LUNA REBORN ; HOW I MET MY MATE

The fifth anniversary of my marriage began with a celebration so beautiful that, for a while, I forgot to question why my husband wouldn't look me in the eyes. The grand ballroom of Blackwood Castle had been transformed for the occasion. Crystal chandeliers illuminated the polished marble floor, musicians played beneath an enormous silver crest, and nobles from nearly every powerful pack in the kingdom had gathered to celebrate what they believed was the greatest political alliance of the last decade. Servants moved quietly between the tables, carrying expensive wine and carefully arranged dishes, while laughter filled the room whenever another Alpha raised a glass to the couple who had supposedly brought peace to a divided kingdom. To everyone watching, Kael and I were the perfect pair. Five years earlier, Alpha Kael Blackwood had shocked the werewolf kingdom by rejecting his fated mate and choosing me instead. I had been the daughter of Alpha Richard Ashford, and our marriage had united two powerful territories that had spent generations distrusting each other. The council had called it a brilliant political decision. The nobles had called it a romantic sacrifice. I had called it love. For five years, I had believed that Kael had looked at the future everyone expected him to have and willingly chosen a different one with me. Tonight, however, I couldn't shake the feeling that I was the only person in the room who still believed that story. I stood near the tall windows overlooking the moonlit gardens, accepting congratulations from another noble while my attention remained fixed on the far side of the ballroom. Kael was surrounded by members of the council, his expression serious as they discussed something I couldn't hear. Every few minutes he glanced toward the entrance, as though waiting for someone. Whenever I caught his eye, he looked away before I could read his expression. It had been like that all evening. "Luna, you must be very proud," Lady Maren said beside me. "Five years of peace between the Ashfords and Blackwoods is an achievement few believed possible." I managed a smile. "We were fortunate." "Fortunate?" She laughed softly. "I would call it destiny." The word made something uncomfortable twist inside me. Destiny. For years, I had heard people say that Kael and I were proof that love could overcome a fated bond. Yet I had never considered how often they spoke about the political benefits of our marriage when they thought I wasn't listening. Lady Maren moved on to greet another guest, leaving me alone with my thoughts. I looked toward Kael again. He was still talking to the council. I should have been used to it. An Alpha's responsibilities were never small, and I knew better than anyone how often his duties demanded his attention. Still, there was something different about tonight. He hadn't asked me to dance. He hadn't whispered anything to me when we had arrived. He hadn't even mentioned our anniversary. A cold breeze slipped through the partially opened balcony doors. I stepped outside. The gardens were quieter than the ballroom, and the cool night air was a welcome relief from the heat inside. The full moon hung above the castle, bright enough to illuminate the paths winding between the roses. I rested my hands against the stone railing and closed my eyes, trying to settle the uneasiness that had followed me since morning. "You're avoiding the celebration." I opened my eyes. Elder Rowan stood behind me. The old councilman had served three generations of Blackwood Alphas, and he rarely spoke unless he believed his words mattered. Tonight, however, his expression was troubled. "I'm taking a little air," I replied. His gaze moved toward the ballroom before returning to me. "Have you spoken with the Alpha?" "Not much." Something in his face tightened. "You should speak with him before the evening ends." I turned toward him. "Why?" He hesitated. For several seconds, it seemed as though he was deciding whether he could trust me with whatever was on his mind. "There are conversations happening in the council that concern you." My heartbeat quickened. "What kind of conversations?" Before he could answer, another elder appeared at the balcony entrance. "Rowan, the Alpha needs you." The old man sighed and turned toward him, but before leaving, he looked at me again. "Whatever you hear tonight, Luna, don't be too quick to believe the first explanation you're given." I frowned. "What does that mean?" But he was already walking away. I remained on the balcony, watching him disappear into the crowd. His warning should have been enough to make me search for Kael immediately. Instead, I stood there trying to convince myself that I was imagining things. I had spent five years surrounded by people who wanted our marriage to succeed. Perhaps that had made me suspicious of shadows where there were none. Then the ballroom erupted in applause. I turned and saw Kael stepping onto the raised platform. He waited until the room became quiet before speaking. "Five years ago, our families made a decision that changed the course of this kingdom." His eyes found mine. "Our marriage ended a rivalry that had lasted longer than either of our generations can remember. Since then, the eastern territories have prospered, our borders have remained secure, and our alliances have grown stronger." The guests applauded again. I listened carefully, waiting for him to say something about us rather than the political alliance our marriage had created. He didn't. When