Atilla's POV

Xerxes Worgen, my son, was finally about to perform the union ceremony with his fated mate, Ceresca Faelan, a she-wolf he had pursued relentlessly for two years in the Night Prowlers pack. The news filled me with joy and relief. At last, the Moon Howlers would have a rightful Alpha, and I could step down from the burden of leadership that had weighed on me for so long.

Overcome with excitement, I left the pack in the capable hands of our Beta and set off early for the Night Prowlers’ territory. The ceremony was still a day away, but I couldn’t wait to see my son. It had been years since we last spoke in person, and my heart longed for the reunion.

That night, under the silver glow of the moon, I met Xerxes for a late-night walk, hoping to share a rare quiet moment with him. Since his father, Aztec Worgen, had passed, the leadership had fallen to me while Xerxes trained hard to take over the rank his father left. During this time, the elders and I decided to hide my identity to avoid being targeted by rogues and other rival packs.

But since a pack without an Alpha was prone to rogue attacks, the elders soon decided to make Xerxes the pack's Alpha, since they believed he had already learned everything an Alpha should. Even so, he was not yet official since he hadn't found his mate.

After years of searching, Xerxes found Ceresca in the Night Prowlers, only to leave his responsibilities behind and chase after her. With him gone, the weight of the pack’s leadership returned to me. Though I longed for rest, I carried the burden once again, silently hoping his union would bring much-needed stability to our pack.

Our walk was peaceful, a time to catch up on the years that had passed. But by morning, that peace was shattered.

Xerxes stormed into the place I was temporarily staying, his face dark with frustration. "Mom, what should I do? We had a big fight," he blurted, pacing like a caged wolf.

My stomach twisted. "What do you mean, a fight? Your union ceremony is in just a few hours, Xerxes. You need to fix this now."

He ran a hand through his hair, irritated. "I know, Mom! But Ceresca’s furious. She’s convinced I have another she-wolf! She said her friend saw me with someone last night."

I frowned, confused. "Another she-wolf? Who could—" Then it dawned on me.

I had met Xerxes for a walk last night. Could that have been the cause of this misunderstanding?

“Xerxes,” I said sternly, “the mateship bond is sacred. You cannot let this misunderstanding ruin everything. You’ve finally found your mate—don’t you dare mess it up.”

He fell silent, his defiance crumbling under the weight of my words. For a long moment, he said nothing, eyes cast downward.

But as much as I scolded him, the sinking feeling in my chest only grew. The ceremony was supposed to be a celebration, yet now there was a dark cloud hanging over it. I guess I would just personally explain the misunderstanding between them later.

That afternoon, to clear my head, I went to the market to pass the time before the ceremony. I strolled through the bustling streets, trying to shake the sense of dread creeping over me. Just as I was about to leave and head to the venue, I heard a group of she-wolves passing by, their conversation catching my ear.

"Hey, Ceresca. That’s the she-wolf I saw last night with Alpha Xerxes."

My interest was piqued when I heard the names. But just before I could turn around to look at them, a hand was already in my hair, yanking me back with such force that I stumbled.

"So, it's you, huh?" the girl in a red dress hissed, venom dripping from every word. I supposed she was my son's mate, Ceresca, as the girl mentioned earlier.

Her grip tightened painfully as she dragged my head backward, glaring at me with eyes full of rage.

I stared at her, shocked and disoriented. “Ceresca, I—”

But she didn’t let me finish. A sharp slap cracked across my face, the sting of it making my vision blur. The force turned my head sideways, and I tasted blood on my lip.

The market had fallen silent. Dozens of eyes were on us, watching in shock as Ceresca, my son’s mate, lashed out at me in front of everyone.

"You disgusting bitch!" she screamed, grabbing my hair again and pulling me closer, her breath hot against my skin. "You think you can just hide forever, seducing Xerxes like that?"

Atilla's POV

Ceresca's sudden slap was a shock, but the venom in her insults stung even worse. I could feel the eyes of the gathered wolves on us, watching as if we were putting on a twisted show—a fated mate beating down the supposed "other woman."

