Alpha Duncan’s Luna is a Witch

First Encounter

The silence in the garden was so heavy it felt like it might snap. Duncan stood frozen, his eyes searching Hazel’s face with a desperate, haunted intensity. For a heartbeat, Hazel thought her disguise had failed before she even started.

"Hazel?" he whispered again, the name sounding like a prayer and a curse.

Hazel forced herself to laugh—a light, melodic sound that held no traces of the past. "I’m afraid you have the wrong person, Alpha. My name is Selah Vance."

Duncan blinked, the trance breaking. He shook his head, his hand dropping to his side. "Selah," he repeated, his voice raspy. "Of course. My apologies. You... you bear a striking resemblance to someone I once knew."

“She… you just look alike.”

"A compliment, I hope?" Hazel asked, tilting her head. Internally, her blood was screaming. ‘Kill him now. His throat is right there. One quick strike.’

Duncan didn't answer. He took a step closer, and Hazel’s body instinctively tensed. As an Alpha, he was a predator, and his presence was overwhelming. But something else was happening. His wolf was restless. She could see it in the way his pupils dilated and the way his chest rose and fell in heavy heaves.

It was as if she had risen something inside of him. The man suddenly changed and was now fully focused on her.

He was catching her scent. She had masked it with fire magic, but the bond of a mate—even a broken one—was hard to bury completely.

"You’re the nanny," Duncan said, his eyes narrowing. He was standing so close now that she could feel the heat radiating from his skin. It was the same heat she had once found comfort in. Now, it just reminded her of the fire.

"I am," Hazel replied, looking him directly in the eye. "Is there a problem, Alpha?"

"You smell like..." He paused, leaning in slightly toward the crook of her neck. Hazel’s hand twitched toward the hidden blade in her skirt. "Like ash and wild lilies. It’s a strange combination."

"I grew up in the volcanic regions," Hazel lied smoothly. "The scent of the earth stays with you."

“I see… the volcanic region.” he repeated after her.

“The scent of the earth stays with you." Duncan found himself repeating after her again.

Duncan’s wolf growled low in his chest. It wasn't a sound of anger, but one of recognition—a confused, pained sound. He looked like he wanted to reach out and touch her, to see if she was real or a ghost made of smoke.

"Father?"

The voice of one of the twins broke the tension. The boys had approached quietly. The one who had been crying was now staring at Hazel with wide, curious eyes.

Duncan cleared his throat and stepped back, though his gaze never left Hazel’s face. "Boys, this is Selah. She will be looking after you from now on."

The twins looked at each other. They were identical, but the one on the left had a small mole near his temple. He walked up to Hazel, stopping just inches away. He didn't look afraid; he looked mesmerized.

He reached out a small hand and lightly touched the fabric of her red dress. Then, he tilted his head, his nostrils flaring just like his father's.

"You’re the Blue Lady," the boy whispered.

Hazel’s heart stopped. "I’m sorry, sweetie? What did you call me?"

The boy looked up at her, his eyes shining with a strange, old knowledge. "In my dreams. The lady with the blue eyes who sings about the moon and the silver river. You smell just like her."

Hazel felt a chill run down her spine. She hadn't sung that song in ten years. She had only ever sung it to them when they were in her womb.

Duncan’s head snapped toward his son, his expression turning sharp. "Aidan, what did you just say?"

Aidan didn't look at his father. He kept his eyes locked on Hazel. "She’s not a stranger, Papa. I know her. She smells like the lady in my dreams."

Duncan’s face went pale. His eyes darted from his son to Hazel, his fingers twitching at his sides. The name "Blue Lady" seemed to strike him like a physical blow.

"Aidan, that’s enough," Duncan said, his voice tight. "You’re letting your imagination run wild. You were just a baby. You don't remember anything from back then."

"But I do, Papa," Aidan insisted, looking up at Hazel with a heartbreaking hope. "The song about the silver river... she has the same voice."

Hazel felt a cold sweat break out on her back. She had to shut this down, or she would be found out before the sun set. She forced a gentle, professional smile and knelt so she was eye-level with the boy.

"I think you might be thinking of a fairy tale, little prince," Hazel said, her voice steady despite the thumping of her heart. "I’ve never been to these lands before. But I do know a lot of songs. Perhaps that’s why I seem familiar?"

The second twin, who had been standing back and watching with a more serious expression, finally spoke. "You don't look like a nanny. You look like a warrior."

Hazel turned her gaze to him. He had Duncan’s brooding brow and a sharp, observant stare. "A good nanny has to be a bit of both, don't you think? To keep you safe from the monsters under the bed."

“Woarh, monsters go away am here for the little alphas.” Hazel playfully tickled the boys as she roared while playing with her hands.

"I like her," Aidan whispered, clutching Hazel’s sleeve.

Duncan watched the interaction, his jaw tight. He looked like a man caught between a dream and a nightmare. His wolf was clawing at his insides, screaming that this woman was his, but his mind told him that Hazel was dead and burned to ash by his own command.

"Greta will show you to your quarters," Duncan said abruptly, his voice loud in the quiet garden. "The boys have had enough excitement for one day."

He stepped toward Hazel to take Aidan’s hand, but as he did, his arm brushed against hers.

The contact was like a lightning strike.

A jolt of pure, raw electricity surged through Hazel’s body. It was the mate bond—shattered and scarred, but still alive. Duncan gasped, his hand snapping back as if he had been burned. His golden eyes flared, the iris almost completely swallowed by the black of his pupil.

For a second, the mask of the grieving Alpha dropped, and the predator took over. He leaned into her space, his usual scent pine, rain, and musk flooding her senses.

"What are you?" he hissed, his voice vibrating in his chest.

Hazel didn't flinch. She let her own power simmer just beneath her skin, a hidden fire ready to erupt. "I am exactly what I appear to be, Alpha. A woman looking for work."

Duncan stared at her for a long beat, his breath hitting her lips. The air between them was thick with a dangerous, dark attraction. He looked like he wanted to wrap his hands around her neck—either to hurt her or to pull her closer.

Finally, he tore his gaze away. "See that you are. If I find out you are a spy for a rival pack, I will personally ensure you never leave these walls."

He grabbed the boys’ hands and walked toward the house without looking back.

Hazel stood in the center of the garden, her heart racing. She looked down at her hands; they were shaking. She hated him. She wanted to watch his pack crumble. But as she watched him lead her sons away, she realized the "Blue Lady" comment hadn't just shaken Duncan.

Aidan had looked at her with a love she hadn't earned yet.

"I'm coming for you, my loves," she whispered to the empty garden. "And I'm bringing the fire with me."