For the first time in twenty years, I wore white again. The lace hugged my aging frame like a whisper of the she-wolf I used to be. My hands trembled as I smoothed the skirt, breath catching in my throat. It didn’t shimmer like the gowns I once dreamed of beneath moonlit trees, but it was mine. A secondhand mating dress for a wolf still waiting for her first true ceremony.

I stepped into the pack house’s hearth-lit living room, my heart pounding like war drums—not from excitement, but from the fragile hope I still dared to hold.

Lucas Barlowe, the powerful, commanding, and brooding Alpha of the Sharp Fang Pack, sat on the leather sofa, his nose buried in his financial reports, the scent of ink and cold dominance clinging to him. He didn’t even lift his gaze as he spoke.

“You are old and ugly. Why do you still wear a wedding dress?”

Lucas snarled, tossing the ancient scroll of pack finances onto the oak table. His voice echoed, bouncing off the high ceiling like a slap from the past.

“Claire, I have to fly to Drodon for negotiations with the Ashfang Alpha tomorrow.

Don’t pester me with this wedding nonsense. I’ll have my Beta escort you to buy a diamond ring. That should shut you up. Money is more practical than a mating vow.”

He didn't even look at me.

“You think about it all the time. Are you sick from boredom?” He snapped, his eyes full of cold disdain.

“Look at Heidy. She’s in her forties same age as you, still chasing purpose, still serving the pack. She’s my secretary and doesn’t need a mate to validate her life. And here you are, wasting away in the Alpha Wing, enjoying the fruits of power while doing nothing. No responsibilities. No ambition. Just a pretty little house pet, so why don’t you just be Luna and stop being so ungrateful.”

House pet…

The word rang louder than his tone.

I had been born a princess, the only daughter of Alpha Marcus Wildfang, a bloodline blessed by the Moon Goddess herself. My mother was an elemental wolf with the ability to bend air and sky to her will. I have been trained in both blade and diplomacy. I faced rogue alphas in the burning plains of the North and led missions during the Red War. I had scars that no amount of power could heal.

I was born to be Luna. I have always been.

And yet… to him, I was nothing but a house pet.

Our daughter-in-law, Jasmine—our son’s mate—sauntered into the room, her long sable hair tied loosely, her shirt barely hiding the bite mark on her collarbone.

“Mom, you’re forty and still dreaming of a wedding? Aren’t you embarrassed?” She yawned as she curled up beside Alpha Lucas. “If you actually try it, people will laugh. The pack will never take you seriously again. Dad’s negotiating the Blackthorn listing with the Council of Clans. We can’t risk this embarrassment. Besides, Dad’s about to be named Elder Alpha, you being so… embarrassing might cost us everything.”

My hand trembled.

My grip on the fruit knife slipped, slicing through the thin skin on my thumb.

Blood welled instantly, spilling down my fingers and onto the chopping board. The scent of copper was sharp.

A wolf’s blood—especially mine—was potent. It stained everything.

Still, I bandaged the wound and silently finished slicing the apples. I handed the bowl to the table.

Even now… I served them.

“Oh, Claire won’t understand, she’s a household. She hasn’t been out in society for years. I doubt she even knows how the Council operates now. It’s better to talk to someone who can keep up with you, Lucas.”

The Elder Alpha, Aric—my father-in-law said as he speared a slice of fruit and chewed with a smirk. His once golden eyes were dim, but the cruelty remained razor-sharp.

“Heidy is your age, yet she’s vibrant, clever. Sharp like her father, that fire-born Beta from the Ironfang Pack. Heidy… well. You two grew up together, yet she aged faster. She let herself go. You should reflect on that.”

I froze.

Claire coughed uneasily, trying to ease the rising tension. “Father, that’s—”

“She has no future,” the Elder Alpha cut in coldly. “You don’t see it when they’re young, but the older they get, the more obvious it is. I told you years ago, you should have mated with Heidy instead. She would have strengthened your claim to the next Elder Alpha seat. Unlike Claire, who gave up her wolfhood to become your housekeeper. She dropped her sword the moment she got marked. No ambition. No honor. Just a name.”

He tossed a grape into his mouth and sneered. “You even said once, you regretted marrying so young, didn’t you?”

Alpha Lucas didn’t deny it.

Not one of them looked at me.

I stood there, clothed in moon-spun silk and ancient pain, as their words pierced deeper than claws ever could.

