THE ALPHA LUNA

Chapter 02: Trouble

Celene's POV

It had been over a week since I returned to this forsaken realm, and I’d accomplished nothing. Nothing but hiding and dreaming about the damn stranger who’d taken my innocence.

As I stepped out of the taxi, gravel crunching beneath my boots, my wolf’s venomous voice lashed at me.

“You’re pathetic, Celene,” she sneered. “Over a week, and all you’ve done is screw a stranger and sneak away before he even wakes up. Is this who you’ve become? A runaway Alpha f*****g stranger.”

I pulled my cloak tighter, ignoring her sharp tone and the guilt twisting in my chest. “Not today,” I muttered under my breath.

“Oh, don’t worry. I’ll remind you every day of how worthless you are,” she snapped.

My fingers gripped the fabric of my cloak as I approached the towering gates of the pack house. They loomed above me, cold and unwelcoming, even though this place had once been my home.

“Look at you,” my wolf spat. “Hiding like a thief. This is your pack, your blood, and yet here you are skulking in the shadows.”

“Shut up,” I hissed, glancing around to make sure no one heard. The pack house stood distant yet overwhelming, its grandeur a reminder of all I’d left behind.

A deep voice broke my thoughts as I stood by the gate. “State your business.”

The guard stepped forward, his sharp eyes scanning me. His human scent confirmed what I already knew—he wasn’t a wolf.

“I’m here to see someone,” I said.

“Name?”

My heart raced. “It’s personal. Just tell the Luna her sister is here.”

He frowned, unimpressed. “State your name.”

“She doesn’t need my name,” I said firmly. “Just tell her it’s important.”

My wolf laughed darkly. “Oh, good. Let’s start with lies and half-truths. You’ve always been great at those... Oh, how can I forget, your best talent, RUNNING!”

The guard hesitated, clearly debating whether to push back. Finally, he stepped aside. “Wait here. If you’re lying, you’ll regret it.”

He walked off toward the house, leaving me alone with my wolf’s incessant growling. “This is pathetic, Celene. Look at you, begging to enter a place that’s your birthright. Your own kingdom.”

“Would you shut up?” I muttered through clenched teeth, my nails digging into my palms. “I don’t need your commentary.”

“Oh, but you do,” she hissed. “Because without me, you wouldn’t even have the courage to stand here.”

Moments later, the gates creaked open, and a young omega emerged, her wide eyes betraying her nervousness. “The Luna has agreed to see you. Follow me.”

I nodded, my heart pounding as I stepped inside. Each step toward the pack house felt heavier, memories clawing at my mind, memories of laughter, warm embraces, and the trust I had shattered.

“She’s waiting in the sitting room,” the omega said, gesturing down the hall.

I forced myself forward, my legs feeling like lead. The guards at the door stiffened as I approached, their nostrils flaring. They could sense it, the aura I’d tried to bury for years. They know their female alpha when they sense her.

“You… remove your cloak… please,” one of the guards said, his voice trembling as his head dipped slightly, as though my presence was too much to bear.

My heart thundered. Slowly, I pushed the hood back, letting the cloak fall from my shoulders.

The reaction was immediate.

The guards dropped to their knees, their heads bowing low. “Alpha Celene,” one of them murmured, reverence dripping from every word. “Welcome home.”

Shock rippled through me. Alpha? No, I wasn’t their Alpha, not anymore. My heart raced as I took a step back, unsure of how to respond. I had expected rejection, anger, perhaps even hostility. But this… this was worship.

“Why are they bowing to me?” I whispered, my voice shaking. My wolf, for once, was silent, but I could feel her satisfaction radiating through me. She had always known who we were, even when I had tried to forget.

Before I could process what was happening, the door flew open with a loud crash, and my head snapped toward the source. My sister stood there, her eyes wide with disbelief as they locked onto mine. The world seemed to freeze as a whirlwind of emotions passed between us, shock, hurt, hope.

I braced myself for her anger. She had every right to scream at me, to curse me for what I’d done, I wasn't expecting her to welcome me. But instead, she did the last thing I expected.