his speech ended, people crowded around him, offering congratulations and raising their glasses. I stayed where I was for several minutes, wondering whether I was being foolish for wanting more from my husband on our fifth anniversary. Eventually, I decided to find him. I left the ballroom through a quieter corridor leading toward his private study. The castle seemed strangely empty there. Most of the servants were downstairs, and the music from the celebration had faded into a distant murmur. I was almost at the study when I heard voices. I stopped. The door was slightly open. One voice belonged to Kael. The other was a woman I had never heard before. "I've waited five years." My hand tightened around the edge of my dress. The woman's voice was controlled, but there was anger beneath it. "You told me this marriage had a purpose. You said once the alliance was secure, you would end it." Kael didn't answer. "You have everything now," she continued. "The eastern territories support you. The council trusts you. The kingdom sees you as the strongest Alpha alive. How much longer are you going to pretend that Luna means something to you?" My heart began beating faster. I should have walked away. Instead, I remained outside the door. Kael finally spoke. "You don't understand the situation." "I understand perfectly." There was a bitter laugh. "I watched you spend five years playing the devoted husband. I watched her wear my place beside you while everyone praised you for choosing her over your fated mate." My breath caught. Fated mate. I took a slow step backward, but I couldn't make myself leave. "She was never supposed to be permanent," the woman said. Silence followed. I waited for Kael to deny it. He didn't. My stomach dropped. The woman spoke again, softer this time. "Tell me I'm wrong." Kael's answer came after a long pause. "You aren't." For a moment, the entire world seemed to stop. I stared at the half-open door, unable to process what I had just heard. Five years of memories rushed through my mind. The night Kael had told me he loved me. The day he had placed his mark on me. The promises he had made when we stood before the Moon Shrine. The quiet mornings when I had believed I was waking beside the man who had chosen me because he couldn't imagine his life without me. If what he had just said was true, then every one of those memories had been built on a lie. I stepped backward. My heel caught the edge of a decorative table. A porcelain vase tipped over and crashed onto the marble floor. The conversation inside stopped. The study door opened. Kael stood there. The moment he saw me, the color drained from his face. "Luna." I looked past him. The woman from the study stood near the fireplace. She had long silver hair and pale blue eyes. She was beautiful in a way that immediately made me understand why the kingdom had once considered Kael's rejection of his fated mate such a scandal. She looked at me without surprise. As though she had been waiting for me to discover the truth. I looked back at Kael. "Was it all a lie?" His jaw tightened. "Luna, you shouldn't have heard that conversation." "That's not an answer." He stepped toward me. I moved back. For the first time in five years, I was afraid of my own husband. "What did you mean when you said I wasn't permanent?" Kael's eyes flickered toward the woman. That tiny movement told me more than any explanation could have. I swallowed hard. "Who is she?" The woman answered for him. "The woman he rejected for you." I stared at her. She smiled sadly. "And now that he has everything your family gave him, he doesn't need you anymore." Something inside me cracked. I looked at Kael one last time, desperately searching his face for the man I had loved. "Tell me she's lying." His lips parted. Nothing came out. His silence was worse than an admission. The woman moved toward me. Kael suddenly said, "Don't." There was something in his voice that made her stop. I barely noticed. My eyes were still fixed on him. "You should have told me the truth." "I was trying to protect you." I almost laughed. "From what?" His expression changed. For the first time, genuine fear appeared in his eyes. "Everything." Before I could understand what he meant, the woman moved. A flash of silver caught the light. Pain tore through me, and my knees gave way. I hit the marble floor hard. For several seconds, I couldn't understand what had happened. Then I felt warmth spreading across the front of my gown, and I realized that the woman was standing over me with a silver dagger in her hand. Kael shouted my name. He dropped beside me, but he didn't touch the wound. His hands hovered uselessly as though he was terrified that any movement would make things worse. "Luna, stay with me." I looked into his eyes. There was no triumph there. No relief. Only fear. And somehow, that frightened me more than the betrayal. The woman stepped closer. "You were never meant to survive tonight." I tried to speak, but my voice barely came out. "Why?" She looked at Kael before answering. "Because your existence is worth more than you know." My vision blurred. I looked at Kael again. He seemed desperate to say something, but whatever words he had were swallowed by the darkness closing around me. As my heartbeat weakened, Elder Rowan's warning returned to my mind. Don't be too quick to believe the first explanation you're given. Then I heard Kael whisper my name. Not with anger. Not with indifference. With grief. And that was the last thing I remembered before the world disappeared.