The Luna Theory

dante was smart. Always had been.

It wasn’t just about grades or basketball strategy—it was the kind of intelligence born from observation, from knowing how to read people before they spoke. He could sense lies. Catch details others missed. He could piece together a puzzle without ever seeing the box.

And Taiga? Taiga was a puzzle.

After their tense encounter at the Nike store, Dante knew something wasn’t adding up. His instincts hadn’t failed him before, and they weren’t failing him now. That wasn’t the first time he felt it, either. He had started suspecting something during their second meeting at the mall, the one where Dante had stupidly insulted him and then spent the next two days regretting it.

It hadn’t just been the way Taiga glared at him.

It was the way he bared his teeth.

No Enigma would dare show their teeth in public—especially not to another dominant type. Not unless they were asking for a dominance battle, a clash of instincts. But Taiga hadn’t backed down. He had stood his ground with an eerie kind of calm, radiating control even in his silence.

It had hit Dante like a punch to the gut.

And since then, he’d been paying attention.

Taiga was... complex. Confident but quiet. Bold but reserved. Radiating an energy that felt both inviting and commanding at once. His presence didn’t shout—it hummed. It pulled people in without trying. And most of all, he had no scent.

None.

Even high-ranking Enigmas couldn’t suppress their scent entirely. Dante had tried. Others had tried. The best they could do was dull it, mute it under suppression sprays or willpower. But Taiga? It was like he didn’t even have one.

That wasn’t just unusual. It was impossible.

Unless...

Unless he wasn’t an Enigma at all.

Unless he was something rarer.

Something bigger.

Dante leaned back in his desk chair, staring blankly at the ceiling of his dorm. His heart thudded slowly, thoughtfully. His suspicions were solidifying into certainty. He’d heard of people like Taiga before—read about them, even seen one once at a distance when he visited the Capitol with his family years ago.

A Luna.

A fucking Luna.

The highest rank in the secondary gender hierarchy.

While Enigmas were often born into wealth, trained from birth, and expected to claw their way up the social chain, Lunas were different. A Luna could be born anywhere—in a mansion or on the streets—and the moment their nature revealed itself, their entire life changed. Instantly.

The government paid Lunas a fortune just to officially register their status. With that alone came protection, connections, and influence. Suitors flooded in like bees to honey. Schools, corporations, even noble houses scrambled to associate with them.

And Lunas didn’t even need to be rich or talented.

They were revered on biology alone.

Enigmas like Dante had to fight for power. Lunas simply had it.

And then there were the mating dynamics.

Lunas were the only secondary gender capable of bonding both Enigmas and Omegas. Unlike Prime or Elite Prime Omegas—who couldn’t mark an Enigma or another Omega—a Luna could bind both to them. They could connect the trio into one, allowing their genetics to sync. Children born from such a union wouldn’t just share one or two DNA threads—they’d carry all three, a true triad. Only Lunas could do that.

And if Taiga was one...?

If Taiga was a Luna, then Dante wasn’t just fighting for Maya’s love anymore.

He was fighting for dominance, for position, for the right to even stay in Maya’s orbit.

Because once a Luna decided to mark, the bond was nearly unbreakable. Permanent.

And Dante knew Maya.

He knew how Maya responded to presence. He’d seen it firsthand when they were together. That gentle tilt of the head, the widening of his pupils, the way he unconsciously leaned toward strength and warmth. It had taken Dante months to earn that submission, that affection.

But with Taiga?

It was already there.

That reverence. That softness.

It terrified Dante.

He ran a hand through his hair, frustrated. "If Taiga’s a Luna," he muttered aloud, "Maya has to know. Right? They must’ve made out. Touched. Something."

Or maybe Maya didn’t know. Maybe Taiga was hiding it from him too.

But why?

Hiding your secondary gender—especially if you were a Luna—was like throwing away a golden ticket. Lunas didn’t just get money and mates, they got power. Whole cities would bend for one.

Unless...

Unless Taiga didn’t want it.

Unless Taiga wanted something real.

That idea—oddly—made Dante’s stomach twist. It was easier to think of Taiga as a rival, a liar, someone manipulating Maya for gain. But if Taiga was refusing his Luna status just to live freely, then...

Then Dante wasn’t just jealous.

He was scared.

Because Maya had fallen for someone who might not just love him deeply—but could protect him. Bond him. Keep him safe and happy.

Maya leaned on the sidelines of the court, towel draped around his shoulders, eyes fixed on Taiga. The afternoon sun was punishing, drenching everyone in sweat. Most of the team looked half-dead, dragging themselves through sprints and drills. But Taiga? Taiga moved like the heat didn’t touch him. His body was slick with sweat, yes, but he didn’t pant, didn’t complain. He just… kept going.