“Celene!” she cried, her voice breaking as tears streamed down her cheeks. She sprinted toward me, her arms outstretched, and before I could react, she wrapped me in a tight embrace.

I froze, unable to comprehend the warmth of her touch. Her sobs shook her body as she buried her face in my shoulder. “You’re back. You’re really back,” she whispered between cries. “Why? Why did you leave? I thought… I thought I lost you forever.”

“I…” Words failed me as my throat tightened. I hadn’t prepared for this. I had rehearsed apologies, excuses, even anger, but not this. Not forgiveness.

She pulled back slightly, her hands gripping my shoulders as she searched my face, her tears blurring her vision. “You’re home,” she said again, as if saying it would make it real.

I nodded, the lump in my throat making it impossible to speak, she hugged me again... if only for a moment but then, it hit me. A scent, sharp and familiar, wafted through the air. My wolf growled softly, her presence flaring to life. I stiffened, my heart thundering in my chest as unease crept over me.

What is that?

I turned my head slightly, trying to place it, but my thoughts scattered as a deep, commanding voice called out.

“Serena?”

The single word sent shivers down my spine. It was a tone I would never forget, one that had haunted my thoughts ever since that night.

Serena broke our embrace, her face lighting up like the sun as she turned toward the voice. “Baby, look!” she called, her voice brimming with joy. “My little sister is here!”

My blood turned cold. Dread settled in my stomach and slowly, and unwillingly, I turned to follow her gaze, my heart pounding louder with every second and then I saw him.

He stood at the top of the stairs, his broad frame bathed in the warm glow of the chandelier. His dark eyes scanned the room, landing on me with a sharpness that made my breath hitch. Recognition flares at the edges of his expression, but it was fleeting, and uncertain.

My wolf stirred violently, her growl rumbling through my mind. “It’s him. Oh, goddess, it’s him!” she snarled, her excitement crushing me.

I froze, my body trembling as reality slammed into me. My lips moved without thought, the words barely audible. "No... This can't be."

But he didn’t react to me. He wouldn’t...not yet. He had never seen my face that night, never known who I was. His gaze shifted briefly before his nostrils flared, and he suddenly sniffed the air. His entire demeanor changed, his brows knitting together as his expression turned sharp,and almost feral.

“I can smell my pup,” he murmured, his voice low but filled with an intensity that made my stomach drop.

Serena tilted her head, confusion flickering across her face. “What are you talking about, Kyle?” she asked, her tone laced with curiosity. Her gaze darted between him and me, oblivious to the storm brewing.

His head snapped to her, and in a single motion, he descended the stairs, his strides purposeful and swift. He reached her, grabbing her hands as a look of pure hope and elation crossed his face.

“Can this be true?” he asked, his voice trembling with excitement. “Are you pregnant, my love?”

Serena’s eyes widened, her lips parting in shock. “What? I...”

“Congratulations, my love!” he exclaimed, pulling her into his arms. His joy was uncontainable, his words rushing out. “Finally, the goddess has blessed us! You’re pregnant! I can smell it...you’re carrying our heir!”

Serena blinked, her mouth opening and closing as if trying to process his words. “I… I didn’t know…” she stammered, her voice weak.

I stood frozen, the world spinning around me. My hands shook as I tried to make sense of what I was hearing, what I knew. My wolf’s growl erupted, low and furious, vibrating through every fiber of my being.

The scent… his scent… it wasn’t coming from Serena.

It was coming from me.

My knees threatened to buckle as the horrifying realization slammed into me with force.

I’m carrying his child.

The words echoed in my mind, louder and louder until they drowned out everything else. My breathing grew shallow as panic clawed at my chest.

I’m pregnant with my sister’s husband’s child.

“No… no, no, no,” I screamed in my head, my voice trembling as my vision blurred. “This can’t be happening.”

I staggered backward, my body moving on instinct as my mind screamed for escape. I have to leave. I can’t stay here. I need to run before they realize the truth.