MY CURSED ALPHA AND I

CHAPTER FOUR: THE WEIGH OF LUNA TO BE

The morning after the celebration, Jenny woke up to a silence that felt heavier than sleep. The golden ribbons from the introduction party still clung to her hair, reminders of the night that had changed her life. She sat up slowly, her heart sinking with the memory of the cheers and whispers echoing in her ears.

“ A timid Luna?”

“How long will she last?”

“The Moon Goddess must be playing a strange game.”

Jenny rubbed her temples, as though she could scrub the voices from her mind.

Her mother knocked gently before stepping in. “ You looked beautiful last night,” she said warmly, but her eyes darted nervously toward Jenny’s pale face. “The pack will adjust. You’ll see. Once they know you, they’ll love you.”

Jenny forced a smile, though her chest tightened.

“ And Father?” she asked softly.

Her mother hesitated. “He’s… worried. He thinks Zayne chose too quickly.”

Jenny swallowed hard, the words stinging more than they should have.

Later that morning, Jenny was summoned to the Alpha’s office. The grand wooden door loomed like a warning. She pushed it open to find Zayne standing behind his desk, papers spread before him. He didn’t look up immediately, and the distance in his silence pressed down on her like a weight.

“You asked for me?” Jenny said carefully.

At last, Zayne’s eyes lifted, sharp as steel. For a moment, she thought she saw something soften in them, but it vanished as quickly as it came.

“You will begin your Luna training today,” he said, his voice firm, emotionless.

Jenny blinked. “ So soon?”

“Time doesn’t wait for anyone, Jenny.” He circled the desk, stopping a few feet from her. His presence filled the room, his Alpha aura brushing against her like a cold wind. “You will be judged by the Elders, watched by the pack. If you are weak, they will not forgive you. And neither will I.”

Jenny flinched at the edge of his voice. She wanted to argue, to ask if he had truly chosen her or if date had forced his hand. But his expression warned her not to push.

Outside the office, Jackson stood with two warriors, speaking in a low tone. His gaze flicked toward Jenny as she passed, unreadable but intense.

“She looked ready,” one of the warriors muttered.

Jackson’s lips curved into the faintest smirk. “ Maybe that’s the point. Zayne needs someone the curse won’t break completely.”

Jenny stiffened at the words, her pulse quickening. The curse. She had heard rumors, whispers about something that bound their Alpha’s fate, but never so directly.

Before she could turn away, Zayne’s voice called from the doorway, sharp as blade.

“Jackson.”

The Beta straightened instantly, his smirk vanishing. He bowed his head with practiced loyalty, Jenny watched the exchange, her unease deepening.

That afternoon, Jenny sat through her first Luna training session. The Elder women drilled her on etiquette, responsibility, and the histories of Moonveil pack. Every correction felt like a lash.

“You must carry yourself as if the Moon Goddess herself placed a crown upon your head,” the Elder barked. “Confidence, even if you have none.”

Jenny kept hr chin lifted, but inside her doubts grew like weeds. I am wolfless. What kind of Luna can I be?

By the time the lesson ended, her head throbbed, her heart heavy with shame.

Dinner that evening was tense. The pack dined together in the hall, and though Jenny sat beside Zayne, she felt alone, more alone than ever. Brianna was radiant across the table, her laughter too loud, her smile too sweet. Jenny caught the glint in her sister’s eyes—mocking, cruel, promising that this humiliation was only the beginning.

When the meal ended, Jenny excused herself quickly, stepping out into the cool air. She leaned against the stone wall, trying to catch her breath. The moon hung full above her, casting silver light over the courtyard.

“ Running already?”

Zayne’s voice startled her. He stood a few paces away, his expression unreadable.

“I’m not running,” she said, lifting her chin.

“I just needed air.”

He studied her for a long moment, his gaze heavy enough to make her shiver. Then he stepped closer, the power of his aura pressing down in her until her knees trembled.

“You don’t understand what it means to stand beside me,” he said softly, dangerously. “The weight of his pack, the burden of my blood, the curse that binds me—it will consume you if you’re not strong enough.”

Jenny’s breath hitched. “Then why choose me?”

For the briefest moment, pain flickered in his eyes, raw and human. But then it was gone. He turned, his back rigid.

“ Don’t make me regret it, Jenny,” he murmured. His voice was low, almost broken, but the warning was clear. “The curse doesn’t forgive weakness.”

The words hung in the night like a sentence, chilling her more than the wind. Jenny wrapped her arms around herself, staring at the man she was bound to, realizing for the first time that love was not the only thing tying them together.

It was fate.

It was a curse.

And it might destroy them both.