Exiled Then Reborn As The Vengeful Luna

Chapter 002

Juanita.

The Moon Hunt was just days away, and the festive mood had taken hold of the Moonbeam Pack. Everywhere I turned, there was talk of mates, of destiny, of unions that would last a lifetime forged under the light of the moon. The air hummed with expectation, with activity and joy, with the mingled scents of roasting meats and sweet honeyed wine.

For most, it was a time of anticipation. A time of hope.

To me, it was only a reminder of what I’d lost. I’d lost my parents around this time a few years ago. Moonbeam's cruelty had taken their lives. So while they celebrated, I was being consumed by thoughts of my parents. There was nothing to celebrate.

My days have been full of preparations, like cleaning, decorating, readying guest rooms for visiting packs. My normal tasks had shifted from daily chores to party preparations, making sure the packs had everything they needed for their partying.

Today had been no different. By nighttime, my body ached from hours of scrubbing, arranging, lifting, and running errands. But at least I was done. The guest complex I had been working in was silent, mostly empty for the moment. There would be more guests arriving in the next few days, but tonight most of the pack was in the town square, drinking, dancing, and reveling in the promise of the hunt ahead.

Peace was something I rarely knew. I was not about to let it go to waste.

I stole a bottle of cheap ale from the supply closet. It was nothing fancy, nothing that anyone would miss

And went back into the guest complex. I stayed silent, sneaking into the shadows, making my way up to a dark balcony on the uppermost floor.

It was secluded, private, and I could overlook the bonfire in the middle of the square. I could watch the flickering fire, the distant thump of drums and laughter, but be apart from it all.

Exactly as I liked.

I curled into the corner which was shadowed by the darkness, drawing my knees up to my chest as I pulled the cork out of the bottle. It burned on the way down, bitter and cheap, but it was exactly what I needed.

I drank again, and again, my mind churning, trying to silence those thoughts which always lingered in the back of my mind. I just wanted to feel nothing.

But then…

I felt a presence.

My senses prickled, and I stiffened, my head turning slowly.

A man was sitting at the other end of the balcony, half in shadow. A big, broad-shouldered man, leaning back against the railing, a wine glass dangling carelessly between his fingers. But what caught me most and made my breath hitch in my throat were his eyes.

They were Amer and piercing. Watching me.

I let out a sharp yelp, nearly dropping the bottle as I scrambled to my feet, pressing myself against the stone wall.

“Forgive me,” I stammered, lowering my gaze in immediate submission. “I…I didn’t know anyone was here. I’m sorry, I…”

“Sit.”

The single word was a deep, rumbling command. Not harsh. Not angry. Just firm.

I stopped, shocked.

I didn't recognize him.

He wasn't a Moonbeam native that much was sure. I would have remembered a man like this.

He didn't speak again, just gazed at me, amber eyes unreadable as he drank more wine.

I sat back down on the floor slowly, uncertainly.

Silence stretched between us, thick and strained.

I brought the bottle to my lips again, strangely self-conscious. How long had he been sitting there? Had he been here the entire time? Had he watched me drink myself into oblivion?

Then his voice sliced through the quiet. Low, smooth as velvet.

"Why are you not celebrating with the rest of your pack?"

I almost laughed. Rather, I scoffed, bitterness rising in my throat. Liquor loosened my tongue before I could stop it. "There is nothing to be celebrating in my life."

I waited for him to ask why.

Instead, he just tilted his head to the side, as if observing me. Waiting.

And for some reason, I went on.

"I despise this pack," I admitted, voice rough. "I despise these people. They are not my pack members. They are my oppressors."

The words spilled out before I could stop them, and then my heart missed a beat in fear.

If anyone overheard me say something like that…

I swallowed tightly, fear tightening my chest, my hands trembling around the bottle.

But the man did not react.

No shock. No anger. No judgment.

Just… a hum. A low, thoughtful sound in the back of his throat.

I exhaled shakily. I was already drunk, but somehow, those amber eyes looking at me made me feel even more unsteady.

Then he spoke, "Don't you expect to find your destined mate?"

I laughed bitterly. "I don't think I have one."

His eyes narrowed.

I looked away, taking another long sip of ale before I whispered, "Others may have that luxury. But not me."

Something in his face shifted for the first time. A flicker of understanding. Recognition.

Then, slowly, a smirk.

"Same," he whispered.

Our eyes crashed, the air between us vibrant, electric.

I felt it in my bones.

A slow, simmering heat.

I couldn't look away.

He set his glass down, standing up smoothly.

I swallowed, my eyes locked on him as he moved closer, the dim moonlight slashing cruel lines across his features. He was very tall. At least six-foot-five with toned muscles that drew tight against his black clothes. Black hair, slightly disheveled. A carved, cut jaw. And those amber eyes, ablaze with something indefinable.

"Perhaps," he said, low, slow, deliberate, "we should spend the night together."

My breath caught.

My skin heated.

I looked at him, disbelief twirling in my mind.

He was… beautiful. Powerful. There was no chance, no chance a man like him would want to bed a woman like me.

I hesitated, my voice barely above a whisper. "Why would you want that with me?"

His eyes danced over me, dark humor jerking at the corner of his mouth.

"If I didn't want to f**k you," he said coarsely, "I wouldn't ask."

My lip was caught between her teeth.

The words made me feel aroused, and I felt shameful, but they were thrilling and far too enticing.

I hadn't been touched in years.

I wasn't even sure why I was fighting it.

Maybe because this was reckless. Maybe because it was unsafe.

Or maybe, maybe because I desired it too much.

My heart raced, I finally breathed, "Yes."

His smirk sharpened.

"Come with me."

He turned, moving in the direction of the balcony doorway, and I paused only for a moment before standing and following him.

We moved silently, up a flight of stairs, down an empty corridor. He stopped at a door near the end. An executive suite.

A visiting Alpha, I realized vaguely. A guest of honor.

A man I had no business following into a private suite.

But I didn't stop.

He thrust the door open, entering without waiting. I glanced down the hallway to make sure no one was looking, then slipped in behind him.

The door had hardly closed before his hands were on me.

A firm grip, pulling me close, his mouth coming down on mine in a hot, searing kiss.

My head spun as our mouths moved together, hungry and deep, our bodies molding to each other, heat flaring between ys.

Then his lips went to my ear, his breath warm as he growled, "Take off that dress."

My heart thudded. I gazed into his burning eyes that smoldered with desire and slowly, with trembling hands, I loosened the laces of my dress.

The fabric slipped from my shoulders, pooling at my feet on the floor.

A ruthless, hungry predatory gleam darkened his eyes.

And then he reached for me again.