“I do admire Heidy,” Alpha Lucas murmured finally, not meeting my gaze. “She’s better than Claire in many ways—smarter, more capable. But Claire has been with me for twenty years. She is… my mate. Still my Luna, dad.”

His voice lacked conviction. It was more an excuse than a declaration.

“And what has that brought me? Regret. You mated too early. Gave up too easily. Heidy, now—Heidy has potential. She could’ve been my daughter-in-law. Hell, I wish she was. She has ambition. She’d be the perfect Luna.”

I bent down to retrieve the empty plate.

Walked into the kitchen.

The water hissed as it struck the open wound, sending a jolt of pain up my arm. I stared at my hands—peeling, red, and rough from decades of chores. I remembered what my mother once told me before she died.

"Daughters of the Alpha line do not serve. We rule. Even when they forget who we are, the Moon never does."

My wolf stirred.

She had been silent for years. Muzzled by duty. Caged by obedience. Shamed into silence by a pack that never saw me beyond their expectations.

As I stared down at my reflection in the basin—gold-eyed, tired, forgotten—I remembered.

I was not born weak.

I was the daughter of Alpha Marcus of the Wildfang Pack—nomads of the moonlit ranges, warriors of the wind. We ran with shadows, ruled by instinct, our howls echoing across the peaks like thunder.

But I gave that life up.

For him.

For love, I said.

For the future, I believed.

And now?

Now, I was little more than a servant in wolf’s clothing.

I had no voice. No pack. No place.

For twenty years, I served Elder Alpha. His words cut deeper than any claw.

I served my mate. His love was duty, not desire.

I served my son and his chosen mate—who dripped disrespect like venom.

I was their silent moon. Always there. Always watching.

Always orbiting. Never full. Never bright. Never enough. Twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. They never had to ask. I anticipated every need. Folded their clothes.

Cooked their meals. Bit my tongue. Buried my howl. I was on duty as a soldier. And yet… there were no medals. No thanks.

I have been spinning, spinning—like a tethered wolf in a cage of expectations. Day after day. Year after year.

They always thought I was made to serve and I gave them everything.

I served their hierarchy.

Swallowed their disrespect.

I was always with them. Always giving.

But I was always… less.

In their eyes, I was lazy. Weak. A Luna who had forsaken her duties.

Not because I lacked strength—but because I no longer had power in this house.

I numbly placed the last dish into the wooden cabinet, the clang of porcelain sounding louder than the hollow throb in my chest. The grand kitchen of the Sharp Fang Pack House gleamed with imported marble and enchanted lighting crystals, yet I felt like a stranger in it.

This wasn’t my home.

Not anymore.

“She’s sulking again,” came a silken voice from the other room. It was my daughter—in—law.

I stilled.

“Jealousy,” Elder Aric, said with a low chuckle. “She’s always been that way. She thinks staying beside the Alpha of the Sharp Fang Pack gives her the right to be worshipped. But she forgets—Heidy earned her status here. Claire just married into it.”

Heidy… Heidy Black.

The name hit like a lash across my wolf skin.

A beat of silence followed.

Then they started talking again.

“She always wanted both—power and affection. But in this world, you can’t have it all,” Alpha Lucas, my husband said flatly. “She chose the bond, so she must bear the consequences.”

Their words dug deep.

What they didn’t know… was that I never truly had either.

The sound of the front gates unlocking echoed through the manor— it was sharp, mechanized magic clicking in place.

Then, came the confident click of high-heeled boots.

Heidy.

Her scent arrived before she did—crisp moon flowers laced with burning sage. A dominant she-wolf’s perfume. She strode in, her long coat of Alpha fur trailing behind her like she was already the Luna.

“Alpha Lucas, I’ve brought the border reports and the alliance agreements from Moonfall territory,” she said, bowing respectfully. Her voice, warm as honey, grated against my raw nerves.

Lucas rose instantly, removing his reading glasses. “Heidy, thank you for your hard work. Stay for the evening meal. We’ve missed your presence.”

Heidy smiled modestly, brushing nonexistent dust from her flawless black coat.

“Only if it’s not an inconvenience.”

My daughter-in-law, Jasmine, clutched Heidy’s arm affectionately. “You look radiant. Your aura has strengthened again. What are you eating these days?”

Elder Alpha Aric chuckled warmly. “You’ve grown even thinner. That’s the mark of a true leader—burning energy to protect the pack.”

As always, Heidy Black responded to their praises with grace, then finally glanced around.

“Where is Claire? I haven’t seen her since the last full moon council.”

Lucas’s expression instantly soured.

