Luna Rejects Her Alpha

Thirty years. Three decades of my life given to this pack, to this man, to this role that slowly hollowed me out until I became a ghost in my own home.

I stood before the full-length mirror in our bedroom—my bedroom, really, since Reed hadn't slept here in years—and smoothed down the white dress I hadn't worn in almost a decade. The fabric was still pristine, preserved carefully in tissue paper at the back of my closet. I'd found it this morning while searching for something suitable for our anniversary dinner.

"You can do this," I whispered to my reflection. "Thirty years deserves to be marked."

My fingers trembled slightly as I fastened the pearl earrings Reed had given me on our fifth anniversary—the last gift I'd received that wasn't somehow related to my Luna duties. The dress hugged my curves, no longer hanging loosely as it once had. Over the years, stress and heartache had replaced the vibrant young woman who'd once been a rising star in the classical music world.

"Cali?" Reed's voice came from the doorway, startling me.

I turned, a small smile forming on my lips. "Do you remember this dress?"

He glanced at me, his eyes barely registering my appearance before returning to the tablet in his hands. "Hmm? Oh. It's nice."

Just three words. Not even a full glance up from his pack reports.

"I thought I'd wear it tonight," I continued, fighting to keep my voice steady. "For our anniversary."

"Right." He scrolled through something on his screen. "Look, I need to head out early. Pack business. Don't wait up for dinner."

And just like that, he was gone, leaving me standing alone in my white dress, feeling foolish for having hoped for even a moment of recognition.

---

The grand hall of the pack house glittered with decorations I hadn't seen before—crystal vases filled with white roses, silver ribbons cascading from the ceiling, and a string quartet playing softly in the corner. My heart lifted as I stepped inside. Perhaps Reed had planned something special after all.

"Luna Cali!" A young omega greeted me with a bow. "You look lovely tonight."

"Thank you," I replied, smoothing my dress. "Is Alpha Reed expecting me?"

"Everyone's waiting in the main dining hall," she said, gesturing toward the double doors ahead.

I moved through the crowd, nodding politely to pack members who offered cursory acknowledgments. Something felt off—the way conversations hushed as I passed, how eyes followed me with a mixture of pity and discomfort.

I paused near a group of she-wolves chatting animatedly by a champagne fountain.

"Did you see Selena's dress?" one whispered. "Custom-made from Paris. Reed spared no expense."

"Of course not," another replied. "After thirty years of waiting, he finally gets to officially claim his chosen mate."

My blood turned to ice in my veins.

"Excuse me," I interrupted, my voice barely audible over the music. "What did you say?"

They turned, startled, then quickly composed their faces into masks of fake sympathy.

"Luna Cali," one began hesitantly. "We thought you knew. Tonight is Reed and Selena's chosen mate ceremony. After all these years, they're finally making it official."

The room spun around me as I stood frozen in my white dress—a dress I'd worn hoping to celebrate my own marriage.

---

The evening descended into a blur of humiliation. I stood alone at the edge of the celebration, watching as Reed and Selena accepted congratulations from our pack members. My pack members. The ones I'd cared for, healed, and guided for thirty years.

"Cali." Selena's voice cut through my thoughts as she approached, her crimson dress a stark contrast to my white one. "You look... quaint."

Before I could respond, she gasped dramatically, stumbling forward. Red wine splashed across the front of my dress, staining the delicate fabric.

"Oh!" she cried, tears welling in her eyes. "You bumped me! Reed! Reed!"

My mate appeared instantly at her side, his face darkening as he took in the scene.

"What happened?" he demanded.

"It was an accident," I began, but Selena's theatrical sobs drowned me out.

"She did it on purpose," Selena whimpered. "She's jealous of our special night."

Reed's eyes flashed with Alpha power as he turned to me. "Kneel," he commanded, his Alpha tone vibrating through my bones.

My knees buckled against my will, hitting the hard floor as pack members gathered around us.

"Wash her feet," he ordered, his voice cold and unyielding. "It is your duty as Luna to serve the pack's needs."

Selena extended her foot, a triumphant smile playing at the corners of her mouth as she watched me through her fake tears.

My hands trembled as I reached for the hem of my stained white dress, the weight of thirty years of service and sacrifice pressing down on me as I prepared to perform the ultimate act of humiliation before my entire pack.