007

— Just a substitute.

007

“Your majesty, I already set up everything you want,” Beta Thorne informed, his gaze lowered. 

Even though thoughts were running wildly in his mind, every part of him wondering who she was going to be this time. 

Usually, Alpha Dablo always informed him and the others who his next Luna would be but it was different this time. He was woken up with Alpha Dablo's call instructing him to set up something rare. 

A diamond crafted dress for a plus-size female. Gold and Diamond jewelries. The most luxurious shoes in the kingdom….

“What else do you want me to do, your majesty?” He asked after noticing the silent and glare from Alpha Dablo. 

“I want you to run a background check on… damn it. I did not even bother asking for her name,” Dablo replied, hitting the table hard enough for it to crack.

Before he could try describing the striking beauty that never left his mind even though they only met briefly in a dimly lit corner of that event hall, the said lady walked in. 

“Alpha King—”

“You came,” Dablo interrupted her before pointing at the chair he had reserved for her. “You said you agreed to be my Luna, right?”

The question was meant for the lady sitting just an inch closer to him but Beta Thorne gasped instead. 

Alpha King Dablo is indeed taking another Luna in. The same him who said he was going to wait for his fated mate…

“Yes,” Liliana nodded. 

“This is everything you need to know about your role as my Luna and also, my terms,” Dablo said before stretching over a document to her. “If the terms are okay with you, then we have a deal. You be my Luna and I would offer you whatever assistance you need to ruin him.”

Each word from Dablo faded into the thin air as Liliana fixed her gaze on the document, going through everything line by line. 

From what she had read so far, she is only going to be his temporary Luna until he finds his fated mate. She is going to show up as his Luna wherever and whenever she needs to and that is it. And he would only offer help related to ruining Martin and that is all. 

Interesting. 

She began reading all the terms which somehow went in line with everything she wanted. And the most interesting term— outside all of this, we are basically strangers. 

“If you don't like—”

“Where is the pen?” Liliana asked impatiently the moment she got to the page she was to impede her signature. 

She quickly reached for the pen the moment Dablo stretched it to her. Without hesitating, she began to sign on the necessary part. 

“We have a deal now, right?” Liliana asked calmly, her heart racing in both excitement and nervousness. 

Whatever she is signing up for, in as much as it would destroy Martin, make him wish the moon goddess was the one punishing him, she is in for it. 

“Hmm,” Alpha Dablo nodded before he turned to face his Beta. “Thorne, take her to the maids and have her dress up. She would attend the Moonclaw Dance event with me.”

With that, he stood up and left for the council meeting which he already had an idea of what it was going to be. 

Meanwhile, Liliana who was yet to understand a thing from Alpha Dablo’s words, tried to ask, “Sorry, sir, please—”

“The name is Beta Thorn, my Luna.”

“Beta Thorn, what event was that?” She asked, trying to wrap her mind around even though the name sounds familiar. 

“It is an event hosted by the Moonclaw Alpha, Alpha Martin. It is an annual event he had hosted consistently for five years now,” Beta Thorn replied, making Liliana's stomach tightened, uneasiness creeping into her. 

She needs to be prepared. She needs to drop all the pain that was now replaying in her head and remember the promise she made to him… 

****

“We can't keep having an Alpha that has no Luna. He is the Alpha King for—”

“And who said I have no Luna?” Dablo's voice interrupted the conversation going on in the hall without him. 

He should have considered this a treason but his stepbrother whom he trusted and could even trust with his life, sat quietly just across where his reserve throne was. He knows this is just one of the Ministers unnecessary conversations. 

“I have a Luna,” he added before sitting down, making everyone's eyes widened. 

While everyone was busy gasping and wondering who their next Luna was, who the unfortunate father was and how long their Luna would last this time, Dablo mindlink with his Beta. 

‘Is she done trying out the dresses?’

‘Yes, Your Majesty.’

‘I want you to find out everything about her and also what transpired between her and Alpha Martin of Moonclaw pack.’

With that, he retired his gaze to the Ministers who were still stunned. 

“Brother, but you never—”

“You will get to meet her at the Moonclaw Dance event,” he interrupted Bane. “Now let's get down to why I am here, Ministers,” he paused, giving that serious gaze everyone in here was familiar with. “What have I missed for the past few months?”