The Human Luna: Claimed Too Late

MALIA’S POV“You cheated on your mate?”The question didn’t just land between us. It settled there, heavy and certain.For the first time since it happened, the reality of what I’d done rang loudly in my head. It should’ve pulled some kind of reaction from me.But I didn’t flinch.I didn’t even look up from my coffee.Instead, I watched the thin swirl of cream dissolve slowly into the dark liquid, pretending it deserved more attention than this conversation.“That’s a bold accusation,” I said evenly.Across from me, Verna leaned back in her chair. I didn’t need to look up to know her sharp eyes were fixed on me.“Is it?” she mused.I finally lifted my gaze.As expected, there was no curiosity in her expression. Verna never asked questions unless she already knew the answer.I should’ve shut this conversation down the second it drifted away from pack business and toward my personal life.That was my mistake.I set the spoon down with a soft clink. “I didn’t cheat.”One brow arched slig

MALIA’S POV“Why… do you smell like another Alpha?”The question doesn’t just land, it cuts… deeper than anything.I sprayed the special perfume; he shouldn’t be able to tell any scent on me, or did I spray the wrong one?“Malia…”I don’t answer.I don’t move.Because anything I do right now—anything at all—will give me away.Emil’s grip tightens around my hands, not enough to hurt, but enough to remind me who he is.“Answer me.” His voice is dangerously low, making it worse.He steps closer again, closing the distance I created earlier, his presence pressing in without actually touching me this time.“Who Is he?” he asks.I force my face into something neutral, “No one. I’ve been using a different perfume. That’s what you must’ve perceived.”His gaze sharpens.“This scent isn’t ‘some new perfume’ Malia.”My pulse pounds, but I don’t let it show. “You’re imagining things.”A small, humorless exhale leaves him.“You’re lying to me.”My chest tightens, but I hold his gaze. “And you’re r

MALIA’S POV Morning sunlight spilled through the curtains, warm against my skin. For a second, I forgot everything. The tension. The accusations. Draven. Then the weight around my waist tightened slightly, dragging me back to reality. Emil. I stiffened. His face was buried against the crook of my neck, breathing slow and heavy like sometime during the night exhaustion finally dragged him under. One of his arms was wrapped tightly around me, almost possessive. Like he was scared I’d disappear if he loosened his grip. The memory hit me immediately. Can we just stay like this… just for tonight? I swallowed hard. Last night, I’d been too tired to argue. Too emotionally drained to fight him off again. Now, in the clear light of morning, everything felt awkward. Wrong. Carefully, I tried to move away. Emil stirred almost instantly. His grip tightened before slowly loosening again as he lifted his head. His hazel eyes met mine, tired in a way I’d never seen before. For a

MALIA’S POV He was still kissing her. His hand rested against her ass while she let out a soft little moan into his mouth, like this was something they had done a hundred times before. The room suddenly felt too large, the voices too distant, the air too thick to breathe properly. For a second, I genuinely thought I might collapse right there in front of everyone. “He probably didn’t tell her,” someone whispered from somewhere within the crowd, the words quiet enough to seem discreet yet loud enough for me to hear every single syllable. My gaze slowly swept across the hall, and that was when the real horror settled in. I was the only one shocked. No one else looked confused. No one looked uncomfortable. The guests stood around watching calmly, as if this scene was completely normal to them. My chest tightened painfully when my eyes met Blake’s. Over the past two years, he had become more than just a beta. Whenever I needed help, Blake had always shown up. He had list

MALIA’S POV As I stared into his glowing gold eyes, I realized I didn’t recognize the man standing in front of me anymore. This wasn’t the Emil I had crossed worlds for. This wasn’t the man I had spent two years grieving, searching for, destroying myself over. This was a stranger. A dangerous stranger who looked at me like I was nothing more than a problem he was trying to keep under control. “Who are you?” The words slipped out breathlessly before I could stop them. “What happened to you, Emil?” For a brief second, his hand tightened harder against my jaw. Then suddenly, he let go. No explanation. No denial. Nothing. He turned and walked out of the room without another word. The slam of the door echoed violently behind him, loud enough to rattle the walls, and somehow that silence afterward hurt even more. Because deep down, I already knew. The Emil I loved was gone. And maybe he had been gone for a very long time. But one thing that was clearer than ever n