would always be my Luna.

I sighed deeply, my eyes glazed over the scattered reports on my desk from the last rogue's attack. Each paper blended into the next, a nauseating horror that reminded me of the blood we'd spilled — the loss of two good warriors and threats that hung over our territory like a storm cloud. My thoughts danced like flames on a cold night, fueled by memories of Ariel and the bond we once could share. I wouldn't give up on her, even if she were running miles away. She was my Luna.

Just then, a knock interrupted my spiral into despair. I rubbed my temples, taking a steadying breath before I called out, "Come in."

Tyron, my Beta, stepped through the door. He raised an eyebrow at the mess on my desk, his expression shifting rapidly from concern to annoyance as he took in the shattered phone on the floor. "Again?" he asked, crouching to pick it up, his tone a mix of incredulity and crooked amusement.

"Let's just say rogue encounters have put me in a bit of a mood," I replied, watching him walk to the cabinet filled with the stack of new phones, all purchased after I let my frustration get the better of me for the third time.

"New patrol schedules and some proposed changes," he said, his voice deadpan, as he expertly pieced the phone together. "We've got gaps we can exploit, but the rogues are getting smarter. They've become more coordinated, which is unsettling. We need to tighten our defenses before we lose more than we already have."

I nodded, the weight of leadership pressing down on me, heavier than it ever had before. The Silver Valley Pack was my responsibility, and our precious silver mines were being targeted mercilessly. Silver wasn't just currency; it was a weapon, and the scent of money pulled predators like moths to a flame. King Björn's approval felt like a tug-of-war; a decision loomed over my head that I dreaded making. I knew that asking for intervention could escalate tensions within the continent, but I couldn't ignore the reality of our situation.

"Tell the others to increase patrols. It's only a matter of time before they strike again." I leaned back in my chair, staring at the ceiling, working through the weight on my shoulders. "And we have to prepare for a conflict."

Tyron handed me the new schedules along with a firm nod, but I barely registered them. My thoughts were miles away, captured by the ghost of Ariel, the fierce spirit I couldn't seem to rid myself of. Each memory felt like a knife in my chest, a cruel reminder of what I'd lost—those moments of laughter, the way her eyes lit up in passion, her soul intertwined with mine, so steadfast. I felt a growl rumble in my throat, one of anger, frustration—an echo of longing too powerful to ignore.

Just as Tyron finished organizing the last of the new phones, he sighed, "You've got to keep your head in the game, Gage. You can't let this—"

I cut him off. "It's not that easy, Tyron. You know that," I snapped, emotions boiling over. "I see her face in every shadow, every haunting moment. I can't make peace until I know what happened."

Tyron met my gaze, his own eyes dark with understanding. "You've got to pull yourself out of this dark hole. She wouldn't want that for you."

Just then, my mother entered without knocking, her gentle spirit filling the room like sunlight breaking through a storm. "Gage, sweetheart!" she beamed, holding a purple envelope marked with the royal seal. "I'm so glad I caught you."

"Mom, can't you—" I started to protest, but the sight of her warm smile stopped me. She always knew how to pierce through the darkness a little bit, like a beacon.

"What's that?" I asked, nodding toward the envelope in her hands, knowing perfectly well what it contained.

"It's from King Björn," she said, her tone light but her eyes serious. "He's given his consent for your union with Mora Levine." The name landed like a stone in my stomach, heavy and unwanted. I growled, the irritation rumbling in my chest. "Mom, you know this is only a pretense. I don't want—"

"I know, I know," she cut me off gently. "But you need to maintain appearances, especially for your father. He doesn't understand your heart. But I do."

She moved closer, and I could see the unwavering belief in her eyes. "Gage, I know you're still searching for Ariel. And I believe—no, I feel—that she will return to us when the time is right. Don't give up hope."

A breath I didn't know I was holding escaped me, and I felt the cracks in my heart widen just a bit. The universe felt cruel, and yet she was always the sweet balm healing those wounds, even if only temporarily.

"I want to believe you, Mom," I said quietly. "But with every passing day, it's like she slips a little further away. I can't keep living with this weight on my soul."

Her hand reached out, and she clasped mine, the warmth grounding me. "You are strong, Gage. Stronger than you know. Just remember—whatever happens, the bonds of true love are never truly severed. Hold onto that."

I looked down at her hand, and for a flicker of a moment, the warmth spread through me, a spark of hope. It wasn't just dismal—there was still a path illuminated by her light, though shrouded in shadows.

"Thank you," I whispered, feeling the turmoil in my heart soften, though the battle for Ariel raged on. But maybe I didn't have to fight it entirely alone.

The world outside continued its unrelenting pace, but in that moment, something shifted. My gaze returned to the papers scattered across the desk, determined to wrestle the chaos before me and find a way forward—for me, for my pack, and for the elusive echo of my Luna. Time would tell if our fates would collide once more.