The grand hall shimmered with golden candlelight.
The ceremony was supposed to be the most important night of my life. The night I would officially be recognized as Luna.
My hands trembled slightly as I smoothed down the silk of my gown. It was deep midnight blue, the color Orion, alpha or if you dare to call him, my mate, once told me that it made me look like the night sky itself.
I had never been the strongest, the fastest, or the most ruthless among my kind, but one thing I was sure of: I was his. His fated mate.
And tonight, he would finally claim me before the entire pack.
I could feel the eyes of the other werewolves surrounding me—some respectful, some doubtful. They all knew the whispers.
A wolfless Luna? It was unheard of.
The Moon Goddess had fated me to Orion, but fate didn't make me strong. In this world, power was everything.
But Orion had promised.
The mood in the grand hall shifted as he stepped onto the raised dais, his tall frame commanding attention. His golden eyes swept over the crowd before landing on me. A slow, reassuring glance. A sight of relief escaped my lips as I shot him a smile.
He wouldn't dare let me down.
Then, he spoke.
"Tonight, I name my Luna—"
I smiled.
"—Celeste Ardent."
Silence filled the hall.
My smile faded.
The name wasn't mine.
Murmurs swept through the hall like a violent current. Someone gasped. A few wolves exchanged shocked glances.
But me?
My brain wouldn't let my body move.
The world tilted as I struggled to make sense of what I had just heard.
Celeste.
Another she-wolf. A powerful one. The daughter of an alpha, strong, fierce, everything I wasn't.
Orion didn't look at me.
Not once.
Celeste slowly strutted her way to the dais, she ran her hand through her golden locks, she wore a white gown.
My lungs burned. I wanted to scream, to demand an explanation, to claw the betrayal out of him.
But all I could do was stare at Celeste, slipping her hand into Orion's like she belonged there.
Like I had never even existed.
The whispers from the guests grew louder.
She was never strong enough.
The pack would never accept a wolfless Luna.
This was inevitable.
I turned and walked out with whatever dignity I had left.
I didn't run. I wouldn't give them the satisfaction of seeing her break.
But inside, I was crumbling bit by bit.
I walked through the corridors of the packhouse. My breath came in short, sharp bursts, my vision blurred at the edges. I had no idea where I was going—only that I needed to get away.
Somewhere behind me, the celebration continued. Cheers, laughter, the sound of a pack welcoming their new Luna.
It should have been me.
The thought sliced through me like a blade, sharp and unforgiving.
By the time I stepped outside, the night air was cold against my burning skin.
But I barely noticed. My feet carried me forward, down the stone steps, away from the grand estate that had been my home for years.
No one stopped me. No one called after me
I was nothing now.
***
I didn't remember entering the bar. I only knew that one moment, I was walking blindly through the streets, and the next, I was drowning in the bitter taste of alcohol.
The place was full of wolves—some from my pack, some from others—but I didn't care.
I sat at the bar, fingers tight around my glass, and drank like the burn in throat could numb the ache in my chest.
It didn't.
"Didn't expect to see someone like you crying at a party."
The voice was deep, amused.
I barely lifted her gaze. A man had slid into the seat beside me, all easy arrogance and sharp eyes that gleamed under the dim lights.
He wasn't from my pack.
His presence was different—dangerous in a way that had nothing to do with brute strength.
I exhaled bitterly. "Didn't expect to be betrayed either, but here we are."
The stranger tilted his head, studying me, "That bad?"
I laughed, the sound hollow. "Let's see. My fated mate just announced another woman as his Luna. My entire pack probably thinks I'm pathetic. And I'm drinking alone in a bar where I don't belong. What do you think?"
The man let out a low whistle. "That's rough, sweetheart."
I shot him a glare. "Don't call me that."
His lips quirked into a smirk. "Noted."
I turned back to her drink. I should leave. Go home. Sleep. Do something that didn't involve sitting next to a stranger and sulking.
But then he said, "I don't believe in fate."
That made me pause.
I glanced at him. "What?"
"Fate. Mates. The whole Moon Goddess decides our lives for us thing. It's bullshit." He leaned back, swirling his drink. "Wolves love to pretend they have no choice. That it's all written in the stars. But tell me, sweetheart—if fate was real, would you be here drinking with me instead of with him?"
I had no answer.
I should have walked away. Should have ignored him. But his words clawed at something deep inside me, something raw and angry.
And maybe that was why, when he leaned in and murmured, "Let me show you how much fate doesn't control us."
I didn't stop him.
We all know what happens next, a bit of fun turns to regret ...
I woke up to sunlight streaming through unfamiliar windows.
My body ached, my mind sluggish.
And beside me?
Tangled in the sheets, was him.
The stranger from last night.
I felt like the world was spinning.
He had told me his name...
what was it again?
Soren.
Memories crashed over me like a storm—his hands on my skin, his lips against mine, the way he whispered my name like it belonged to him.
I shot up, heart pounding. What have I done?
Soren stirred, golden eyes fluttering open. He looked at me, then at the panic on my face, and smirked. "Morning, sweetheart."
"This was a mistake, Soren," I told him, getting out of the bed.
