The Luna They Underestimated

Chapter 03

Rowan’s POV

“Did they actually banish me? Are you guys getting rid of me?” My stomach twists painfully. We’ve genuinely never left this Pack before, not even briefly. My parents never took vacations, never had the luxury given their positions.

I only know one other family whose kid never developed a wolf, and that family literally discarded him like trash, kicked him out entirely. It’s been my constant nightmare ever since my parents eventually decided I’m too embarrassing to keep around. My eyes flick toward the moving truck, then back toward my father, though it’s actually Mom who finally answers.

“Yes, Atticus is telling the truth. Alpha Victor demanded you leave once you turned eighteen. This is strictly werewolf territory,” she confirms.

So this really is happening. The Alpha finally convinced them to cut me loose. My chest tightens painfully, panic clawing upward. Where would I even go? How would I survive alone?

“So that’s it, then? You’re sending me away?” My voice cracks, tears threatening to spill over. They’re actually forcing me out, sending me to fend for myself as a rogue.

“Absolutely not. You’re our daughter,” Mom says, voice noticeably gentler now. She cradles my face between her palms, squishing my cheeks slightly. “We saw this coming, so we already made arrangements. We’re all relocating together, joining a different Pack.” Her expression softens further as she presses a kiss to my forehead. “We would never abandon you. Never, Ro.”

I nod, relief flooding through me, tension draining from my shoulders instantly.

Releasing me, she turns toward my father.

“Actually, hun, we should probably get moving now,” she says quickly, hurrying around toward the passenger door.

Dad opens his mouth to question the urgency, but she’s already inside, door slamming shut before he can ask anything.

“She slapped Atticus,” I whisper to him, and he actually stumbles backward slightly in shock.

A mischievous grin spreads across his face as he leans closer.

“Please tell me it left a mark,” he asks, winking conspiratorially.

I laugh softly, shaking my head, before climbing into the backseat. Dad pulls away, the moving truck falling in line behind us.

“Wait, what about your position, Dad? You’re literally the Pack Beta,” I ask worriedly, knowing this will cost him everything.

“I refuse to stay part of any Pack that treats my daughter this way. They want you gone? Then I’m gone too,” he states firmly, closing the subject entirely.

Relief washes over me despite the guilt gnawing underneath guilt over dragging them away from their entire lives because of me.

“Everything’s going to work out fine, sweetheart, trust me,” Mom reassures, reaching back to squeeze my knee reassuringly.

“What Pack would even want someone without a wolf?” I mutter, mostly to myself.

“You’re not wolf-less, just delayed. Your wolf will show up eventually, Ro. Both your parents are werewolves, which makes you one too, regardless,” Mom insists, refusing to acknowledge the obvious truth. Everyone already knows exactly how useless I really am, myself included, yet my parents keep clinging to this fantasy that someday I’ll magically wake up transformed.

“We’re heading to Black Creek Pack. Alpha Thorne generously offered us shelter,” Dad explains as Mom turns back toward the windshield.

Alpha Thorne? The name nags at something familiar in my memory. The moment recognition clicks, my eyes practically bulge and I lurch forward in genuine panic. No, literally anywhere else would be preferable. Going rogue suddenly sounds like the safer option.

“Black Creek? Isn’t that the Pack that just finished a war against Blue Mountain?” I ask carefully, praying I’m somehow mistaken about his identity.

“Yes, Rowan, I understand you’re frightened, but the Alpha’s actually quite reasonable. Very understanding about everything. Honestly, I think he enjoyed stripping Victor of his Beta and his only female warrior in one move,” Mom replies, sounding smug about it.

“Mom, he wiped out their entire pack. He’s a literal monster,” I argue back. Honestly, this supposed new Alpha terrifies me infinitely more than Victor ever did. Everyone’s heard the horror stories surrounding Alpha Thorne’s reputation. I sink back into my seat, already certain this situation is destined to end badly. Something heavy settles uncomfortably in my stomach.

“I’m sure he had legitimate reasons. Besides, nobody else offered to take us in,” Mom counters sharply.

“So he already knows about my wolf situation?” I ask, considering how tight-knit and exclusive these Pack communities typically are. Genuinely surprised, anyone agreed to accept a wolf-less addition into their ranks.

My parents exchange a quick glance, and I blink at them both, brain struggling to process whatever silent conversation just happened.

“It won’t be a problem as long as you prove yourself genuinely useful around the Pack,” Dad finally answers.

Wonderful, he has no idea, meaning I’ll basically be playing omega servant indefinitely, I think bitterly. Exhaustion eventually claims me during the drive, and I only wake when we finally stop at some storage facility. Five hours total, apparently, and my whole body aches from the cramped ride back stiff, legs completely numb. Movers begin unloading our belongings into storage while a sleek black car pulls up right alongside ours, two men stepping out. I instinctively shift closer to our car, taking a cautious step backward as they approach.

Both men study me intently, nostrils flaring slightly as they catch my scent. Their bearing alone tells me everything about werewolves, and clearly ranking high within their Pack structure.

“Alpha Thorne wants you at the Packhouse right away.” The dark-haired one, his hair faded sharply at the sides, speaks with a low growl threading through his words. Early twenties, probably, radiating enough natural authority that I immediately peg him as Beta. His gaze slides toward me, sweeping top to bottom, an unreadable expression flickering across his features.

Anger? Shock? Hard to say, honestly, since he masks it almost instantly. His mouth presses into a firm line, throat working as he swallows, attention snapping back toward my father deliberately.

“This is your kid?” His tone drips with something close to disdain as he gestures vaguely toward me, making zero effort to disguise his obvious distaste. Definitely anger, I decide, especially once his cold gray-blue stare lands back on me, sharp enough to cut.

“Yes, my daughter, Rowan. I’m Vance,” Dad introduces himself, extending a hand toward the stranger. “Didn’t catch your name, though?” he adds smoothly, deliberately redirecting the man’s unsettling focus away from me which honestly makes me want to bolt straight back into the car.

The stranger grips Dad’s hand firmly.

“Beta Matthew. This here’s one of our Gammas,” he says, nodding toward his companion. Similar age, blond hair falling carelessly over hazel eyes, though this one seems mostly just bored by the whole exchange.

Both men are massive, roughly matching my father’s build, though Matthew carries noticeably more muscle mass and stands several inches taller, dressed in a fitted black shirt paired with dark jeans.

“Understand you held Beta rank back at your previous Pack?” Matthew asks, and Dad nods confirmation.

“Perfect, we could definitely use extra hands training our members, assuming you’re interested?” He tosses out the offer with a faint smirk.