The Luna's Revenge

It was the night of the Lunar Gathering, the sacred night beneath the swollen full moon when the pack’s blood sang loudest. I stood by the window, gazing up at the moon, trying to feel a connection. Years ago, under such a full moon, I’d first locked eyes with Kaid. It was the beginning of my heart’s reckless leap into a forbidden bond. That night, I’d turned my back on the path the Moon goddess had carved for me, trading destiny for love. Now, as I closed my eyes and reached for the moon’s primal pulse, I felt… nothing. No hum in my veins, no stir of the beast beneath my skin. Silence from my wolf spirit. Over these past months, my lupine essence had waned, slipping away like sand through my fingers. It gnawed at me, this fading power. But I was more concerned for my daughter, Lily, who needed my strength to mend her fragile body. Was this the judgment for defying my fate? I turned from the window, my gown sweeping across the floor as I crossed to the bed where Lily lay. Candlelight danced in the breeze, casting my shadow on the wall—a distorted, human shape. On a night like this, under the full moon’s pull, my feral silhouette should have rippled forth: claws, fangs, the proud curve of a wolf’s spine. But it remained stubbornly mortal, a reminder of my dwindling nature. Lily slept soundly, her small chest rising and falling in a rhythm too gentle for a cub of ten winters. I took her tiny hand in mine, my fingers tracing the unmarred skin where her first shift should have marked her by now. Ten years, and not a single howl had torn from her throat, not a claw unsheathed. A latent. “I heard Ana’s at the Mating Ball,” my maid, Selene, murmured as she stepped into the room, her head dipping in deference. A jolt ran through me—not the surge of lunar power I craved, but a cold spike of dread sinking into my bones. I lifted my gaze to her. “The same Ana?” “Yes, Luna,” she replied, her nod soft but certain. I rose, my pulse quickening. Ana. The name alone summoned shadows of chaos. She was Kaid’s fated mate who he had cast out years ago by his own decree. She had used dark powers, poisoning the Alpha’s brother and fracturing the pack’s unity. Banished beyond the territory lines, she should’ve been a ghost. Yet I was hearing rumors of her resurfacing on the night of the Lunar Gathering. Her return reeked of trouble, and I became even more worried. “Watch over Lily,” I ordered, already striding from the room. Kaid had to know about this. He had to act immediately, before her presence destroyed the fragile peace he’d fought to forge. The Alpha’s chambers lay at the far end of the hall, a distance that once felt trivial. In the early days of our bonding, we’d traded nights between our rooms, a playful dance of closeness. But since Lily’s birth, my focus had narrowed. I was more fixated on healing her and on clawing back my lost power. Most nights, I slept alone. It'd been over two weeks since Kaid and I shared a den, I realized as I stepped into his room. Tonight, with the moon riding high, we could relive it again. “Kaid,” I called, a teasing lilt in my voice and a spark of mischief curling my lips. The room was dim, the air still. No answer. I moved to the lamp on the stand, twisting the wick until the flame flared brighter. Empty. “Kaid?” My voice sharpened, eyes darting around. Footsteps thudded behind me, and a chamber guard burst in, dropping into a low bow. I recognized him. He was one of the fang-sworn tasked with guarding the Alpha’s lair. “Where’s the Alpha?” I demanded. “The Alpha has gone to the Mating Ball, Luna,” he replied, head still lowered. “Gone?” I glanced out the window toward the grand hall just beyond the stronghold, its lights flickering like a beacon. “When?” “About an hour ago, ma’am.” A shard of ice lodged in my chest. An hour ago, and he hadn’t told me. We’d never attended a Mating Ball apart—the ritual demanded the Alpha and Luna to stand as one. Something was wrong, gnashing at my instincts. Was it Ana? Had he gone to confront her, to ensure she didn’t sink her claws into our pack again? “Thank you,” I said, brushing past him. I steadied the silver circlet on my head, the Luna’s crown as the coachman scrambled to open the carriage door. The hall thrummed with life when I arrived, the air thick with the scent of musk and moonlit revelry. The moment my foot touched the floor, the music halted, and a brazen blast of trumpets heralded my entrance. ‘’Luna Kaira, mate of Alpha Kaid!’’ the announcer said, his voice echoing around the hall. I winced inwardly at the fanfare. I was standing alone under the spotlight, without my Alpha at my side.. Still, I summoned a gracious smile, nodding for the festivities to resume. My eyes swept the room, seeking the raised dais where Kaid and I should’ve been sitting. It was unoccupied. A growl of unease rumbled in my gut. The pack dance couldn’t begin without the Alpha’s presence. So I knew that he was here, somewhere. Why hadn’t he come to claim my hand the moment I entered, as he should have? I moved forward, my smile a mask over the storm brewing within. Then I saw them, and the ground beneath me seemed to give way. Ana saw me first. Her lips curled into a wicked, knowing grin. She leaned into Kaid, his hand firm on her waist and her blood red claws resting on his chest. Their bodies swayed in the unmistakable rhythm of the mating dance. My Alpha, my mate, lost to the pull of the one the Moon goddess had chosen for him long before I ever dared to claim his heart.