Erika
I stood before Alpha Rufus’s office door, taking a steadying breath before stepping inside. I knew exactly what was coming next—I had to swallow my pride, feign submission, and apologize to Madeleine. All for the sake of peace—not just for myself, but for the pup growing inside me.
As I pushed the door open, my gaze landed on Madeleine, seated far too close to Rufus. Her hand was wrapped in bandages, her expression pitiful as Rufus gently brushed his fingers over it with evident concern.
"Luna Erika, I’ve been waiting for you. Alpha Rufus said—"
I cut her off before she could finish. Taking a deep breath, I forced myself to speak.
"Madeleine, I’m sorry," I said coolly. "I was too angry earlier and acted irrationally." I put emphasis on irrational, my gaze sharp. "I promise it won’t happen again."
Alpha Rufus barely spared me a glance before returning his attention to Madeleine. "It bloody well better not, Luna. I’ve no intention of being stuck with a mate who behaves like a feral animal."
My stomach twisted. I clenched my fists at my sides, waiting for Madeleine to deliver her usual, saccharine-laced venom.
"Oh, don’t be too hard on her, Alpha Rufus. Of course, I forgive her. Even a Luna can make mistakes." Her smile was sickly sweet, the picture of innocence.
Rufus returned her smile, his voice soft. "You’ve always had such a kind heart, Madeleine. If only you were my mate, my life wouldn’t be weighed down with so much fucking baggage."
Baggage?
Is that all I was to him?
Had all his tender words and gestures meant nothing? Had I merely been a burden—a responsibility he had to bear?
Oh, Moon Goddess, I wanted out of this toxic, wretched excuse of a relationship.
"Am I excused, Alpha?" I asked, my voice steady despite the storm raging inside me.
"Yes, I’ll join you shortly."
Lies. He never did. Instead, he sent a curt message through the mind link, saying he was heading out with Beta Leighton for an inspection.
I should’ve known better than to expect anything from him.
I spent the evening talking to the pup in my womb, whispering prayers to the Moon Goddess for strength. This child was a blessing, but it also tethered me to the mate who had betrayed me so cruelly.
Eventually, exhaustion won. I succumbed to sleep.
The following morning, I woke with a renewed sense of purpose. Today was a significant day—the Emerald Earth Pack’s member induction ceremony. I had to stand beside Alpha Rufus, perform my role as Luna.
For the last time.
I had gathered all the evidence—proof of Alpha Rufus’s affair with Madeleine, evidence of the forbidden ritual he was planning for her.
If he thought he could continue deceiving me, he was sorely mistaken.
By the time I arrived at the grand hall, the pack had already assembled. I walked with my head held high, ignoring the whispers that followed me like ghosts.
Taking my place beside Rufus, I stole a glance at him. Time and again, I caught him sneaking glances at Madeleine, his true affections laid bare for anyone who cared to see.
What a joke. He didn’t even try to be discreet.
I was poised to speak, ready to expose his treachery to the entire pack. But before I could open my mouth, Rufus rose to his feet, lifting a hand to silence the room.
My breath hitched.
"I have an important announcement," he declared, his voice carrying through the hall.
"I, Alpha Rufus Hawkins of the Emerald Earth Pack, formally reject Luna Erika Howards as my mate and Luna of this pack."
The world tilted.
A collective gasp swept through the room. Murmurs and shocked whispers rippled through the gathered wolves, but I barely heard them.
I turned to him, pulse roaring in my ears. "You… reject me?"
Alpha Rufus’s stare was cold. "Yes. You are no longer fit to be my Luna. I won’t be shackled to someone who’s nothing more than a fucking hindrance."
I wanted to laugh. I wanted to scream. I wanted to rip that smug expression off his face.
But I was not weak.
Curling my fingers into my palms, I forced the ache in my chest into submission.
"Fine," I said, my voice trembling, but not from weakness. "I accept your rejection, Alpha Rufus."
From the corner of my eye, I saw Madeleine smirking, the picture of smug triumph. But I refused to give her the satisfaction of seeing me crumble.
Alpha Rufus nodded to the two warriors flanking me. "Take her away."
Their hands clamped down on my arms, but I didn’t resist. I walked alongside them with dignity, my spine straight.
But as soon as we reached the corridor, everything changed.
A chilling sensation crept through my bones, and before I could fully comprehend what was happening, the two warriors holding me collapsed to the floor, their bodies rendered motionless.
I tried to take a breath, but my body felt unbearably heavy.
A light, mocking laugh echoed through the corridor.
I lifted my gaze and saw a sorcerer standing at the far end, his robe billowing as a dark aura swirled around him.
"Goodbye, unwanted Luna," he sneered. "Rigidus esto!"
A surge of magic wrapped around me, draining my strength at an alarming rate. My knees buckled, and my vision blurred.
I struggled to fight back, but I couldn’t. The sorcerer was too powerful. The closer he came, the tighter my chest felt, as though my heart was being crushed in his grasp.
"Debilito vim lunae intus te..."
I couldn’t hold on any longer.
Darkness consumed me entirely.
Something was wrong…
I could see myself lying on the floor beneath the sorcerer, as if I were watching from above. The deep crimson of my blood contrasted starkly against the marble floor, flowing in slow, deliberate streams.
With an effortless motion, the sorcerer reached into my chest and took my heart.
Moon Goddess, what is happening to me?
I couldn’t stop him. I couldn’t stop him from taking my heart.
Suddenly, a hooded figure emerged from the shadows, moving with swift precision. With a flick of their hand, water coiled in the air, shaping itself into a razor-sharp spear before hurtling towards the sorcerer.
A piercing scream of agony rang out as the sorcerer staggered back, retreating into a glowing circle that pulsed with arcane energy.
Strong arms wrapped around my body where it lay on the floor, but from up here, I couldn’t feel them.
A deep, strained voice reached me, filled with anguish.
"I'm sorry I was late, Erika."
Morpheus?
Am I… dead?
