Chapter 4

“Luna, the Alpha has summoned you to the great hall, he’s holding his first council meeting,” Cathy , my omega handmaiden bows slightly, entering my room.

“Tell the Alpha I’m— nevermind, I’ll come,” I reply with a heart full of grudge. As much as Dominic’s face is the last thing I want to see after what he did last night, my duty to my people comes first.

What would the elders of the council think if the Luna missed her Alpha’s first council meeting?

“Help me get dressed,” I say to Cathy , standing up from my bed, unable to wipe the cold look off my face nor blot the anger in my heart.

Dante’s incomplete rejection of me as his mate hurt but I never thought watching my Alpha husband give another woman his mark, a mark meant for me as Luna would hurt just the same.

I wonder if anyone at the council will notice that he hasn’t marked me. “Get me a high neck dress Cathy or perhaps add a neck scarf to my outfit,” I quickly blurt to Cathy .

This temporary solution will fix nothing, I need to find a way to get Dominic to mark me and I must come to terms with the fact that Dante and I must reject each other.

The moment I said I do to Dominic, my fate became sealed as the Luna of the Nightshade pack and the first thing you learn at the Luna Academy is that a Luna is the heartbeat of her pack, a sacred duty that comes first above her own feelings and wishes.

I no longer own myself, my pack owns me and I must do whatever is best for them, no matter how much pain it brings to me.

Clad in a white gown, with a black scarf around my neck, matching my purse and slippers, I walk into the great hall expecting to see a full room but Dominic is the only one sitting at the head of the long table.

“Alpha,” I bare my neck to him. “Am I late or perhaps too early?”

“Neither, I wanted to talk to you. I figured after last night this was the only way I could get you to come out,” he replies in a calm and unwavering voice, gesturing for me to sit.

I frown, feeling a wave of bitterness churn through me and I remain standing, “what is this about?”

The door opens and immediately I smell him, my heart pounds, my head snaps towards the direction and Dante steps in, looking as sexy and gorgeous as ever in his tight jeans, black boots and black shirt.

I quickly look away, staring nervously at my feet, my stomach going wild with butterflies, my wolf howling in joy, craving for our mate.

I can feel his eyes on me for a moment before he looks over at Dominic, “make it quick, I have a long journey ahead of me.”

My heart races. A long journey? Is he going somewhere?

“Sit, both of you. Father left us with enough mess to deal with and I’m not handling it myself,” Dominic says in his calm voice.

I pull the seat closest to me and drop in it, keeping my eyes on Dominic, one look at Dante and my heart will just race uncontrollably again. I hate how much of a hold he has on me but deep down, I know I love it as well.

This man has always had me in a chokehold and now that we’re mates, it only makes it worse. I can barely keep it together right now, just being in his presence.

Dante scoffs, “he sure made a mess but whatever it is, it’s the duty of his chosen— Alpha and Luna to deal with—”

“And the Alpha’s beta,” Dominic cuts him off, “it’s his mess to deal with too.”

I snap my head up and quickly glance between them, the shock evident on my face as well as Dante’s.

Did Dominic just say what I think he said?

Dante chuckles, a humourless one, “if you think I’m going to stay behind and play second-in-command to my baby brother, you’re even more crazy than the old man. I’m leaving this pack and I’m leaving right now,” he says coldly, springing to his feet, marching towards the door.

He was going to leave? Without telling me? Without as much as a word to me?

“Dante!” I yell as he clasps the knob. Why am I even calling him? I obviously don’t matter to him.

“Oh, you and I do have unfinished business. I’ll wait till you’re done here, meet me outside. I’m ready to leave all this shit behind,” he replies coldly.

Shit? Wow!

I smile bitterly at him and nod, pushing the sharp pain in my heart away, pretending I don’t feel it. It’s for the best anyway, I’ll never be anything but SHIT in his eyes, mate or not.

My eyes coat with tears but I push it back, I have to stay strong or at least pretend to be.

“What business and we’re not done here Dante,” Dominic says, standing up himself.

I feel a sudden change in the air, a strong pressure coming from Dominic that forces my wolf to whimper.

“I am the Alpha of the Nightshade pack, your Alpha,” the aura swirling around Dominic becomes even stronger, his voice echoing, blended with that of his wolf. “You, Dante Bellamy will be my Beta, that is my command and I will not– be disobeyed.”

Dante lets go of the knob and turns to face him, his eyes cold and vengeful. I can see the struggle in his demeanor but no werewolf is ever powerful enough to disobey an Alpha command from his Alpha or is he?