The Luna He must protect

Lucien's POV

I stood in my office, staring at the map on the wall. Red pins marked where the rogue attacks had happened. All along the southern border. All in the last week.

"It's coordinated," Grayson, my Beta, said from behind me. "Someone's testing our defenses."

"Or looking for something," I replied.

My Third-in-Command, Finn, leaned against the desk. "You think this is connected to your new mate?"

"I don't believe in coincidences." I traced the pattern of attacks with my finger. 

"Three attacks start the same week I begin visiting other packs looking for her. Then I find her, and suddenly rogues are throwing themselves at our borders like they have a death wish."

"Maybe they do," Grayson suggested. 

"Rogues aren't known for smart decisions."

"These ones are organized. They're not just random attacks. They're probing. Testing response times. Counting our warriors." I turned to face them. "Someone sent them."

"Who benefits from attacking the Blood Moon?" Finn asked.

"Lots of packs would love to see us weakened," Grayson said. "We're the strongest in the region. That makes enemies."

I thought about Kaiser's face when I'd claimed Maya as my mate. The hatred in his eyes. The way he smiled when I said we were leaving.

"The Crescent Alpha," I said slowly. "Kaiser. He let Maya go too easily."

"Mate law supersedes everything," Grayson pointed out. "He had no choice."

"He could have challenged me. Could have demanded verification from the council. Could have delayed us for days with legal procedures." I shook my head. "Instead, he just smiled and let us walk out. Why?"

Finn's eyes widened. "You think he wanted her to leave?"

"I think he's planning something." I pulled out my phone and dialed the head of my intelligence network. "Roman? I need a deep background on Crescent Pack. Leadership, finances, alliances. Everything from the last twenty years."

"On it, Alpha," Roman replied.

I hung up and looked at the map again. Something was wrong. I could feel it.

A knock came at the door.

"Come in," I called.

Rachel, the pack healer, entered. "Your mate is resting. I gave her something for the pain."

"How bad are her injuries?"

"Physically? She'll heal fine. Emotionally?" Rachel sighed. "Fourteen years of abuse doesn't heal quickly. She flinches when I move too fast. She apologizes for everything. She's terrified of taking up space."

Rage burned through me. "I should have killed him."

"Killing him would have started a war," Grayson said practically.

"Maybe that war would be worth it."

"She needs you here, not fighting battles," Rachel said gently. "She needs stability. Safety. Time to heal."

I knew she was right, but every instinct in me wanted to drive back to Crescent pack and rip Kaiser apart for what he'd done to my mate.

My mate.

I still couldn't quite believe it. After years of searching, of visiting pack after pack, I finally found her. And she'd been locked away in hell the whole time.

The Moon Goddess had a cruel sense of humor.

"Where is she now?" I asked Rachel.

"Guest room on the third floor. I thought she might want her own space for now."

Smart. Maya had spent fourteen years as someone's property. She'd need time before she was comfortable sharing my room.

"I'll go check on her," I said.

"Go easy," Rachel warned. "She's fragile right now."

I nodded and left the office, making my way upstairs to the third floor. The guest room door was slightly open. I knocked softly.

"Come in," Maya's quiet voice called.

I pushed the door open. She was sitting on the bed, still wearing that old, faded dress. Her dark hair fell around her shoulders, and in the soft lamplight, she looked impossibly young.

How old was she? Twenty-four? Twenty-five?

"How's your ankle?" I asked, staying by the door.

"Better. Rachel gave me something for the pain." She looked at her hands. "Thank you. For everything."

"You don't need to thank me."

"Yes, I do. You saved me tonight."

I walked closer and sat in the chair by the bed, keeping some distance between us. "You saved yourself. I just gave you a way out."

She looked up at me then, her hazel eyes searching my face. "Why are you being so nice to me?"

"You're my mate."

"But you don't know me. What if you don't like me once you do?"

I leaned forward, resting my elbows on my knees. "Maya, I've been searching for my mate for five years. I've visited sixty-three packs. Met thousands of she-wolves. None of them were you."

"Maybe that's a good thing," she said bitterly. "Maybe the Moon Goddess made a mistake."

"The Moon Goddess doesn't make mistakes."

"Then why did she let me suffer for fourteen years?" Her voice cracked. "Why did she give me to a monster? Why didn't she let me find you sooner?"

I had no answer for that. I'd wondered the same thing myself on the drive here.

"I don't know," I admitted. "But you're here now. You're safe. And I swear on my life, no one will hurt you again."

She laughed, but it was a broken sound. "You can't promise that."

"Yes, I can. I'm the Alpha of the strongest pack in the region. My word is law here."

"But what if?" She stopped, biting her lip.

"What if what?"

"What if Kaiser comes for me? What if he wants me back?"

"Then I'll kill him." I said it calmly, like I was discussing the weather.

Her eyes widened. "You can't do that. It would start a war."

"Some things are worth going to war over." I stood up and moved to sit on the edge of the bed, closer to her. "You're my mate, Maya. My Luna. Nothing and no one will take you from me. Do you understand?"

She stared at me for a long moment. Then, slowly, she nodded.

"Good." I reached out and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. She flinched slightly, and I froze.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. "I didn't mean to"

"Don't apologize. You've been conditioned to expect pain. It'll take time to unlearn that." I pulled my hand back. "I won't touch you without permission. Not until you're ready."

"But we're mates. Don't you want?" She trailed off, her cheeks flushing.

"I want a lot of things," I said honestly. "But what I want most is for you to feel safe. Everything else can wait."

Tears filled her eyes. "Nobody's ever put me first before."

"Then they were all fools." I stood up. "Get some rest. Tomorrow, we'll talk about what comes next."

"What comes next?"

"First, you heal. Then, when you're ready, we'll make our bond official. You'll become my Luna in front of the whole pack."

Fear flashed across her face. "I don't know how to be a Luna."

"You'll learn. And I'll help you." I walked to the door. "Goodnight, Maya."

"Lucien?" she called as I reached for the doorknob.

I turned back.

"Thank you," she said softly. "For choosing me. Even though I'm broken."

"You're not broken," I told her. "You're a survivor. There's a difference."

I left before she could argue, closing the door gently behind me.

Grayson was waiting in the hallway.

"The council wants to meet tomorrow," he said. "They're concerned about you bringing home a mate from the Crescent Pack."

"They can be concerned all they want. She's my mate. End of discussion."

"Some of them think it's suspicious. Her showing up right when the rogue attacks start."

I turned on him, my eyes flashing. "Are you suggesting my mate is involved?"

"I'm suggesting the council will ask questions. You need to be prepared for that."

He was right. Politics never stopped, even for mate bonds.

"Set up the meeting for tomorrow afternoon," I said. "That gives Maya time to rest first."

Grayson nodded and walked away.

I stood in the hallway, looking back at Maya's closed door. Every instinct told me to go back in there, to stay with her, to protect her.

But she needed space. Time. A chance to breathe without someone controlling her every move.

So I forced myself to walk away, down the hall to my own room.

Tomorrow will bring new challenges. The council's questions. The rogue attacks. Whatever game Kaiser was playing.

But tonight, my mate was safe under my roof and that was enough.