Lucy wasn’t sure how much time had passed as she forced her eyes open, but the cold hard surface underneath her back and the pungent smell of disinfectant told her that something was wrong.
Her eyes opened to be greeted with the sight of a dank room shrouded in darkness and a vicious pounding began in her head as a wave of nausea washed over her. It felt as though she had spent the night drinking and woken up with a hangover, yet all she remembered was drinking tea with…Cassandra.
Icy fingers of dread worked their way down her spine as she tried desperately to bring her hands up to her head and at least try to massage it. It took her a second to realize that her inability to lift her arms wasn’t because of a lack of coordination on her part, but because something that was burning her skin was holding her in place.
She bent her neck at an awkward angle to try and look around the room that she was in and as her eyes adjusted to the darkness she realized with a sense of foreboding that almost took the breath from her lungs, that she was in a very dangerous position.
The walls were encrusted with grime and from what she could make out there was a small window in the wall opposite, clouded over with filth. A faint glow and the muffled sound of voices seemed to approach the room beyond hers and her heart began to beat even faster as she could feel the panic begin to rise in her chest.
“I don’t know about this Cassandra…what if they find out?” a hesitant male voice spoke.
The tinkling sound of Cassandra’s laughter answered him accompanied by a dismissive snort. Lucy could just imagine the dismissive and arrogant wave of her hand that would accompany that sound.
“Don’t be ridiculous Frederik. Who on earth would ever find out?” Cassandra crooned, pausing briefly before she continued, “I’m certain that you’ll never tell anyone about it, would you? Not after our little...arrangement..hmm?”
“Cassy…she’s our Luna…and the pups..” the male voice seemed to almost plead with her.
“And? So what!” Cassandra bit back harshly. “She won’t be your Luna after this, that will be my position and I can assure you those pups are not Noah’s!” Cassandra spat angrily, “If you’re having second thoughts about our little..arrangement then I can always..”
“NO!” Frederick almost shouted, “No…I’ll..I’ll do it. But then we’re even Cassandra. I don’t want you near my family again after this do you understand?”
Cassandra answered him with a laugh that would make your blood run cold.
“Oh, Frederik…do you really think that you’re in any position to be making deals with me?” Cassandra laughed again as the silhouettes moved against the light in the window.
“Just get on with it. Make sure there are no mistakes. I don’t want her ruining everything that I spent the last 6 years working for.” She hissed furiously.
The sound of Cassandra’s footsteps retreating into the distance echoed down the corridor but it didn’t ease the panic in her chest. Lucy could feel the pups inside of her squirming around in reaction to their mother's stress levels and if anything, it broke her heart.
Lucy knew that she would only have one chance to get out of this but it didn’t look good.
The door to the room creaked open on its rusty hinges and the figure of Frederick entered the room hesitantly. He glanced across at where she lay bound to the slab and his shoulders slumped as he exhaled heavily.
“Please..” Lucy whispered hoarsely, her throat painfully dry.
His head whipped up and he glanced in her direction, the shock at her being conscious was written all over his face.
“Luna! I didn’t think…you weren’t supposed to be awake…” He mumbled as he fidgeted with his hands and hurried across to a metal trolley that sat just underneath the window.
The clattering of metal against metal indicated that his hands were clearly shaking with whatever he was trying to do.
“Frederick, please..you don’t have to do this. I can help..if we can just tell Noah what’s really going on…” She trailed off, the tears beginning to fall and trickle backward into her hairline.
He stiffened at the use of his name and snorted ironically.
“So you heard the conversation out there then?” He asked quietly as he turned to face her, holding a scalpel loosely in his hand.
Lucy swallowed before she answered her mind racing with the potential solutions to getting her out of this, but her mind was blank. All she could do was beg and plead for the life of her pups.
“I did. I know Cassandra is behind all of this. I can help you, but you need to help me get out of here. I can leave, go and gather help from people outside of the pack, or I can just run and never return! Please Frederick…I’ll do whatever you decide is best just..don’t kill my pups..please..” She sobbed, her breath catching in her throat and her chest heaving with the pain of her grief.
Frederick approached her slowly and looked down at her sadly, hesitating before he spoke.
“I wish it was that simple Luna, you see..she has my children too…how can I possibly make the right decision..I’m damned whatever I choose.” He whispered, his voice cracking.
Lucy’s eyes closed in despair and she allowed herself one last sob before taking a deep breath in and staring directly into Frederick's eyes.
She didn’t stand a chance against a male wolf desperate to protect his pups…there was no hope.
A single ear trickled down her face as she desperately tried to communicate with her unborn pups that she loved them and she was sorry she hadn’t protected them better.
“I’m so sorry my Luna..” Frederick whispered as he lifted his arm up and sliced across her throat, making sure the scalpel sliced through both arteries on each side of her neck.
He held her face tenderly as he sobbed over her, the grief and misery of what he had been forced to do piercing his heart as he watched the last signs of life disappear from Lucy’s eyes.
Frederick knew that in the eyes of the Goddess, he was damned. He had committed the most grievous sin, the murder of defenseless pups and their life giver, his Luna.
There was no way that he could possibly redeem himself, but what choice did he have? His own children would always take priority and he would do whatever it took to bring them home safely.
