My Ex-Alpha Watched Me Become Another Wolf’s Luna

Your father arranged a mating for you years ago. Now that your health has stabilized, will you finally accept the bond?

I did not hesitate.

Yes, I said, my voice steady despite the ache in my chest. Tell Father I will honor the arrangement. If the Moon Goddess has already chosen my mate, I will not turn away from her will. There is only one thing I ask: I want no grand celebration. I am not doing this for romance. I am doing it because I intend to win.

My mother was silent for a moment before she gave a quiet sigh.

You sound very different from the girl who used to dream about marrying for love.

That girl was a fool.

I ended the mindlink before she could answer.

It was supposed to be Sarahs birthday, a weekend celebration aboard Josephs private vessel, surrounded by the sea and the wolves closest to our pack. Instead, I found myself standing beneath the moonlit sky, watching my best friend kiss my mate.

Joseph stood on the upper deck with his arms around Sarahs waist, his mouth still curved into a smile when she pulled away. A smear of chocolate frosting rested against her cheek, and Joseph lifted his hand to wipe it away with a tenderness I had once believed belonged only to me.

His younger brother, Andrew, stood beside them, holding out a linen cloth for her.

Andrew had once been like an older brother to me. He had watched over me when I was young, teased me whenever Joseph and I quarreled, and sworn that no one would ever hurt me while he was around.

Now he looked at Sarah as though she were the only female wolf in the world.

Sarah had been my closest friend since we were nine. She had braided my hair beneath the old oak tree outside my childhood den and promised me that she would never take anything that belonged to me.

Apparently, promises meant very little once she decided she wanted something.

I watched Joseph bend his head toward her, and something inside me finally went quiet.

He had once told me that I was his future.

He had once bled protecting me from a rival pack.

He had once sworn before the Moonstone that no female wolf would ever stand between us.

Yet when I walked past him, he did not even look at me.

I did not cry. I did not make a scene.

I simply turned away and descended into the lower cabin, where the noise from the celebration faded into the sound of waves striking the hull.

I sat beside the narrow window and closed my eyes.

If I wanted to survive what came next, I could no longer depend on Joseph.

I needed power.

And power in our world came from blood, alliances, and the strength of one's mate.

My father had known that when he arranged my mating years ago.

Perhaps I should have listened to him then.

A few minutes later, I heard footsteps approaching.

Natalie?

Sarah's sweet voice came through the wooden door.

I remained silent.

The door opened anyway.

She stepped inside carrying a Black Forest cake, a single candle standing in its center. Her expression was innocent, almost fragile, although I knew better than to trust it.

Natalie, everyone is asking for you. It is my birthday. You could at least come upstairs.

I am not interested.

Her smile faltered.

You really don't like me anymore, do you?

I looked at her calmly. Are we having this conversation again?

Her eyes immediately filled with tears.

I only wanted us to be friends like before.

You stopped being my friend long before tonight.

Her lips trembled.

Then she stepped toward me.

For one brief moment, our eyes met.

Something cold flashed in hers.

She suddenly stumbled backward.

The cake slipped from her hands and struck her chest, covering her dress in chocolate and cream.

I stared at her.

She stared at me.

Then she screamed.

Joseph and Andrew came rushing down the stairs.

Lavi!

Joseph reached her first, immediately pulling her against him.

What happened?

Sarah looked at me through trembling lashes.

She pushed me.

My stomach turned.

What?

She came toward me and shoved me. I only wanted to give her the cake.

I never touched you.

Andrew's expression hardened.

Natalie, enough.

You did not even see what happened.

I know Sarah, he said coldly. She would never lie about something like this.

I almost laughed.

There it was.

The truth I had refused to accept all this time.

They had already chosen her.

Joseph turned toward me.

Apologize.

I stared at him in disbelief.

No.

His eyes darkened.

Then our mating ceremony is over.

For years, those words would have terrified me.

Tonight, they barely touched me.

