Prologue

|| ALEKSA'S POV ||

" Let the bitch come out!!"

" We want our Alpha back!!"

" Let her strip down from the position! She is a fucking incompetent omega! How can she rule over the Hollowfangs Pack?"

The shouting and cursing from the enraged pack members grew more intense. I peeked at them through the curtains, standing next to the love of my life.

Kairos Ravenwood!

He kept lying like a dead body as well. The fierceness of an Alpha on his face had disappeared within this short time. It hadn't been more than two weeks when he fell into a coma. The rogues from the north used blood magic on him, leading him to fall into an endless sleep.

Aiden, his beta, stood at the corner, his face growing dark with concern. He looked between his Alpha and me before speaking anxiously,

" Luna! I don't think that I would be able to convince them today."

His voice trembled in approaching danger,

" They want the truth! They want to know what happened to their Alpha. That bastard..Kai... he has turned them against you. You have to face them, Luna."

It had always been a curse in the eyes of these werewolves to be led by an Omega. They found it auspicious, and a slap to their werewolf rank. As per the protocol of Hollowfangs, the reign always shifted to the Luna if the Alpha became incompetent. Ever since Kairos fell into a coma, I tried my best to perform the pack duties, but my Omega title was never acceptable to them; worse, my own pack didn't keep its faith in me.

The Moon Howlers! My father's pack!

I was raised as the heir to the Moon Howlers Pack. However, I never excelled at combat, fighting, or wrestling. My father feared rebellion among his pack members. At my mother's suggestion, they arranged this political marriage between Kairos and me, uniting both of our packs as one, strengthening Kairos's position as the Alpha.

Not long afterwards, I lost both of my parents in an unusual incident. They were trapped in a war between a rogue group and a neighborhood pack, fighting over their territory. They were only passing by when the rogues killed them mercilessly. Having no choice, I entered this marriage after merging the packs and became the sole Luna. Moon Goddess showed her blessings on me as we became fated mates by the next full Moon.

No matter what, I couldn't let the death of my parents be in vain!!

I inhaled a deep breath, pushing all my strength to come out,

" No more hiding, Aiden! I WILL FACE THE PACK TODAY AS THEIR LUNA!"

Aiden took a short kneel in front of me, a remark to show his submission,

" On your command always..Luna!"

I smiled at him in return, nervously. Aiden came out as the unexpected person to support me during the crisis. He was more than just a beta to Kairos. His family had been serving the Hollowfangs pack with loyalty for decades. As we all trained together in the academy, Aiden considered us more than his Alpha and Luna.

I stole one last glance at Kairos's limp body before following Aiden's lead. We headed straight for the front door, where the massacre continued fiercely over time. Just as the door opened with a loud bang, everyone fell silent after spotting me.

Did they really accept me to hide??

I swallowed hard before raising my voice, pushing my wolf to come in front to show her dominance,

" Is this how you prove your loyalty to your Alpha? Before we merge our packs, I was sworn as the heir to the Moon Howlers Pack. How can you call me unworthy when I dedicated my whole pack as your strength and powerhouse?"

One of the elders with a bald head stepped forward aggressively, his eyes questioning my whole existence here,

" Luna! YOU ARE THE ONE WHO IS PLAYING WITH US ALL ALONG! If you truly value this pack, why don't you confess the truth? Is the Alpha dead? When will he wake up? WHO IS GOING TO PROTECT US? You!!! A barren Luna who doesn't even know how to ride a wild wolf?"

The other members burst into laughter in mockery. Indeed, I knew nothing of fights, even after training for years. As for Kairos's health, we knew nothing yet. The healer only assumed that he could wake up any day or never. The spell used on him was beyond any healer's capability.

Sensing my silence, the man pushed it further, scoffing at me,

" See! Know for yourself! The Alpha would never appoint an unworthy Luna like you."

I clenched my fists hard to endure everything. My wolf was telling me to stay calm to avoid any bloody war here. The chief of the maids from our personal living house came forward to add fuel to the fire,

" We saw everything; even the maids could verify it. The Alpha never wanted you, not even for once. So tell us - What makes you think you are worthy of sitting on his throne? He never brought you in court. Hell, he barely acknowledged your existence. Yet you dare to stand before us and call yourself OUR LUNA?"

I didn't want to bring the ugly truth of our bond in front of the whole pack. Kairos never accepted me as his mate wholeheartedly. I lost all my love for him the day I witnessed him fucking one of our young maids. He showed no remorse, nor did he let me talk about it. Still today, I was standing here only for the sake of my dead parents.

Aiden roared at the maid, reaching for his sword already,

" Shut your filthy mouth! How dare you speak of Alpha and Luna's private life as though it's your place to question? One more word! I WILL RIP YOUR TONGUE OFF!"

I gestured at Aiden to stay calm. Another female member cast a suspicious look at my womb before turning to the crowd,

“Have you all forgotten? Five years! Five miserable years, and she still hasn’t given the Hollowfangs a single pup. Maybe she’s simply incapable of bearing the Alpha’s heir.”

“Think about it. Five years as Luna, yet she has given this pack nothing—not an heir, not strength, not even a future.

“Without an heir, what exactly are you, Luna? A pretty ornament sitting on a throne that was never meant for you?”

Everyone began to murmur in shock as if they had just acknowledged the main problem.

How could I tell them that Kairos didn't bed me for 2 whole years?

Most of the time, he came home drunk and slept before me. During the heat season, my wolf suffered in pain, yet he never offered comfort. I used my finger or vibrator to cool down my desire.

I tried to convince them, looking around the gossiping crowd,

" Your objections may have some truth in them, but by the sacred law of the Moon Goddess, I am the fated mate of Alpha Kairos Ravenwood. In his absence, I have every right to rule in this pack and his people. Until the Alpha returns to full health, I will reign as your Luna."

Their anger only intensified with my statement. They all grew furious in rage, charging at me slowly,

" Enough of your lies, Luna. We aren't buying a single word of yours. You think you can hide behind the law and Moon Goddess forever? We will decide the future of The Hollowfangs Pack when Alpha Kairos wakes up. As for now, we have a legitimate heir to the throne. LET HIM RULE!"

I knew they were referring to the bastard Kai, uncle of Kairos, who had been eyeing the throne for years. He didn't dare to claim it when Kairos was healthy. It was his only chance to get the throne at any cost.

The crowd grew furious immediately, one by one shouting and charging forward with their demands,

" STEP DOWN, LUNA!"

" Fuck off, Omega bitch!"

" STEP DOWN!"

Aiden quickly shielded me behind his back, trying to protect me from the escalating crowd. My heart ached at the thought that not a single soul from the Moon Howlers Pack came in to support me. I was never the legitimate Luna in their eyes.

Flashes of my parents' faces and their dedication messed with my thoughts. I had no way to control the crowd anymore. Holding my breath, I shouted at the crowd hysterically, drawing their attention immediately,

" STOP!! STOP IT!!! I have all the rights to rule this pack because I AM CARRYING YOUR ALPHA'S HEIR! "