THE WIDOWED LUNA

"What do you mean you didn't kill him?" Alpha Jerry stood over his brother's still body on the floor, his voice a low, dangerous rumble that shook the very air. He knelt, his large hands checking his brother's pulse, his gaze sweeping over Max's empty eyes. He looked up at me, his face a mask of terrifying fury. "What have you done to him?" he cried, burying his head against Max’s chest.I could only shake my head, tears streaming down my face. My pleas were silent, stuck in my throat, but Henry’s voice filled the void, poisoning Jerry's mind. "She must have done something to him," Henry insisted, his words dripping with venom. "Max was strong yesterday; he couldn't have just died.""Get this evil woman out of here and throw her in the dungeon," Henry ordered the guards, who had rushed in the moment they heard the Alpha's scream. I was dragged away like a common criminal, the chains on my wrists and ankles biting into my skin. I was thrown into a cold, dark pit, and the heavy cover sl

LARAMy eyes fluttered open to the softest light I had ever known, and a scent of clean linen and cedar that was utterly foreign. I was in a massive bed, and next to me, standing by the headboard, was Alpha Jerry. My heart hammered against my ribs, and I squeezed my eyes shut, willing the scene to be a dream. I should have been in the pit, the cold, hard earth beneath me, the ants a familiar, crawling torment. Not here, not in this soft, warm bed, with him."Get the doctor," I heard Alpha Jerry's voice, laced with urgency. "She opened her eyes, but she’s gone back to sleep."Oh no. What had happened? I felt a cool hand on my wrist, and then another gently lift my eyelid. It was the doctor. There was no point in pretending anymore. I opened my eyes again and sat up abruptly, a wave of dizziness washing over me."How are you doing, Lara?" the man asked, introducing himself as Doctor James, the pack doctor. Alpha Jerry immediately stepped closer, his presence a heavy weight in the room.

In my nine years at the front, I abstained from masturbating. The one woman in my life was Sasha. We grew close as she prepared our meals, though I never loved her, nor did I hate her. She was a decent, beautiful woman, and not a murderer. Sasha would never kill, even in self-defense. But now, I must cast her aside to focus on my marriage to Lara.Lara could be innocent or guilty. My doubts began when I saw a sack she'd hidden for an escape. I need to be with her to avenge Max. I'll "nail her and kill her just the way she killed you." I keep her in a dark passage, not far from me, but not in my room where Max's picture stares at me from the wall.I need to marry her soon, to crown her Luna. With the merging party a few days away, the marriage should happen before the packs merge. "We'll celebrate our victory," I think, "five years is a long time away, and winning the war is a reason to celebrate." Part of me feels terrible marrying a woman who might have killed my brother, but another

LARAMy heart stopped. It felt like the day I found out my mom died. I stood motionless, covered in sweat. I wanted Eveline to repeat what she'd said, but I didn't have to. "Alpha Jerry never liked you. This marriage was just so he could expose the evil in you. He has gone to be with the one he truly loves," she said, laughing. I clutched my chest, which felt like it was about to burst.Jerry has a lover? What was I thinking? The cruel man whose company I enjoy has gone to be with the one he truly loves. Tears dropped uncontrollably, my mouth hung open, and my vision blurred. I saw three Evelines, the trees looked like they were walking, and the clouds seemed to be spinning. My head swam, and I lost my balance, falling to the floor.Eveline didn't stop. I could still hear her repeating the words, "I wondered what made you think the Alpha loves you, not after taking his younger brother's life." Her voice was filled with happiness. I've never had a reason to hate my sister before, despi

Where was I going? Anywhere I could find peace.The horse rode on, and I began to enjoy the rhythm of the journey. It felt as if the dear animal sensed my pain, deciding to offer comfort in the only way it could. The world blurred into a soothing green.Then the rain began.At first, I welcomed the cool drops on my skin. It was cleansing. But soon it intensified, becoming a deluge that left me soaked and shivering. I was in the middle of nowhere. The ride was no longer a pleasure; it became a desperate search for shelter.A solitary hut appeared through the downpour. “Perhaps I’ll find help here,” I murmured to myself.I quickly tied my beautiful silver horse to a nearby tree. The action was barely finished when the hut's door opened, and a woman appeared. She was stunning—my age, perhaps a little older.“My dear, Alpha parks his horse there. Please find another spot,” she said. Her voice was nice enough, but the words held a casual dismissal, as if who I was didn't matter.“Uh—hello,