Andrew folded his arms.

Joseph, why are you still considering a future with her? Sarah deserves better.

I looked at him.

And that is why no one will ever choose you.

His face reddened.

Joseph's jaw tightened.

Before I could turn away, his hand closed around my wrist.

Take that back.

I pulled against his grip.

Let me go.

His anger overcame whatever restraint he had left.

He shoved me.

My back struck the railing.

For one terrible second, I saw the moon reflected in the black water below.

Then I fell.

The sea swallowed me whole.

The cold crushed the breath from my lungs as I plunged beneath the surface. I fought desperately to rise, but my body was already weakening. Everyone in the pack knew I had never learned to swim.

I heard Sarah screaming from above.

Someone help her! Natalie can't swim!

Her voice sounded frightened, but I knew her well enough to recognize the lie beneath it.

Joseph's voice followed.

Leave her.

My heart broke one final time.

Then the water closed over my head.

My lungs burned as darkness gathered around me.

I was sinking when something struck the water beside me.

Strong arms wrapped around my waist.

A powerful wolf pulled me upward with effortless strength, breaking through the waves as though the sea itself had surrendered to him.

Hold on, a deep voice commanded.

I tried to breathe, but only water came from my mouth.

Look at me.

I forced my eyes open.

A stranger was holding me against his chest, his face illuminated by the pale light of the moon.

His eyes were an unusual shade of silver-gold.

And the moment our gazes met, the mark of the mate bond burned across my skin.

The stranger went completely still.

So did I.

Neither of us needed words.

The Moon Goddess had already spoken.

He was my mate.

And judging by the stunned expression on his face, I was his.

The yacht returned to the packs harbor just after dawn.

No one spoke to me as we came ashore. Not Joseph, not Andrew, and certainly not Sarah, who had wept so convincingly the night before that, for a fleeting moment, I had almost questioned my own memory.

Almost.

I stepped onto the stone pier with my clothes still damp from the sea, the cold clinging to my skin as painfully as the humiliation that had settled somewhere beneath my ribs. Joseph had thrown me into those dark waves, knowing perfectly well that I could not swim, and even after another wolf dragged me from the water, he had not shown the slightest trace of regret.

That is what you deserve, he had said. You should learn what happens when jealousy makes you cruel.

Not an apology.

Not a hand extended to help me stand.

Not even a flicker of guilt in his eyes.

And the stranger who had saved me had disappeared before I could properly see his face. He had come from the water like a shadow summoned by the Moon Goddess, pulled me from death, and vanished among the wolves gathering along the harbor. I did not know his name, his pack, or why the sight of him had left my wolf strangely restless.

Perhaps it was better that way.

I returned to my chambers alone.

For the first time since I was a child, I did not allow myself to cry. I simply opened the cedar chest where I kept my belongings and began to pack.

There was no need for a great deal. A few dresses, my traveling cloak, the small pouch of gold coins my grandmother had left me, the moonstone pendant I had inherited from her, and the documents necessary to cross pack territory. Everything that mattered to me could fit into two traveling trunks.

Everything else could remain behind.

I was fastening the clasp on my final trunk when Sarah's voice suddenly reached me through the mindlink.

Natalie, you should see what I received for my birthday.

I closed my eyes.

Of course.

What did you receive? I asked, though I already knew I would regret it.

Her amusement brushed against my mind.

Joseph gave me something wonderful.

A moment later, an image entered my thoughts.

Sarah stood on the upper deck of the yacht wearing the pale silk robe I had left there, a smug smile upon her lips. Joseph stood behind her with one arm around her waist, while Andrew stood on her other side, looking at her as though she were some precious treasure.

Beneath the image came another thought from Sarah.

And Joseph gave me your new carriage. He said you hardly used it anyway, and the color suits me much better.

I almost laughed.

Even now, she could not resist making certain I knew exactly what she had taken.

I severed the mindlink without answering.

