When the Luna Awakens

My fingers swiped across the screen, one after another.Sometimes by the entrance to the meeting hall.Sometimes by the celebration bonfire.Sometimes at the blessing ceremony.Every year at the Elder Gathering, they stood together.The earliest photo was dated five autumns ago, tagged with a location.The caption read, "Thanks to Alpha Liam for the invite. First time at a pack gathering."I zoomed in on the photo.His first love, Sophia, wore a silver-grey gown, a color reserved only for Lunas.That night, I sat alone in the quiet rooms of the pack house, waiting for him to come back and tell me about the gathering.He came back late, saying the meeting was long and tedious. He was glad I didn't have to attend such boring events.Each time after, Liam would use the same excuse. "You weren't raised in the pack, and by tradition, you can't attend."He said it was to protect me.I believed it was for pack harmony.I accepted it.Because of this, for five years of marriage, I've never att

I leaned against the wall, watching them.Through the floor-to-ceiling windows, two people succumbed to their desires. His hand gripped her waist, and they kissed deeply.My wolf howled inside me, a tearing sensation spreading from my chest to my limbs.The mate bond felt like it was fraying.Not a sudden break, but bit by bit, like a rusty chain slowly pulled apart.I turned and walked away, my steps feeling strangely light.Back in the car, I didn't start the engine right away.I just sat there, staring at the club doors.It was six thirty in the morning, and the streets were empty.The city hadn't woken up yet, but betrayal had already taken root.My phone buzzed again.Liam: You don't need to pick up the custom suit for me. I'll go myself.I stared at the message, not replying.After a while, they drove away, heading toward the upscale shopping district downtown.I parked far down the street, watching them walk hand-in-hand into a luxury boutique.They looked like any real couple,

The banquet hall buzzed with the clinking of glasses.Elders, each with a glass of whiskey before them, were gathered around the long oak table.Besides intricate documents, the table was laden with delicious food, its aroma made mouths water.Thanks to Sophia's suggestion, this year's elder Gathering felt more like a family gathering than the usual serious affair.Yet, Liam, seated at the head of the table, seemed lost in thought.He had been distracted ever since Selena's call that morning.His fingers tapped idly on the tabletop.Selena was never one to lie. That urgent call must mean something had happened.He glanced down at his phone, but there had been no new messages from her since then.He had meant to head back that afternoon, but Sophia had been so persistent that he had lost track of time.What could possibly be happening?"Alpha," the elder in charge of the hunt cleared his throat, "that's the proposed plan for this year's Spring Hunt. Do you have any suggestions?""It's f

Liam fell silent.He couldn't deny it; he had felt something for Sophia these past five years.That sense of familiarity, that easy understanding, the feeling of being understood without needing to explain.But it wasn't love.At least, not the kind of love he should have felt for Selena."Sophia," he took a deep breath, "From today, you don't need to come to the pack lands anymore. Your advisor position is terminated, and all related duties are being reassigned.""You're kicking me out?""I'll give you a sum of money, enough for you to start over anywhere you wish."Sophia shook her head, her eyes growing frantic. "I don't want money, I want you!""That's impossible.""Why? Because of her?" Her voice turned sharp. "What is she? Some outsider who doesn't understand pack traditions, who's never even attended an elder's council—""She's my mate," Liam cut her off. "No matter what I've done, that fact doesn't change.""But she gave up on you!" Sophia pointed to the document on the tablet.