What if I didn’t let him go?  

What if I fought?  

My fingers brushed the mark on my neck, Darius’s mark. Still there. Still binding me, even if he refused to acknowledge it. And for the first time in six months, I smiled.  

I couldn’t face Selene. Not yet. I could still see the way Darius’s eyes softened when he looked at her, the way they never softened for me. So instead of going back to the dining room, I drifted to the only place in this massive pack house that ever felt remotely mine: the library.  

It sat tucked away in the west wing, three floors of dust, quiet, and the smell of leather and old paper. Most wolves preferred the training grounds, the communal halls, or the woods. But I’d spent countless hours here, hiding between shelves, pretending I wasn’t slowly falling apart.  

I sank into my usual chair by the window overlooking the forest and finally let the tears come.  

What the hell had I just done?  

Three months. I’d demanded three months to play at being his wife when he’d already made it clear he didn’t want me. What was I hoping for? That he’d wake up one morning and see me differently? That he’d remember what it meant to love me?  

Pathetic. I pressed my palms to my eyes, swallowing a sob. Pathetic, Vera. Again.  

“You know,” a voice rasped from the doorway, “for someone who just backed an Alpha into a corner, you don’t look very triumphant.”  

I jolted. An elderly woman stood there, leaning on a gnarled walking stick. Elder Moira. I’d only seen her a handful of times, she rarely left her cottage at the edge of the territory.  

“I… I didn’t mean to intrude,” I stammered, wiping my face.  

“Oh, hush.” She waved her hand. “This is pack territory, child. You’re Luna. You don’t apologize for existing in your own home.”  

Luna. The word landed heavy and ironic.  

Moira settled across from me with a grunt, her sharp blue eyes assessing me. “I heard what happened. The whole pack’s buzzing about it. News travels fast when it involves the Alpha.”  

“Wonderful,” I muttered. “I’m sure they’re all laughing about the pathetic Luna who threw a tantrum.”  

“Laughing?” Moira cackled. “Half the females are ready to throw you a parade. Do you know how long we’ve waited for you to grow a spine?”  

I blinked. “What?”  

“For six months you’ve been walking around like a ghost,” she said. “Letting that fool Alpha ignore you while he sniffs after your sister like a lovesick pup. Today was the first time you acted like a Luna instead of a shadow.”  

Her words stung because they were true.  

“I wasn’t trying to make a scene,” I whispered.  

“Maybe not. But you finally reminded him you exist.” Moira’s tone softened. “What Darius has done is cruel, child. But you’ve let him. You’ve hidden here, made yourself small, hoping he’d notice your silence. That’s not how you tame a wolf.”  

My throat ached. “Then what was I supposed to do?”  

“What you did today, fight.” She leaned forward and took my hand. “That boy needs someone who challenges him. His father made him an Alpha but forgot to make him a man.”  

“He doesn’t want me to challenge him,” I said bitterly. “He wants Selene.”  

“Does he?” Moira’s eyes gleamed. “Or does he want the one thing he can’t have? Alphas crave resistance. Your sister pushes him. You’ve been too accommodating. Which of you do you think intrigues him more?”  

I looked away. “Even if you’re right… he still loves her.”  

“Love,” Moira scoffed. “He confuses love with obsession. He doesn’t know what it means to choose someone through silence and storms.” Her grip tightened. “You have three months. Use them to find your power, not his affection.”  

“I don’t even know where to start.”  

Moira’s lips curved into a predatory smile. “That’s why the Moon sent me. Come, if you’re going to be a Luna, you’ll need training.”  

“Training?” I echoed.  

“Did you think being Luna meant smiling prettily beside your Alpha?” Her eyes glittered. “Oh, sweet child… you’ve no idea what power lies in your position.”  

By the time I left the library two hours later, my head was spinning.  

Moira had unraveled everything I’d ignored for months, pack politics, alliances, territory management, the Luna’s influence. “The females look to you for guidance,” she’d said. “The pack needs your strength when the Alpha’s judgment falters. You’ve been chasing one man and forgetting the two hundred wolves who depend on you.”  

