All Chapters of Not Their Luna: A Female Alpha Story: Chapter 171 - Chapter 180

BrynleeI wake up to sunlight streaming through the bedroom curtains and the familiar sound of Rhett's breathing beside me. For a moment, everything is perfect—I'm home, in my own bed, with my mate warm and solid next to me. The relief is so intense it brings tears to my eyes.Then I try to sense him through our mate bond, and there's... nothing.Not the overwhelming intensity from last night, not even the muted connection I felt yesterday. Just silence where his presence should be, like trying to tune into a radio station that's gone off the air.My heart starts racing as I turn to look at him. Rhett is definitely there, definitely real—I can see the rise and fall of his chest, smell his familiar scent on the pillows. But the connection that's been the foundation of our relationship for six years is simply gone.Where is he? my wolf whines, confused by the absence of our mate's presence. She can see him, smell him, but she can't feel him the way she should.I reach out carefully and t

RhettSomething is off with Brynlee, and I can't figure out what it is.It's been three days since I brought her home, and while she's going through all the motions of being back—making breakfast, taking Maya to school, settling back into all her normal routines—there's something missing. A quality I can't quite put my finger on, like she's performing the role of my mate instead of actually being my mate.I watch her now as she folds laundry in our bedroom, appearing focused on her task but with a far away look in her eyes. Usually, domestic tasks are opportunities for casual intimacy—stolen kisses while passing in the hallway, playful swats with dish towels, the kind of comfortable physical connection we used to share.But when I moved behind her earlier to wrap my arms around her waist while she was making coffee, she stiffened slightly before relaxing into the embrace. Not a rejection, exactly, but not the natural melting into my touch that I'm used to either."You're staring," she

BrynleeI've become an expert at pretending everything is normal.It's been a week since my outburst about Harper, and I've spent every day since then carefully mimicking the responses I think Rhett expects from me. When he touches my shoulder while passing in the kitchen, I lean into it slightly instead of staying rigid. When he uses his dominant voice to give me direction, I nod and comply even though I feel no instinctive urge to submit. When he kisses me goodnight, I kiss him back with what I hope looks like genuine affection.But it's all performance, and I'm exhausted from the constant acting.This morning, I watch myself in the bathroom mirror as I brush my teeth and practice looking content. The woman staring back at me has the same face, the same eyes, but there's something hollow behind her expression. Like a well-made replica that's missing some essential component that would make it real."Mommy, are you okay?" Maya's voice from the doorway makes me jump.I turn to find my

RhettThe first sign that something has shifted happens during dinner at Finley's house.We're sitting around the familiar dining room table—Finley at the head with Dane and Liam flanking her, Maya chattering about her day at school, and Brynlee picking at her food with the distant politeness she's maintained for the past week. It's our first social gathering since she came home, and I've been hoping that being around her pack family might help her feel more connected.But twenty minutes into the meal, I notice she's gone completely still.Not the careful, controlled stillness she's been maintaining lately. This is different—a predatory alertness, like a wolf catching an unexpected scent. Her fork hovers halfway to her mouth, and her brown eyes have gone wide with something that looks like shock."Brynlee?" I reach over to touch her arm. "You okay?"The moment my fingers make contact with her skin, she gasps like I've hit her with an electric current. The reaction is so sudden and inte

BrynleeI wake up feeling like myself for the first time in over a week.The mate bond is humming between Rhett and me, warm and steady and absolutely perfect. I can feel his contentment as he sleeps beside me, sense the deep satisfaction that comes from being completely connected to someone you love. Even unconscious, his presence fills the hollow spaces that have been aching since I came home.This, I think drowsily. This is what I was missing.When Rhett stirs and opens his eyes, his smile is the first thing I see. Not just a visual smile, but the emotional echo of happiness that flows through our bond like sunlight."Morning, beautiful," he murmurs, reaching over to stroke my hair."Morning," I reply, and for the first time in days, the simple word carries genuine contentment instead of careful performance.He leans down to kiss me, and I can feel his relief through our connection. Relief that I'm responding normally, that whatever distance has been between us seems to have resolve