Erika

I returned to the Emerald Earth pack, but misfortune was already waiting for me. Just as I stepped into the main hall, I crossed paths with the Elders, who had just emerged from the oval room. For a moment, I considered turning around to avoid them, but a sarcastic voice halted me in my tracks.

“Well, look who was just about to scurry away. How utterly ill-mannered.”

Damn it.

I took a deep breath and turned around, only to meet Elder Ruth’s sharp gaze—one that regarded me as if I were nothing more than dirt clinging to her shoes.

“Good afternoon, Elder Ruth. How have you been?” I kept my voice steady.

“I was perfectly fine—until I had to see you, Luna Erika.”

I swallowed hard. I was used to this treatment, but the resentment inside me only grew each time she opened her mouth.

“Forgive me, but have I done something wrong?” I asked, feigning innocence. I knew for a fact that I hadn’t.

“Your only mistake, Erika, is being this pack’s Luna,” she sneered, lifting her chin high. “It should have been Madeleine standing by Alpha Rufus’s side, not you. You’re nothing but a burden with your infertility.”

I stepped forward, meeting her gaze directly. The wrinkles on her face deepened with fury, but all I wanted to do was laugh.

“I’m not the one here who is defective and without a wolf,” I whispered, leaning in close to her ear. “And for the record, I am not infertile. The real show is only just beginning.”

I felt her body stiffen, nearly collapsing, but I gripped her arm to keep her from falling. I wanted to push her further, to show everyone that the most revered Elder of the Emerald Earth pack was not as honorable as they believed.

“Let go of me, you barren Luna!” she spat, releasing her anger with a slap.

Pain.

For an old she-wolf, her strike was still powerful. I rubbed my cheek, trying to ease the sting that spread across my face.

“That’s what you get for touching me,” she scoffed. “I truly cannot fathom why this stubborn Luna insists on meddling in my and my daughter’s affairs.”

The commotion had already drawn the attention of several pack members in the hall. They whispered among themselves, watching the confrontation unfold with curiosity. Normally, I would have bowed my head and apologized.

But not this time.

I had had enough.

I turned on my heel, leaving Elder Ruth fuming in the middle of the hall. My steps felt lighter, even though my cheek still throbbed from her slap.

But my suffering was far from over.

As I neared my bedroom, strange noises began to echo from inside. I didn’t need to guess.

“Alpha Rufus, your fiery Luna is going to hear you with those moans of yours,” a sultry voice teased.

“Let her. Her time is almost up anyway. Turn around, Madeleine. I want to thrust you from behind.”

The door wasn’t fully closed, allowing me a clear view of how Alpha Rufus treated Madeleine as though she were his true Luna. That level of intimacy had never been granted to me. I could see his Alpha aura surging, the primal energy radiating from him—the Alpha seed that every werewolf needed in mating.

Inside, I wept. My heart felt as if it were being crushed.

Alpha Rufus had desecrated our bond.

I had to endure this—for just a little longer.

For a split second, my gaze met Madeleine’s, and she smirked at me, taunting. She wanted me to see, to understand that she was the one who could bring him pleasure. It was revolting.

I turned away and dragged myself towards the lake behind the packhouse—the place where I often sought solitude to vent my emotions. But this time, all I wanted was to burn something as a stand-in for them.

I let out a scream, pouring all my anguish into the open air. My fingers twitched, ready to summon flames and set the fallen log before me ablaze. But before I could, a familiar, sickly sweet voice called my name.

“Luna Erika, why are you so angry?”

I spun around, fists clenched. “What do you want?”

“Just checking in on you after witnessing our mating. How’s your heart? Does it hurt?”

“Stop talking, Madeleine. Don’t push me.”

“Oh, but I love this. Fiery Luna Erika attacking poor, helpless Madeleine—it feels almost… natural, don’t you think?”

“Shut up, Madeleine,” I growled, my claws extending, prepared for whatever she had planned.

“I’ll make it happen.”