“She looks so well-mannered, and yet…” “Who would’ve thought? Seducing another wolf’s mate at her age? Shameless.”

The whispers pierced through the growing pain in my face, but I kept my composure. I had to. I stepped forward, raising my voice over the din of the crowd. "Ceresca, you’ve misunderstood. I am Xerxes's—"

But she didn’t let me finish. Rage consumed her as she grabbed my hair, throwing me down to the ground with a vicious snarl. The impact knocked the breath out of me, but I could already feel more claws tearing into my back, her friends joining the fray, slashing and stomping with feral glee.

I growled low in my throat, trying to push through the pain. "Enough!" I roared, shifting into my wolf form in one fluid motion, shaking them off like leaves in a storm. My voice boomed through the square as my wolf, silver-furred and commanding, towered over them.

But my attempt at restraint only seemed to provoke them. Their eyes darkened with fury as they shifted into their wolves, ready for blood.

"I won’t stop until you’re dead, slut!" Ceresca snarled, her words dripping with hatred. "You seduced my mate, and now you’re denying it? Pathetic."

She lunged at me, intending to tackle me. But I sidestepped and successfully dodged her attack.

My wolf instincts were flaring, but I held back. She was my son’s mate—the future Luna of our pack. Hurting her was the last thing I wanted.

Ceresca landed lightly on her paws, a sneer curling across her muzzle. "Luckily, the Moon Goddess is on my side," she taunted. "She led me right to you. Now, I can finally rid the world of a lowlife like you." She rushed at me again, claws aiming for my throat.

This time, I didn't have much time to avoid it, so I parried her off with my muzzle. She crashed backward, but since it was not forceful, it didn't take her far away.

"You think you’re clever because I haven’t landed a blow on you yet?" she spat, circling me. "Pssh! You’re just nothing. Just a pathetic she-wolf who thought she could rise above her station. Well, when I’m Luna, I’ll make sure you’re sold to the black market, forced to serve every filthy wolf who wants you."

After that, she charged toward me, this time faster, and jumped, her claws gleaming as she aimed for my neck. I barely managed to block her with my foreleg, her claws cutting deep into my skin. Blood matted my fur, but I stood tall, staring at her down.

Amid such offensive insults and aggressive attacks, I kept my composure and explained, "Ceresca, listen to me. I’m not Xerxes’s lover. If you don’t believe me, mindlink him. Ask him yourself."

Before, Xerxes often talked about Ceresca whenever we mindlinked. He always told me how gentle, considerate, and intelligent she was.

But now that I faced her, it seemed otherwise. I didn't expect Ceresca to be this aggressive and mean.

Despite me remaining calm while explaining, she still didn't give me a chance to explain.

Instead, she signaled to her friends, who closed in around me. My wolf crouched low, preparing to defend, but I knew I was outnumbered. Still, I couldn’t bring myself to hurt them—not unless I had no other choice.

Ceresca spat at me again, her voice dripping with malice. "Just 'Xerxes'? No title at all, huh? So you're not only a cheap whore but also disrespectful. Well, what can I expect from your kind?"

Distracted by her venomous words, I didn’t notice the she-wolf behind me until I felt her teeth sink into my hind leg. A cry escaped me as I struggled to free myself, blood dripping from the wound.

"Don’t worry," Ceresca continued, her eyes gleaming with triumph. "I’ll drag you to our ceremony. Then everyone will see who Xerxes belongs to, and you’ll be nothing but a bad memory."

I growled low, my body tense as the circle around me tightened. But this time, I had learned. I was now wary of my surroundings, sensing each of them, waiting for the next attack.

However, I didn't expect that all of Ceresca's friends would attack all at once. Having several wounds, I couldn't move fast and avoid them on time. Claws raked my sides, teeth sank into my fur, and the sheer weight of their bodies pressed me down. I tried to fight, but my legs buckled beneath me, my breath coming in ragged gasps.

