The Abandoned Luna's Return

"I, Alpha Fenris Thorne, reject you, Elara Vance, as my mate and the Luna of the Blood Moon Pack."

The words sliced through the crisp night air like a guillotine. I stood on the ritual stage, the heat of the ceremonial fire licking at my skin, but my blood felt like ice.

"Fenris?" I whispered, my voice trembling. "The Moon Goddess chose us. You can't just—"

"The Moon Goddess made a mistake!" Fenris roared, stepping into the light. His golden eyes, once full of promises, were now sharp with disgust. "Look at you, Elara. You’re twenty-one. The daughter of an Elder. And yet, you haven't shifted. You’re a lupine defect. A human parasite clinging to my title."

A ripple of cruel laughter broke out among the pack members surrounding us.

"She’s a disgrace!" someone shouted from the back.

"A pack is only as strong as its weakest link," Fenris sneered, his lip curling. "And you, Elara, are a broken link. I need a Luna who can lead the hunt, not someone who needs a bodyguard to use the bathroom."

I felt the sting of tears, but I blinked them back. "I’ve served this pack. I’ve managed the accounts, the healing bay, the logistics—"

"You’ve played house," Fenris interrupted, his voice booming. "Sarah, come here."

My heart stopped. My sister, Sarah, stepped out from the shadows. She wasn't wearing her usual modest clothes; she was draped in a silk gown that left little to the imagination, her eyes gleaming with a triumphant malice I’d never seen before.

"Alpha," Sarah purred, sliding her hand into Fenris’s.

"Sarah shifted into a Pure-White wolf this morning," Fenris announced, his pride sickening. "She is the true Luna of Blood Moon. Not this... mistake."

"Sarah, how could you?" I gasped, looking at the sister I’d shared everything with. "You knew how much I loved him."

Sarah leaned in, her voice a low, venomous hiss meant only for me. "Love doesn't win wars, Elara. Power does. And you? You’re just a footstool I used to reach the throne."

She turned back to the crowd, raising our joined hands. "To the Alpha and the new Luna!"

"To the Alpha and Luna!" the pack screamed in unison.

"Wait," I called out, my voice gaining a sudden, sharp edge. "The pack laws. The Luna's Crescent necklace. It belongs to the chosen mate."

Fenris laughed, a dark, hollow sound. "You want the silver? Fine. You want to be a Luna so badly? Have it."

He snatched the heavy silver necklace from the altar. Instead of placing it around my neck, he whipped it across my face. The heavy silver pendant cracked against my cheekbone, drawing blood instantly.

"There’s your silver, Elara. Now, get out. You have until sunrise to leave our lands. If I see you after the sun hits the trees, I will hunt you down myself."

"Is that it?" I asked, wiping the blood from my face with the back of my hand. I felt a strange, cold fire beginning to stir in the pit of my stomach—something that wasn't a wolf, but felt much more dangerous. "No trial? No goodbye to my father?"

"Your father?" Fenris pointed to the front row.

My father, Elder Vance, stood there with his arms crossed. He didn't look at me. "I have no daughter who cannot shift," he said, his voice flat. "You are a blemish on our lineage. Leave before you embarrass us further."

The betrayal was complete. My mate, my sister, my father.

"Fine," I said, the word ringing with a sudden, unnatural clarity. I picked up the fallen necklace, the silver burning my skin. "But mark my words, Fenris. This pack is built on a foundation of sand. When the storm comes, don't look for me to be your shield."

"Get out!" Sarah shrieked. "Begone, human trash!"

I turned and walked. I didn't run. I walked through the crowd of wolves who used to call me 'Lady Elara,' feeling their spit hit my shoulders. I reached the edge of the clearing and didn't look back