Hold the Line, Luna

Our pack was ambushed. In the chaos, my mate, Alpha Ridley, rescued his first love, Yolia, and left me to be captured. He had the gall to call it my duty as Luna.The howls of the rival Red Fang pack came from all sides on the night of our Blood Moon Hunt.A silver dust bomb exploded nearby.White-hot shrapnel tore across my cheek, and blood instantly streamed down my face."Ridley!" Yolia shrieked, stumbling into my mate. "I'm hit! The silver… it burns!"She crumpled into his arms, a shallow, angry red line marking her pale skin.Ridley's entire focus shifted in a heartbeat.The look he gave Yolia—a mix of tenderness and raw panic I had never once received—was a fresh wound in my chest."Yolia! Are you okay?" he asked, frantically examining her tiny wound.And me? His fated mate, clutching our son as blood dripped from my chin? Utterly ignored."Mama, blood!" Leo pointed at my face, his eyes wide with fear."It's okay, sweetie," I forced myself to stay calm.Another wave of attacks hi

I picked up the torn halves of the document and pieced them back together."Thirteen witnesses," I said with a small laugh. "All of them Yolia's people. What a coincidence.""Christine, that's a hurtful thing to say," Yolia said softly, a flicker of triumph in her eyes. "I know you were scared tonight, but you shouldn't take it out on innocent people."She stood and glided toward me gracefully."We were all so worried about you," she said, reaching out to touch my face. "You're hurt, let me get you some medicine...""Don't touch me."As the words left my mouth, a powerful aura erupted from within me.It was pure, ancient, and filled with a raw, primal force.Yolia’s face went white, and she stumbled back, her body trembling with a fear she couldn't hide.Everyone in the room froze.Leo’s jaw dropped, his eyes wide with disbelief as he stared at me.A flash of shock crossed Jaxon's eyes, followed by something far more complex.And Ridley… his face turned to stone."Impossible," he hisse

Ridley’s expression changed in an instant.Without another glance at me, he bolted from the room."Yolia!" his voice was filled with panic. "What's wrong? What happened?"I heard him scoop her up, followed by the sound of frantic footsteps."Get the doctor! Now!""Yolia, wake up!""Damn it, why did she suddenly collapse?"The sounds faded into the distance.I stood in the infirmary, staring at the overturned chairs and the blood on the floor.Leo hadn't followed his father.He stood in the doorway, his small face twisted with anger and hatred."This is all your fault!" he pointed at me. "You upset Auntie Yolia!"I turned to look at my son.An eight-year-old boy who should have been innocent.But his eyes held nothing but disgust for his mother."Leo, Yolia's condition has nothing to do with me.""Yes, it does!" Leo marched into the room, his little fists clenched. "Daddy said you're a bad woman! Uncle Jaxon said you're awful, too!""Is that so?" I knelt to meet his gaze. "And what do y

Leo didn’t leave.He put the soup on the nightstand, then sat in a corner of the room, quietly playing with his toy car."I told you to get out.""I know," Leo wouldn't look at me. "But Daddy said I have to stay with you.""You do whatever your daddy says?""No." Leo finally looked up, his eyes glistening with tears. "Mama, I'm scared.""Scared of what?""Scared you'll… you'll use the knife again," his voice trembled. "There was so much blood."I closed my eyes."Mama, Daddy found the bad guys," Leo whispered. "The wolves who attacked us."I opened my eyes."What did he say?""Daddy said a wolf named Marcus leaked the information," Leo continued to roll his car back and forth. "He's been locked up."Marcus? I knew him. He was one of Yolia’s many admirers.A perfect scapegoat."Anything else?""Daddy says he's sorry," Leo glanced at me shyly. "He's been getting you presents every day."The next day, a gift arrived. A diamond necklace worth a million dollars.The day after, a set of anti

They took me to the edge of the sea cliffs, where the waves churned over sharp rocks below.Yolia was standing there, dressed in a long white gown, looking like an angel in the moonlight."Christine," she turned gracefully. "You look terrible."I did. I was rail-thin, pale as a ghost, and couldn't even stand on my own."What do you want?" I asked as they held me in front of her."To finally resolve our little... situation," Yolia said, her smile as sharp as her tone. "It's been three long years, Christine. And frankly, I'm tired of watching you play the role of Luna."She walked up to me and slapped me across the face.Smack!My head snapped to the side, and blood trickled from my lip."That was for humiliating me at the pack house."Another slap."That was for almost exposing my plan."A third slap."And that was for getting Marcus executed."I didn't resist.It would all be over soon anyway."Aren't you going to beg?" Yolia stopped. "Aren't you going to cry? To get on your knees and