Romans & histoires The Luna Is Gone

I wouldn’t give them the satisfaction of seeing the Luna fall apart. As I stepped into the forest, the wind howled through the trees, carrying the scent of rain and regret. I didn’t look back, not even when I felt his gaze on my back, heavy and lingering. Maybe he was watching me leave. Maybe he wanted to call me back. But he didn’t. And that silence… that silence said everything. Somewhere deep inside, something in me shifted. The woman who walked into that ceremony was gone. The Luna he let go died under the Blood Moon.

Hours earlier, nearly everyone had spoken with certainty. But now, every opinion met another. Every accusation faced a question. The territory itself seemed divided. Families argued quietly among themselves. Friends found themselves standing on opposite sides. The rumor that had once spread like wildfire was beginning to consume itself. And someone clearly didn't like that. Castiel caught movement near a bakery. A tall man wearing a traveler's hat leaned close to a group of merchants. "You know what comes next?" The merchants looked at him. "The Supreme Alpha will make her Luna."

A few even smiled and I understood why to them, this wasn't heartbreaking it was entertainment. They had spent an entire year watching Vanessa take my place. They had watched her sit beside Darius at meetings and they had watched her care for Leo. They had watched her move through the packhouse as though she already belonged there. Now they were seeing the original Luna return and discover how little space remained for her. Vanessa looked down at Leo and stroked his hair. “It's alright,” she said softly. “Your mother has been away for a long time.” The words sounded kind enough for everyone else but to me, they felt carefully chosen Leo tightened his grip on her clothes.

"No sad faces. We're going out. You've been cooped up in here doing what? Crying? Planning world domination?" I sighed. "Just... processing." Elena surveyed my apartment—the empty wine bottles,the stack of resignation paperwork,the half-eaten takeout containers. "Well,you've processed enough. Get dressed. We're hitting Crescent Moon." "The nightclub? I don't think—" "Not a request." She was already rummaging through my closet. "You need tequila,dancing,and possibly a deliciously bad decision with a handsome stranger." Two hours later,we were ensconced in a corner booth at Crescent Moon,the bass pulsing through my bones as Elena pushed another shot toward me.

"Come. Sit." I sat. She looked at me the way she always did, like she could see straight through whatever face I had decided to wear tonight. "How was the ceremony?" she asked. "Wonderful," I said. "Very glamorous. Very expensive. Very not us. Elder Mara wore her good robes. The ones without the gravy stain. So you know it was a special occasion." My mother's mouth curved. "And?" "And Victoria Hale is going to be Luna." I kept my voice light. "The whole pack is very excited. Someone released actual flower petals into the air Mama. With their hands. Like they had nothing better to do with them."

Every hair on my body stood up. “What did you do to her?” I demanded. “What did you do to her?” Luna countered calmly. “You kept pushing. She cracked.” I had no patience for her riddles. Not this morning. “Get out,” I hissed, pointing at the door. “Get. Out.” Luna tilted her head, studying me one last time. “Wake her. But brace yourself.” And with that… she vanished. Not walked out, oh, definitely not faded. Vanished. Like a breeze snatched her existence away.

The feeling that I used to feel whenever I was with Elena. “Um…do—” Before I could finish my sentence, she rushed out of the elevator. I sighed, a sense of sadness taking over me. Why am I feeling this way? The wolf in me cried louder. I just couldn't shake off the fact that there was a strong sense of familiarity. — “All done.” The doctor said, removing his gloves and putting it in the trash. “Come back in a week for me to remove the stitches. “Thank you…” I said absent-mindedly.

In Mistbrook Valley, there's a custom. If a she-wolf still hasn't met her fated mate after her first shift, she can choose a mate herself. All she has to do is carve a little horn lantern and hang it on a hawthorn tree. Whoever wants her takes it down. Silas Rowan, the Moon Goddess's priest, and I grew up together. That lantern should have been his to take. But I waited all night, and the one who finally took it down was Gideon Ward, the young Alpha who had just returned from the North. "I fell for you the moment I saw you." His voice was low, and the tips of his ears were red. "Marry me, Evelyn." After we bonded, when I had a fever, he'd carry me on his back over three ridges through the ni

Total silence blanketed the courtyard. Then, a bitter, hostile voice cut through the stillness like a knife. "Look at that! That is Luna Courtney! Alpha Diego's wife!" a voice snarled from the edge of the crowd, belonging to a visiting emissary from the Crescent Moon Pack. "She is a mated female, bound by blood law! She should not be seen kissing another man when her divorce with our Alpha is not finalized!" The crowd immediately erupted. Shouts, gasps, and furious arguments broke out among the people.

"Luna left pack territory before dawn. She cut off every mind-link. Our men couldn't track where she went. All we know is that she's gone." Dorian lifted his head, breathing hard, a low growl still trapped in his chest. "Where did she go?" The Beta lowered his head, his face pale. "We don't know yet. She covered her tracks cleanly. We haven't found a destination." Dorian seized him by the collar. "Then find one." "Stations, airports, border crossings, every road out of Moonshadow territory. Search all of it." He shoved the Beta away and turned to leave. Only then did Calista seem to come back to herself. She lifted her skirt and hurried after him.