"A mistake? You weren't saying that last night, sweetheart," he sat up.
I didn't bother answering him. I collect all my clothes on the floor and dressed in record time, barely registering his amused chuckle behind me.
My mind screamed at her to get out, get out, get out.
By the time I made it outside, my breath was heavy.
I heard him call my name but I ignored him. All I needed to do was to get home. And fast.
**Two weeks later**
I was sick.
At first, I thought it was the stress, the emotional wreckage of the past weeks catching up to me.
But when the nausea didn't stop, when the scent of food made my stomach turn, a terrifying possibility lodged itself in her mind.
No.
It couldn't be.
But the truth came anyway, written in bold letters on the test I held in shaking hands.
I was pregnant.
The world blurred. My knees hit the bathroom floor.
It wasn't possible. It couldn't be possible.
But it was.
And the worst part?
I didn't know who the father was
I knew what would happen if the pack found out. If Orion found out. If Soren did.
I sat on the cold floor, knees pressed to my chest, the pregnancy test clutched so tightly in my hands I could feel the plastic bend.
The second line on the test was so clear, so undeniable. There was no mistake.
A broken sob escaped me, and I pressed a trembling hand to my stomach. What was I going to do? How was I supposed to—
A sharp knock at the door jolted me upright.
I wasn't expecting anyone. For a second, I didn't move. Maybe if I ignored it, they would leave.
But then the knock came again, firmer this time.
Slowly, I pushed myself up, wiping my tears away. I dragged myself to the door and slowly opened it .
Orion.
His presence filled the doorway, broad and towering, but it wasn't his size that made my stomach twist—it was the way he looked at me.
Regretful.
"Elara," he said, my name coming out rough, like it hurt him to say it. "I need to talk to you."
Anger blocked my throat. I should have slammed the door in his face, but my body refused to move.
"There's nothing to talk about," I whispered.
"Yes, there is." He stepped forward, and I instinctively stepped back. His jaw clenched, his eyes dark with something unreadable. "I was wrong. About everything. I should've never listened to them, never—"
Another knock.
I stiffened, my stomach twisting violently.
No. No, not now.
I turned, swallowing hard as I opened the door again.
Soren.
His dark eyes swept over me, then flicked behind me to Orion, his expression instantly hardening.
"Elara," he said quietly.
Behind me, Orion went rigid. "Who the hell is this?"
Soren's gaze flicked to him, unimpressed, before returning to me, searching for answers.
Before I could speak, Orion stepped beside me, his posture tense. "I asked you a question."
Soren didn't even flinch. "And, unfortunately, I don't answer to you."
I closed my eyes briefly, dread curling in my stomach. Not this. Not now.
Orion's body vibrated with anger. "Get out."
Soren let out an amused breath. "No."
I gritted my teeth, stepping between them as Orion lunged forward. "Enough!"
My hands trembled, my pulse roaring in my ears. And then I felt it slip from my grasp—the pregnancy test fell from my fingers, clattering onto the wooden floor.
Silence.
My stomach twisted as Orion slowly bent down, picked it up, and stared at the result.
His voice came out barely above a whisper. "You're pregnant?"
Soren inhaled sharply and took a step toward me. "The child is mine."
Orion's head snapped up, his grip tightening on the test. "No. Mine."
Soren's jaw ticked. "I was with her two weeks ago."
Orion's glare was deadly. "And I was with her for years." His eyes turned to me, pleading. "Tell him. Tell him it's mine."
I couldn't breathe. The room felt like it was caving in.
Soren crossed his arms. "She isn't yours to claim anymore. You rejected her. She's not your Luna."
Orion flinched, his jaw tightening. But then his expression softened, his voice cracking. "Elara… take me back."
Something inside me snapped.
I let out a harsh, breathless laugh. "Take you back?" My voice trembled, rage and anguish boiling inside me.
"Elara—" Orion started, but I cut him off.
"Get out."
Both of them stilled.
My hands curled into fists, my entire body shaking. "I don't want either of you. Do you hear me? I don't care whose child this is." My voice broke, but I didn't stop. "Stay the hell away from me!"
The silence that followed was suffocating.
Soren exhaled sharply, running a hand through his hair. He didn't fight me, didn't argue—he just looked at me, his gaze lingering on my stomach before he turned and walked away.
Orion stayed, holding onto the test like it was the last piece of me he had left. But then, slowly, he placed it on the table.
And left.
The moment the door clicked shut, my knees buckled. I crumpled to the floor, pressing a hand to my stomach.
This wasn't just any child—it was a child with the blood of an alpha. A child that could be claimed, used, controlled.
I wouldn't let that happen.
Freya was the only one I could trust.
My sister listened without interruption, her expression unreadable. When I finally stopped talking, chest heaving with barely contained panic, Freya exhaled slowly.
"I'll help you," she said.
I swallowed. "You don't have to—"
"I'll help you," Freya repeated, voice firm.
I nodded, throat thick.
And that night, under the cover of darkness, the two of us disappeared into the human world.
My last thought before stepping into the unknown was a promise whispered to the child growing inside her.
"No matter what, I will keep you safe."
But deep down, I knew—no secret stayed hidden forever.