Chapter 2

[Elara POV]

I wrapped my hand over my chest, staring into nothing as I thought about what to do. After sitting alone in the quiet house, I stood up, called the housekeepers, and asked them to clear the untouched dinner off the table.

Lucian had never forgotten important things like our anniversary. If only Lina hadn't been too demanding everything would still be okay.

As I walked into the living room, I squeezed my hands into tight fists. I wasn't going to let Lina steal my mate from me. I was going to go to that bar and get Lucian to listen to me.

Lina hadn't mentioned the name of the place, but I knew the pack warriors usually drank at the tavern near the border. Since I didn't have a wolf, I couldn't catch his scent through the air or call him through our pack link. I pulled out my phone and dialed Cane, his Beta line.

"Luna?" Cane answered on the second ring, his voice low.

"Cane, where is Lucian?" I asked, keeping my voice steady. "I know he's near the border."

Cane paused, the noise of a crowded room leaking through the speaker. "Luna... it might not be a good time for you to see the Alpha right now."

My grip on the phone tightened. "He's my mate, Cane. Tell me which bar you're at. Now."

He let out a heavy sigh over the line. "The Bloodmoon Tavern. Near the eastern guard post."

"I'm on my way." I said with a heavy breath.

He made a little sigh as if wanting to still convince me not to come but I ended the call before he could. Without waisting time, I got out of the house and got into the car.

I drove down the dark road toward the border, the car lights cutting through the trees. When I pulled up to the building, the door was cracked open. Laughter and the clinking of glasses echoed into the night.

I stepped inside, my heart hammering against my ribs. The thick smell of meat filled the room, but beneath it all, I caught the trace of Lucian's pine scent.

I stopped near the entrance.

Lucian was sitting at the center table surrounded by his top warriors. Lina sat right next to him, holding a small glass. She made a face, laughing as she pushed it toward him. Lucian didn't hesitate. He took the glass from her fingers, raised it to his lips, and swallowed the rest of her drink in one gulp.

The warriors around the table burst into loud cheers, slamming their fists against the tabletop.

"Look at that!" one of the warriors shouted, slapping Lucian on the back. "After all these years, the Alpha is still Lina's knight!"

Lina looked down, her cheeks turning red as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Remember back in the day?" another warrior laughed, leaning back in his chair. "When you two were dating, she used to bring food to the training field almost every day. We all thought she'd be living in the Alpha house forever."

My breath caught in my throat. I stood frozen, unable to move a muscle.

Lucian had never told me they used to date. Whenever I asked about how close they were, he always brushed it off with a smile, telling me they were just childhood friends who grew up in the same pack.

"Yeah, well, everyone thought Lina was going to be our Luna," a third warrior added, shaking his head as he poured himself another drink. "Instead, our Alpha ended up with a wolfless orphan."

A Wolfless orphan?

The words hit me like a blow. A cold feeling swept through my body, and my face burned with shame. Ever since I was a child, the pack kids had mocked me because my wolf never emerged. I was weak to them. An outsider. 

When the Moon Goddess chose me as Lucian’s mate and I became Luna, I worked until my hands hurt to manage the pack's work and care for the elders. I wanted to prove I belonged. But hearing them talk now, none of that mattered. To them, I was still just the orphan girl without a wolf.

"Honestly," the second warrior chimed in, dropping his voice a little, "have you guys ever wondered, if the Alpha only picked a wolfless girl as his Luna because Lina went off and married his beta instead of—"

"Shut your mouth!" another warrior snapped, catching sight of me standing by the door.

The table went silent. The laughter died instantly.

Lucian turned his head, his eyes widening when he saw me. He stood up right away, his chair scraping against the floor, and walked over to where I stood. He reached out, took my cold hand firmly in his, and pulled me down to sit on the bench right beside him.

He looked around the table, his eye sharp as he scanned his men. "Elara is the Luna of this pack," he declared, his voice deep and echoing off the walls. "She is the Moon Goddess's gift to me, and I will always love her."

The warriors bowed their heads, whispering quick apologies. But as Lucian spoke those strong words, I looked up at his face. His eyes weren't on me. He was staring straight across the table at Lina.

Lina was staring back at him, her lips parted, her hands tightly gripping her knees.

Neither of them looked natural. The air between them felt heavy, like a secret only they knew.

Cane quickly cleared his throat, breaking the silence. He forced a smile and raised his glass. "Well! Seeing how close the Alpha and Luna are tonight, I think we're all looking forward to the birth of a new pup soon!"

A few warriors laughed, eager to move past the moment.

Lucian turned his gaze back to me. His expression softened, his eyes warm. "I'm looking forward to becoming a father too," he said softly, reaching up to tuck my hair behind my ear. "If we have a little daughter who looks just like you, she'll be the most beautiful girl in the pack."

I looked into his eyes, searching his face. The tight feeling in my chest started to loosen. The warmth of his hand over mine made the doubts in my mind fade away. He really wanted a family with me. He wanted our child.

I placed my hand over my lower stomach beneath the table. A small smile touched my lips. I decided right then that as soon as we got back home tonight, away from everyone else, I would tell him the truth. I would tell him that I was carrying his pup.

Suddenly, a loud sob broke through the room. I turned my head. Lina had her hands over her face, tears streaming down her cheeks as her shoulders shook.

"Lina?" I asked, leaning forward a little. "Are you okay? What's wrong?"

"I'm... I'm sorry," Lina choked out through her tears, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. "Talking about pups just... it made me think of my husband. If he hadn't died in that rogue attack, our pup would probably be two years old by now."

I felt a pang of sadness for her. I reached into my bag to grab some tissues to hand to her.

Before I could pull them out, Lina leaned sideways and buried her face straight into Lucian's shoulder, crying out loud.

My hands froze inside my bag.

Lucian didn't pull away. He didn't push her off or tell her to step back. Instead, he wrapped one arm around her, gently patting her shoulder to soothe her. With his other hand, he reached up and wiped the tears from her wet cheeks, his touch careful as the rest of the room watched in silence.