From her hand, I saw the flicker of a lighter. Madeleine ignited a flame and pressed it to her own wrist. For a brief moment, a devilish grin twisted her features.

“Argh… Help me! Luna is attacking me!” Madeleine screamed, her voice carrying across the lake, grabbing the attention of the warriors stationed nearby.

“You…” I gasped, momentarily speechless.

Two warriors rushed towards us. One of them knelt beside Madeleine, inspecting her self-inflicted burns.

“Take Miss Holmes to Doctor Armstrong and inform Alpha Rufus of the incident.”

The shorter warrior lifted Madeleine into his arms and carried her away, while the other one turned to me.

“Luna Erika, I will escort you to your room.”

I felt like a criminal, accused of a crime I had not committed. Madeleine had set herself alight—anyone with sense would have seen it. She was insane.

When I arrived at my bedroom, the scent of what had just transpired still lingered in the air. The sheets were disheveled from their earlier betrayal. I refused to touch the bed, so I settled onto the sofa instead, waiting.

Though I wasn’t even sure what—or who—I was waiting for.

The door burst open violently. Alpha Rufus stormed in, his face twisted with rage. His eyes were glowing red as he yanked me to my feet.

“Why did you attack Madeleine?”

“For the love of the Moon Goddess, I did not attack her, Alpha. She provoked me, then set fire to her own hand.”

“Don’t twist the truth, Luna. Who else here can manipulate fire, if not you? I’m not a fool, and Madeleine is not as mad as you.”

“You trust her over your own Luna?”

“The evidence is clear. Luna Erika, you are to remain in this room until you apologize to her.”

“You’re defending her, Alpha Rufus? You’re breaking my heart.”

“She’s the daughter of an Elder. I have no intention of stirring trouble with them. So do as I say, or your punishment will be far worse.”

“Fine. I will apologize to her.”

I conceded, not because I was guilty, but because I refused to let Alpha Rufus punish me any further.

At least, for now.

They could believe they had won—but soon, I would make my move.

Erika

I stood before Alpha Rufus’s office door, taking a steadying breath before stepping inside. I knew exactly what was coming next—I had to swallow my pride, feign submission, and apologize to Madeleine. All for the sake of peace—not just for myself, but for the pup growing inside me.

As I pushed the door open, my gaze landed on Madeleine, seated far too close to Rufus. Her hand was wrapped in bandages, her expression pitiful as Rufus gently brushed his fingers over it with evident concern.

"Luna Erika, I’ve been waiting for you. Alpha Rufus said—"

I cut her off before she could finish. Taking a deep breath, I forced myself to speak.

"Madeleine, I’m sorry," I said coolly. "I was too angry earlier and acted irrationally." I put emphasis on irrational, my gaze sharp. "I promise it won’t happen again."

Alpha Rufus barely spared me a glance before returning his attention to Madeleine. "It bloody well better not, Luna. I’ve no intention of being stuck with a mate who behaves like a feral animal."

My stomach twisted. I clenched my fists at my sides, waiting for Madeleine to deliver her usual, saccharine-laced venom.

"Oh, don’t be too hard on her, Alpha Rufus. Of course, I forgive her. Even a Luna can make mistakes." Her smile was sickly sweet, the picture of innocence.

Rufus returned her smile, his voice soft. "You’ve always had such a kind heart, Madeleine. If only you were my mate, my life wouldn’t be weighed down with so much fucking baggage."

Baggage?

Is that all I was to him?

Had all his tender words and gestures meant nothing? Had I merely been a burden—a responsibility he had to bear?

Oh, Moon Goddess, I wanted out of this toxic, wretched excuse of a relationship.

"Am I excused, Alpha?" I asked, my voice steady despite the storm raging inside me.

"Yes, I’ll join you shortly."

Lies. He never did. Instead, he sent a curt message through the mind link, saying he was heading out with Beta Leighton for an inspection.

I should’ve known better than to expect anything from him.