She was right. I’d been drowning in heartbreak while my pack drifted without a Luna.  

That ended now.  

When I reached the training grounds, the late sun was already bleeding into the horizon. Female warriors sparred in human form, graceful, brutal, alive. I recognized Kara, the head female warrior; Maya, the young wolf who always smiled when she saw me; and at the edge, arms crossed, watching me like a ghost from another life, Selene.  

She straightened as I approached. “Vera…”  

“I’m here to train,” I said, loud enough for every wolf to hear. “Elder Moira says all Lunas should. I’ve been negligent in my duties.”  

Silence swept the field. A few warriors exchanged glances. Selene’s lips parted, something unreadable flickering in her gaze.  

Then a slow clap echoed from behind.  

I turned. Darius stood at the edge of the clearing, his expression unreadable, his eyes darker than the dusk around us.  

“Then let’s see,” he said softly, his voice carrying across the field, “if the Luna can still fight.”  

Vera

Kara, a tall woman with a scar across her jaw and muscles that could probably snap me in half, raised an eyebrow. "You want to train? No offense, Luna, but you're human. You'll get hurt."

"Then I'll heal and train again." I met her gaze steadily, channeling every ounce of the false confidence I'd felt in Darius's office. "Unless you're saying that Luna isn't strong enough to train with her own pack?"

It was a challenge, and everyone knew it. Around us, the other females had stopped their exercises to watch.

Kara's lips curved into a slow smile. "Alright, Luna. Let's see what you've got." She gestured to the sparring circle. "Basic self-defense. Show me how you'd handle an attack from behind."

My heart was pounding as I stepped into the circle. I had no idea what I was doing. I'd never thrown a punch in my life, never learned to fight. But I was tired of being helpless. Tired of being the weak link.

Kara moved behind me, and I felt her presence like a weight. "Someone grabs you from behind. What do you do?"

Before I could answer, her arm wrapped around my throat in a chokehold.

Panic flooded through me. I clawed at her arm uselessly, my vision already starting to blur.

"Wrong," Kara said calmly, releasing me. I stumbled forward, gasping. "You freeze up. You panic. That'll get you killed." She moved back into position. "Again. This time, think. Where are your attacker's weak points?"

We went again. And again. And again.

By the tenth time, I was covered in bruises and my throat was raw. But I'd managed to stomp on Kara's instep hard enough to make her grunt, and when she'd loosened her hold for just a second, I'd driven my elbow back into her ribs.

It wasn't much. But it was something.

"Better," Kara said, and there was approval in her voice. "You're learning. Maya, you're up next. Show the Luna the proper stance for blocking."

For the next hour, I trained. I was terrible at it. Slow and clumsy and weak compared to the female wolves who moved like lethal dancers. But I didn't quit. Even when my muscles screamed. Even when I could feel Selene's eyes boring into my back.

Even when I looked up and saw Darius standing at the edge of the training grounds, watching me with an expression I couldn't read.

Our eyes met across the distance. I didn't look away. Didn't stop. I let Maya correct my stance, listened to Kara's instructions, and threw another punch at the training dummy.

I might not be a wolf. Might not have supernatural strength or speed or any of the advantages the others had.

But I could be strong in other ways.

And for the first time since I'd arrived at Shadowcrest, I felt like maybe, just maybe, I deserved to be here.

When the training session finally ended, I was limping, covered in sweat and dirt, and pretty sure I'd pulled something in my shoulder. But I felt more alive than I had in months.

Kara clapped me on the back hard enough to nearly knock me over. "Not bad, Luna. You've got guts, I'll give you that. Same time tomorrow?"

"Same time tomorrow," I agreed.

As the other females dispersed, I finally let myself look at where Darius had been standing.

He was gone.

But Selene remained, watching me with an expression that was equal parts guilt and something else. Jealousy, maybe?

Good.

I walked past her without a word, my head held high despite the pain radiating through every muscle.

Three months. I had three months to prove that I belonged here. Three months to become the Luna this pack deserved.

And if, at the end of it all, Darius still chose Selene?

Well, at least I'd know I'd fought for it.

At least I'd know I'd finally fought for myself.

