The Alpha King's Luna is Secret Shadow King!

Chapter 1: The Luna's Bargain (Cassandra’s POV) The iron gates of the Rivers Pack mansion creaked open as my mother, Sarah Rivers, marched beside me. Her hand had an iron grip on my arm, her designer heels clicking against the cobblestone path with precise, measured steps. She glanced at me, her green eyes sharp and cold, the same eyes that had looked at me with indifference nineteen years ago when she abandoned me. “Fix your posture,” she snapped, her perfectly manicured nails digging into my arm. “You’re representing us now. Even an Omega should have some pride.” I wanted to laugh at the irony. If she only knew the power that coursed through my veins, the true Alpha nature I concealed beneath this meek facade. But I bit back a reply, keeping my honey-brown head down and my walk deliberately submissive. My shoulders hunched just how they expected an Omega’s to be. Sarah was the woman who gave birth to me but never earned the title of mother. Nineteen years ago, she had abandoned her infant daughter to marry Marcus Rivers, the Alpha of Rivers Pack. She left me to be raised by my grandmother Grace in a small, isolated village while she went on to have another daughter, Jane, whom she proudly raised as the Rivers Pack's princess. I was nothing but a reminder of her inconvenient past. Now here she was, pretending to care, pretending I was part of the Rivers Pack family. The irony almost made me laugh. The Beta guards at the entrance sneered as we passed. Their eyes were condescending, their expressions dripping with disdain. To them, I was nothing but an unwanted pawn in a larger game. I made myself smaller, weaker. Let them think I was harmless. “Don’t embarrass me,” Sarah said under her breath as we neared the meeting hall. “Keep your mouth shut unless spoken to.” Her condescending tone didn’t even sting. It was nothing compared to the betrayal that had turned my heart to steel long ago. We stepped into the grand hall. The room was full. Pack leaders, elders, betas, and hand-picked elites sat in chairs arranged in tiers, staring down at me like I was prey. Their murmuring rose and fell like a tide. “That’s the abandoned one,” someone muttered. “What a disgrace,” another whispered. I kept my face neutral, my chin low. My honey-brown hair hid my amber eyes. Nobody needed to see their flicker of cold anger. Jane stood at the front, right beside Sarah. Her honey-blonde hair, styled in soft waves, looked perfect. Her green eyes sparkled under the high chandeliers. She wore an elegant pale-pink dress cinched with a belt that highlighted her tiny waist. My half-sister. Raised as the princess of the Rivers Pack while I lived in exile. I could feel Jane’s relief radiating from her when she looked at me. We both knew why I was here, and it wasn’t because anyone suddenly cared about me. Elder James, the former Alpha of Rivers Pack, rose from his seat at the center of the dais. Dignified and stern, his presence immediately silenced the murmuring crowd. He looked at me for a moment longer than I liked, his sharp gaze taking in everything—my bowed head, my flimsy posture, my simple appearance. “We face challenging times,” he began, his deep voice echoing in the hall. “The Rivers Pack’s influence has waned because... we lost our Alpha heir several months ago." Nobody said anything, but the air grew tense. A few months ago, the Rivers pack suddenly announced the death of Alpha heir Nathan Rivers. No reason was given for his death. The lose of this outstanding Alpha heir had left this pack in a precarious position. Sarah stepped forward, smiling that picture-perfect Luna smile. “We need a new alliance,” she said smoothly, her eyes glinting with calculation. “The Stone Pack has extended an offer to us for their heir, Alexander Stone. He requires a mate suitable to his standing.” She sounded so gracious, so composed. But her words carried the weight of a command. Alexander Stone, the Alpha heir of the Stone Pack. He should have been the ideal man to marry. But according to healers, he had less than two years left to live. Black thorns grew across his skin, creeping slowly toward his heart. He always wore a mask because he was disfigured. "Cassandra, we decided to give you this opportunity." Sarah continued, her voice dripping with false maternal concern. "Stone pack is the most powerful pack in the north region." I lowered my head to hide the sneer in my eyes. Opportunity. My sister Jane had been the original candidate for this union, but of course, they wouldn’t risk her ‘perfect’ future by tethering her to a dying man. So they asked me to marry him instead. After all, I am also their Luna's daughter - when it's convenient for them. Jane let out a soft, almost inaudible breath of relief. She didn’t even hide her gratitude toward our mother for dumping this task on me. Elder James raised his palm, stopping the crowd as new murmurs began. He addressed me now, a mix of authority and expectation in his tone. “Before the mating ceremony, you will attend the Royal Werewolf Therapy School to complete proper pack education.” The name of the school struck a nerve in me, but I didn’t react outwardly. Of course, they’d use this as a carrot. It was the most prestigious werewolf healing academy in the entire region. He pressed on, “The Rivers Pack will utilize our connections to secure your admission. This… is a rare opportunity, given your current circumstances.” Rare opportunity. I kept my lips pressed firmly shut. These people had no idea that I didn’t need their charity to get into the Royal School. “I could have earned admission on my own merits,” I said finally, not loudly, but loud enough for them to hear. That earned a chorus of scoffs and snickers from the audience. I didn’t bother looking at them. “Enough, Cassandra,” Sarah hissed through clenched teeth. My shoulders felt her nails biting into my skin again. “It’s true,” I replied in a neutral tone, deliberately avoiding looking at Jane or Sarah. “An Omega from nowhere like you?” someone sneered, their voice cutting into my thoughts. “As if." I let their words hang in the air. Let them believe their insults landed. They were only proving what I knew—they saw me as nothing. They didn’t even bother to hide their disdain. I maintained my mask of indifference. These wolves saw me as nothing but a convenient sacrifice, a way to secure their future while protecting their precious Jane from a cursed mate. “In exchange for your cooperation,” Elder James resumed, his tone softer this time as if compensating for the cruelty of his pack members, “the Rivers Pack will ensure your grandmother, Grace Winter, receives the finest medical care available.” My eyes flickered involuntarily to where my grandmother Grace sat near the back of the hall. Grace Winter - the woman who had actually raised me, who had taught me the foundations of healing that I would later expand into powers that made even Alphas tremble. She grew weaker each day from the mysterious illness that plagued her. Sarah's voice suddenly cut through my mind through mindlink: Don't play any tricks, otherwise I will stop paying for Grace's treatment. A trace of coldness flashed through my heart. Grace is Sarah's mother, but she doesn't care at all, and even threatens me with Grace's life. I laughed sarcastically in my mind. How could I still have expectations for Sarah? After all, I am her daughter, and I can be sacrificed by her without hesitation. "Okay," I said simply, keeping my voice carefully neutral. Sarah's triumphant smile made my skin crawl. Jane's shoulders sagged with obvious relief. The pack members around us nodded in satisfaction, pleased with their neat solution to secure their future. Sarah clapped my hands in a show of false motherly affection. I lowered my head to prevent her from seeing the sarcasm in my eyes. Who needs her treatment fee? But I must marry Alexander. I have my reasons.