Chapter One: The Silent Luna

I stood by my chamber's large open windows, staring out at the DeLuca estate. Three long years had passed since my wedding day. The day I married my fated mate. Alpha Luca DeLuca. I had been so excited for that day. Believing that he would claim me and love me for an eternity. The way I believed the mate bond was supposed to be. 

But, instead, I was met with the total opposite. 

No marking. 

No love. 

No claim. 

He refused to mark me despite being mated underneath the full Moon and bound together by our vows. He blamed my family for manipulating the mate bond to gain power. 

My mother constantly scolded me for not falling pregnant yet, each time I held the latest medical in my hands, stating "No Pregnancy Detected." It made me feel even less of a wolf. 

Luca avoided me like the plague, and when he did acknowledge me, I was only ever met with an ice-cold glare that made me feel sick and worthless. 

What did I ever do to deserve such a loveless sham of a marriage to a mate who despised my very existence? 

"You're nothing to me. Nothing but a mistake. A burden." Luca's words would ring as I recalled our wedding night. I was nothing more than a pawn to him, a waste of his time, and the lack of mate bond had hollowed me out.

I looked at the stack of documents left on the table and sighed, realising he must have forgotten them. Walking over to pick them up, I took them to his office; I knew he would be there. 

The second I stopped outside the door, he knew I was there. 

"What is it, Serafina? Can't you see I'm busy? " he said bluntly as if irritated to see it was me. There was no happiness or kindness in how he greeted me as I pushed open his office door. 

"Luca, aren't you pleased to see me? Here are the forgotten documents you needed. I thought I would bring them to you." I smiled as I placed the documents on the desk in front of him.

I spotted a message flash up on his phone, and my heart sank deep into my chest as I read the name. 

Bianca Romano. 

His ex-lover was also his first love. 

"What do you want? Why are you still standing there? Are you trying to make me lose my temper?" He growled lowly, reaching across to snatch his phone away from my sight. He flared his nostrils and sneered but didn't say another word. Instead, he leaned back in his chair and refused to acknowledge me again. 

I was stunned by his harshness, although I shouldn't really be, as it was the norm for him to speak to me in such a manner. 

"It's her, isn't it? Your ex-lover. Do you still love her? Tell me, Luca." I found myself pleading with my mate to tell me the truth. 

He didn't bother to open his mouth and give me any reassurance. Nothing at all. 

His eery silence said all I needed to know; it spoke a thousand words and was louder than a howl.

"What did I ever do so wrong?" I muttered as I turned on my heel and left the office, not bothering to close the door behind me. Tears streamed down my cheeks before I could return to my chambers. I slammed the door shut, causing the walls to shudder, and threw myself onto the huge queenside bed. Burying my face into the fluffy pillows, I screamed to release even an ounce of my frustration. 

Why could he not love me? He didn't even give me a chance. He treated me like I was nothing.

I must have fallen asleep because the next thing I knew, the loud thud at the door was waking me. 

"Luna, you need to get down to the Neon Club. Alpha Luca is there, but not in a good way. You should take him home." 

I rubbed my eyes and sat up, feeling groggy since it was pitch black outside. Glancing at the clock, I saw it was only half past one in the morning. 

When I arrived at the club, I was shocked to see Luca entangled with Bianca. I felt my cheeks burn red with humiliation. I was his mate, his Luna, and yet here he was, almost passed out with his ex-lover beside him. 

How could he do this to me? What is she even doing back? She disappeared on Luca years ago and didn't come back for him. Why was she here now? 

"Oh, look who it is." Bianca looked up at me and smirked as she didn't even bother to have the decency to remove herself from my mate. 

"Luca needs to come home with me," I told her firmly, and she let out a cackle of laughter. 

"And who's going to make him?" She raised her eyebrows and crossed her arms over her chest as if challenging me to try her. I glanced across at Luca as he snuggled into Bianca as if I weren't even there before them. 

"Luca deserves a real Luna. Not some sorry, weak excuse who can't even do the decent thing and produce an heir." I heard their cruel words, and they echoed in my head loudly. 

I turned away from them and rushed outside, where I proceeded to throw up. It was pouring rain. I was alone, cold and invisible to the one person who should have protected and loved me.