“She’s brooding in the kitchen again. Honestly, she still fantasizes about holding a wedding ceremony as if she’s some fairy-tale Luna. She forgets she’s nearing forty-one. As if we have time to entertain her delusions.”

Elder Aric answered.

I clenched the edge of the sink so hard, that the veins in my hand bulged. My claws itched beneath my skin, begging to extend, but I retracted them forcefully. This wasn’t the time to lose control.

Heidy’s voice floated in again, too sweet to be sincere.

“Well, Alpha Lucas is already a legend in the Lycan halls. Claire just wants to feel relevant, perhaps. But it’s true—she should be more considerate of your duties. If I had her life—mated to a powerful Alpha, shielded from all war—I’d dedicate my entire existence to the household. She’s lucky she even gets to stay in this Pack House.”

Elder Aric nodded. “You speak with wisdom, as always… Claire, have you made dinner? We have guests. Don’t make them wait. How many times must I remind you—you’re so poor at handling things.”

I wiped my eyes with the back of my sleeve. The scent of meat and herbs filled the kitchen, but it no longer stirred hunger—just nausea. Still, I brought out the dishes and placed them gently on the long obsidian table. No one even looked up.

My son and his mate were flirting across the table. My mate—Alpha Lucas—was laughing with his father and pouring Heidy a drink.

Such a gesture he never offered me, even once.

My apron reeked of grease. My braid was loose, and my face felt tight from dried tears.

They sat like a family.

And I stood like a ghost.

It felt like I was watching someone else’s life. Like I had fallen out of the timeline where I was Luna, beloved and radiant, and into this strange parallel where I was a forgotten relic, only remembered when something needed cleaning.

After the meal, I gathered the empty dishes in a daze. The enchanted table shimmered beneath the oil stains, reflecting my disheveled face.

Next to Heidy—who was now leaning confidently against the table, speaking animatedly about military strategies and trade routes—I looked like a servant girl from a lower pack, not the daughter of the great Alpha Marcus of the Wildfang Pack.

Heidy and I were best friends since we’re little, like me, she was also in her forties, yet still breathtaking. Her skin glowed. Her posture was commanding. Her wolf aura pulsed strong with every word she spoke.

And me?

I got married early. Given up the Wildfang legacy. Given up training, given up my title as the only daughter of a powerful pack, and my ambitions.

I thought love would be enough.

I was wrong.

The laughter from the living room reached the kitchen once again. It was loud and vibrant.

The cold water stung as I washed the last plate. I looked down at my fingers—calloused and red from years of toil.

Then I heard it.

“Didn’t she buy some lunar tonic last week?”

Elder Aric asked casually.

My heart leaped.

Maybe he remembered I was unwell.

“I think Claire doesn’t need it,” he continued. “Give it to Heidy. She’s under pressure, balancing negotiations and patrols. She needs her strength.”

I dropped the ladle in the sink.

“That tonic was… for me,” I whispered. “I went to the healer last week. She said I was burning out. That I—”

Alpha Lucas turned, his face like stone. “You’re being petty. You can always buy more. Or do you not understand how shared wealth works? That money comes from our house—my house. And Heidy is your best friend. Or is even that too much generosity to expect from you?”

I froze.

Best friend?

She was the blade. And he handed her the hilt.

Heily was the she-wolf who would replace me the moment I collapsed. I could see it in the way Lucas looked at her now, not like a threat, but like an option.

Like a future.

My wolf stirred deep within, groaning beneath years of forced suppression.

They had all chosen Heidy. Over and over again.

And I let them.

I held the Lunar tonic in my hand like a lifeline.

This… was something I had saved for over a year. I had bartered furs for it. Brewed herbs for the sick in nearby packs. Hunted alone in the deep woods when Alpha Lucas refused to send a warrior with me. This was mine, something I clawed at — with every shred of strength left in me before I could finally afford it.

A small vial of the lunar elixir—rare and sacred to she-wolves. Meant to heal the soul and restore strength during a full moon.

But I said nothing as Alpha Lucas snatched the vial from my trembling hands and gave it to Heidy without hesitation.

As always.

After becoming his mate, I was no longer allowed to run with my pack. No longer allowed to fight, to hunt, to train. Alpha Lucas claimed a true Luna stayed in the Pack House, not on the battlefield or anywhere else.

I hadn’t shifted in over five years.

As the daughter of a powerful Alpha—I had once been feared. Trained by warriors. Gifted with powerful bloodlines, blessed by the Moon Mother herself.

