The Loathed Luna: A Sister's Substitute

CHAPTER 8: TENDERNESS

KATARINA

I glanced to my side and realized Cyra hadn’t returned. For a moment, I wondered where she had gone and whether it was acceptable for her to be away from me for so long.

Since the ceremony began, she had been glued to my side, watching me intently, and she had shown no signs of leaving, especially without explicitly saying so.

But maybe it was better this way. She had seen me fall apart, and I was already struggling to pretend as it is. Having her gaze constantly burning into the side of my face only made it harder to breathe.

My husband hadn’t returned either, and the thought should have unsettled me, but instead, it brought a sense of relief. Just thinking about him shattered something in my chest, and I was still trying to pull myself together when I felt eyes on me.

Looking up, I shuddered at the sight of Alexander, who stood across the hall, watching me. He smiled the moment our eyes met, but I couldn’t return it.

Something hot and disgusted rose in my chest, sharp enough to make my stomach turn, instead. I bet he couldn’t wait. The sick asshole couldn’t even control himself.

The thought made my skin crawl, and I looked away. But voices pulled me back before I could pull myself together, and I turned to see a small group of women approaching, young like me, and dressed in fine fabrics that no doubt marked them as Lunas or future Lunas from other packs. They smiled as they reached me.

“Luna Katarina,” one of them said, dipping her head. “Allow us to congratulate you.” Another stepped forward, pressing a small, smoothed box into my hands. Inside lay a gold necklace. A third offered a pair of bracelets with the pack's symbols. The fourth handed me a folded length of rare imported fabric, something I had never imagined owning.

I became overwhelmed all over again, having thought the gifting was done. And right then, more people joined—members of my pack who had arrived late, each carrying something—rings, brooches, and more special, rare silks.

The gifts piled up around me until they formed small mountains at my feet. But none of it brought me joy. It all stung like stones being thrown at me, one after another, dressed up as generosity.

But I smiled anyway. “Thank you,” I said, over and over, my face straining from the effort. “I’m honored.” They watched me closely as I spoke, their eyes lingering a second too long, and their smiles never quite reaching their eyes.

The discomfort curled tighter in my stomach even as I continued to smile. And I could almost hear the questions forming in their minds.

What made her special? What did Greyson see in her? What kind of pack allowed an omega to become Luna?

Greyson was only months away from being officially crowned Alpha, after all. I wished they would all leave, and my thoughts were still racing when the feeling of being watched rushed through me once more. I looked up instinctively and immediately regretted it.

Greyson held my gaze across the hall, and unlike Alexander, he didn’t smile. Instead, he started toward me, his expression hardening even worse, and my heart began to race even faster.

But his father intercepted him, and relief washed through me so sharply it almost made me dizzy, even though I knew there was no running from him; he'd make his way over to me eventually. He was my husband after all. I looked away, unable to keep staring, just as another group approached.

There were five of them, three women and two men, all older, perhaps in their fifties. They hadn’t brought gifts. “Luna,” one of the women said kindly, taking my hand between hers. “May your marriage be long and prosperous.” She cursed me without knowing, and I shivered in her grasp.

Another smiled at me, eyes pinching at the corners. “We’re so happy for you and for Greyson. He’s come so far.”

Their words settled gently inside me as they spoke of hope and of how proud they were to see Greyson reach this stage of his life. One of the men squeezed my shoulder in a paternal way, and I felt my chest loosen.

I spoke with them, my smile real for the first time tonight at their sincere voices. Unlike the previous bunch, they didn’t cause the hair on the back of my neck to rise.

But the blissful moment was cut short by a familiar voice. “Come,” he ordered, and I shivered as I looked to see Greyson, who now stood over me, eyes locked on mine, dark and commanding.

My hand flew to my stomach as it twisted violently at the single word. But I stood regardless and forced a smile on my face as I turned back to the group. “Thank you again for your kind words and your presence,” I said softly. “May I be excused to have a word with my husband?”

