WHEN THE LUNA WALKS AWAY

COURTNEY

I bit my lip so hard I could taste copper, trying desperately to swallow the sound threatening to spill from my throat.

"Oh dear, I love you," I moaned under him, completely lost in the rhythm of his body against mine.

Diego froze above me instantly. His hands, heavy and calloused on my hips, tightened until the pressure turned painful. He leaned down, his dark eyes like dark ice as he stared into mine.

"I warned you to stop moaning during sex," he said, his voice flat, devoid of any warmth. "I don't like the sound of that."

He pulled back, getting off the bed without a second glance.

He has been giving me this same warning for five years, but I still find it so hard not to express the intense pleasure he gives me. My husband, Alpha Diego, is the most handsome man to ever exist. Tall, broad-shouldered, with sharp cheekbones and dark hair that looks carved from marble, he takes my breath away. He is so good in bed, I swear he rides me so well, but he is very cold.

He will change over time, I reminded myself as I pulled the silk sheet over my bare body. His dad was like this as well.

That’s what my mother would always tell me back when I complained during our first year of marriage. “Alphas are burdened with the weight of the pack, Courtney,” she would say gently. “Give him time. Love softens even the hardest stone.”

But this is five years now, and I still hope and believe he will change.

Diego stood near the foot of my bed, buckling his belt and pulling his crisp black shirt over his sculpted chest. He didn't look at me. He never lingered after we finished.

"I will be away for two weeks," he said, adjusting his collar as he walked toward the door.

Yes, I don't share the same room with my husband. We live in a sprawling, cold pack mansion with dozens of rooms, yet we sleep in separate wings. He only comes into my room to make love to me, and that happens just once every month. It is as if he marks it on a mental calendar—a chore to be checked off, a duty to be fulfilled, and then he departs.

I sat up in bed, my heart thumping against my ribs.

"But you never travel," I said, my voice barely above a whisper.

It was true. Diego is a home man. Despite being the Alpha of the Crescent Moon Pack, he manages pack affairs from his home office or the local pack hall. He doesn't keep late nights, and he never sleeps out. Most of his free time is spent playing with our five-year-old son, Bryan. With Bryan, Diego shows a tiny flicker of softness—a rare glimpse of the man I dream he could be with me.

"I am traveling tomorrow, Courtney," he said harshly, his tone clipped and typical of him.

He didn't offer an explanation, a location, or a reason. Before I could say another word, he stepped out into the hallway and jammed my door shut with a heavy thud.

I slumped back against the pillows, wrapping my arms around myself. Tears prickled at the corners of my eyes, but I forced them back. I love him so much that just his touch is okay, even though it comes only once a month. I live for those fleeting moments where I can hold him, even if he barely lets me breathe his name.

The next morning, Diego left before the sun even cleared the tree line.

Two weeks passed, but he did not return. Then three weeks. Then a full month.

I spent every single day pacing the grand hallways of the mansion, staring at my phone. I could not call him as he had explicitly warned me never to call him while he was away. In fact, I don't even have his private number to call. Any communication with the Alpha usually went through his Beta, but when I asked, Beta Mark simply shook his head and told me the Alpha was handling private pack business and was not to be disturbed.

The silence in the house was deafening. Bryan kept asking where his father was, and every lie I offered felt heavier than the last.

Then, on a sunny Tuesday morning, forty days after he left, my phone rang. An unknown number flashed across the screen. My hands trembled as I pressed it to my ear.

"Hello?" I gasped out.

"Can I bring Bryan over?" Diego’s deep, booming voice came through the speaker. No greeting, no I miss you, no explanation for where he had been for over a month.

My breath caught in my throat. "That's cool, he is your son... but can I not join the vacation?" I pleaded, my voice cracking slightly. "Please, Diego, I miss you. We can spend time together as a family."

"No," he snapped coldness straight into the receiver.

"Diego, please—"

Before I could finish my sentence, the call cut off. He had already turned the phone down, hanging up on me without another word.

I stood in the middle of the empty living room, the phone still pressed to my ear, listening to the sharp dial tone. A lump formed in my throat, choking back the sob that wanted to tear free.

Less than two hours later, the sound of heavy rotor blades echoed over the pack grounds. A sleek, black private jet landed on the estate's private runway at the edge of the lawn. Two guards in dark suits stepped out and walked up to the mansion porch where Bryan and I were standing.

"Luna Courtney," one of the guards said with a polite nod. "We are here to collect young Master Bryan."

Bryan looked up at me, his bright green eyes—so much like his father's—shining with excitement. "Mommy, is Daddy taking me on a big trip?"

I forced a warm, bright smile onto my face, squeezing his tiny hand before letting go. I bent down and kissed his cheek softly.

"Yes, my sweet boy," I whispered, brushing a stray lock of hair from his forehead. "Your daddy has a wonderful surprise for you. Be a good boy for him, okay?"

"I will!" he giggled, grabbing his small rolling suitcase and taking the guard's hand.

I walked them out to the edge of the lawn. As the jet engines roared to life and the aircraft prepared for takeoff, I stood by the gate, my chest aching with a hollow, crushing pain. The wind from the rotors whipped my hair around my face, but I kept my posture straight.

I smiled broadly and waved at them until the jet lifted high into the blue sky, shrinking into a tiny black speck before disappearing completely into the clouds.

Left alone on the grass, my smile slowly faded. I lowered my hand, staring up at the empty sky, wondering why the man I gave my entire heart to treated me like a complete stranger in his world.