LUNA BY MISTAKE

AMIRATA All the omegas and servants moved around the hall in haste, making sure everything was spotless and perfectly arranged before the ceremony began. The palace hall, which was usually calm and dignified, was now buzzing with energy and restless movement. The scent of roasted meat and sweet wine drifted through the air. No one was relaxed, not even me. Today was an important day for everyone in the pack. I mean, every young wolf had looked forward to this moment since childhood. It was the night chosen by the Moon Goddess for the Coming of Age Mating Ceremony, the sacred night when every wolf who had reached maturity would finally discover who their destined mate was. Wolves from noble families, warriors, merchants, and even ordinary pack members would fill the grand hall with anticipation and curiosity. Some people would find their happiness, others might find the worst surprise of their life. The thought alone was enough to make anyone’s heart beat faster. I pushed those thoughts away as I walked into the large kitchen and made my way toward the long table where rows of roasted chickens and beef had already been arranged neatly on polished silver trays. My job was simple. Count the food and make sure nothing was missing. I slowly counted the chickens and beef one by one, leaning slightly forward to make sure my eyes did not skip a single tray. I didn’t want anyone accusing me of stealing again. That was how low they saw me, like someone who would sneak around the kitchen just to steal scraps of food. After finishing the count, I nodded quietly to myself when the numbers matched exactly with the list I had been given earlier. Feeling satisfied, I turned and began walking out of the kitchen so I could continue with the rest of my work. But the moment I stepped outside, I suddenly stopped in my tracks. Bimbo, the head maid, was standing there. Her broad figure blocked the doorway as if she had been waiting for me all along. We both stared at each other for a moment before I quickly lowered my head in respect. “Amirata. Follow me,” she said in a cold tone, turning around and walking back into the kitchen. The moment I heard that voice, I already knew trouble was coming. Still, I followed her inside and stopped a few feet away from where she stood. Bimbo slowly began walking around the arranged food, the wine bottles, and the baskets of souvenirs placed neatly on the tables. Her sharp eyes moved from one tray to another with a suspicious look, as if she was determined to find something wrong. Every now and then she glanced at me. Then she started counting the chickens and roasted beef herself. When she finished, she gave a slow nod. Good. She got the same number I had counted earlier. Then she moved to the wine table. I slowly rolled my eyes, because that wasn’t even my responsibility. I didn’t drink wine, and I had never been accused of touching it before. “The wines were supposed to be one hundred and seven,” she began slowly, lifting one of the bottles from the table and examining it carefully. “But…” “I’m sorry. I don’t know anything about that,” I quickly said before she could finish her accusation. She scoffed loudly, her eyes blinked rapidly in amusement as she walked closer to me. “So you have finally changed your profession from a meat thief to a wine thief?” “Excuse me?” My head snapped up immediately and my jaw dropped in disbelief. How could she lie so easily without even blinking? “Then tell me,” she suddenly shouted angrily, her voice echoing across the kitchen walls, “why seven bottles of wine are missing!” “I didn’t take any—” Before I could even finish my sentence, a loud slap landed across my face. My head snapped to the side, and a sharp pain spread across my cheek as if my skin had caught fire. “How dare you defend yourself, you bastard!” she spat angrily. Before I could react, she grabbed my hair roughly and pulled me down. My knees hit the kitchen floor hard, the pain shooting through my legs, but she didn’t stop there. She pounced on me like a raging wolf. Her fists came down again and again, most of them aimed directly at my face as if she wanted to destroy it completely. I didn’t understand why her hatred toward me was so deep. Like my existence alone offended her. Maybe it did. If the Moon Goddess had allowed every soul to choose the life they were born into. Would omegas still exist? Would slaves bow their heads in silence? Would the weak be forced to survive on the scraps thrown at them by the powerful? No. If everyone had a choice… no one would ever choose to be powerless. And yet…Here I am. Born with the blood of an Alpha running through my veins, yet forced to live like something even lower than an omega. The granddaughter of the late Alpha King, reduced to nothing more than a servant. A mistake that everyone wished had never been born. I didn’t fight back. My lip had already split open, and I could feel warm blood sliding slowly down my chin. If I tried to fight her, things would only become worse. In the end, I would still be the one punished for challenging someone of higher rank. So I simply stayed on the floor and cried quietly while covering my head, allowing the blows to continue. “Bimbo, enough!” A sharp voice suddenly thundered through