The Forgotten Luna: A Second Chance

The ceremonial fang cut into Selena’s neck. A drop of silver blood ran over the bone, and the pack howled. Caleb had marked her. I stayed under the ancient oak with one hand in my coat pocket, crushing the edge of the doctor’s report. Twelve weeks. One strong heartbeat. I had come to tell Caleb after the ceremony. Every month for three years, the pack clinic had drawn my blood. It fed the border barrier and the healing pools for wounded warriors. I was Caleb’s fated mate and the true Luna. The records never used my name. "The pack isn’t ready, Elora," Caleb used to tell me at night. "A final mark would put a target on you. This keeps you safe." Safe meant hidden. The Elders and healers took my blood, logged it as a monthly resource, and praised Caleb for keeping the territory secure. Selena came home, and his excuses ended. The mark he had withheld from me was on her neck. Alistair, the head healer, came through the crowd carrying the usual silver basin and sterile needle. "Luna, we need your contribution to seal the blessing." Contribution. They had stopped calling it a sacrifice. Beyond him, Caleb lifted a tearful Selena into his arms so the crowd could see her new mark. "No." Alistair’s needle stopped above the basin. "What did you say?" "I said no." His eyes went to my pocket. I folded the report once more until the paper creased against my palm. If the Elders learned about the child, they would see an heir with stronger blood. Another source for the barrier. I folded the report tighter. My child would never take my place at the end of their needle. I left the celebration and went straight to my private study, a room Caleb rarely entered. On my phone, I opened the encrypted Werewolf Legal Affairs app. Its silver-wolf icon gave way to a list of forms. *Petition for Matrimonial Severance.* Applicant: Elora of the Silver Moon. Respondent: Alpha Caleb of the Silver Moon. Reason: *Irreconcilable*. For the effective date, I selected the next full moon, three days away. Selena’s official anointment ceremony. I pressed *Submit*. The confirmation had just appeared when the door flew open. Caleb stood there, with cheers still rolling in from the festival grounds. "Where did you go? Selena was overwhelmed. She needed you, and everyone kept asking where the Alpha’s mate was. You embarrassed me." Not for me. For the questions. The father of my child stood in front of me. I kept the report folded in my pocket. Behind me, the crimson confirmation seal still glowed on the screen.