Mated to the Fake Luna: the Aloha’s Forbidden Bond

Lyanna’s pov; I knew that I was defying the priestesses by moving forward, but this wouldn’t hurt, or so I thought. Everyone in the pack was walking towards the temple, their faces glowing with excitement. I stood behind the crowd, clutching the thin shawl around my shoulders as though it was my lifeline. Tonight was the night that everyone had been waiting for, it was the night that the moon goddess would choose The Alpha’s Luna. My wolf stirred beneath my skin, restless. “Go closer,” she whispered, her voice conveying urgency. “We need to see him.” “No,” I whispered back. “We shouldn’t even be here.” Half-bloods like me didn’t belong in pack grounds, let alone near the temple. The High Priestess would skin me alive if she saw me or felt my presence. But for some reason, I felt a strong pull, and it had led me here. “He’s waiting for us,” my wolf said again, and I scoffed. I can’t have a mate. The moon goddess never gave mates to people with curses. I found myself involuntarily pushing through the crowd and moving forward again, feeling self-conscious upon seeing nobles in their fancy robes, the silver crowns on their heads, and the High Priestess standing at the altar. My heart rate sped up, and I forced myself to remain calm. That was when I saw him. Alpha Lucian. He was kneeling in front of the altar, waiting for the goddess to name his mate. The moment my eyes find his, warmth spreads through my chest. My wolf howls, trying to claw free. ‘Mate!’ The world blurred in my eyes and I grabbed a pillar for balance. Alpha Lucienlifts his head slightly, as if he had heard it too. His eyes meet mine across the hall and for a moment, the noise fades. It was as though it was only us in the room. I was pulled into those bright golden eyes and found my knees going weak. And then… “By the will of the Moon Goddess,” the High Priestess calls, her voice echoing through the hall, snapping me from whatever had just happened. “The fated Luna for Alpha Lucian Moonbridge is… Stelara.” Several gasps and cheers followed as white petals began to fall from the ceiling like snow. A beautiful woman with pale white skin stepped forward, her white dress glowing in the moonlight, her golden hair shining as though she was a goddess herself. No! This couldn’t be happening. I struggled to breathe and the sound of the crowd feels far away, almost like I’m underwater. My wolf snarls inside me, but my body refuses to move. I wanted to scream that it was wrong, that he was mine, but I was unable to do anything and my helpless wolf howled and wailed. The High Priestess lifted her staff and placed it on the woman’s forehead. Bright light erupted. “The Moon blesses this bond,” she began. “Let all Moonshine honor their Luna.” Cheers filled the air and my eyes went back to the Alpha again and I gasped. He was looking at me, but it wasn’t a look of happiness, his jaw tightened and his eyes…it was almost as though he wanted to murder me with those eyes. He had felt it too, I was sure! Then why was he not running to claim me? Why is he still standing there and smiling and holding her hand? The mark under my collarbone burned hot. It’s a faint crescent scar I’ve had since birth, one I’ve always hidden. But now it has begun to blaze hot, glowing red beneath my skin. ‘He’s ours,’ my wolf growls. ‘The goddess lied.’ I stumbled backward, clutching my chest tightly. My vision was blurred. The laughter from the crowd suddenly seemed as though they were mocking me. My heart rate spiked and I fell to my knees. “Hey! Are you okay?” I heard someone’s voice, but the voice was distant. Everything was hurting; my chest, my mark, my soul. I looked up one last time. The Alpha was standing now, his gaze locked on me across the temple floor. He looked as though he wanted to come closer. But the High Priestess touches his arm, and he turns back to her. I tried to stand, but instead, my body hit the floor and everything faded into darkness. ************* The first thing I realized when I opened my eyes was that my body was cold, too cold! I gasped upon realizing that I was lying on the ground behind the temple walls. The night was quiet and nobody was in sight. My mark was still glowing faintly through my now torn dress. I press my fingers at it, wincing at the pain. “Why?” I whispered. “Why did she choose someone else?” My wolf whimpered in response. The temple bells rang in the distance and I pulled myself up and ran to hide behind a tree. I heard voices and strained my ears to listen. “She’s a half-blooded girl. She fainted during the ceremony and her mark glowed.” “Report it to the High Priestess,” another voice chimed in. “No one can know.” My stomach twists. I shouldn’t have come here. Now they’ll come for me. I turn to run back towards the forest, but my head spins. The air was filled with a scent that I couldn't, I resist, and I inhaled greedily, not caring that he was close. I pressed my back against the wall, my heart slamming hard against my chest. “Are you sure it was her?” I heard a deep voice and pressed my palms to my mouth. The Alpha! The voice from before speaks again. “A half-blood, my lord. She collapsed outside. The Priestess says it was nothing, just a reaction to the ceremony’s light.” Silence. I wondered if they had already left and was just about to step out of my hiding place when I heard words that chilled me to the bones. “Gather a few men, find her and kill her. That shouldn’t be difficult, considering her status.”