The Luna He Erased

Honeymoon Lyra I shoved the door open and ran straight into Kade’s chest.His arms locked around me before I could even catch my breath. The corridor behind the hall was empty and dark, and it smelled of pine and cold stone. His mouth found mine hard, hungry, like he had been waiting all day just for this. “Lyra,” he growled against my lips. “You’re late.” “I was stitching up a pup who thought he could climb the north wall,” I panted, laughing into the kiss. “You try saying no to a seven-year-old with a broken arm.” He pulled back just enough to look at me. Storm-grey eyes, soft for once. “One month. One more month and you’re mine in front of the whole damn pack.” I pressed my forehead to his. “I already am.” He took my hand and tugged me outside. We slipped past the training grounds and into the quiet grove where the Moon Tree stood, the silver leaves glowing under the half-moon. Kade backed me against the trunk, his fingers sliding into my hair. “I love you,” he said, voice low and sure. “Not because anyone chose you. Because you’re you. You are stubborn, soft and brave as hell. You’re going to be my Luna, Lyra Ashwood. No one is taking that from us.” I smiled against his mouth. “Promise?” “I swear it on my life.” We stayed there until the cold bit through our clothes. He kissed the faint marks on my collarbone one by one, slowly and carefully, like he was memorizing them. When he finally walked me back to my cottage, he whispered the same words again at the door. “Always. No matter who stands against us.” I believed every single one. The days after that blurred into stolen hours. One afternoon he found me in the supply room and pulled me behind the shelves while we made out. His hands were rough from training, but his voice stayed gentle. “Tell me again,” he murmured against my neck. “Tell you what?” “That you’ll never leave me.” I laughed softly. “Where would I go? You’re stuck with me, Vargus.” He cupped my face. “Good. Because if anyone tries to take you, I’ll burn the whole territory down.” Another night we sat on the roof of the old watchtower, legs hanging over the edge. The pack lights glowed below us. Kade’s arm rested around my shoulders. “You scared?” he asked. “Of the ceremony?” ⁷“Of being Luna. ”I shook my head. “I’m scared of failing you.” He turned my chin toward him. “You won’t. You’re the only one who ever saw past my future title and the armor. You’re the only one who makes me feel like I’m more than the next Alpha.” I leaned into him. “You’re more than enough already.” He kissed me then, slowly and deeply, until the wind made us both shiver. When we climbed back down, he held my hand the whole way. “Three weeks left,” he said at my door. “Three weeks,” I echoed. “I’m counting every hour.” So was I. Two weeks later he dragged me into the empty training ring after midnight. The moon was brighter. He pulled off his shirt and tossed it aside. “Dance with me.” “There’s no music.” “Doesn’t matter.” He spun me once, then pulled me close. Our bodies fit like they had been made for each other. His heartbeat thudded against my cheek. “When this is over,” he whispered, “I’m taking you somewhere quiet with no packs or councils. Just us. For a whole week.” “You promise?” “I promise.” I buried my face in his chest and breathed him in. He smelled of pine, steel and my home. One week before the ceremony he found me crying in the herb garden. I had cut my finger on a thorn and the sting had somehow opened every fear I had been swallowing. Kade dropped to his knees in front of me. He took my hand and kissed the small cut. “Talk to me.” “What if I’m not enough?” My voice cracked.“What if the pack never accepts a human healer as their Luna?” He looked up, eyes fierce. “Then they can go to hell. You’re mine. That’s all that matters.” “You mean that?” “I mean every damn word.” He stayed until the sun rose, holding me against the garden wall, repeating the same promise over and over until I believed it again. ***** The night of the ceremony arrived too fast and I was scared. I stood in the center of the Silver Ridge gathering grounds in plain healer’s robes, with my heart slamming against my ribs. I could feel thousands of eyes watching me. People had started congratulating me. It dawned on me that I was going to be Luna soon. Many people envied me but a lot of them admired me. Torches burned in a wide circle as the full moon hung heavy and shining brightly above us. Kade stepped forward in dark Alpha armor, scar cutting across his eyebrow, his jaw set. He looked so handsome. My wolf, Kendra, was practically salivating. Our bond flared the second our eyes met. It felt hot, bright, almost painful. It raced through my blood as fire and starlight mixed. I felt him. All of him. The pull was so strong my knees nearly gave out. A hush fell over the pack. I waited for him to speak the words we had practiced. The ones that would seal everything. I lifted my chin and gave him a small smile, the same one I had given him under the Moon Tree. But Kade’s face stayed blank. He took one step closer. The bond still burned between us, screaming the truth. Then his voice came out cold and sharp, loud enough for every ear to hear. “I reject you.” The words hit me harder and faster than any fist. I stood there shocked like I did not hear him well. Everyone was shocked. The bond between us began to cut open like someone wanted to rip a living thing out of my chest. Pain exploded through every vein. I staggered. A broken sound left my throat. “Kade….” “I reject the bond,” he said again, harsher this time. “Lyra Ashwood.” Silence crashed over the place. I stared at him. My lips parted but no sound came out. My hands shook at my sides. His storm-grey eyes stayed locked on mine. It looked so empty, frozen, without a single spark of the man who had kissed my marks and sworn forever. I could not look away, neither could he.