Hybrid Luna to the Alpha

Nightbane Pack

“Hey, you okay?” Raya asked as the jet cruised over 30,000 feet in the air.

I swallowed hard, gripping the armrest. I had never been on a plane before—never even left the Garnet Palace. The turbulence sent an uneasy ripple through me, and my wolf stirred, queasy and unsettled. Earlier, Raya had explained something called motion sickness, and now I understood exactly what she meant.

“I’m fine,” I lied, though the tightness in my voice betrayed me.

She placed her hand on me, and I felt the queasiness subdued slowly as she healed me.

“Better now?” She asked, giving me a small smile, and I nodded in return.

My gaze flickered over to Kieran, who sat across from us, jaw clenched, and his attention focused outside the window, at the night sky. He hadn't looked at me once since we left, making no effort to conceal his disappointment—or perhaps annoyance—at our mate bond.

While I was grateful that he didn't leave me to the mercy of my pack members, a hollow feeling of disappointment that I wouldn't be of any use towards him sat in my chest. He'd might as well assign me as one of his palace maidens—I'd prove better use to him that way.

Lowering my gaze to my hands, I blinked rapidly, fighting the tears burning behind my eyes—it was never my dream for my mate to despise me.

Raya must've noticed my struggle as she reached her hand over to mine, gently rubbing her thumb on mine as reassurance. I let my tears fall quietly, soaking into the fabric of my dress. When I finally blinked back the last of them and dared to look up, I found Kieran staring at me with what I couldn't make out as either disgust or concern.

Whatever it was, he broke eye contact almost immediately, and we passed the rest of the trip in silence.

By the time we arrived in the Nightbane Pack’s territory, the first light of dawn had begun to stretch across the horizon.

“We're here.” Raya whispered, calling my attention to the new territory I'd found myself in. “So… what do you think?”

I looked out the windows of the vehicle we rode in, and the roads were lined with small houses instead of the vast forest I was used to back home.

“It's…different.” I whispered, trailing my eyes from the road to her look of anticipation.

“Of course it is!” She exclaimed, her eyes widening in excitement. “We're not as barbaric as your pack—forcing nearly an entire population of wolves in a building? Talk about a lack of personal space.”

“Raya!” Kieran hissed, giving her a look of disapproval.

“What?” Raya feigned innocence, pulling me into a side embrace. “I'm only trying to let her know that she's in good hands.”

Kieran shot her a dark look, and I suspected he was mind-linking a warning. Unlike before, I couldn’t hear it. After last night, the strange mind-link connection I’d briefly experienced had vanished as quickly as it had come. I assumed it had something to do with the mate bond—another thing I didn’t understand.

We arrived at a large building, not as grand as the Garnet Palace but bigger than the other houses I had seen on our way. The environment smelled different, cleaner—not overwhelmed by the stench of different wolves, unlike back home.

I had a feeling my stay here would be better than home.

“Come on, I’ll show you to your room,” Raya announced, hopping out of the vehicle.

I hesitated for a moment, casting a glance at Kieran. But he was already walking away, his attention fixed on a young man who hurried alongside him. He didn’t look back. Not once.

Swallowing my disappointment, I followed Raya inside.

She led me through the halls, pointing out various rooms along the way.

“...that's the dining hall, that door leads to a gym, you'll find we have quite the number of gyms here.” Raya toured, and I felt lost.

“Gym?” I asked, unfamiliar with the term.

She gave me an amused look. “It’s like a practice room. We have different ones for different activities—kind of like your training grounds, but more… modern.”

“You really dislike how traditional my pack is,” I noted, picking up on her tone.

Raya sighed, placing a hand on my shoulder. “Ivy, we found you half-dead.” Her voice was softer now, tinged with something close to sorrow. “Kudos to them for holding on to ancient traditions, but some things? Some things should be left behind.”

I opened my mouth, unsure of what to say, but before I could find the words, she suddenly brightened.

“Hi, baby!” Raya exclaimed, her entire demeanor shifting as she ran toward a woman who had just entered the hall.

The woman was tall and broad-shouldered, her dark hair pulled back into a tight braid, strands clinging to her forehead as though she had just finished training. Before I could process what was happening, Raya threw herself into the woman’s arms, pressing a longing kiss on hers while confusion stirred within me.

Turning to me, Raya beamed. "Ivy, this is my mate, Ash."

"Nice to meet you." Ash offered a stiff smile, her expression puzzled—my scent must've caught her off guard.

But before I could stop myself, I blurted out, "You're both girls? I've never seen two female mates before."

Raya smirked, wrapping herself around Ash. "Glad to be your first."

Curiosity gnawed at me. "But…" How would you have children?"

Ash raised an eyebrow at me before glancing at Raya. They seemed to be mind-linking as Raya kept giggling, and her eyes twinkled with amusement. “We don't care about that, silly.” She chuckled, waving my inquisitiveness away.

Raya must've told Ash something shocking as her expression shifted from mild interest to shock. "No way! You’re Alpha Kieran’s mate?" Ash exclaimed, turning her gaze to me, scrutinizing every inch of me with such an intensity that I suddenly felt self-conscious.

“Ash, you're making her uncomfortable.”

“I apologise, don't take this the wrong way, but you look frail, and Alpha Kieran doesn't like frail… The moon Goddess got him good.” Ash let out a mocking laugh and while I knew it was intended for Kieran, I felt a sense of sadness wash over me, another person who'd rubbed the reminder that I was weak and pathetic on my face—I already had high hopes of making this place my home.

Raya immediately stepped between us, her expression darkening. “Ash,” she warned, her usual playful demeanor now gone. “That's enough.”

Ash exhaled sharply, rolling her shoulders. "I didn't mean anything by it," she muttered, though her eyes remained fixed on me, still scrutinizing. "It’s just… unexpected."

Unexpected.

That word settled uncomfortably in my chest, curling around my ribs like a vice. I already knew I wasn’t what Kieran wanted—I didn’t need another reminder.

Raya must have sensed my turmoil because she tightened her grip on my arm. "Come on, Ivy," she said, her voice gentler now. "You need rest."