All Chapters of No Longer Your Luna: Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

40 Chapters

Chapter Twenty-One: The Countdown

Lena's Pov Three years and seven months. That's how long I had been gone from Blackridge. I sat in my office in the renovated farmhouse and looked at the spreadsheet in front of me. Business income. Property flips. Investments. Everything I had built from nothing. One hundred and eighty thousand dollars in the bank. Xena was reviewing contracts at her desk. She had become my full partner two years ago. We had expanded from Portland into five surrounding counties. We had a team of eight people now. We had flipped thirty-seven properties. I was powerful. I was successful. And I was still running. Nadia came in with coffee. She had started working with us part-time six months ago, managing logistics while still caring for my mother. She set the cup on my desk and looked at the spreadsheet over my shoulder. "You're thinking about it again," she said. "I'm not thinking about anything," I said. "Lena," Nadia said. She pulled up a chair. "It's been three years. You've proven every

Chapter Twenty-Two: The Ghost

Damien's POV Kelvin was three years old and completely terrified of me. He would cry when I came near him. Would hide behind Victoria's legs. Would ask his mother why his father looked so angry all the time. I wasn't angry. I was dead inside. But a dead face probably looked the same as an angry one to a three-year-old. Victoria had stopped trying to make our marriage work. She had accepted that I would never love her. Accepted that I would never be the husband she wanted. But she had also realized that as long as I stayed married to her, she had power. She was the Luna who had given Blackridge its heir. She was untouchable. "Kelvin needs a brother," she said one morning at breakfast. Marcus was eating cereal and making a mess of it. "No," I said. "What do you mean no?" she asked. "The pack expects more children. Multiple heirs. Backup succession." "The pack can expect whatever they want," I said. "I'm not doing this again." "You'll do whatever I tell you to do,

Chapter Twenty-Three: The Establishment

Lena's POV The contractors finished the barn conversion on a Wednesday. I walked through the space with my hand running along the glass windows. Sunlight poured in. The open floor plan was perfect for desks and meeting spaces. The back section could be storage. Xena was taking measurements. "This is incredible," she said. "This is a real office." "It's a real business," I said. The farmhouse was nearly done. New roof. New electrical. New everything. By next week, it would be fully renovated. The week after, I could move in. Nadia arrived with lunch. She had started coming out to the property twice a week. Helping with the transition. Being there. "The sign came in," she said. She set down sandwiches and pulled out a mockup. "Lena Cole's Renovation and Property Management Services." I looked at it. My name. My business. My power. "It's perfect," I said. The soft launch started the following Monday. I called every property manager and real estate agent in the su

Chapter Twenty-Four: The Knowledge

Klein told me on a Thursday afternoon. We were in the office going over pack territory reports when he said it casually. "Lena Cole is in the area." I stopped moving. "What?" I asked. "She's running a business," Klein said. "Renovation and property management. She's been operating for about three weeks. Pretty successful already." The bond screamed. After three years of being dormant, it suddenly came alive. Suddenly started pulling in a direction I thought I had moved past. "Where?" I asked. "Thirty miles south," Klein said. "On the property line but not quite in pack territory." Smart. Just far enough away to maintain distance. Just close enough to be in the area. "Has she tried to contact anyone?" I asked. "No," Klein said. "She's keeping her distance. Just running her business." I couldn't think straight. Lena was back. After three years, she was back. I went to the cottage that night. It was where I had been going when I needed to think. The empty space where my

Chapter Twenty-Five: The First Meeting

Lena's POV I was walking through the hardware store on a Tuesday morning when I heard his voice. Not close, Just somewhere in the building. But I would have recognized it anywhere. My wolf went rigid. I grabbed the supplies I needed and headed straight to the checkout. Kept my head down. Paid quickly. But as I was leaving, I saw him. He was in the paint section with a boy, must be his son. The boy was pointing at different colors. Damien was listening, completely focused on what his son was saying. He looked different. Older. Tired. Like the three years had carved themselves into his face. He glanced up. Our eyes met for exactly two seconds. Then I turned and walked out. My hands shook the entire drive back to the property. I pulled over on the side of the road and just sat there. Breathing. Trying to calm my wolf who was screaming inside me. He had looked at me like he couldn't believe I was real. Like he thought I was a ghost. I didn't tell Nadia about it immediately.