Then I continued packing.

By midday, I had sent word to the head of the household that I would no longer serve as an adviser to the family business. I offered no explanation beyond the fact that I was leaving the territory and would not be returning.

When I returned to my chambers that evening, only one task remained.

I knelt beside my bed and dragged out an old leather chest.

The moment I opened it, memories rose with the scent of aged leather and cedar.

Inside lay the remnants of a life I had once believed would last forever.

Joseph's silver chain rested on top, its small pendant engraved with the private vow he had made to me when we were younger. Beneath it lay the old watch he had given me after winning his first challenge as a young wolf, its glass cracked from the day he had fought a rival on my behalf.

There were letters as well, written in Joseph's uneven hand when we were barely more than children. He had once promised that, when he became Alpha, I would stand beside him as his Luna.

Beside those letters were the notes Andrew had slipped beneath my chamber door during the years when we were all growing up together. He had never openly confessed his feelings, but I had understood them even then.

A worn leather riding coat followed, along with Andrew's old riding helmet, a small wooden music box, and several other tokens of years I had once treasured.

I touched the music box once.

Its familiar melody began to play, soft and trembling beneath the quiet of the room.

I listened until the final note faded.

Then I placed it back in the chest.

There was no reason to carry the past into my future.

I carried the chest into the courtyard, where an old stone brazier stood beneath the moon. One by one, I placed the things inside.

The letters went first.

Then the necklace.

Then the watch.

The old coat followed.

The flames climbed slowly, consuming the words and promises I had once believed were sacred.

By the time Joseph entered the courtyard, half of the chest had already turned to ash.

Natalie, what are you doing?

His voice carried across the courtyard, shocked and angry.

I did not turn immediately.

When I finally faced him, Andrew was standing behind him, his gaze fixed upon the fire.

You are destroying our memories, Joseph said.

I looked at the burning letters.

No. I am destroying things that no longer mean anything to me.

His expression tightened.

You cannot simply throw away everything we shared because you are angry.

I gave him a quiet smile.

Angry?

I shook my head.

If I were angry, Joseph, I would still want you to understand why you hurt me. I would still want an apology. I would still want you to choose me.

His face went pale.

I no longer want any of those things.

Andrew stepped forward, his eyes filled with disbelief.

You are behaving like a spoiled pup. Sarah told us what happened last night, and you still refuse to admit that you were wrong.

I looked at him for a long moment.

Sarah received my clothes, my carriage, my place beside Joseph, and apparently both of your loyalty and affection. Since she has taken everything else, let her keep the memories too.

Andrew's expression faltered.

Joseph stared at me as though he were seeing a stranger.

You are truly leaving?

Yes.

When?

I glanced toward the eastern mountains, where the first pale light of the moon was beginning to silver the peaks.

Before sunrise.

Joseph took a step toward me.

Natalie, wait.

I moved away before he could reach me.

For years, I had dreamed of hearing those words from him.

Now that they had finally come, they meant nothing.

The flames continued to consume the last of the letters, sending pale ashes into the night.

It was almost amusing.

They had been willing to tear the pack apart over Sarah's tears, yet when I had nearly drowned beneath their eyes, neither of them had cared whether I lived or died.

Now they stood grieving over a handful of ashes.

But the truth was that the woman they were mourning had already disappeared beneath the waves.

The Natalie who loved Joseph, trusted Andrew, and called Sarah her sister was gone.

And by the time the moon set, so would I.

Joseph and Andrew did not give up easily.

After watching the last of our memories disappear into the flames, they seemed suddenly desperate to repair what they had spent so long destroying. They stood before me like two lost wolves reaching for a bond that had already been severed, neither willing to accept that I had finally stopped waiting for them.

Come with us, Natalie, Joseph said, rubbing the back of his neck. Let us take you to dinner. We will go somewhere you like.

Andrew nodded beside him, his usual arrogance replaced by something almost pleading.