They nodded immediately, offering gentle smiles as they stepped back. But I paused as I turned to lock eyes with another older woman seated nearby.

She gave me a sad smile the moment our eyes met, and the smile wasn’t just sad but knowing, as though she knew my dread, even though it was impossible for her to. Or maybe I was seeing what I wanted to see. Either way, the moment passed, and I followed Greyson, who had now disappeared.

Entering the suite, I could barely hear my own footsteps over my roaring heartbeat, and I watched him pour himself a glass of whiskey. His eyes met mine with a commanding glint that made my heart race even faster.

My feet locked up from underneath me, bringing me to a complete stop while my entire body started to shake. His eyes met mine once more, his voice cutting through the air with a low, authoritative tone that sent a shiver down my spine. “Come here, wife,” he spat the last word with venom, and tears pooled in my eyes.

I stepped closer, fearing what he’d do if I didn’t, and he closed the gap in an instant, his hands rough on the hem of my dress as he ripped it with breath-shuddering force.

“Please-” I started, my voice just as tremulous, but he silenced me with a firm finger to my lips, his other hand sliding between my thighs and slipping inside my folds. My knees buckled, and a low growl shook his chest, displeased that I was dry as a desert, but what did he expect?

Greyson’s eyes met mine again, and my breath hitched at the unexpectedness of the action as he picked me up and took me over to the bed.

Straddling me on the bed, his weight pressed me into the soft sheets without even removing his clothes, and his fingers returned to me, working with a slowness that contrasted his cold persona as he circled my c**t with gentle strokes that elicited a gasp from my lips despite my fear.

My body arched toward him, the unexpected tenderness undoing me as my juices flowed freely, coating his hand in wet spurts that drew ragged bursts from me.

His eyes bore into mine with undeniable dominance, making me close mine. But he wouldn’t allow it; he wanted me to look at him, and I did.

His fingers were relentless, and it felt like I was about to explode, with my legs spreading wider beneath him as my body moved on its own accord. But Greyson stopped, retrieving his fingers before he hurriedly undid the zipper and thrust into me in one motion that sent a strangled scream tearing from my mouth.

He was thick and hard as he pulsed inside me before he moved with a rhythm that felt both commanding and punishing. My back arched just as he straightened up, and I watched as he hurriedly undid his shirt and cast it aside before his hand found my waist, pulling me closer.

Desperate grunts vibrated against his chest, and my breasts pressed against the firm planes of his chest, n*****s grazing his skin in fiery sparks before his hands roamed my body.

One gripped my hip to guide our movement while the other tangled in my hair, pulling just enough to expose my throat to his hungry kisses. And I could almost swear I felt his dominance melt into tenderness.

His eyes locked onto mine to reveal an emotion I couldn’t describe, but made me question if, here and now, he finally saw me not just as a body to claim or an omega to dominate and punish, but as someone worth being given a chance.

Soon, the room around us narrowed to the glide of his c**k filling me, each withdrawal and return drawing out moans that vibrated through both of us.

I wrapped my legs tighter around him, my heels digging into his lower back as I urged him on, the pressure against my c**t from his pubic bone sending me teetering to the edge with each grind.

Emotion swelled inside me, almost strong enough to make me forget what had occurred just hours ago. A sense of belonging flooded my heart, and I realized maybe not all was lost.

Perhaps I had expected too much, too soon. Maybe that was my mistake—thinking one ceremony, one night, could change everything. Bonds didn’t form overnight, and respect wasn’t given freely. Love can be earned with patience, obedience, and time; that's what my sister always said about her union with Greyson. It's the reason she was never scared.

I was the first omega to stand where I did, the first to be called Luna, and that had to mean something; it had to require something.

If I could prove myself, if I could learn the rules, keep my head down, and make myself useful, then my husband would see me as more than what my blood said I was. Then I would earn my place beside him.