Lost Luna

Chapter 7

Astra’s POV

Something was wrong with Nymera.

At first, I thought she was simply stressed because of the coronation preparations. Everyone in the palace was exhausted lately. The servants barely slept, the Elders kept calling meetings every few hours, and Kaelith looked permanently irritated from carrying the weight of becoming Alpha on his shoulders. But Nymera looked even worse. She moved slower than usual. She pressed her hand against her stomach absentmindedly sometimes when she thought nobody was paying attention. Certain foods suddenly made her look sick, and twice now, I had caught her quietly leaving crowded rooms looking pale.

But still, I tried ignoring the strange feeling growing in my chest.

Until the morning she threw up behind the palace kitchens.

I had only gone there because Sandra was supposed to meet me with information about the coronation guests. Instead, I found Nymera crouched near the bushes looking miserable while trying to wipe her mouth quickly before anyone noticed.

The second I saw her, something cold slid down my spine. And suddenly, every strange thing from the past week started connecting itself inside my head so quickly it almost made me dizzy too.

I hurriedly hid behind a tree so she wouldn’t see me as myy stomach twisted violently.

No way.

Kaelith and Nymera had been inseparable for months now. Everyone already treated them like a mated couple even before the official announcement. Kaelith practically worshipped her. And Nymera looked at him like he hung the moon itself. A horrible feeling settled in my chest. The possibility alone made my chest burn so badly I could barely breathe properly.

What if she really was pregnant? What if Kaelith already got her pregnant before even officially announcing her as Luna?

Nymera was my best friend. She had never intentionally hurt me, but at that moment, I felt like she had intentionally stabbed me with a knife. A big part of me could not stop imagining her standing beside Kaelith during the coronation wearing the Luna crown while the entire pack celebrated them together. Then eventually carrying his children.

Living in his room.

Sleeping beside him every night.

Giving him things I wanted for myself.

The thought made me feel physically sick. That evening, I could not concentrate on anything properly. Even during dinner with Kaelith, my mood stayed terrible.

“You’re unusually quiet tonight,” Kaelith said while leaning back in his chair.

I forced a smile immediately. “Am I?”

“Yes.”

His silver-gray eyes studied me carefully from across the table. Even exhausted, he still looked unfairly handsome. His dark hair kept falling over his forehead because he ran his fingers through it constantly whenever stressed. Normally just looking at him made my chest flutter. Tonight it only made the bitterness worse.

“You’ve barely touched your food,” he added.

I shrugged lightly. “Not hungry.”

Kaelith frowned slightly. “You’re not getting sick too, are you?”

I looked up sharply. “What do you mean?”

His expression softened slightly. “Nymera hasn’t been feeling well either.”

“Really?” I asked carefully.

Kaelith nodded absentmindedly while reaching for his drink. “She keeps brushing it off though.”

The way his voice changed whenever he talked about her made jealousy stab through me so hard I nearly lost composure for a second. Because he sounded worried. Like Nymera mattered more than anything else around him.

What about me?! I wanted to yell at him, but instead, I forced another smile. “Maybe she’s nervous about the coronation.”

Kaelith’s expression softened immediately at Nymera’s name. “Probably.”

Then he smiled slightly to himself. “She’s been overthinking everything lately.”

I swallowed hard before speaking casually. “You really love her, huh?”

Kaelith looked at me like the answer should have been obvious to me already.

“Of course I do.”

The words hurt far more than they should have. I looked down quickly before he could notice the expression on my face.

“You okay?” he asked again quietly.

I laughed softly. “You ask that a lot lately.”

“Because you’ve been acting strange.”

For one terrifying second, I almost told him everything. Almost admitted how badly it hurt watching him love someone else right in front of me every single day. But I couldn’t. Because if Kaelith rejected me outright, I genuinely did not know what I would do afterward. So instead, I smiled again like always.

“I’m fine.”

That night, I barely slept. Every time I closed my eyes, I pictured Nymera smiling shyly while telling Kaelith she was pregnant.

I could already imagine his reaction. At first, he would be shocked, then after, his face would glow with happiness. He would then hold her like she was precious while the whole palace celebrated them even more.

The future Luna carrying the future Alpha’s child.

The image burned through my chest like poison. By morning, I was angry at myself for even crying over it. I hated feeling weak. I Hated feeling helpless while Nymera unknowingly took everything I wanted without even trying. So later that afternoon, I did something, I followed Nymera. I had seen her quietly leaving the palace gardens looking nervous, and curiosity got the better of me. But when I noticed she was heading toward her father’s office while constantly glancing around, suspicion immediately settled in my chest again. I stayed hidden near the hallway corner while she slipped inside. The door didn’t close completely.

And unfortunately for me, I heard enough.

“…think I might be pregnant.”

My entire body froze. For a second, I genuinely thought I imagined it. Then Simon’s shocked voice came next.

“Kaelith?”

Nymera answered too softly for me to hear clearly, but I already knew the answer anyway. My stomach dropped violently. She was pregnant. The future Luna carrying Kaelith’s child before the coronation had even happened yet. Something inside me cracked so painfully I had to grip the wall beside me to stay steady. I should have walked away. I should have stopped listening.

Instead, I stayed there hearing every horrible detail while jealousy consumed me piece by piece. Nymera wanted to surprise Kaelith during the coronation. Simon thought Kaelith would be happy. Of course he would be happy. Because Kaelith loved her.

And now she was giving him exactly what every Alpha dreamed about - an heir. I don’t even remember walking away from that hallway properly. I only remember reaching my room somehow and locking t

he door before finally breaking apart completely.