I spent the evening talking to the pup in my womb, whispering prayers to the Moon Goddess for strength. This child was a blessing, but it also tethered me to the mate who had betrayed me so cruelly.

Eventually, exhaustion won. I succumbed to sleep.

The following morning, I woke with a renewed sense of purpose. Today was a significant day—the Emerald Earth Pack’s member induction ceremony. I had to stand beside Alpha Rufus, perform my role as Luna.

For the last time.

I had gathered all the evidence—proof of Alpha Rufus’s affair with Madeleine, evidence of the forbidden ritual he was planning for her.

If he thought he could continue deceiving me, he was sorely mistaken.

By the time I arrived at the grand hall, the pack had already assembled. I walked with my head held high, ignoring the whispers that followed me like ghosts.

Taking my place beside Rufus, I stole a glance at him. Time and again, I caught him sneaking glances at Madeleine, his true affections laid bare for anyone who cared to see.

What a joke. He didn’t even try to be discreet.

I was poised to speak, ready to expose his treachery to the entire pack. But before I could open my mouth, Rufus rose to his feet, lifting a hand to silence the room.

My breath hitched.

"I have an important announcement," he declared, his voice carrying through the hall.

"I, Alpha Rufus Hawkins of the Emerald Earth Pack, formally reject Luna Erika Howards as my mate and Luna of this pack."

The world tilted.

A collective gasp swept through the room. Murmurs and shocked whispers rippled through the gathered wolves, but I barely heard them.

I turned to him, pulse roaring in my ears. "You… reject me?"

Alpha Rufus’s stare was cold. "Yes. You are no longer fit to be my Luna. I won’t be shackled to someone who’s nothing more than a fucking hindrance."

I wanted to laugh. I wanted to scream. I wanted to rip that smug expression off his face.

But I was not weak.

Curling my fingers into my palms, I forced the ache in my chest into submission.

"Fine," I said, my voice trembling, but not from weakness. "I accept your rejection, Alpha Rufus."

From the corner of my eye, I saw Madeleine smirking, the picture of smug triumph. But I refused to give her the satisfaction of seeing me crumble.

Alpha Rufus nodded to the two warriors flanking me. "Take her away."

Their hands clamped down on my arms, but I didn’t resist. I walked alongside them with dignity, my spine straight.

But as soon as we reached the corridor, everything changed.

A chilling sensation crept through my bones, and before I could fully comprehend what was happening, the two warriors holding me collapsed to the floor, their bodies rendered motionless.

I tried to take a breath, but my body felt unbearably heavy.

A light, mocking laugh echoed through the corridor.

I lifted my gaze and saw a sorcerer standing at the far end, his robe billowing as a dark aura swirled around him.

"Goodbye, unwanted Luna," he sneered. "Rigidus esto!"

A surge of magic wrapped around me, draining my strength at an alarming rate. My knees buckled, and my vision blurred.

I struggled to fight back, but I couldn’t. The sorcerer was too powerful. The closer he came, the tighter my chest felt, as though my heart was being crushed in his grasp.

"Debilito vim lunae intus te..."

I couldn’t hold on any longer.

Darkness consumed me entirely.

Something was wrong…

I could see myself lying on the floor beneath the sorcerer, as if I were watching from above. The deep crimson of my blood contrasted starkly against the marble floor, flowing in slow, deliberate streams.

With an effortless motion, the sorcerer reached into my chest and took my heart.

Moon Goddess, what is happening to me?

I couldn’t stop him. I couldn’t stop him from taking my heart.

Suddenly, a hooded figure emerged from the shadows, moving with swift precision. With a flick of their hand, water coiled in the air, shaping itself into a razor-sharp spear before hurtling towards the sorcerer.

A piercing scream of agony rang out as the sorcerer staggered back, retreating into a glowing circle that pulsed with arcane energy.

Strong arms wrapped around my body where it lay on the floor, but from up here, I couldn’t feel them.

A deep, strained voice reached me, filled with anguish.

"I'm sorry I was late, Erika."

Morpheus?

Am I… dead?