Our favorite place, he added. Just one meal. Give us the chance to make amends.

I studied their faces before giving a small nod.

All right.

Neither of them knew that, in my heart, I had already decided it would be the last meal we would ever share.

We traveled in silence through the darkened streets, Joseph guiding the carriage while Andrew sat beside me. The rain had begun to fall by the time we reached the edge of the city, tapping steadily against the windows.

Then Andrew's pocket vibrated.

He drew out his phone and frowned at the screen.

It is Sarah.

I looked toward the window and said nothing.

He answered through the mindlink a moment later, his expression changing almost immediately.

Sarah, what happened?

Her frightened voice entered all three of our minds.

The lights have gone out, and someone broke into the house. I heard someone downstairs. I am frightened, Andrew. Please come quickly.

Joseph's hands tightened around the reins.

Is she alone?

Yes.

Sarah's voice trembled.

Please, Joseph. I do not know what to do.

He exchanged a glance with Andrew before looking at me.

Natalie, you have to leave the carriage.

I stared at him.

Why?

We need to make certain Sarah is safe.

And I am not allowed to come?

His expression hardened with impatience.

This does not concern you. We will return after we have dealt with the intruder.

I almost smiled at the familiar cruelty of it.

After everything that had happened, they were still choosing her without hesitation.

The carriage stopped beside an empty road. Before I could say another word, the door opened, and Joseph motioned for me to step down.

Get out.

I looked at Andrew, waiting for him to object.

He did not.

I stepped onto the wet road.

The door closed behind me, and moments later, the carriage disappeared into the rain.

I remained there beneath the dark sky, watching the red glow of its lanterns fade into the distance.

For a long moment, I felt nothing.

Then I smiled.

Not because it did not hurt, but because I finally understood that there was nothing left to save.

They had not invited me to dinner because they wanted to repair our bond.

They had invited me because they wanted to convince themselves that they were not the villains in my story.

The meal had never been a beginning.

It had been a farewell feast, and they simply did not know they were attending the funeral of everything we had once been.

I removed my shoes after walking several streets.

The delicate satin had become heavy with rain, and my feet were beginning to ache. I carried them in one hand while my gown dragged through puddles beneath my cloak.

No passing carriage stopped for me.

Perhaps the sight of a lone woman wandering through the rain made the drivers wary. Perhaps I simply no longer belonged anywhere.

Eventually, I turned into a narrow alley, hoping it would lead toward the main road.

It did not.

A figure stepped from the shadows.

The moment I saw the knife in his hand, my wolf snarled.

Give me your purse.

I tightened my grip.

He lunged.

I fought back with everything I had, clawing at his arms and trying to reach the mouth of the alley, but he was stronger.

The blade entered my side.

A terrible heat spread through my body.

Before I could recover, he struck again, and then once more when I fell to my knees.

I remember the rain striking my face.

I remember the taste of blood.

I remember thinking that the Moon Goddess had a cruel sense of humor.

After surviving the sea, perhaps I was destined to die on dry land.

Then I heard footsteps.

A carriage stopped somewhere beyond the alley.

A man's voice called out, followed by hurried movement.

Strong arms lifted me from the ground.

I forced my eyes open.

And there he was.

The stranger from the sea.

The same wolf who had pulled me from the dark waters after Joseph cast me overboard.

I had thought I would never see him again.

Yet here he was, holding me against his chest, his white shirt stained crimson where my blood had soaked through.

His golden eyes burned with an intensity that made my wolf stir despite my weakness.

Stay awake, he commanded.

His voice was deep, calm, and unmistakably authoritative.

You will not die here.

I tried to focus on his face.

Who... are you?

For a moment, something softened in his expression.

Raphael.

The name settled somewhere deep within me.

Then darkness claimed me.

When I opened my eyes again, I was lying beneath white linen in the healers' ward.

For seven days, I remained there.