The news stayed quiet to start with. They told their parents first, at a dinner that Noah had the omegas organise under strict secrecy.Lucy’s mother cried the way that mothers cry when a thing they feared might never come to pass, suddenly does. She cupped Lucy’s face and pressed their foreheads together, and whispered a prayer to the Moon Goddess. Lucy’s father shook Noah’s hand too hard and then hugged him in a way that surprised them both.“I’ll check the nursery window seals,” he said after, “Drafts are sneaky and can make a pup ill in a heartbeat.”“Thank you,” Noah said, knowing that the grandparents would dote on the baby once it arrived.Noah’s parents arrived with more honey cake and a bassinet that had been in their attic since Noah’s uncle. Noah’s mother showed Lucy how to adjust the tiny mattress without trapping fingers, and Noah’s father asked if the eastern fence posts were holding.“They’re holding up well,” Noah said, unbothered by the repetition of the question at e
It started as a pattern that she pretended not to see. Every day, she woke up queasy at four in the morning, was ravenous at eleven, exhausted by two in the afternoon, and then wide awake and unable to settle at ten. After two weeks, she blamed the job, but after four weeks of the same things happening, Maia started counting.“Say it,” Maia said when Lucy stood over the sink again, breathing slowly.“No.”“You know what it is,” she smirked.“It could just be stress.” Lucy deflected as she fought her way through another wave of nausea.“Sure it could be,” Maia agreed, “Or…”.Lucy rinsed her face and stared at herself in the bathroom mirror under the soft light she preferred. She looked fine, maybe a little tired and perhaps a little paler, but she didn’t look ill.“Ugh, why now?” she told her reflection. “We’ve barely figured out running the schedules.”“As if that ever stopped anyone,” Maia said with a snort. “Look, we’re wolves in our prime, you’re mated…I don’t see the issue here.”
Three months after the ceremony, their days seemed to run on muscle memory.Noah woke before dawn, checked the patrol logs, walked the border with his Beta Aaron, and ended up in the kitchen with Lucy already barefoot at their kitchen island, laptop open, coffee poured and ready in both mugs, and the rest of his agenda on a sticky note that she’d taped to his cup.“Training rotation first,” she said, sliding him the list. “Omega housing inspection at ten. Vendor call at noon. My mother wants to bring dessert tonight, even though I told her the menu is already set. I surrendered at ‘honey cake.’”“You negotiated with your mother?” he asked, his eyebrow raising in suspicious disbelief.“I said she could bring one cake if she promised not to ‘improve’ the roast. She countered with two cakes and casual commentary on the dishes. I settled at cake plus zero commentary within earshot.”“It’s nice to see you’ve grown to handle your mother’s ‘quirks’ effectively.” He grinned, “I’m sure you ter
As they finished their breakfast the following morning, Captain Vale strode over to their table that sat at the head of the hall, clutching a file with an apologetic look on her face.“I'm sorry to interrupt Alpha, but we have the updates from the medical team that you asked for.”Noah nodded as he shared a glance with Lucy.“Okay, thank you, Captain Vale. Have the omegas send the coffee to my office, and we’ll discuss it there.”They moved together to his office, and as soon as the omega had finished pouring coffee for them all and left the room, Noah leaned forward with interest and reached for the file.“Have you read it already?” Noah asked as he opened the file, motioning for Lucy to sit closer so that she could see. “We read this together,” he murmured, and she felt Maia purr approvingly.“Not in full, but I do have an update regarding Cassandra’s condition.” Lucy snorted despite herself..“It’s a pity you didn’t let me get my teeth into her,” Maia huffed sulkily, "she would h
By the time the sun dropped, the courtyard and surrounding halls had emptied. The banner hung the same way it had at noon, and the pack hall door remained open.Inside, the omegas worked busily, clearing the last remnants of the evening celebration away so that they could begin preparing it for the morning’s rush. Lucy sat in the corner of the hall with a drink clutched in one hand and eating a sandwich she didn’t remember asking for.Noah appeared beside her, dropping a file on the table and pulling a chair out to join her.“How were your first few hours as a tyrant?” she asked, smirking.“Humbling,” he said with a thoughtful nod. “I quite enjoyed it.” “Of course you do.” She snorted.He tapped the notes in front of him with a little sigh.“These are the things that I think we need to address first,” he said as he flicked through the pages absent-mindedly.“There will always be something to do, Noah. You should try to just enjoy the night. The issues will still be there in the morn
Noah didn’t waste any time. He stepped down off the dais and went straight to work.“Captain Vale,” he called as a tall woman in the front rank lifted a hand. “Draft me the rotation for the security detail. Include people who are capable, but don't have an opportunity to prove themselves currently.”“Yes, Alpha.”“Director Lin.” A lean man close to the Captain looked up. “I want a full medical brief on Starfire and CycleX effects by week’s end, as well as any substances that may produce the same effect. Every guard learns it. Every bartender learns it.”“Understood.”“Noah,” Gabriel murmured, amused at his son’s eagerness to begin, “You could at least let them clap.”“They can clap when it’s safer,” Noah said with a smirk before turning to Lucy. “Are you ready?”“For what?” she asked, tilting her head curiously.“Doing the part we didn’t write on the agenda,” he said as his smirk widened into a smile.“Meaning what exactly?” she asked, frowning suspiciously.“The part where you stay