My Ex's Uncle Claims Me as His Luna

(Layla)I gripped the wedding bands so hard they left indents in my palms, watching my fated mate Mason exchange vows with Princess Abigail of the Oakshadow Pack. The massive altar in our pack’s great hall where they stood was covered with a red carpet, so lavish it felt like it was mocking my pain.My wolf Ariel howled in anguish inside me, a sound that rang through my soul. Two years of secret meetings, stolen kisses in darkened corridors, whispered promises of forever—all thrown away for political ambition.“You have to understand,” Mason had told me in his office last week, not even looking at me as he dropped the bomb. “The pack needs this alliance with Oakshadow. I need this to become Chairman. Your background…it would only hold us back.”I nodded like the good Beta I was, swallowing my protests even as Ariel thrashed against our bond. He was right—my common birth would’ve ruined his campaign. The daughter of a lowly omega could never be Luna of the mighty Sapphire Sky Pack.

(Layla)I clutched my necklace tighter. Abigail’s gaze locked onto it, her thin, dark eyebrows rising.“That pattern…” She stepped closer, releasing Mason’s hand. “Those markings look exactly like the ceremonial pieces in my pack’s vault.”Mason glanced at it dismissively. “Must be a cheap copy.”“But look at those engravings,” Abigail insisted. “The craftsmanship is similar to—”“Abigail, dear,” Mason cut in. “Why don’t you browse the displays? I need to speak with Layla privately.”He gripped my arm, pulling me toward a small office at the back. The clerk opened his mouth to protest but Mason silenced him with a glare.“Let go of me,” I snapped, yanking free once we were inside.Mason pulled an envelope from his jacket. “Your resignation is approved.”“Give it to me.”“Not so fast.” He dangled it just out of reach. “I have a proposition first.”I crossed my arms. “Not interested.”“Your mother’s treatments.” Mason stepped closer. “I could take care of everything. The bills, the spe

(Layla)“My daughter Annie needs full-time care,” Samuel explained, tapping his fingers on the diner table. “She accidentally ingested wolfsbane and the accident left her legs paralyzed.”I stared at him across the booth, my red dress feeling ridiculous again as I remembered her.“Your daughter…”“Yes, my daughter.” His eyes narrowed. “Surprising?”“I just…” I shifted in my seat. “I didn’t know you had one.”I had never known him to have a public Luna, yet he had a daughter. Maybe I could be his Luna too…Ridiculous, I chided myself. You’re being ridiculous.“There’s a lot you don’t know about me.” Samuel motioned to the waitress. “Coffee, black.”“Same,” I muttered, needing something stronger than water.“Three weeks ago,” he continued once the waitress left, “Annie got into the wolfsbane garden. Doctors say the paralysis should be temporary, but she needs constant supervision until she recovers.”“And you want me to…”“Be her nanny. Five days a week, live-in position.” He pulled out

(Layla)Samuel’s fingers paused mid-scroll on his phone screen. Jack glanced back from the driver’s seat, then quickly focused on the road ahead.“It’s nothing,” he said finally, his voice low and casual, like none of this mattered at all. “I just didn’t want you to lose face in front of Mason. Not again.”“What?” I managed to choke out.His lips twitched. “You’ve already been discarded by him once. Thought it’d be satisfying to let him taste what it feels like to lose something. Or someone. The way you did.”I stared at him, mind racing. Was this whole thing—his claiming me, the job offer, his protectiveness—just payback against his nephew?It was easy to get lost in the memory, to let myself believe, even for a second, that there might have been something more to it. That maybe, just maybe, he saw me as more than a pawn in his game.But no. Of course not. This was Alpha Samuel, after all. The man who had a reputation for being as cold and calculating as he was devastatingly handsome.

(Layla)The car glided past massive iron gates bearing the Thunderstrike Pack crest. Ancient oaks lined the winding road, their branches creating shifting patterns on the hood.“First time in Alpha territory?” Jack asked from the driver’s seat.“That obvious?”“You’re gawking.”I pressed my nose against the window. Young wolves fought in a training field to our right under the watchful eye of an elder. I could smell the pine and earth drifting through the vents, and I savored it.“Your pack seems different from Mason’s,” I said. It was far better.“How so?” Jack turned down another tree-lined path.“More…” I searched for the right word. “Sophisticated.”Jack snorted. “Alpha Samuel demands excellence. Unlike some leaders who waste time playing politics.”A group of pups raced past, chasing each other through the woods. Their laughter floated back to us. An elderly wolf watched from a nearby bench, smiling indulgently.“The children seem happy though,” I noted.“Discipline doesn’t mean m