THE LUNA HE FORGOT TO LOVE

AUREN'S POV "Luna Auren, you are no longer fit to be Luna of this pack."The words slammed into me like a gut punch, I forgot how to breathe.My fingers tightened around the back of the empty chair beside me as the council hall blurred.Then Elder Vayric cleared his throat and spoke again."The pack needs an heir” his voice bellowed for all to hear. “You have not been able to produce one, and the worst part?” He quirked an eyebrow “your wolf remains inactive."A loud murmur of agreement spread through the elders, not surprise. I stood frozen at the center of the room. This was clearly not a discussion I thought I was called for.They had already decided over my case and was giving their verdict.Slowly, my eyes found Melvin, My mate, My husband, Alpha to Thornridge.He stood at the front of the hall, shoulders squared, with his expression tight. He said nothing. He didn't stop them like he used to. He didn't shut their audacity like he did when their whispers of my incompetence as

AUREN'S POVElder Vayric didn't waste a second."The council has reached its decision."My knees were still weak from the floor I had nearly collapsed on. I pulled myself up straight, refusing to let them see me break further than I already had."Auren Valecrest." He said my name like it was already in the past. "Your failure to produce an heir and your dormant wolf are signs of a cursed blood""Wh…what!?" The words burst out of me as my eyes widened. "Yes, a cursed blood." He said it so plainly, like he was reading off a grocery list. "No family has claimed you, no bloodline has come forward for you, do not forget you are an orphan. The Moon Goddess has not blessed you with a wolf in twenty-two years. He paused to let the words land. “This is not a coincidence, child. This is rejection from the divine itself."The hall murmured in agreement again. That same hum of wolves circling."That's insane." I looked around the room, "You're blaming me for something I never had control over.

MELVIN'S POV The glass had been full an hour ago. I hadn't touched it since. I stood by the fire in my study, pacing across the room before stopping. Then, I sat down, one hand pressed on my forehead and the fire burning low behind me. I couldn't shut off the thought, it kept replaying itself over and over again. My mind drifted to Auren's face when I said the words. The way her knees almost buckled. The way her fingers gripped the air like she was reaching for something solid and finding nothing. The way she screamed my name like it could pull me back from what I had already done. It couldn't. My wolf paced inside me, restless and furious in a way I didn't have the energy to quiet. He hadn't settled since the council hall. Every time I pushed him down, he came back harder, clawing at something i had no name for. like he had refused to accept what we had done today regardless of the reason behind it. "I know…okay?." I said it out loud to an empty room. He didn't stop

SELENE'S POV The doors opened slowly. Two elderly maidens stood on each side of the entrance, their heads bowed low and hands clasped in front of them. They had been waiting for me. They both stood in the hallway like statues, ready to welcome their new Luna. I stepped through the threshold and into the chambers. The room stretched before me, larger than I remembered.It looked different from when I stood outside Auren's door pretending to comfort her. The windows spanned from floor to ceiling, moonlight spilling across the marble floor. A fire crackled in the hearth, casting warm shadows across the furniture. Everything was exactly as it had been. The same silk drapes. The same embroidered cushions, same painting of Thornridge's founding Alpha hanging above the mantel. But everything was different now. Same setting just a different Luna in it. The thought of it made my stomach flutter. The maidens followed me inside, their footsteps soft against the stone. "The Luna c

AUREN'S POVThe harsh light from the bulb stung my eyes as I forced them open, and a throbbing ache spread through my head.Every inch of my body screamed. My ribs, my face, my arms. Even my fingers throbbed with a deep, aching pulse that wouldn't stop. I tried to move and something cracked in my chest, sending a fresh wave of agony through my entire body.I gasped.The sound came out broken, like my throat had been scraped raw from the inside.Voices drifted around me, soft and muffled, like they were coming from underwater."Careful, her pulse is still weak.""Keep the pressure on that wound.""More herbs. Now."Herbs?The word slammed into me like a physical blow.Herbs meant I was being treated by a healer. Healers meant I was inside a pack. A pack meant I had been captured. They had found me, the rogues had dragged me somewhere. Someone was going to finish what they started.I tried to open my eyes. My lids were too heavy and swollen. I forced them apart and saw nothing but blurr