I Was Never Supposed to Be His Luna

The hall was silent. Not the peaceful kind. The kind that felt like something was about to break. Kaia Ashwood stood at the center of the ceremonial circle, her fingers clenched so tightly her nails dug into her palms. Tonight was supposed to be sacred. The night the Moon Goddess revealed fate. The night mates were chosen. The night everything changed. Except Kaia already knew how tonight would end. Badly. Across the hall, hundreds of wolves gathered in elegant silence, their golden ceremonial robes glowing faintly under the moonlight pouring through the glass ceiling. At the highest seat sat the Alpha family. And there—directly in front of her— Ryder Blackthorne. Future Alpha of the Shadow Fang Pack. Her childhood friend. Her first love. And maybe… her fate. Kaia swallowed hard. She shouldn’t have hoped. Hope was dangerous. “Step forward,” the High Priestess said softly. Kaia obeyed. The moment she stepped into the circle, something shifted in the air. A pressure. A pull. Gasps rippled through the crowd. Kaia froze. Her wrist burned. A silver mark began to form beneath her skin. Her breath caught. No… Not him. Not now. Across the circle, Ryder’s expression changed. His eyes darkened as his own wrist ignited with the same silver glow. The hall erupted instantly. “They’re mates!” “The Moon Goddess has chosen!” Kaia’s heart slammed against her ribs. For one fleeting second— Everything felt perfect. Ryder… was her mate. Ryder was— “Enough.” The word cut through the celebration like ice. Silence fell again. Kaia turned slowly. Ryder had stood up. His face was unreadable. Cold. Detached. Not like the boy she grew up with. Not like the man she loved. The mark on his wrist glowed… but his eyes did not. “No,” he said again, louder this time. Kaia’s breath stopped. “What…?” Ryder stepped into the circle. Every step echoed like a judgment. “I, Ryder Blackthorne, reject Kaia Ashwood as my fated mate.” The words didn’t feel real at first. Kaia blinked. Once. Twice. Then pain exploded through her chest. The bond snapped. A physical force ripped through her body like lightning tearing through bone. She staggered. “No—Ryder… what are you doing?” her voice broke. Ryder didn’t look away. Not even once. “You’re weak,” he said flatly. The words hit harder than the rejection. A whisper spread through the crowd. “Wolf-less Ashwood… of course.” “She was never worthy.” Kaia’s vision blurred. Her hands trembled violently. “An Alpha cannot bind himself to someone like her,” Ryder continued. Someone like her. Like she was nothing. Like she had never mattered. Kaia’s knees nearly gave out. But before she could fall— A strange heat surged through her spine. Wrong. Impossible. The bond pain twisted… and then shifted. Not disappearing. Changing. Kaia gasped sharply. Something inside her… answered. A pulse. A second heartbeat that did not belong to her body. The crowd didn’t notice. But Ryder did. His eyes flickered for a split second. Confusion. Then fear. But it was gone just as quickly. He turned away. “Remove her from the pack,” he ordered. Silence. Then movement. Guards stepped forward. Kaia stumbled back. “Ryder—don’t do this,” she whispered, voice cracking. For a second. Just one second. He hesitated. His hand tightened at his side. But then— Elena Voss stepped forward from the crowd. Perfect smile. Soft voice. “I’ll take care of the ceremony aftermath,” she said gently. Ryder’s expression hardened again. “Do it.” Kaia froze. Something inside her broke completely at that moment. Not the bond. Something deeper. Something human. The guards grabbed her arms. “No… wait—please—” she struggled. But no one moved. No one stopped it. Not even him. As she was dragged toward the exit, Kaia turned her head one last time. Ryder was already looking away. Like she had never existed. Like she was already gone. The doors of the ceremonial hall opened. Cold night air hit her face. The moment she stepped outside— The bond pain surged again. Worse. Suffocating. Kaia dropped to her knees in the snow. Tears finally fell. Not loud. Not dramatic. Just silent. Broken. Above her, the moon shone brightly. Almost mockingly. Kaia lifted her trembling hand toward it. “I didn’t do anything wrong…” she whispered. But the moon did not answer. The forest around her was too quiet. Too still. Then— A voice spoke behind her. Not human. Not wolf. But ancient. “Finally…” Kaia froze. Slowly, she turned her head. The forest shadows shifted. And something within them bowed. “Your Highness…” END OF CHAPTER 1