the kitchen. Bimbo’s fist froze in the air, as she slowly turned toward the door. I followed her gaze weakly, Princess Tamara was standing there, and she looked so furious. Her usually warm and cheerful face was now burning with anger. She walked toward Bimbo with long, determined steps, and before anyone could react, her hand flew across the air and landed hard across Bimbo’s face. The slap echoed loudly through the kitchen. “How dare you touch the daughter of a princess?” Tamara roared. “Do you wish for death?” “I—I’m sorry, my princess!” Bimbo stammered immediately while bowing her head. Her body had already started shaking. Everyone in the pack knew very well what Tamara was capable of doing to anyone who harmed me. “You’re sorry?” Tamara laughed coldly. “You just beat my sister like she was a piece of trash.” She pointed directly at me before letting out a quiet chuckle that sent chills down Bimbo’s spine. I knew that sound. It meant someone was about to suffer. “Since you enjoyed hitting her so much,” Tamara said calmly, “I think you deserve to taste your own medicine.” “Guards!” Two guards rushed into the kitchen as if they had been waiting outside the whole time. Yet none of them had stepped in earlier to stop Bimbo from hitting me. Bunch of cowards! “Take her outside,” Tamara ordered coldly while pointing at Bimbo, who had already started crying. “And lash her with a thorn cane until she bleeds.” The guards quickly grabbed Bimbo and dragged her out of the kitchen despite her protests. Tamara immediately rushed toward me and helped me stand up. Pain shot through my body as I straightened myself. “Come,” she whispered gently. She supported me as we walked down the stairs toward the basement where my small room was located. I sat down slowly on my thin mattress while another maid followed us inside and placed a first aid box in front of me. My eyebrows furrowed in confusion. How did she know I would need this? Tamara lowered her head slightly. “I overheard my mother talking to my aunt,” she admitted quietly. “She told Bimbo to do that to you.” My chest tightened painfully. So it was her again? It had always been her. Ever since my grandfather died, everything had changed. For ten years, I had lived like I belonged somewhere. Like I was seen, like I mattered. My grandfather never treated me like a mistake, he still held my hand proudly in front of everyone. He called me his granddaughter. And for a while… I believed that was enough. But the day he died—Everything died with him. “I’m sorry.” She whispered, folding her fingers. Fresh tears filled my eyes, as I gulped hard. “Why?” I whispered weakly. “Look at me, Mara.” She slowly lifted her head. “Because she didn’t want you to attend the mating ceremony tonight.” I saw the pain flash in her eyes. “That’s why I rushed to the kitchen,” she continued softly. “I’m sorry, I didn’t arrive sooner.” Tears slipped down her cheeks. I quickly pulled her into a tight hug. “I’m fine,” I whispered. Honestly, I wasn’t surprised that Luna was behind the attack. I had long accepted her hatred toward me. But I was grateful Tamara arrived when she did, otherwise, I might not have made it to the ceremony with my face intact. “But you gave that witch what she deserved,” I said with a small laugh. Tamara burst into laughter too, as my grip tightened around her. “Hey! I can’t breathe!” she gasped, trying to pull away from the hug. I immediately loosened my hold and she giggled like a child. Then she grabbed my hands and looked at me carefully from head to toe. “Father bought me two dresses for tonight’s ceremony,” she said excitedly. She turned toward the maid behind her and collected a beautifully wrapped package before handing it to me. “So I brought you one,” she said with a bright smile. “We can match.” My shoulders dropped slightly as I gently pushed the dress back toward her. “I’m sorry… I can’t accept it.” I didn’t want her mother creating a scene later at the ceremony and using the dress as another excuse to humiliate me. I can't even imagine my uncle helping me, because he always stands in the corner and watches everything happen.” “I dare you, Rata,” Tamara said with a serious glare. I sighed softly. There was no refusing her when she looked at me like that. So I accepted the dress and placed it beside me. Tamara squeezed my hands happily. “I want you to look stunning tonight,” she said excitedly, her eyes shining with anticipation. “After all… you might meet your mate.” Then she leaned closer with a mischievous smile. “Won’t you ask why I’m excited too?” I chuckled softly. “Why?” Tamara grinned brightly. “Because the Lycan King is attending tonight’s ceremony.” She giggled. For a moment, my heart skipped a beat. The Lycan King… the most powerful ruler in the entire kingdom and the sworn rival of our pack for years. Grandfather had lived all his years protecting the boundaries between the Lycans and the werewolf, yet tonight… the Lycan King would be under the same roof as us. What is uncle Nathan planning under his sleeve? Tamara checked her phone, and hurriedly excused herself and left the basement to get herself prepared for the ceremony. I also stood up to get prepared, but deep down I felt uneasy. I guess tonight there will be another trouble brewing.