Too smoothly.

Maya narrowed his eyes, feeling a twinge of something he couldn’t quite name.

Across the court, Taiga jumped and sank a three-pointer with practiced ease, his jaw taut and his expression unreadable. A few teammates clapped. Maya forced a smile.

He knew Taiga was strong. That wasn’t new. But lately, something about him didn’t sit right. He never got tired. Never got flustered. His scent—when Maya tried to focus on it—was... wrong. Or rather, missing. That shouldn't be possible. Even high-level Enigmas had some detectable chemical trace. Taiga’s scent was like still water. Clean. Empty.

It was starting to mess with his head.

Is he suppressing it on purpose?

Maya shook the thought away. No one could suppress their scent to zero. Not even elite Enigmas.

Unless—

“Yo.”

Maya blinked, heart skipping. He turned just as Dante slid up beside him, eyes hidden behind tinted sports sunglasses, posture casual, but too precise to be truly relaxed.

“What are you doing here?” Maya asked, surprised. “Thought you said you hated school practice.”

“I do,” Dante said, adjusting the sleeves of his hoodie. “But I figured I’d check out the competition. Never hurts to scout.”

Maya's lips thinned. “He’s not competition.”

Dante didn’t answer. Instead, he stared across the court.

Taiga was now talking to the coach, pointing something out on the clipboard. The coach nodded, like a student accepting instruction.

“Your boyfriend’s a bit of a control freak, huh?” Dante muttered.

Maya frowned. “He’s just confident.”

“Mm.” Dante tilted his head, still watching. “Funny thing, though. Doesn’t smell like anything.”

Maya stiffened. “What?”

“I mean, it’s hot as hell, everyone's dripping pheromones all over the court, but Taiga?” Dante clicked his tongue. “Bone dry. It’s unnatural.”

Maya forced a laugh. “You’re imagining things.”

But deep inside, the twist in his stomach tightened.

Later that evening, Dante found himself in front of his school’s administration building, tapping his foot impatiently. He had called in a favor. A senior on the academic council owed him one. He only needed a few documents—nothing invasive. Just team athletic records. Every school athlete had to submit their full profile to qualify for regionals. That included height, weight, blood pressure, and yes—secondary gender classification.

The file came through as a P*F on his phone.

Name: Hayashi Taiga.

Height: 189cm.

Weight: 84kg.

Position: Power Forward.

Gender Classification: REDACTED.

Government Clearance Code: L-Status.

Dante blinked.

L-Status?

His blood went cold. The government only used “L” for one thing. Luna. And clearance code meant private classification. Locked. Sealed.

He swore under his breath. Either the system was wrong—or Taiga was hiding something massive. Why would someone hide being a Luna unless… they didn’t want to be known?

He pocketed the phone and left, mind buzzing. He had to be sure before he said anything. No slip-ups.

That same night, Maya sat cross-legged on his bedroom floor, a new bottle of cologne open beside him.

It was a scent designed for Prime Omegas—sweet, magnetic, just enough kick to stir a response. Taiga had never smelled it before. Maya made sure of that.

Tomorrow, he’d wear it during morning practice. Just to see.

The next morning, Taiga greeted him like always: warm smile, arm casually thrown around his waist, no hesitation.

No reaction.

None.

Maya's heart dropped.

He’d doused himself in a pheromone-rich cologne and Taiga didn’t even blink. Not even a nose twitch.

He pulled away after a few seconds, trying not to look shaken.

That evening, Maya lay sprawled on his bed, phone pressed to his ear. The glow of his bedside lamp bathed the room in soft gold. Hido’s voice crackled through the speaker.

“You’re still spiraling, huh?”

Maya sighed. “It’s not just Dante. It’s Taiga, too. I’m trying to… understand him. But something’s off.”

“You still think he’s an Enigma?”

Maya hesitated. “That’s what everyone assumes, but he doesn’t act like one. Not always. I’ve seen him shy, quiet, even nurturing. Then the next second, he’s commanding the whole team like a damn general. And he can hide his scent. I mean completely. No trace.”

There was a pause on the line.

“Maya,” Hido said slowly, “you ever considered that maybe… he’s not an Enigma?”

Maya sat up. “You think he’s a Luna?”

“It’d explain the scent thing,” Hido replied. “Lunas can do that. Enigmas? Not to that degree. Especially not naturally.”

“But Lunas are rare.”

“Yeah, and so are people like Taiga. Think about it. Government records are locked. He’s got an aura that pulls people in, but also sets boundries, i think i just have to investigate further, i feel like I'm close, would let you know if I've got any leads."

maya says before hanging up the call, "i think i need help"