Guarded Artinya

"Just act like you’re my Luna,” he murmured, his silver-gray eyes piercing through my guarded resolve as he leaned closer, invading my space. “In return, I’ll make the ones who hurt you bend until they break.” His words sent a chill down my spine, their promise as intoxicating as it was terrifying. “What makes you think I’d take help from my worst enemy?” I blurted, forcing myself to meet his gaze despite his towering, domineering presence. Lucian’s lips curved into a smirk, but his voice dropped, dead cold. “Because, girl, we both know revenge doesn’t come from weakness. And you’re far too strong to die in their shadow.” I couldn’t help but chuckle, bitterness lacing the sound. “Whatever you say, Alpha Lucian. I’d be the biggest fool to trust the devil.” - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Alina’s world crumbled the day she caught her fated mate, the man she had sacrificed everything for, wrapped in the arms of her cousin. His rejection didn’t just shatter her heart; it destroyed her reputation, leaving her devastated and banished from the pack she once called home. When she was killed, she thought she had lost it all but it was far from it when she woke up to see her savior. Her old enemy –Alpha Lucian Blackwood. Lucian offers her a deal: pretend to be his Luna, and he’ll help her make those who wronged her pay. Desperate for justice, Alina agrees, but as they delve deeper into their dangerous arrangement, the lines between revenge and desire begin to blur. When her former mate begins seeking redemption, can she give up her first love, or will Lucian let her go? What happens when she gets hit with dark truths?

I was nine months pregnant when the Wolf Council sent a resource report to the Luna’s quarters. It listed my mate’s monthly distributions. For two years straight, my husband—the pack’s Alpha—had been secretly providing the same female wolf with territory access, protection, and supplies. Without missing a single month. The first record dated back to two years ago. The same month I lost my first pup. A notification appeared—A contact request. The note read: “A woman kept by an Alpha.” I was strangely calm, one hand rested on my swollen belly as I accepted. She messaged immediately. “You saw the report, didn’t you?” I didn’t reply, I opened her feed instead. The earliest post was dated April 21st, two years ago. A female wolf leaned against an Alpha’s chest. His face was cropped out—but the mark on his shoulder was clear. I recognized it instantly. My mate’s Alpha mark. The caption read: “Thank you for choosing me on my coming-of-age night.” April 21st. That was the night I lay bleeding in the healing room, losing my unborn pup. He had told me he was away on pack business. I kept scrolling. She trained freely in Alpha-only areas. Used resources reserved for the Luna. Was guarded as if she already belonged at his side. Every post carried the same message: He chose her. Pinned at the top was a medical report—She was pregnant—With the Alpha’s pup. I put the device down and returned to our bedroom. Then I received it—Photos. Videos. She sent them to me on purpose— to flaunt that the love I had once been so proud of had already rotted beyond repair. I sat down slowly, my pup shifting inside me, pain spreading through my chest. Only then did I understand—He had betrayed me completely. This kind of love—I don’t want it. This pack—I won’t stay in it. When my pup is born, I will leave—And I will take his heir with me. Let the Alpha search every territory, scour every border, tear the pack apart in regret— he will never find us.