The Rejected Luna

Chapter one

Anastasia’s P.O.V

I was the cursed child. My mother, said to be the most beautiful Luna in the whole of Afrikstan died while birthing me. Her death came as a slap—scratch that—a blow, to Alan—my father and the Alpha of the Golden Circle Pack.

Hell, the whole Golden Circle Pack was hit by a storm at the announcement of her demise. She was truly well-loved by her husband and subjects.

Anyway, the brunt of the loss of their Luna fell on me. Everyone paid little to no heed to my welfare and in spite of all of this, I still loved my family dearly.

I knew the true reason my father hated me was because of my striking resemblance to my mother, Mabel, whom he had cherished and never forgiven for having died and left him.

Every time he looked at me or heard my voice, the knives of grief cut through him over again and hardened his heart to me.

My father’s beta, Gordon, had once told me that it was my mother’s beauty and her sweet temperament that softened him, but after his wife’s death, Alpha Alan had once again become the hard and rigid man he’d been before he mated with mom.

A man who devoted all his energies to leading his pack and amassing more power and increasing the territories of the pack.

Anyway, I have been raised by a number of indifferent female omegas or old maids who always abandoned me in the end. Since it seemed that the warmest of my nannies had either died quickly or were too frail to pay me more than a brief notice, I’d been forced to survive by my sharp mind in the harsh world of my father’s pack where there were always bloody wars between the Golden Circle Pack, the Frazier Pack, and other border packs.

My life so far has been devoid of the beauty and happiness, the love, affection, and warmth of companionship that my soul cried out for.

Only one person in the world was the highlight of my life. Liam McPhee. I had, since my third birthday, been betrothed to Liam McPhee, the future Alpha of the Dark Wand pack. It was a match made by the moon goddess herself and I couldn’t wait to finally get my wolf in order to marry him. Liam had been the one bright flame that’d illuminated my dark life for these past fourteen years, glowing steadily just for me.

As a little girl, he’d place me on his knees or carry me on his shoulders and play silly games that’d make me squeal with laughter.

When I grew older, he taught me to fight in my human form and also introduced me to the beauty of music and the pleasure of playing the flute.

Yes, he was older than I am, but his rare visits to the Golden Circle Pack had brought laughter and affection into my life and the realization that not all men were like my father and brothers.

To crown it all, Alan loved me and always said he couldn’t wait to make me his bride.

A knock on my room door suddenly jolted me from my thoughts and I sprang from my bed.

“Princess Anastasia, may I come in?” The voice of my father’s beta feathered through the oak wood.

I hummed a response and he walked in, leaving the door slightly open.

“Today’s your birthday.” He started. “The day to celebrate your coming of age and, hopefully, your wolf. You can’t be up here all day sulking.”

“If you’re trying to persuade me to come down and join the party, then you shouldn’t waste your time.” I stubbornly declined his invitation with a toss of my hair.

The older man shook his head and a sly look slipped into his eyes. “You know I begged the Alpha that three days is long enough to teach you a lesson for your disobedience. I told him that you haven’t left your room in those days and tonight is a special night for you but he refused.”

Turning to him, I narrowed my eyes. “What exactly did he say?”

Beta Gordon cleared his throat and bit back a grin. “He said No! I will not have my daughter thinking I’ve grown weak, nor that I have forgiven her rebellion. And as for marrying that pretty weakling, Liam McPhee, her mother chose for her on her deathbed? Never! I forbid it. As soon as she meets her wolf, she’ll marry the man I CHOOSE for her, and accept it!”

Scowling just like my father would, he wiped his lips and beard with his fist. “I intended to marry my daughter to a man who will bring an alliance between our pack and his. Someone who will prove a loyal friend and do our pack the greatest good in case of war for his bride’s sake. That’s my decision and it is final. Be gone with you and never bother me with your chitchats.”

He took a deep breath and concluded. “Then he expressly forbade you to join your birthday party and retired to his room with one of the dancers.”

“Are you saying that the Alpha has forbidden me to attend my own party and yet went to f**k a dancer in his own room? Then I must go down!” I declared with a wicked grin that made my blue eyes sparkle so brightly, Gordon’s smile twisted.

My expression softened as I saw the look on his face and I went to him and teasingly pinched his cheek. The poor man flushed scarlet and I could see his adoration for me shining in his eyes.

“Oh Gordie, you should have gone straight to the point. You know I’ll do anything to go against the Alpha.”

 “You think I don’t know that?” Gordon retorted, pursing his lips. “One day, little pea, you’ll go too far, mark my words! So? What will it be? Will you come to the hall to see the fun or not? It’s your party.”

“Yes, I’ll come.”

I whirled around and flung up the lid of a heavy wooden box that sat next to my wardrobe and fetched out an ugly hooded dress that was a dyed blue color, one worn by the servants of the Golden Circle pack.

“I heard the flutes and drums from up here.” I bubbled as I removed the leather jacket from my shoulders. “They sounded so upbeat that I longed to see for myself what was happening at the party!”

 “Now, what do you think of this, Beta Gordon?” I gave a twirl. “Should I wear this old thing I usually use to sneak out of the house? It’ll be a long time before my father recognizes me, dressed like one of his servants, right?”

“You little rascal,” Gordie scolded with a grin. “You don’t miss a thing, do you?”

“Never.” I agreed with hysteric laughter. “Now, leave my room, Gordie! I’ll soon join you in the halls!”

An hour passed before I made my way to the halls. I flashed my phone’s light along the staircase leading down the tower, rolling my eyes at the almost pitch-darkness. Only God knew why they put out the lights.

My attention was fully on the stairs and not on the strange silence in the hall below—where there should have been noise, music, and partying—until I descended the last step.

Frowning, I hurried down the short passageway, leading to the quiet halls. Damn, have I waited too long and missed the dancers? Was everyone done partying and now outside waiting for the red moon?

Oh no, I thought, running now.

I came to a shuddering halt at the opening into the hall and looked about me. And, as the horror before me registered fully in my mind, my eyes widened in shock and disbelief. The broad grin on my face fled and the color drained from my cheeks.

In the short time that Gordie had called me, more than twenty of my pack members had been killed without so much as a single scream, or at least a struggle to awaken me to the situation.