Ceresca approached slowly, triumph in her eyes. She placed a paw on my head, pressing down with cruel satisfaction. "Xerxes will toss you aside like the trash you are," she sneered, her voice dripping with disdain. "You’ll never reach my rank. You’re nothing but secondhand goods."

Her words were like knives twisting in my gut. This was the she-wolf Moon Goddess matched with my son? This cruel, vindictive creature? I had been so excited to pass on my title, to welcome her as the next Luna. But now, all I could feel was a growing dread. If Xerxes bonded with her, our pack would be doomed to her tyranny.

"Let’s not drag this out. Finish her," Ceresca instructed, her voice cold and final.

Atilla's POV

The world blurred around me as Ceresca’s best friends closed in, their eyes glinting with malice. They surrounded me like a pack of wolves ready to tear apart their prey—and I was exactly that. For what felt like hours, they had been slashing, clawing, and stomping me, their laughter echoing in my ears like a haunting melody. Each strike drained me further, the pain becoming so unbearable that I could no longer hold onto my wolf form.

I collapsed back into my human shape, gasping for air, every inch of my body screaming in agony. Blood coated my skin, my vision swimming from the deep gashes that refused to heal under the relentless assault.

The crowd of wolves watching did nothing but gawk, their eyes gleaming with twisted delight as if my suffering was some sort of grotesque entertainment. Naked and broken, I lay curled on the ground, my hands trembling as I tried to shield myself from their stares. My blood smeared across the dirt, and I could feel their gazes burning into my exposed flesh.

There were so many of them. I was simply no match for them even if I was a Luna.

The intense pain and loss of blood almost made me faint. In a daze, I even heard Ceresca cursing at me.

"You filthy slut," Ceresca spat, her voice venomous. "This is what happens when you try to steal another wolf's mate!"

When they finally paused, I forced myself to speak, my voice hoarse and ragged. "Ceresca... I'm Xerxes' mother."

The silence that followed was suffocating, and for a brief moment, I thought I had finally broken through. Ceresca’s eyes widened, and I dared to hope she would stop, that she'd mindlink Xerxes and realize the truth. But then her lips twisted into a cruel smile, and she laughed—a reckless, maniacal sound that echoed through the air.

"Xerxes’ mother? You?" She sneered, her laughter filling the afternoon. "You're nothing but a delusional tramp! You think I’d fall for such a pathetic lie?"

Her words cut deeper than any physical wound. I had no strength left to fight, and my last shred of dignity was slipping away. The onlookers whispered among themselves, their judgmental comments fueling Ceresca’s hatred.

"Look at her—thinking she could ever be more than a pretty face to some desperate wolf."

"She deserved this for daring to meddle with the bond of the future Luna of the Moon Howlers."

I winced, every word like a fresh wound. My heart ached, not just from the physical pain, but from the behavior my son’s mate was showing.

Ceresca’s friend, for a fleeting second, hesitated. "Are you sure of this, Ceresca? What if she really—"

Before she could finish, Ceresca snapped, silencing her with a sharp gesture. "Enough! I already told you, the real Luna Atilla is still in their pack land. She won’t be here until the ceremony begins."

I had told Xerxes I would at their ceremony, eager to meet his chosen mate, but that kindness had sealed my fate. Ceresca had no idea who I was, and yet here I lay—naked, bloodied, and humiliated at the hands of my son’s future Luna.

I could barely see through the haze of pain, but I felt the weight of Ceresca's gaze. "You thought you could steal my mate, didn’t you?" she taunted, her voice dripping with venom. "But look at you now—helpless and pathetic. I’ll make sure you regret ever crossing me."

She bent down, her lips close to my ear. "When I become Luna, I’ll make sure you disappear, and no one will even remember you existed."

With a cruel laugh, she stood up, glancing at the clock tower in the distance. Her face twisted in urgency. “We're gonna be late. Let's hurry and go to the venue. Luna Atilla should be there soon. Xerxes said he wants to formally introduce me to Luna Atilla today!"