Now, I was nothing more than a ghost in my mate’s territory. A housebound Luna in name only.

My claws dulled. My wolf is silent.

Firewood, moon salt, meat, herbs, charcoal ink, healing salves, and even tea leaves were all costs Alpha Lucas expected me to manage with no coin of my own. Every money I asked for was accompanied by a scoff, a reminder that I was a burden. A leech.

I lived like this for twenty years.

Pleasing. Shrinking. Swallowing every insult like ash.

I didn’t want to go on like this.

I walked back to my room—the once beautiful room now dull and cold—and sat at the old wooden desk.

My fingers trembled over the computer keyboard as I typed, word by word, the severance document.

A Mate Bond Severance.

Tears burned down my cheeks, each dropping a silent howl of despair that no packmate would hear.

I didn’t even realize Alpha Lucas had returned until I heard the door creak open.

He entered with the grace of a man who knew he owned everything in his path.

His eyes landed on my tear-stained face, and he sighed, irritated.

“Crying again?” he said. “Claire, must you always be so dramatic? It’s just a damn supplement. Why does it matter so much to you? Or are you jealous of Heidy again?”

I stayed silent.

That angered him.

A low growl rumbled in Lucas’s chest, his irritation boiling over. He stalked toward me like a predator closing in on a wounded mate, then backhanded me across the face—sharp, deliberate, and thick with dominance. It wasn’t just a slap; it was a warning from a wolf who knew no mercy.

His hand grazed my cheek like he couldn’t be bothered to use his strength on me anymore.

“Look at yourself,” he sneered. “Fat. Bloated. You haven’t shifted in years. There’s no muscle left. So why waste rare and expensive tonics on you? Heidy earns 137,000 a year. You? You’ve earned nothing.”

My chest tightened.

I didn’t tell him I’d gained weight because I was overworked, or that I only ate what was left after everyone else had fed. I served the warriors, cleaned the pups, tended the sick, cooked the meals, and mended the tunics.

I didn’t tell him I wore the same wolf-hide cloak for ten winters.

Never bought myself armor.

Never ran under the full moon.

So this was what Alpha Lucas Barlowe meant by "seeking pleasure"?

He towered over me now, his Alpha dominance pushing down like a crushing fog.

“What are you doing?” he barked. “Come here.”

He expected me to help him undress. To kneel and pull his boots off like I always did.

For two decades, I obeyed.

But not tonight.

Tonight, I sat frozen, staring blankly ahead, my fingers clenched around the shard.

“Claire,” he growled, his voice lowering. “Don’t make me repeat myself.”

I looked at him, and for the first time in years, I saw him clearly—not as the mate who once whispered false promises into my ear, but as the male who broke me piece by piece.

“When you were young,” he hissed, “you were so cute. Sweet. You used to smile and beg me to play with your hair. What are you doing now? You’re nothing but an old she-wolf. A useless Luna.”

I didn’t flinch when he grabbed my collar and yanked me to my feet.

But deep inside, my wolf stirred.

Just a twitch.

A flicker.

--

Years ago, under the blood moon, he said to me:

Marry me, Claire Wildfang. I will be the wolf who charges forward, and you will be the one who holds the Pack. We’ll rely on each other, be each other’s harbor in the storm. Hand in hand, we’ll run through life’s wild hunt.”

At the time, Lucas had just ended things with Heidy.

Was it love? Or just bitterness?

I was too young to tell the difference.

“You’re gentle. Strong. Smart. Loyal,” he said. “Heidy’s too wild. She doesn’t get me. But you, Claire… you’re everything I need.”

Years ago, I believed him.

I gave up on myself. I gave up my alpha father’s pack. Gave up freedom.

Twenty years of being the perfect Luna. The perfect mate. The perfect fool.

Now I saw it for what it was.

Alpha Lucas Barlowe mated with me with a clear plan — a calculated trap from the start. His sweet words were bait — honey layered over poison.

He needed someone who would support him while he and Heidy clawed their way up the ranks of the Council of Alphas.

He needed someone to carry the burden so he could chase his ambitions. A stepping stone. A housekeeper. A weak Luna who wouldn’t challenge him.

He needed someone to waste.

And I let him.

I was deep in thought when suddenly, my phone vibrated in my pocket, its glow slicing through the shadows. I hesitated.

How many moons had passed since anyone remembered I existed?

How long had I been forgotten — cast aside like a lone wolf past her prime?

It’s already been so long, that I don’t even remember anymore.