Breakfast

Getting through that heat was a breeze for me. For a normal full werewolf it would've been hell — rolling around on the floor, scratching at the walls, crying for relief from anybody and anything.

But luckily I wasn't normal.

It wasn't my fault my mother never told anyone she was a witch. If the pack had known, they'd have exiled her, maybe even killed her due to some very old beliefs. The only reason I ever found out was because I read her diaries when she died, before my father threw out everything that reminded him of her.

No one ever asked about it either. They just saw me as the pitiful Luna without a wolf — the oracle's charity case. They never guessed I inherited her power, or that it awakened years ago, or that I've secretly been using it. I never trusted anyone in this pack enough to say anything. Not even Tanya. I might have told Jason once... but after last night, I saw my situation for exactly what it was.

I should've been writhing in agony from their mating — that's what happens when your bonded mate touches someone else. But I slept like a baby, thanks to my magic.

And the best part? I remembered who Lina really was because my magic showed me the truth in my dreams.

Lina was an evil witch who broke taboo and turned herself into a skinwalker. Jason had invited something vile into our territory like a brainless idiot. What the hell was he doing fucking that thing in the territory? How could he not know he'd been tricked by that disgusting scent she put out?

Doesn't he know he's put everyone in danger?

It was my job as the Luna to tell him. Right? That's what a Luna does — protect the pack.

***

"Do you have to look so miserable in the morning?" Jason groaned the second I walked into the dining room. "At least be more cheerful like Lina."

"This is just my face," I said. Keep it together, Bonnie. You're the Luna. You're the Luna. You have a job to do.

Words don't hurt.

"Huh? Right, I forgot." He coughed as I sat down. I guess my lack of reaction threw him off. "Well, don't you have anything to say?"

"About what?" I asked.

"I just spent the night with another woman!" he snapped.

"She's your soul bond, isn't she? That's normal," I said, already debating if I should tell him everything.

"Well, yeah. I was just expecting more out of you."

Was I supposed to throw my plate at him? Scream? Cry? I was being the perfect Luna — calm, practical. Holding the pack together while he rolled around in bed with a monster.

He's not even good at it.

"If you insist, I'll tell you my opinion," I said. "Jason, I don't think Lina should be here. You should really look into things properly before inviting strange creatures into your territory."

"Do you just think of every woman as competition or something, Bonnie?" Jason rolled his eyes. "I said I'm just helping. I'm not doing anything wrong and you're still the Luna."

Was this guy fucking serious?

"I'm saying it for the good of the pack, not jealousy," I insisted. "The dream—"

"You want to kick her out over a stupid dream you had?"

"Yes."

"You must've lost your fucking mind, Bonnie! You know, I thought Lina was overreacting when she said you'd do anything to get her out of the house, but I can't believe she was proven right so quickly."

"What are you saying?" I asked.

"She doesn't even know you and even she can tell you have a bad character from a mile away!" Jason argued. "Lina is staying and that's final!"

"How cruel."

"The Luna is so jealous."

"Who knew she was so selfish?"

"It's the alpha's duty to help people who can't help themselves."

"This pack will go to shit with this Luna."

I heard the servants start to whisper all around me, shooting me those usual glares. That's right. When did I ever really have power in this house? All I got was the bare minimum: the title. That just stopped people from physically harming me too badly.

They didn't know I was the reason everything stayed balanced and running smoothly. I was the reason no one got sick. I made sure wages got paid, food got to the less fortunate, the warriors had supplies, and the elders didn't freeze. I did it all alone with zero experience and no help. I troubled no one.

So why was I being treated like this? Was Luna just another word for slave?

Was I wrong for spotting danger? It was part of my job — and I got good at it by quietly sending tip-offs to the guards at the border. But apparently, none of that counted.

Fuck it, I did my job and warned him. That's all this fool would get from me. The fairy tale alpha was just another idiot in a crown. Whoever told me he was great lied through their teeth.

I pushed the thoughts out of my head and stood up from the table.

"It's as you say."

"What?" Jason asked.

"Whatever the alpha says goes," I said. "I'll make sure not to bring it up again."

Jason looked at me with an arched brow. I didn't know why he looked so confused. He was the one fake soul-bonded to a monster. I had nothing to do with that anymore.

Before I could leave the dining room, Lina practically bounced in. "Good morning!"

"Morning, Lina!" Jason immediately brightened up like she hung the moon for him.

"Oh, this breakfast looks so good! I've never seen something so extravagant!" she squealed. She'd never seen sausage and eggs? Somehow I didn't believe that for a second. "Oh, but there's no more extra food."

"Why didn't you bring out a plate for Lina?!" Jason snapped at me as one of the servants ran to the kitchen. "I saw you bring one for yourself — why not bring one for her?"

Because I wanted to test if the staff would really serve her — and they did. That told me everything I needed to know. I couldn't just let this skinwalker do whatever she wanted to the pack, but if I said a word, they'd brand me jealous and cruel.

I sighed. I had to appease this idiot for now. "A plate was brought out, correct? That's thanks to my schedule when we have guests—"

"Lina is not a guest!" Jason snapped.

"If you had let me finish, I would've told you I was going to fix it later," I said calmly.

"The fact that it wasn't fixed already means you're not capable," Jason hissed.

"No one gave any prior notice to me," I said. "I can't make a change if I don't know it's happening."

"Bullshit! I sent a letter!" Jason slammed his fist on the table.

"I never received it."

"Bertram!" Jason yelled. The head butler walked in within seconds, only acknowledging Jason and Lina.

"I sent a letter about Lina. Did you give it to Bonnie?"

"I give all the mail I receive to the Luna," Bertram said, his voice calm. Bullshit. He never gave me that letter — he gave me everything else, but not this.

"There were also some reports of missing funds—"

"That's impossible! There should be a surplus!" I snapped. My work was airtight. Was he trying to slander me now?

"I'm only reporting what the books say," Bertram said.

Was he bribed? Bertram never seemed hostile — we'd had a few pleasant talks about the budget. Was all that fake?

"The books? Didn't you tell me you were illiterate? How could you have understood the books?" I snapped.

"It was only a test." Bertram sighed and shook his head like I was the disappointment. "I told you that and you took full advantage of it."

Oh, I saw it now. If he wanted to swing at me, I'd swing back. "Well then I blame it on your staff for not helping me with anything, even after being here for so long. Why would you allow this place to run so poorly for three months as head butler?"

Bertram started to sweat, but Jason cut in.

"Enough! You're lucky that Lina knows a thing or two about accounting and managing pack duties. Just hand it all over to her. I can't trust you with anything."

So I was just guilty. I looked at Bertram — he just gave me a smug little smirk. They were really going to strip me down to nothing. The books, the reports — that was what made me Luna on paper. Now they were coming for that too.

Yeah, it was me against the world.

"Come help me out, Lina, please," Jason said gently.

"Well, of course, if you insist," Lina giggled, her pretty eyes glancing at me like she'd already won. If I lost everything, I couldn't do anything about this skinwalker. Not a thing.

"Hand everything over to Lina before noon," Jason ordered. "And because of this you can't leave the house for a week. And no visitors."

No Tanya. No one. More isolation.

Fucking Perfect.