(Grace's POV)
"Rest," Alexis had commanded three days ago, his voice carrying that infuriating mixture of Alpha authority and genuine concern that used to make my heart flutter. Now, as dawn painted the hospital room in shades of pale gold, those words still rang in my ears like a bitter lullaby.
The mirror reflected back a stranger wearing my face - pale skin made paler by the formal silver Luna robes, honey-golden eyes shadowed with exhaustion. My fingers traced the ceremonial runes embroidered along the hem - ancient symbols of unity and eternal love that now felt like brands against my skin.
"You shouldn't be attending." Dr. Sarah's weathered hands adjusted my IV with the gentle efficiency of a healer who'd served our pack for centuries. Her sage-green eyes, so much like my mother's, clouded with worry. "The pup's aura is still stabilizing. Any strong emotional disturbance could-"
"If I don't go, it'll only fuel more rumors." I managed what I hoped was a reassuring smile, though it felt more like a grimace. The pack bonds had been buzzing with whispers since my attack, each one a needle under my skin. "Besides, the council needs to address the security breach."
His scent hit me before the door opened - pine needles and winter frost, with that underlying Alpha musk that still made my traitorous heart skip. Alexis filled the doorway in a perfectly tailored charcoal suit that emphasized his warrior's build. Only the shadows beneath his silver eyes betrayed his own sleepless nights.
"Leave us," he commanded Dr. Sarah, who quickly retreated with a concerned glance between us.
"You've made your point about needing rest," I said before he could start, smoothing my robes with hands that refused to tremble. "But I'm still Luna, and I have duties."
"Grace." The way he said my name - soft yet heavy with Alpha power - sent unwanted shivers down my spine. My omega wolf whined, still yearning to submit despite everything. "The pack healers say you're still weak. There's no need to push yourself-"
"There's every need." I forced steel into my voice, though each word felt like swallowing glass. "Or have you forgotten that hostile wolves breached our territory in broad daylight? That they nearly..." My hand drifted unconsciously to my stomach, where our pup's energy pulsed steadily.
His expression tightened, guilt and frustration warring through our bond. "I've doubled the patrols. The Beta guards are investigating-"
"The same Beta guards who arrived too late to prevent this?" I gestured to my still-healing injuries, watching him flinch at the reminder of his choice that day.
Pain flashed across his aristocratic features, raw enough to make my omega want to comfort him. For a moment, something vulnerable flickered in his eyes - something that reminded me of the wolf I'd fallen in love with. Then his Alpha mask slid back into place.
"The council is waiting."
The pack council chamber hummed with centuries of power as we entered, ancient runes glowing softly in the stone walls. Every elder, every high-ranking wolf watched us with barely concealed interest, their energy pressing against my heightened senses like physical touch. Victoria sat among the Beta wolves, her emerald silk dress a deliberate contrast to my formal robes. The bruises on her wrist - the ones she'd shown Alexis in his office - were artfully displayed against her pale skin.
Elder Michael, his white hair gleaming in the morning light, called the meeting to order. But before he could begin the formal proceedings, I rose from my seat beside Alexis's ornate throne. The movement sent pain shooting through my healing wounds, but I refused to let it show.
"Honored Council." The words tasted like broken glass on my tongue, but I forced them out with all the dignity three years as Luna had taught me. "I come before you today to formally request the dissolution of my mate bond with Alpha King Alexis Sterling."
The words hung in the air like funeral bells, each syllable striking against the sacred walls. Through our bond, I felt Alexis's emotions explode - shock, rage, betrayal, and beneath it all, a flicker of fear that told me he'd known this was coming.
"Luna Grace." Elder Michael's weathered voice, heavy with centuries of pack history, broke through the shocked silence. His ancient eyes, sharp despite his white hair, held a mixture of concern and wariness. "This is... unprecedented. The mate bond between an Alpha King and Luna has never-"
"My mate is clearly not thinking clearly." Alexis's voice cut through the chamber like Arctic wind, each word laced with enough Alpha power to make my knees weak. "The attack she suffered, combined with her current condition, has affected her judgment."
My reply died in my throat as sharp pain lanced through my abdomen. My hands flew to my stomach, omega powers flaring in desperate protection. Through our maternal bond, I felt my pup's distress spike, its tiny energy flickering like a candle in storm winds.
Danger, my wolf's panic clawed at my chest. Too much strain. The pup... our pup...
The realization crashed over me like ice water. In my determination to break free from Alexis's emotional chains, I'd put something far more precious at risk. Looking at his face - carved in lines of stubborn authority that couldn't quite mask his genuine fear - I knew this battle would have to wait.
"I... withdraw my request." Each word felt like swallowing poison, but I forced them out. "For now." Relief flooded our bond so strongly it made me dizzy.
