2. CHOSEN LUNA

Rhea’s POV

A hollow, suffocating silence pressed against my chest.

My sister is pregnant.

And the father was none other than my own mate, the same man that I had given myself to last night. 

Now, both our families are here discussing my mate and my sister’s official mating ceremony so she could formally become his Luna.

I shot Artavius a look, waiting for him to explain, to deny their words, but he just stayed silent while it took all my strength to just stand there.

“H-How?” A small voice managed to escape inside me. “You’re not even mates,” I blurted out. 

“Rhea, I know this is a shock. It just so happens that one of the trials happened near the Eastern Academy where I have been studying. Artavius and I often met together, and things happened.”

“Things happened?” I scoffed, the words tasting like acid. “Brielle you’re literally pregnant! That doesn’t just happen.”

Brielle winced, lowering her head in a delicate display of shame. “I know it’s difficult to understand, but Artavius and I spent a lot of time together. We fell in love.”

My chest tightened so painfully it felt hard to breathe.

“I’ve known Artavius longer than the time you spent in that Academy,” I snapped. “We grew together, we spent life and death together. I spent years alone with him, and we never crossed the line between us.”

Brielle fell silent at my words.

“Why are you questioning their relationship?” Mother defended her instead. “They fell in love, then got pregnant, and now Artavius is willing to be a father to their child and make her his Luna. Why does it matter?”

“Artavius, tell them,” I demanded, turning toward him fully. “Tell them so they’ll understand why I’m acting like this.”

Luna Lynette’s brows furrowed immediately. “Son… what is going on?”

Artavius’s jaw tightened dangerously. “Rhea, now is not the right time.” he said in a low voice.

I clenched my fists tightly. They are here talking about plans of him taking someone else as his mate and he thinks this is not the right time for everyone to know the truth?

“I’m his mate,” I blurted out. “We both just found out yesterday.”

The room fell into stunned silence.

For one stupid, desperate moment, I thought telling them the truth would solve the problem, or at the very least it would make them hesitate about making Brielle the new Luna, instead things just got worst.

Brielle’s knees weakened, and Mother immediately caught her.

“My daughter,” Mother gasped, guiding her carefully to a chair. “Calm down. Please, sit down.”

Brielle clutched her stomach with trembling hands, tears spilling down her cheeks.

“I didn’t know,” she whispered. “I swear I didn’t know.”

My father exhaled sharply, rubbing a hand over his face.

“This is a disaster,” he spoke as he pitifully stared at Brielle, like she was the only one in pain.

Alpha Elias moved forward, not just as a father, but as an Alpha. “The child was conceived first,” he said quietly.

My head snapped toward him.

“What?”

His gaze remained steady. “Whether anyone intended this or not, Brielle is carrying Artavius’s heir.”

“He is my mate,” I argued.

“And she is carrying his child,” Luna Lynette replied softly.

I turned to Artavius, hoping even now that he would step forward, take my hand, and say that the bond mattered. That I mattered.

But he looked like he had already decided. 

I swallowed hard because there I realized that before things even happened between us last night, he had already decided.

Father’s voice came next, low and firm. “Rhea, you must understand the position everyone is in.”

I swallowed hard. It has always been like this even when we were little.

I was always expected to adjust, to be more understanding, and to put Brielle first before myself just because she’s younger than me.

But right now it’s different, they are expecting me to give up my own mate for her.

“What about me?” The words left me before I could stop them.

“You know that giving up your own mate isn’t that easy. To break the mate bond we have to go through the rejection process and you know how painful and dangerous that is,” 

“Artavius is an Alpha, and you are…” Alpha Elias’s eyes swept my body from head to toe. “Strong enough to endure the pain of the rejection. Both of you can survive it easily.”

‘Easily’, as though he was merely discussing strategy for battle.

I turned to my father and mother who surely perfectly heard what he just said.

I watched as my mom cradled Brielle against her chest, stroking her hair as she gently comforted her. 

I thought to myself, if my parents cared for my sister that much, I must mean something to them too. After all, I’m also their daughter.

My father nodded his head without hesitation. “Alpha Elias is right.”

My mother stayed silent, going along with their decision.

My body felt numb. First, it was my mate, then my family. Just when I thought nothing could hurt me more, they proved that I was wrong.

“That’s it? Don’t I even mean anything to you?” My voice cracked, I hated myself for sounding broken and begging for an ounce of care. “Am I not your daughter too?”

“We are doing this for the Pack.” Father replied firmly. “Think of the damage it would cause if the Pack members and the neighboring Packs found out that their Alpha impregnated his Luna’s sister?” 

His expression hardened. “Think of how they would treat Brielle and her child because of this.”

“So your solution is for me to give up my mate and the Luna position by risking my own life?” I snapped. 

“Why can’t you let me and Artavius stay together? We can raise the child ourselves. I would never mistreat an innocent child for something that wasn’t their fault,” my voice trembled.

“And what about your sister?” Mother finally spoke after remaining silent for so long.

It’s clear, all she thinks about is the daughter she has in her arms right now. It has always been like that. 

“You are a warrior, Rhea. You are the strongest and the only female warrior of the Pack. You’d still be respected after this. Can you really just watch and let your sister get ruined?” Father added.

I looked at everyone and then laughed bitterly when everything finally sank in 

This was never truly about the child, or the Pack, or even the scandal. It was about Brielle.

Brielle has to be protected. Her reputation must remain spotless. She cannot be hurt or bullied, she’s too precious for that.

A humorless smile tugged at my lips.

I am always expected to endure. Brielle is allowed to be weak while I could only swallow everything silently and push through.

“A true Luna would put her Pack and the people close to her first before herself,” Luna Lynette spoke gently.

Her hypocrisy disgusts me. She’s disguising their selfishness as sacrifice. A true Luna wouldn’t do that.

I swallowed hard, my throat burning painfully. 

The people I expected to care about my pain are forcing me to go through the pain itself just because I could “endure” it. 

“I could see… all of you had already decided,” I muttered weakly. 

There’s no point in fighting and explaining myself, especially if the person I’m fighting for is not even fighting for me. “I’ll ask only one thing.”

Artavius finally lifted his eyes to mine. 

“I want to hear your decision,” I softly spoke to him. 

I want to hear his answer because maybe he would choose me and then I won’t hold myself back anymore. I’d fight for us whatever that takes. 

“Who do you choose?” Fear gripped me as soon as the question left me. 

I watched conflict flicker in his eyes, but one look at Brielle was all it took for him to make his decision.

“Brielle is carrying my heir,” His voice came out rough. “I choose Brielle.”

Tears blurred my vision as my wolf let out a broken, agonized howl inside of me. 

I wanted to scream at him, to yell ‘How dare you!’

After what happened to us last night, he’s going to discard me just like that?

I thought last night meant something, it turns out he just played me like a fool. 

I held everything in and stormed out of the room.

I wanted to confront him, but at the same time I do not want him to choose me out of guilt for what happened between us last night.

I wanted him to choose me because I was the one he truly wanted, the one he truly loved. 

Clearly, I wasn’t.

And I’m not going to beg for his love or force myself to him or to anyone. Not anymore.