The Banished Luna Returns!

•CATHERINE•

I watched with pride at the decoration of the pack’s gathering hall. The royal blue drapes, the white lilies, and the delicate embroidery on the tablecloths were exactly how Leo would have wanted it: elegant with royal embroidery.

Beside me was Lila, my right-hand maid, and she smiled at the work we had done since morning. The pack’s anniversary celebration was in an hour, and I wanted to ensure that it met Leo’s expectations.

“Alpha Leo would love the setting, Luna. He will be impressed with the wonderful work you’ve done,” she complimented me as if I had done the work alone.

“Oh, Lila,” I chuckled as we cleared the materials that were left. “You also deserve credit for what we’ve done. You’re the one who thought of the blue curtains. I doubt it would’ve looked this elegant and royal if it weren’t for you.”

“Thank you, Luna.” She bowed her head even though I had told her a million times that there was no need for her to do that.

We walked out of the pack’s gathering hall and went to the pack house to change and prepare for the celebration when I overheard whispers among the she-wolves who were preparing our food in the fireplace.

It was easy to overhear their stifled laughs and whispering because of my heightened hearing. 

“Have you heard about the Alpha’s honored guest visiting today? She is the daughter of Alpha Klint and is the one who founded the esteemed academy for Omega warriors.”

“Why is the Alpha honoring her?” Another asked, and I felt my chest tightening.

I swallowed hard and hoped that whatever that was about wouldn’t affect my marriage to my husband.

“There’s no other reason for the Alpha to host her if he’s not smitten with her. Who wouldn’t be?” They laughed. “She’s the most beautiful woman in the Whitlock pack. Every bachelor is after her hand in marriage.”

When we got home, Lila shut the door, and I headed upstairs. I found Leo getting off a call when he heard the door creak open.

My stomach sank because he had been acting strange lately — answering calls in secret, working late, and avoiding intimacy with me.

He could hardly look at me with love and lust in his eyes. Instead, he treated me as someone he was sharing his bedroom with, and when I addressed his behavior, he would tell me he was working tirelessly to strengthen our borders from rogue attacks.

“Lila and I are done with the preparations. I’m sure you’ll love what we’ve done with the place,” I informed him as I walked toward him. “Have you had breakfast, sweetheart?” I placed my hand on his chest, but he grabbed my wrist before I could wrap it around his neck.

He released a long breath before stepping back from me. “It’s an important night for the pack, and I want to prepare for it with no distractions. So, do you mind giving me some space?”

“I am your Luna, Leo. We always prepare together,” I reminded him softly, trying to keep my tone even.

“Very well then, I’ll have time alone in the guest room.” He took his notepad and cellphone from the dressing table and left, slamming the door behind him.

I stood still, the sound of the door echoing through the room. Something twisted in my chest. I wanted to believe it was stress. That it was nothing more than exhaustion.

For six years, I had been married to Leo, enduring so many things that could’ve made me leave because I loved him and our son.

I sighed and wiped the tears that were rolling down my cheeks. When I was done getting ready, I went to Brian’s room to find out if he was ready for the celebration.

He was putting on his tie when I walked in, struggling to fold it properly. My eyes welled up when I saw him in a suit. He had grown so fast from being the little baby who could fit in my palm to being the little man in a suit.

I closed the door and walked toward him. “Baby, you look so wonderful in a suit. Do you want help with the tie?”

He nodded with a smile, and I crouched to his level and helped him with it. When I was done, he looked proudly at himself in the mirror before wrapping his little arms around my neck.

“Thank you, Mommy!” he squealed. “You’re the best mommy in the entire world.”

My heart melted at his words, and suddenly, all the broken pieces seemed to mend together. I held him tightly for a moment before letting him go.

“Are you ready to show Mommy your moves today?” After I straightened up, I giggled, and then moved my arms and waist, attempting the only dance I knew.

He laughed as he danced with me, and I knew at that moment that there was nothing I wouldn’t do for him. He was my heart. The very essence that gave me life and meaning.

“Let’s go and celebrate fourteen years of your father’s leadership and triumphs in the pack.” I took his hand and went with him to the pack’s gathering hall.

All the pack members were in the hall, chatting, drinking, and being directed to their seats. Other wolves were complimenting the hall’s decorations, which warmed my heart, hoping Leo would appreciate the work I had done.

“Thank you, Crescent Moon pack, for gathering in this place with me to celebrate our pack’s fourteenth anniversary with me being the Alpha,” my husband, Leo, announced at the podium. “It has been—” He froze in mid-sentence, his eyes locked on someone entering through the doors.

Gasps erupted in the hall, others whispered among themselves, and my stomach dropped.

“It’s her.”

“Moon goddess. Is she wearing the same pendant as Luna’s pendant?”

She had a cocky smile on her face, her eyes glued to my husband as if he were the only one in the room.

I’d heard him murmur that name once in his sleep. Now, seeing the way his eyes locked on her, I wasn’t so sure. 

“Please welcome my honored guest, everyone. Mary Whitlock.”

My stomach knotted.