The healers tended my wounds while I drifted between fever and sleep. My mother sent no word because I had forbidden the healers from contacting my family. I did not want anyone from my former life to know where I was.

I needed those seven days to mourn the woman I had been.

The woman who had believed Joseph's promises.

The woman who had trusted Sarah.

The woman who had mistaken Andrew's concern for loyalty.

By the time I was strong enough to leave, I had already decided that none of them would ever have another place in my life.

I was gathering my belongings in the corridor when voices echoed from the entrance.

I looked up.

Sarah was being carried into the healers' ward on a wooden stretcher, her arms wrapped in bloodstained bandages. Her face was pale, her hair disheveled, and tears streamed freely down her cheeks.

Joseph walked beside her, holding her hand.

Andrew followed close behind, carrying her belongings.

They were so focused on her that neither noticed me at first.

Then Joseph looked up.

He stopped as though he had seen a ghost.

Natalie?

Andrew turned sharply.

His face lost all color.

You are here?

I looked down at my hand, where a strip of healing cloth still covered the place where the healer had removed the vein needle.

Yes, I said quietly.

Joseph stepped toward me.

Were you injured?

I almost laughed.

You did not know?

His expression changed.

What do you mean?

I have been here for seven days.

Silence fell between us.

You were here? Andrew whispered.

I looked from him to Joseph.

Seven days, I repeated. I was fighting to stay alive for seven days, and neither of you even wondered where I had gone.

Neither answered.

There was nothing they could say that would change the truth.

Then Sarah cried out from behind them.

Joseph!

His attention immediately snapped back to her.

He turned without hesitation.

Andrew followed.

Of course they did.

They always would.

I watched them disappear down the corridor with Sarah between them, and for the first time, I felt no bitterness.

Only relief.

I gathered my belongings and walked toward the healer's exit beneath the pale morning moon.

I had survived the sea.

I had survived the knife.

And now I would survive them.

Whatever awaited me beyond the borders of this pack, I would face it alone if I had to.

Because the woman who had once begged to be chosen was gone.

And I was finally free to become someone the Moon Goddess had chosen for herself.

The apartment was dark when I returned.

No lamps burned in the sitting room, and the hearth had long since gone cold. The stale scent of yesterday's meal lingered in the air, mixed with the faint sourness of something forgotten in the kitchen. I did not bother lighting a candle. After everything that had happened, darkness felt more comforting than warmth ever could.

I left my traveling cloak near the door and lowered myself onto the couch, still wearing the healer's loose garments beneath it. The cloth rubbed against the bandages around my wounds, but I was too exhausted to care. I closed my eyes and surrendered to sleep.

It was not a peaceful sleep.

Pain has a way of following you into dreams, and sometimes the wolf within us remembers truths that the heart is still unwilling to accept.

Several hours later, I woke to the sound of movement from the kitchen.

At first, I thought it was nothing more than the settling of the old wooden house, but then came the unmistakable scrape of a knife against a cutting board.

I slowly sat up.

My body protested immediately, every wound pulling beneath the healers' bandages as I rose. I walked barefoot toward the kitchen, following the scent of cooked meat.

When I stepped through the doorway, I stopped.

Joseph stood beside the hearth, tending to a pan of meat over the flames, while Andrew stood at the long wooden table slicing vegetables. A meal had been prepared for three, complete with polished plates, goblets, and folded linen.

Both men turned when they heard me.

Joseph's expression changed first.

We thought you had gone to your aunt's house, he said, almost awkwardly. We did not wish to disturb you.

Andrew lowered his knife.

We did not know you were in the healers' ward.

I stared at them.

You did not know?

Neither answered.

I pulled out a chair and sat down.

Joseph quickly removed the pan from the fire.

You should eat, Natalie. You have only just returned from the healers.

I looked at the meal before me.

Then I looked at him.

You did not come looking for me.

His brow furrowed.

What?

I was in the healers' ward for seven days.

The room fell silent.

