Two Luna, One Alpha

Lila's POV The Silver Claw Pack’s bonfire is a roaring beast, spitting sparks into the chilly night like it’s trying to burn down the stars. I’m Lila Hart, the pack’s resident punching bag, and I’m standing at the edge of this sweaty, howling crowd, wishing I was back in Crescent Hollow, sketching in my dorm or slinging coffee with Nora. But no, I’m here, dragged to this pine-soaked valley because the pack’s got some big announcement, and my name’s on the guest list for reasons I don’t trust. My auburn hair stuffed under a hoodie, my hazel eyes scanning for an exit. Brody’s already spotted me, his meaty face splitting into a grin. “Wolfless Lila!” he bellows, his buddies cackling. “Come to cry again?” I clench my fists, the silver locket from my mom digging into my chest, and mutter, “Bite me, asshole,” low enough he doesn’t hear. I’m twenty-two, and I’ve been dodging these creeps since I was a kid, but tonight feels different like the air’s holding its breath, waiting for a knife to drop. The pack’s gathered in the village clearing, log cabins glowing under the fat, silver moon. It’s Caleb Voss’s night the Beta’s stepping up, maybe even getting crowned Alpha-in-waiting, and every wolf’s buzzing like he’s a rock star. Caleb’s twenty-four, all golden-blond hair, green eyes that could charm a snake, and a lean build that makes she-wolves drool. I hate how my stomach flips when I see him across the fire, his pack vest hugging his shoulders. We grew up together him tossing me apples when I was starving, me doodling his smile in secret. I thought he was my safe place. Stupid, stupid Lila. The Alpha, old and grizzled, steps onto a wooden platform, silencing the crowd. “Silver Claw!” he roars. “Tonight, we honor our future. Caleb Voss, come forward!” The pack howls, and Caleb strides up, all swagger and charm, his grin lighting up the night. I was trying to hide in my black hoodie when his eyes suddenly found mine, they were sharp with weight, as if he had been searching for me all day long. The locket on my skin hums, warm but strange and I can swear with the goddess that I heard someone whisper into my ear: Get yourself ready. “Lila Hart,” Caleb says, his voice cutting through the cheers like a blade. The pack turns, hundreds of eyes pinning me to the dirt. My heart’s a jackhammer. “Get up here.” It’s not a request. I want to run, but my legs move, traitorously pulling me through the crowd. Brody pulled me forward, growling, “Move it, you freak.” I step onto the stage, my shoes hitting the wood. Caleb is moving closer, I could sense his cedar and storm like scent which hit my nose like a force. My whole damn body was betraying me, making me lean closer to him like he is a comfort. “What exactly is all this about?” I snap, my voice shakier than I’d like. The pack’s whispering, and I catch Selene’s icy blue stare from the front row, her black hair gleaming like a warning. She’s Caleb’s fiancée, a she-wolf built for war, and she’s looking at me like I’m roadkill. Caleb’s grin fades, his face turning hard. “You feel it, don’t you?” he says, low enough for just me. “The bond. The Moon Goddess picked you, Lila. You’re my mate.” His words are a lightning bolt, frying my brain. Mate? Me? The wolfless nobody? My knees wobble, hope flaring like a dumb spark—maybe he’s why I was called back, maybe I’m not nothing. But his eyes are cold, and that spark dies fast. “Caleb, what—” I start, but he cuts me off, raising his voice for the pack. “I, Caleb Voss, Beta of Silver Claw, reject you, Lila Hart, as my mate and future Luna!” His words boom, each one a sledgehammer to my chest. The pack gasps, then laughs, Brody’s hyena cackle leading the charge. I can’t breathe, my heart splitting like dry wood. “You’re wolfless, weak, a disgrace to this pack,” Caleb continues, his green eyes slicing through me. “I choose Selene, a true she-wolf, to stand by my side.” Selene steps up, her arm looping through his, her smirk a knife twist. I’m frozen, the world blurring as jeers rain down. “Loser!” someone yells. “Go back to your humans!” My locket burns hot, and that whisper’s back: Run or fight. I want to scream, claw his pretty face, but my voice is gone, stolen by the mate bond snapping like a rubber band. Pain rips through me, not physical but soul-deep, like he’s carved out half my heart. “Why?” I choke out, hating the tears stinging my eyes. “Tell me… why did you summon me just to embarrass me? Caleb moved closer, his breath warm to my ear. “Because you’re still useful, Lila. Stay in the pack. There’s a prophecy, and you’re in it.” His words are a hiss, laced with something dark greed, maybe. Prophecy? What the hell? Right before I could request for answers, Selene pushes me off the stage. My face hit the dirt, my bandage slipped openly as blood gushed out. “Get the fuvk out, you traitor!” She screams, the pack members roar in approval, closing up on me like a wounded antelope. I manage to pick myself up, my vision blurring as I sprint for the woods. Their mocking laugh chased after me. My locket’s pulsing now, almost painful, and my sketches flash in my mind crescent moons, misty ruins, a glowing stone. Prophecy, my ass. Caleb’s playing some game, and I’m not sticking around to be his pawn. I crash through the pines, branches clawing my face, when a figure steps from the shadows a guy, tall and scarred, with shaggy black hair and gray eyes that burn like a storm. He’s not Silver Claw, maybe one of those Iron Fang diplomats, but his gaze locks onto me, intense and unyielding, stirring something wild in my chest. “You okay?” he asks, voice rough, and my locket flares, the whisper louder: He’s coming. “Who the hell are you?” I snap, backing away. I don’t need another wolf messing with me tonight. “Zane,” he says, stepping closer, his scent leather and rain hitting me hard. “And you’re in trouble, Lila Hart.” The pack’s howls echo behind me, Caleb’s rejection still burning, and this stranger’s eyes are promising something I’m not ready for. Trouble? Yeah, that’s my middle name now