Living Luna

Reya’s POV

"It’s spreading like wildfire," Lydia muttered, her fingers twitching at the hilt of her dagger. "Three packs have already sent envoys to confirm the rumors."

Rumors. Lies wrapped in truth, bleeding into every crevice of our world. The Luna who lived. The traitor. The ghost. Me.

I stood at the center of the Lycan guard’s courtyard, my chest heaving with rage and confusion as warriors dropped to their knees before me. Recognition burned in their eyes—some in awe, others in fear.

Xander’s voice cut through the air like a whip. "Get them up. We bow to no myths. We fight beside legends."

But even his commanding tone couldn’t stamp out what had already taken root.

My name.

My title.

My return.

"They know," I whispered, barely recognizing my own voice. "He knows."

Xander gave me a grim look. "Tristan won’t let this stand."

RIVERDALE PACK – TRISTAN

"It’s a damn lie!" Tristan’s voice thundered through the council chamber, making the glass chandeliers tremble. "She’s dead. I buried her."

Isaac stepped forward, holding a parchment bearing the royal seal of the Lycan King. "With all due respect, Alpha, the King himself confirmed her existence. She leads the eastern flank of his elite."

Tristan’s jaw clenched so tight his teeth nearly shattered.

"Maybe she’s a doppelganger. A witch’s trick. An illusion."

Isaac didn’t flinch. "She’s alive, Tristan. And the pack deserves to know why you lied."

The Beta’s eyes burned with something Tristan hadn’t seen in years.

Rebellion.

"Watch yourself, Isaac."

"No. Watch your back."

"He’ll come for me," I said to Xander that night as we trained under the red moon. Sweat soaked my shirt, but the burn in my muscles kept my fear at bay.

"Let him come," Xander said, twirling his twin blades. "You’re not the broken girl he threw away. You’re the Luna who lived."

I didn’t feel invincible. My hands still shook when I thought about him. About the betrayal. The cold look in his eyes when he sold me like livestock. But I wasn’t running anymore.

I was building an army.

Lydia ran up the stairs from the main hall, her face pale. "A messenger just arrived from Riverdale. Encrypted. Isaac sent it."

I opened it with trembling fingers.

They’re planning to move against you. Council pressure. Chloe’s influence is rising. Tristan’s losing control.

I looked up. "He’s cornered."

"Desperate dogs bite hardest," Xander said. "You need to strike first."

RIVERDALE – COUNCIL HALL

"You will relinquish control of the pack until this matter is settled," Councilor Velan said, slamming his staff into the stone floor.

Tristan laughed bitterly. "You want me to step down over a rumor?"

"Over a lie you forced down our throats for five years."

Chloe, wrapped in a red silk gown, smiled like a serpent. "Let’s not be rash. She’s not Luna anymore. She left."

Isaac stepped forward. "No, Chloe. She was sold. By him. And she rejected him. He never accepted it."

Gasps filled the room.

Tristan snapped. "You dare betray me, Isaac?"

"I swore to protect this pack, not your pride."

Tristan lunged—but the guards restrained him.

"Enough!" Councilor Velan barked. "Until this is resolved, your authority is suspended."

Tristan’s eyes found Chloe’s. Her smirk didn’t fade.

She whispered, "Don’t worry, love. I’ll fix this."

Xander slammed a dagger onto the table. "They just revoked his title. He’s boiling."

I sat in the war room, the parchment from Isaac still in my lap.

"Then it’s time," I said.

Xander narrowed his eyes. "Time for what?"

"To take back what’s mine."

The doors burst open. Lydia rushed in, her breath ragged. "Chloe’s on the move. I intercepted a message. She’s targeting someone close to you."

I froze. "My children?"

Lydia nodded grimly. "She plans to kidnap Luis."

My vision blurred with fury. "Where is he now?"

"Safe, but not for long. We have to move."

Xander growled. "We’ll send elite scouts."

"No," I snapped. "I’m going."

Lydia grabbed my arm. "Reya, think—"

"I am thinking. I lost everything once. Never again."

RIVERDALE – NIGHT

Tristan sat in the empty throne room, rage simmering under his skin. The council humiliated him. Isaac betrayed him. Chloe watched his ruin with pleasure.

And Reya…

Alive. Stronger. Glorious.

He didn’t know whether to rage or weep.

"You’re losing everything," Chloe purred from the shadows.

"You promised you could erase her."

She smirked. "I still can. But I need leverage."

He frowned. "What are you planning?"

Chloe leaned in. "Don’t worry, love. You’ll thank me when your son is in your arms."

Tristan froze. "Son?"

Her grin widened. "Oh. Didn’t I mention? The twins. One is a boy. Yours."

He shot to his feet. "Don’t you touch him."

"Too late."

We rode hard through the night.

My heart screamed. My pulse raged.

Luis. My son. My cub.

"They have him," Lydia whispered, her eyes scanning the horizon. "A rogue group splintered from Riverdale, heading northeast. They plan to meet Alpha Wyvern."

Wyvern.

The butcher of Black Hollow. The man who hunted Lunas for sport.

"I’ll kill them all," I whispered.

"You can’t go in alone," Xander warned.

"Watch me."

I dismounted, stepping into the tree line where I felt it—my son’s scent. His fear. His magic calling to mine.

My veins ignited.

The air crackled.

Lydia stumbled back. "Reya... what is that?"

Power.

Something ancient.

Something buried.

"She’s awakening," Xander muttered. "The Luna bond... it’s not gone. It’s transforming."

I turned to them, my eyes glowing like the twin moons.

"They stole my child. Now the goddess will know wrath."

The wind howled around me, forming shapes. Wolves. Light. Flame.

The forest trembled.

And I walked into the storm.