You did not send a messenger, I continued, keeping my voice even. You did not ask the pack healers whether I had survived. You did not even wonder where I was after leaving me alone in the rain.

Joseph's lips parted, but no answer came.

Andrew lowered his gaze.

Before either could speak, a knock sounded at the door.

The two brothers exchanged a glance.

Andrew rose immediately.

I will see who it is.

I already knew.

He opened the door, and Sarah stood upon the threshold.

She looked delicate enough to break beneath the night wind. Her wrists were wrapped in fresh bandages, and her pale dress made her appear almost ghostlike beneath the lantern hanging beside the entrance.

The moment Joseph saw her, he forgot everything else.

He crossed the room and gathered her into his arms.

Sarah, you should not be walking around so soon.

She rested her head against his shoulder.

I was frightened.

Joseph carried her to the couch and settled her carefully against the cushions.

What happened?

She looked up at him with tear-filled eyes.

I was alone in the healers' ward, and I kept thinking about what might happen if I closed my eyes and never opened them again. I know it sounds foolish, but I could not bear being alone tonight.

Joseph brushed a strand of hair away from her face.

You should have sent word.

I did not want to trouble you.

You could never trouble me.

Andrew approached them.

We will take you back to the healers' ward after we make certain Natalie is settled. Someone should remain with you tonight.

Sarah gave a weak smile.

You both have already done so much.

I sat at the table and listened.

No one noticed when I picked up my fork.

The meat Joseph had prepared was overcooked on the outside and still raw near the center. It was the very meal I had always disliked, something he had known since we were young.

He had forgotten.

Or perhaps he simply no longer cared enough to remember.

I forced myself to eat anyway.

Across the room, Joseph and Andrew arranged cushions behind Sarah's back and urged her to take some food. She accepted their attention with the ease of someone who had never doubted she deserved it.

Every so often, she glanced toward me.

Her expression remained gentle, but there was something victorious in her eyes.

My wolf stirred uneasily.

Then I felt the familiar pull of the mindlink.

Natalie?

It was my mother's voice.

I opened the link.

Your father has chosen several gowns for the wedding. The seamstress sent the sketches ahead. I thought you would want to see them.

Images entered my mind one after another: ivory silk, embroidered sleeves, long trains, delicate veils, and gowns adorned with Natalies and silver thread.

I examined them silently until one caught my attention.

A simple ivory gown with a fitted bodice, long sleeves, and a flowing train.

I like the third one, I told her.

My mother sounded delighted.

I knew you would. Your father was afraid you might change your mind about the ceremony.

I looked across the room.

Joseph was still tending to Sarah.

Andrew was pouring her water.

I smiled faintly.

I will not change my mind.

My mother's voice softened.

Are you certain, sweetheart?

More certain than I have ever been.

She hesitated.

How much longer will you remain there?

Only until the end of the week. I will return home afterward.

Good. Everything is nearly prepared. Your father has already sent word to the other pack. Your future mate's family has agreed to the ceremony beneath the Moonstone.

My heart gave one strange beat at the thought.

My future mate.

Until now, those words had frightened me.

Tonight, they sounded like freedom.

I am looking forward to the wedding, I said.

My mother laughed softly.

Then I shall tell your father. He will be very pleased.

When the mindlink ended, I lowered my gaze to my plate.

For several heartbeats, no one spoke.

Then I sensed it.

The room had gone unnaturally still.

I looked up.

Joseph was staring at me.

Andrew stood behind him, his brows drawn together.

Even Sarah had stopped pretending to eat.

Joseph was the first to speak.

Wedding?

I said nothing.

He took a step toward me.

What wedding?

Andrew followed him, his voice lower but no less tense.

You said you were looking forward to your wedding.

I slowly placed my fork beside my plate.

Yes.

Joseph's face tightened.

To whom?

For the first time that night, I allowed myself to smile.

That, I said calmly, is none of your concern.