Chapter 8 - Hello Luna

Chapter 8

Jackson’s POV

Oh my goddess… did I just call her my mate?

There was a moment of silence, but I had to say something—anything—to hide how much I cared.

I can't let her know I care too much.

I said a lot of things to her… I didn’t even realize when she left.

I stood outside, trying to hear what they were saying inside, but the wolf in me wouldn’t let me.

“Jay Jay, please stop. Let me focus,” I muttered, trying to calm him.

“She is mine, and I want her now. You keep pushing her away—it makes us sad,” he growled.

“Jay Jay, we can’t, okay? We have to push her away to keep her safe.”

“She’s safe with us. Please… let us hold her again. I want her close—now.”

The more he talked, the more restless he became.

But I was in control, not him. I decide what I want—not him.

I couldn’t hear anything inside, so I gave up and went back home to relax and continue my daily work.

At least she’s safe now. That’s all that matters.

For days, I tried talking to Nyra, since Jay Jay wouldn’t leave me alone.

But whenever I saw or sensed her nearby, she always seemed to vanish.

I don’t know if it’s just bad timing… or if she’s avoiding me.

---

“Hey, Diego. What happened today? Why are you late?”

“Um… there was a fight in school. Two girls were fighting over something—I don’t really know what—but one of them ended up with a black eye. I heard she passed out in the hallway.”

“Wow. So you were busy watching a girl fight? Did you see everything?”

I was just at the edge of the woods, overhearing two of my warriors talk. Girl fights? They happened all the time back when I was in high school—so nothing new. But that doesn’t excuse him being late. Just like my Beta today—he’s late too.

“I wonder what will happen on the full moon. Nyra Black accepting a Luna Kai was a big mistake.”

Their laughter grated against my ears, but my mind snagged on one thing.

Nyra… Black?

Without thinking, I stepped out from the shadows and confronted them.

“What happened at school?” I asked, voice firm and demanding.

They froze. Eyes wide. They hadn’t sensed me coming.

“Um… Alpha Jackson,” Diego stammered. “It’s just—Bethany challenged Nyra to a Luna Kai. It’s scheduled for the coming full moon.”

“And did she accept?”

“Yes,” he nodded quickly.

I didn’t wait. My blood was boiling, and Jay Jay howled inside me as I stormed off.

I stepped on the gas and drove straight to Nyra’s house, not caring how reckless I looked.

I banged hard on her door, fists tight.

“What were you thinking, Nyra Black?” I snapped.

“Accepting a Luna Kai?”

---

Nyra's POV

Really? Of all people, he had to be the one to make my day worse. First Bethany, now the Alpha himself?

I should have trusted my instincts—I should’ve smelled his scent before opening the door.

“If you’re looking for my brother, he’s not here,” I said sharply, already pushing the door close. But before it could close, he used his foot between it and the frame and shoved his way inside.

He didn’t say a word at first. His sharp gaze swept over everything—the sitting room, the stairs, the kitchen. Like he owned the place.

“Alpha Jackson, I said my brother isn’t home,” I repeated, louder this time. Maybe he didn’t hear me the first time—or maybe he just didn’t care.

“I’m not here for Aran,” he finally said, voice low but laced with authority. “I asked you a question. Why would you accept the Luna Kai when you haven’t even shifted your entire life?”

I blinked, my jaw tightening.

“Accepting the Luna Kai is my decision, not yours. Wolf or not, I do what I want. You don’t get to have a say in that, Alpha Jackson.”

I looked him straight in the eyes—no trembling hands, no tear-streaked face, no broken little girl clinging to hope.

Not anymore.

He might have rejected me, but I’ve already accepted my fate. What more does he want from me?

I won’t cry for him again. I won’t let him rip open wounds I’ve already stitched shut.

Not today.

He just stared at me.

“Do you know what happens when you lose?” he said, quieter now, as if the anger had drained out of him. “It brings shame—and you… you won’t be allowed to shift for six moons, Nyra.”

There was guilt in his voice—buried deep, but it was there. I could feel it.

“I know,” I replied, meeting his gaze with steady resolve. “I know what I’m risking. But the shame is mine to carry—not yours.”

Silence stretched between us, heavy and strange. Something crackled in the air between our wolves—like a spark that shouldn’t be there, but was. I felt it in my chest, and from the way his eyes widened slightly, I knew he felt it too.

He knew.

He knew I had my wolf.

The look in his eyes gave him away—just for a second, the mask slipped. He saw me. *Truly* saw me. And something in him shifted.

But before either of us could speak, footsteps thundered.

“Alpha Jackson! You’re here!” Jade gasped, slightly out of breath as he and Naria rushed toward us.

I instinctively stepped back. Jackson’s face changed in an instant—his softened expression vanished, replaced by the cold, calculated Alpha the pack knew too well.

“We’re here for a school project,” Naria said, her eyes narrowing as she studied him. “Is everything okay?”

“I need a word with Nyra,” he said, voice clipped and tight like he was holding something back.

Jade moved beside me, arms crossed. “With all due respect, Alpha, we’ve got work to do. If you’re done—”

He stiffened. Jaw clenched. But he didn’t argue. His eyes met mine once more, and this time, his words came low and heavy, like a warning wrapped in regret.

“Be careful,” he said. “No one will be able to save you.”

Then he turned, stepped off the porch, and disappeared into the night.

We stood in silence for a moment.

“Okay… what just happened?” Naria finally said.

“No idea how he even found out about the Luna Kai,” I muttered, my chest still tight.

“Well,” Jade sighed dramatically, “first you knocked Bethany flat, then accepted a Luna Kai, and now your ex-mate—the Alpha who rejected you—storms your house? Nyra, you’ve had a day.”

We headed upstairs, trying to focus on the project, but my mind was still spinning. That look in Jackson’s eyes… I couldn’t shake it.

By the time we were done, night had fully settled. Jade and Naria said their goodbyes, and I helped Mom with dinner. After we ate, she went to bed early. I stayed up, waiting for Aran, but he hadn’t come home yet. Maybe he was still out on duty.

Sleep tugged at me, and eventually I gave in. I dragged myself upstairs, ready to collapse.

But the moment I pushed open m

y bedroom door, a cold hand gripped my arm.

A voice, smooth and unsettling, whispered near my ear.

“Hello, Luna. It’s been too long.”