Once His Luna, Now His Worst Nightmare

Seven years of loyalty. Seven years of believing that Kieran Blackwood—Alpha of the Shadowfang Pack—would one day claim me as his Luna.

And on the night of my twenty-eighth birthday, he finally sent me a gift.

Omega Zack arrived at my cabin with a small box wrapped in dark silk. Inside was rich, dark chocolate cake, drizzled with blood-red raspberries and dusted with gold flakes. My heart, long starved for affection, foolishly swelled with hope.

I didn't post about it. I didn't tell anyone. Instead, I carried the cake to the Packhouse, my steps light with cautious hope. If Kieran was finally acknowledging me, I wanted to thank him in person.

But when I reached Alpha's private chambers, I found the door slightly open. Laughter spilled from inside.

I hesitated but then stepped inside.

The grand oak table in Kieran's chamber was covered with half-eaten food, overturned goblets of wine. The air smelled of roasted meat, expensive liquoar....and something else. Something intimate.

Selene Graves, Beta's daughter, lounged on the couch, wearing nothing but Kieran's shirt. My stomach twisted. I refused to believe it.

And at the center of it all sat Kieran, sprawed in his chair, golden eyes glowing in the firelight, watching Selene as she lifted a forkful of cake to her lips.

The exact same one I still held in my hands.

I looked down at the gift he had sent me, the delicate golden flakes shimmering under the candelight. A cruel joke....probably a mistake.

Kieran's golden eyes flickered toward mine, but instead of guilt, there was only irritation. "Soleil, what the hell are you doing here?"

I could barely form words. "You—" My voice faltered. "You sent me that cake."

Selene laughed softly, licking the chocolate from her fingers. "Correction. He bought two for me. I just didn't like it that much. So, Omega Zack gave one to you instead of throwing it away. But you're trash anyway, so it doesn't make a difference."

A slow, mocking smile spread across Kieran's lips."And you really thought it was meant for you?"

The air around me grew suffocating. My wolf, silent for years, whimpered inside me. But I refused to break.

I forced my expression into something neutral as I stepped forward, setting the untouched cake on the table beside its half-eaten twin. "No, thanks. You can have it all." I said calmly, trying not to embarrass myself more in front of them.

I turned on my heel and walked away.

---

My fingers curled into fist, my nails digging into my palms. The moment I stepped out of the cabin, I slammed the door behind me, the sound echoing in the small space. I barely had time to steady my breath before the door burst open behind me.

Kieran.

"What the fuck was that Soleil? What kind of attitude is that?" His voice was low, dangerous.

I turned to face him slowly, forcing my expression into something calm, unreadable. "What was what, Alpha?"

His jaw tickled at the way I said his title, distant, like he was nothing. "That little display back there. You came storming in like some scorned..."

"I was," I cut him off, voice sharp. "And on my birthday, no less."

Something flickered in his expression—annoyance. "You are being childish, Soleil. I'll send you as many cakes as you want next year. Just stop."

I stepped closer, my heart pounding. "Stop what?" I demanded. "Expect more from the man who was supposed to be my mate?"

His eyes darkened, his wolf flickering beneath the surface. "I never promised you anything, Sol."

"Kieran, baby, come here." I heard Selene's flirtatious voice. "Let's enjoy our anniversary. Don't mind that pathetic Luna wanna be."

"Go home. Remember this, I married you for the sake of the pack—nothing else. Leave." He said as he went back inside the packhouse.

I grabbed his arm to stop him. "Not even once did you love me?"

He removed my hands from his arm as if my touch disgusted him. "I never loved you. Not once, and not even until the day I die. To me, you're just a woman who happened to become a Luna—not chosen by the Moon, but forced upon me." And he left.

You're just a woman who happened to become a Luna. It killed me.