Chapter Twenty-Six: The Contract

Lena's POV Xena assessed the boundary damage on a Thursday morning. I didn't go with her. Couldn't risk seeing Damien again so soon. She came back with measurements and photographs. "It's significant damage," she said. "Someone will need to replace the entire marker system. It's a three-week project. Maybe four." "How much?" I asked. She told me the number. "Add twenty percent," I said. "Lena—" "Add it," I said. "If he wants to hire us, he pays premium prices." Xena looked at me like I was being petty. I was. I sent the quote via email. Professional. Detailed. Non-negotiable pricing. He accepted it the next morning. The project would start the following Monday. Nadia came by that weekend. "You're going to have to see him during this project," she said. "I know," I said. "And you're going to have to be professional," she said. "I can be professional," I said. "Can you?" Nadia asked. "Because from where I'm sitting, you're running a business that's supposed to change

Chapter Twenty-Seven: The Custody Papers

Damien's POV The custody papers came on a Friday. Victoria served them to me at the pack house. She had hired a lawyer from the neighboring territory. Someone who had no pack connections. "I'm filing for full custody," she said. "You can have supervised visitation. Weekends only." I read the papers without responding. "You're not fit to be a father," she continued. "You're absent. You're cold. You're distracted. Kelvin needs stability. Kelvin needs someone who actually cares." "I care about my son," I said. "You care about being Alpha," she said. "There's a difference." She left the papers on the table and walked away. I called Klein immediately. "I need a lawyer," I said. "What happened?" he asked. "Victoria is filing for custody," I said. "Full custody. She's trying to make me look unfit." Klein was quiet for a moment. "That's a fight you're going to have to have," he said. "And I'm not sure you're prepared for it." "I'm prepared to fight for my son," I said. "Are you

Chapter Twenty-Eight: The Complication

Lena's POV Nadia came to the office with my mother. They surprised me on a Wednesday afternoon. My mother walked in looking strong and healthy. Smiling. "Surprise," Nadia said. I stood up and went to her immediately. Held her like I hadn't held her in three years. "You're here," I said. "I'm here," my mother said. "Nadia wanted to bring me. Wanted to show me what you've built." We walked through the farmhouse. Through the office. I showed her the projects. The clients. The success. She looked at everything like it was a miracle. "I'm so proud of you," she said. "You did everything you said you would do." "I did," I said. She looked out the window toward the direction of the pack house. "Have you seen him?" she asked. "Once," I said. "In the hardware store. And we had a brief conversation. That's all." "And?" she asked. "And nothing," I said. "It's done. I've moved on." My mother knew I was lying. But she didn't push. Victoria came to my office on a Friday. I was alon

Chapter Twenty-Nine: The Assessment

Lena's POV I arrived at the guest cottage on Monday morning at eight AM. Damien was already there. He looked like he hadn't slept. His clothes were wrinkled. His hair was disheveled. But his eyes were alert. "Thank you for coming," he said. I walked through the cottage with my notepad. Taking measurements. Photographing damage. Making mental notes about what needed to be done. The cottage was dated. Late 1990s aesthetic. Everything was functional but nothing was beautiful. Nothing was personal. "What do you want this to feel like?" I asked. He was quiet for a moment. "Home," he said finally. "I want it to feel like home." I wrote that down. "I'll have a quote to you by Wednesday," I said. "Thank you," he said. I left without making eye contact. Xena helped me put together the estimate. "He's paying for a full renovation," she said as we tallied costs. "New electrical. New plumbing. New everything. This is serious." "He's serious about leaving," I said. "Or he's serious

Chapter Thirty: The Breaking Point

Damien's POV The lawyer called on a Tuesday afternoon. "Victoria is escalating," she said. "She's filed a motion to have you drug tested. She's claiming substance abuse." "I don't use drugs," I said. "I know," the lawyer said. "But she's trying to build a narrative that you're unfit. The drug test will prove you're clean, but it's a delay tactic. It's making this messier." I hung up and went to the cottage. Lena was there overseeing the electrical installation. She was talking to the contractor about wire placement. Completely unaware of me until I was standing right in front of her. "Can we talk?" I asked. "I'm working," she said. "Please," I said. She excused herself from the contractor and walked outside with me. "What?" she asked. "My ex-wife is making false accusations," I said. "She's trying to paint me as an unfit father. She's trying to take my son away from me." Lena was quiet. "I'm telling you this because you're here," I continued. "Because I see you every d

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