The tension in the chamber had barely begun to dissipate when Victoria rose from her seat among the Beta wolves. Her movement drew every eye - as she'd no doubt intended. Even stumbling, she managed to make it look graceful, her emerald silk dress flowing like water as she swayed on her feet.
"Alpha King," she gasped, one hand pressed to her temple while the other gripped the carved wooden railing for support. Her face was pale with what anyone else would read as fear, but I'd spent too many years studying her performances not to recognize the calculated gleam in those jade eyes. "I hate to interrupt, but... the rival wolves... they're targeting me!"
I watched the transformation sweep over Alexis like a physical wave. The cold authority melted into gut-wrenching concern as he moved to steady her. The gentle way he caught her elbow made my chest ache with memories of when those careful touches were mine alone.
"What happened?" His voice carried that tender note that used to make my wolf purr.
Victoria's eyes filled with tears that caught the morning light like diamonds. Her fingers clutched his sleeve with practiced desperation. "They knew exactly where to find me... just like when we were cubs, remember? When you protected me from her..."
The mention of his stepmother hit him like a physical blow. Through our bond, I felt his trauma surface - the acrid taste of old terror, phantom pain from silver-laced whips, a child's helpless rage. His power flared protectively, wrapping around Victoria like a cloak.
"No one will hurt you," he growled. "Not like she did."
The council chamber fell into uncomfortable silence as Victoria wove her story. Each word was carefully chosen, drawing invisible chains of guilt and obligation tighter around my mate's throat. I watched his face harden with determination, old wounds bleeding fresh under her skilled manipulation.
The council meeting dragged on, heavy with unspoken tensions. Victoria remained close to Alexis's throne, her occasional trembles ensuring his attention never strayed far from her. I watched her weave her web with the skill of a master manipulator, each scared glance and shaky breath designed to keep his protective instincts engaged.
As the sun climbed higher, we moved to the territory patrol - a formal procession required after any security breach. Victoria insisted on joining despite her "weakened state," positioning herself perfectly within Alexis's protective reach.
The patrol took us along the territory's borders, where the attack had occurred. Each step felt like walking on broken glass, memories of that day threatening to overwhelm me. But I forced myself to continue, refusing to show weakness.
We'd reached the eastern border, where the sacred grove's ancient trees cast long shadows, when Victoria made her move. Her steps had grown progressively more unsteady throughout the patrol, each falter drawing Alexis's concerned attention. Now, as we passed the very spot where I'd been attacked, she collapsed with theatrical precision.
The timing was perfect - far enough into the patrol that everyone's guards were lowered, close enough to the sacred grove to make her next request seem natural. Her cry of pain echoed through the pack bonds, drawing every wolf's attention.
"It's burning through me." She clung to Alexis, her performance flawless. "Only... only the sacred healing ritual can save me..."
Ice flooded my veins. "That ritual is reserved for mates." I stepped forward despite my injuries screaming in protest. "As Luna, I should-"
"No!" Victoria's panic seemed genuine enough to fool everyone but me. "Female energy will make it worse. It has to be the Alpha King's power... please, Lex. It hurts so much..."
I watched helplessly as Alexis gathered her in his arms, his face set with that familiar determination that once made me feel safe. Now it just made me sick.
"Where?"
Victoria's eyes met mine over his shoulder, triumph glittering like poison. "The sacred grove. The old magic there will strengthen the ritual."
The sacred grove. The name alone sent phantom echoes of ancient power thrumming through my blood. Every Luna before me had completed their mating ceremony there, beneath the ancient moon-blessed trees whose roots ran deep into earth that remembered the first wolf's transformation. Where Alexis and I had joined not just our bodies but our souls, our combined power creating a light show that pack elders still spoke of in hushed whispers.
"Alexis." My voice cracked despite my best efforts. "Please. Not there. Anywhere but there."
He hesitated for a heartbeat, conflict rippling through our bond. But Victoria's perfectly timed whimper of pain decided him.
"I have to help her, Grace. You'd do the same for someone in pain."
That night, alone in the Luna's quarters, the pack bonds became instruments of torture. My pregnancy-enhanced senses picked up every whisper, every judgment. But worse was the energy pulsing from the grove - Victoria's power growing stronger as she corrupted what should have been sacred. Each wave of their combined energy felt like claws raking across my soul.
The pack's whispers crashed through my mind: The Luna couldn't even keep her mate bond... Did you see how quickly he went to Victoria? Maybe she's not strong enough to be Luna...
I curled around my barely showing belly, silent tears falling as I felt my pup's distress echo my own. "I'm sorry, little one," I whispered, pouring every ounce of love and protection I possessed into our bond. "Mama will fix this. I promise."