Once His Mate, Now His Misery

LUNA CLARA

In my hand, I clutched the jacket I had spent months sewing—a labor of love, carefully crafted as a gift for my mate, Alpha Landon. With the winter season settling over the Starblaze Pack, I had thought it would be perfect, something to keep him from the cold.

Excitement filled me as I searched for him, eager to see his reaction. I finally found Landon in the kingdom's hallway, deep in conversation with Elder Danilo. I didn't intend to eavesdrop, but their voices carried, and the words I overheard froze me in place.

"Does Luna Clara know about this?" Elder Danilo asked cautiously.

Landon shook his head, his jaw tightening visibly. "I'll tell her in the coming days. For now, focus on Odette's arrival. Prepare the house she'll stay in, and make sure she has everything she needs."

"Understood, Alpha," Elder Danilo replied before walking away.

My heart sank.

Odette's arrival?

My exiled sister—the very woman who had inflicted so much pain and suffering on me, was… coming back?

Landon knew what she had done—he knew the scars she had left on my skin and heart.

So why?

Why would he accept her back into the pack?

At that moment, my knees buckled, and I unintentionally backed into a candle holder. The clatter of metal against the floor immediately drew Landon's attention.

His eyes snapped to me. "Clara! How long have you been standing there? Did you hear anything from our conversation?" His voice was cold as he towered me over.

I swallowed hard, my heart pounding in my chest. Lying seemed like my only escape. "I just arrived, Alpha," I said, my voice trembling. "And no—I… I didn't hear anything…"

His gaze darkened as he grabbed my face roughly, his fingers digging into my cheeks. "Then what are you doing here, hmm?"

Tears pricked the corners of my eyes, yet I managed to force a fragile smile. Shakily, I lifted the jacket I had spent months sewing. "I made this for you, Alpha. Please… accept it as a gift."

Landon glanced at the jacket and let out a humorless chuckle as he snatched it from my hands. "You want me to wear this shit?" he sneered.

Without hesitation, he dropped it onto the still-lit candles scattered on the floor. The soft cotton wool caught fire instantly, consuming the jacket I had poured my heart into.

"No, thank you," he said dismissively. "Fix that mess," he added before walking past me.

Just like that, all the effort and love I had poured into that jacket was consumed by the flames—a stark reminder that my mate of five years no longer loved me. It was a proof of what our marriage had become—a suffocating, depressive union, riddled with emotional wounds and, at times, physical pain.

It had been two years since things had turned this way, and yet, I still couldn't fully understand how the Alpha who once showered me with love had disappeared, leaving behind this cold, detached man.

And yet… despite it all, a part of me—a fragile part—still clung to the hope that he would change.

I hated myself for it, knowing deep down that he wouldn't. Knowing that the man I had fallen in love with was gone, and no amount of wishing could bring him back.

— — —

The next morning, I was jolted awake by a sudden splash of cold water to my face.

"Why the hell are you still sleeping, Clara?!" Landon's angry voice boomed. Standing over me, his face twisted in irritation. "Get up and do something valuable, you lazy woman!"

"But it was just four in the morning—"

Landon cut me off by pouring the remaining contents of the glass into my head. "Who cares? I need you to prepare my breakfast, right fucking now," he ordered before storming out.

Still soaking wet, I hurried to the kitchen to prepare his food.

This has been my life's daily routine, tragically…

"Here's your breakfast, Alpha," I said softly, setting a steaming bowl of chicken stew and a freshly brewed cup of coffee on the table. After placing everything down, I bowed my head, a gesture of submission, like an Omega serving her master.

Landon took a spoonful of the stew, but seconds later, his expression twisted in disgust. He spit it out and slammed the spoon onto the table.

"Clara!" He barked. Then, his glare burned into me. "Are you trying to feed me trash? This stew tastes horrible!"

Before I could even stammer a response, he was on his feet, closing the distance between us. His hand shot out, grabbing my hair in a brutal grip. With a tight yank, he forced my face down into the still-hot chicken stew.

"Taste it yourself!" He sneered.

The heat of the stew touched my skin, and before I could react, he snatched up the cup of hot coffee and splashed it over my head.

"I'm sorry…" My voice trembled as the stinging pain sank deeper into my skin.

Just then, two maids appeared, rushing to help me clean up the mess and tend to my burns. But Landon's dark glare froze them in their tracks.

"The Luna doesn't need your help. Leave her alone," he growled.

The maids hesitated. Their eyes filled with concern as they looked at me. Wanting to shield them from Landon's wrath, I forced out a brittle smile.

"Alpha Landon is right," my voice was strained. "I can handle this."

Reluctantly, the maids nodded and stepped away, casting one last glance at me before leaving the room…

— — —

Night had fallen, and from the sanctuary of my bedroom window, I found myself gazing at Alpha Landon as he stood by the luxurious car that had just parked in front of the Starblaze Kingdom's grand porch.

My eyes stayed glued to the scene as a woman stepped gracefully out of the vehicle. Landon moved toward her, taking her hand with a tenderness and care that he hadn't shown me in years. My heart clenched painfully at the sight, but I couldn't tear myself away.

I watched as he pulled her into a warm embrace, his hands lingering as though she were someone precious.

That was all I could take.

I turned away, tears streaming down my face.

My mate, the man the Moon Goddess had chosen for me, looked truly happy for the first time in years. But his joy wasn't with me.

It was with her.

It was with my sister, Odette Sawyer.

Could it simply be him welcoming her back as an Alpha, or was there something deeper going on between them?

I guess only time could tell…