Luna's Secret Agony

Chapter 3: Vengeance Ignited

The moon hung low and bloated in the night sky, casting an eerie glow through the window of Alpha Alexander's office. I watched from the shadows as he paced, a caged predator barely containing his rage. His sculpted features were twisted in a grimace, hands clenching and unclenching at his sides.

I shouldn't be here. I shouldn't be watching him like this. But ever since our eyes met at the ceremony, I felt an inexplicable pull towards him. Even now, after his cruel rejection, my traitorous heart yearned to comfort him.

Suddenly, Alexander froze mid-stride. A low growl rumbled from his chest as he gripped the edge of his desk, knuckles turning white. "No," he snarled, seemingly to himself. "I won't claim her. I can't."

My breath caught in my throat. Was he talking about me? The mate bond hummed between us, a tantalizing whisper of what could be. But the disgust in his voice cut deeper than any knife.

Alexander's eyes flashed gold, his wolf clearly fighting for control. In that moment, he looked so lost, so vulnerable, that I almost stepped out of hiding. But then his expression hardened, a mask of cold fury settling over his features.

"You took everything from me," he whispered, his voice dripping with venom. "And now you dare to send your daughter as my mate?"

Confusion washed over me. What was he talking about? Before I could ponder further, the room shifted and blurred. Suddenly, I was no longer hiding in Alexander's office, but witnessing a scene from the past.

A younger Alexander, no more than ten years old, cowered behind a velvet curtain. His eyes, wide with terror, were fixed on the center of the opulent room. There, a woman lay motionless on the floor, her golden hair matted with blood. A man stood over her, his face hidden in shadow.

"Your reign ends here, Luna," the man sneered, wiping a bloody knife on his sleeve. "The Blackwood pack will fall, and a new order will rise from its ashes."

Young Alexander whimpered, drawing the killer's attention. The man's head snapped towards the curtain, a cruel smile spreading across his face. As he stepped into the moonlight, I gasped in shock.

The face staring back at me was hauntingly familiar. It was older, harder, but undeniably the same man who had raised me. My father.

The vision dissolved, and I found myself back in the present, reeling from what I'd seen. It couldn't be true. My father was kind, gentle. He would never...

A sharp knock interrupted my spiraling thoughts. Marcus, Alexander's imposing beta, burst into the room without waiting for a response.

"Alpha," he said, slightly out of breath. "I have urgent news about the girl."

Alexander's eyes narrowed. "What about her?"

Marcus hesitated, glancing around the room. I pressed myself further into the shadows, hardly daring to breathe.

"She's not who we thought she was," Marcus finally said. "Emily Johnson... she's adopted."

The air seemed to crackle with tension. Alexander's eyes blazed with an emotion I couldn't quite name – triumph? Relief? Or something darker?

"Are you certain?" he demanded.

Marcus nodded grimly. "I dug deeper into her background. There are no records of her birth in the pack registry. And there are... inconsistencies in her adoption papers. It's possible she has ties to our enemies."

A low, dangerous chuckle escaped Alexander's lips. "Oh, she has ties to our enemies alright. More than she knows." He turned to gaze out the window, moonlight casting harsh shadows across his face. "This changes everything, Marcus. We can use this."

My heart pounded so loudly I was sure they would hear it. Use what? What did Alexander mean?

"What do you have in mind, Alpha?" Marcus asked, a note of wariness in his voice.

Alexander's lips curled into a predatory smile. "We bring her here. Under the guise of... welcoming her to the pack. Building bridges between alphas, if you will."

"And then?"

"And then," Alexander's voice dropped to a menacing whisper, "we make her pay for her father's sins. We use the mate bond to destroy her, just as her family destroyed mine."

Horror washed over me in icy waves. This couldn't be happening. It had to be a nightmare. But the cold floor beneath me and the racing of my heart told me it was all too real.

I had to get out of here. I had to warn my father. I had to–

My foot slipped on the polished floor, sending a small vase crashing to the ground. The sound echoed like a gunshot in the quiet room.

Alexander whirled around, his eyes scanning the shadows where I hid. For a heart-stopping moment, I was sure he would find me. But then Marcus spoke, drawing his attention.

"I'll make the arrangements, Alpha. How soon do you want her here?"

Alexander's gaze lingered on my hiding spot for a moment longer before he turned away. "Immediately. Send the invitation tonight. Make it... enticing."

I didn't wait to hear more. As soon as they were distracted, I slipped out of the office, my mind reeling. I ran through the moonlit forest, branches whipping at my face, until I reached the safety of my small cabin.

Once inside, I collapsed against the door, gasping for breath. What had I just witnessed? How could any of it be true?

A glint of something shiny caught my eye, peeking out from beneath a loose floorboard. Frowning, I pried it up, revealing a hidden compartment. Inside was a small wooden box I'd never seen before.

With trembling hands, I opened it. A faded photograph slipped out, landing face-up on the floor. I stared at it, my world tilting on its axis once again.

The photo showed a much younger version of myself, no more than three or four years old. I was beaming at the camera, held in the arms of a beautiful woman with eyes that mirrored my own. It wasn't the mother I'd grown up knowing. This was someone else entirely.

On the back, written in unfamiliar handwriting, were the words: "Emily and Sophia - May the Moon Goddess protect you both."

Questions swirled in my mind like a gathering storm. Who was this woman? Why had my father hidden this photo? And how did it all connect to Alexander and the terrible scene I'd witnessed?

A sharp knock at the door made me jump. I quickly shoved the photo into my pocket and smoothed down my hair.

"Come in," I called, trying to keep my voice steady.

Lisa, a kind-hearted omega from our pack, poked her head in. "Emily? This just arrived for you." She handed me an ornate envelope, sealed with the crest of Pack A – Alexander's pack.

With shaking hands, I broke the seal and read the contents. It was an invitation, just as Alexander had ordered. The words were polite, even welcoming, but I could almost feel the menace lurking beneath them.

"Oh, Emily!" Lisa exclaimed, peering over my shoulder. "What an honor! You must be so excited."

I forced a smile, my mind racing. I should tell someone, warn my father. But who would believe me? And if what I'd seen was true... could I even trust my own family?

"Yes," I heard myself say, as if from a great distance. "It's... quite the opportunity."

As Lisa chatted excitedly about what I should pack, I made my decision. I would go to Pack A. I would uncover the truth about my past, about the woman in the photo. And somehow, I would find a way to protect myself from the vengeance burning in Alexander's eyes.

Little did I know, I was walking straight into the wolf's den, with dangers lurking around every corner.