I woke up the next morning feeling like I'd been hit by a truck.

Every muscle in my body screamed in protest as I tried to sit up. My shoulders were stiff, my legs were sore, and there was a particularly nasty bruise blooming across my ribs where I'd taken an elbow during training.

But beneath the pain, I felt... alive.

For the first time in six months, I'd done something for myself. Something that had nothing to do with trying to win Darius's approval or competing with Selene. I'd trained because I wanted to be stronger. Because I was tired of being weak.

I dragged myself out of bed and into the bathroom, wincing with every step. The hot shower helped, but not much. By the time I was dressed, practical training clothes instead of the soft dresses I usually wore, I could barely lift my arms.

This was going to be a long three months.

I made my way downstairs, dreading another encounter with Selene. But the dining room was empty except for a few pack members grabbing breakfast before heading out for patrol. They nodded at me respectfully, which was new. Apparently word had spread about yesterday's training session.

I was pouring coffee when I heard his voice behind me.

"You're limping."

I turned slowly. Darius stood in the doorway, dressed for a run in athletic pants and a fitted shirt that showed off every carved muscle. His hair was damp, like he'd just showered, and his gray eyes were fixed on me with an intensity that made my breath catch.

"Good morning to you too," I said, proud that my voice didn't shake.

"You overdid it yesterday." It wasn't a question. He moved closer, and I caught his scent-pine and rain and something wild that made my wolf mark tingle. "Kara said you trained for over an hour. You're human, Vera. You can't keep up with wolves."

"Watch me." I took a sip of coffee, meeting his gaze over the rim of my cup. "I'll be at training again this afternoon."

His jaw tightened. "You're going to hurt yourself."

"That's my problem, not yours." The words came out sharper than I intended. "Or have you forgotten? You want a divorce. What I do with my body is no longer your concern."

Vera

Something flashed in his eyes. Anger? Frustration? I couldn't tell.

"For the next three months, you're still my wife," he said, his voice dropping to that Alpha tone that usually made wolves drop their heads in submission. "That makes your safety my concern."

"Then maybe you should have thought about my safety these past six months." I set down my coffee cup with enough force to make it clink against the saucer. "Maybe you should have thought about it before you marked me and then left me to figure out pack life on my own. Before you paraded your affair with my sister in front of the entire pack. Before you made me feel like I was invisible in my own home."

The words hung between us, sharp and cutting.

Darius's expression was unreadable. "Vera..."

"Save it." I picked up my coffee and moved to walk past him. "I have things to do. Luna things. Since you finally decided to let me act like one."

He caught my arm as I passed, his grip gentle but firm. The touch sent electricity through me, the incomplete bond flaring to life. I saw him feel it too, the way his eyes darkened, the slight intake of breath.

"Let go of me," I said quietly.

"Not until you listen." His thumb brushed against my inner wrist, right over my pulse. Could he feel how fast my heart was racing? "I know I haven't been... fair to you. I know these six months have been difficult."

"Difficult?" I laughed, the sound bitter. "Darius, you broke me. Every single day, you broke me a little more. And the worst part? I let you. I made excuses for you. Told myself you were just stressed, just adjusting, just..." My voice cracked. "But you weren't any of those things. You were just cruel."

He flinched like I'd struck him. "I never meant..."

"Yes, you did." I pulled my arm free. "You meant every cold look, every dismissal, every moment you chose her over me. So don't stand here now and pretend you didn't know what you were doing. You knew exactly what you were doing. You just didn't care."

I walked away before he could respond, my hands shaking so badly I had to set down the coffee cup before I spilled it.

Behind me, I heard him say something under his breath. It sounded like my name. But I didn't turn around.

I couldn't.

I spent the morning in the pack's administrative office, going through files that Elder Moira had told me I should have been managing all along. Financial reports. Territory boundaries. Alliance agreements with neighboring packs.

It was overwhelming. And infuriating.

Because all of this, all of this should have been explained to me months ago. Instead, Darius had shut me out of every important decision, every meeting, every aspect of actually running the pack.

I was neck-deep in a particularly confusing treaty document when someone knocked on the office door.

"Come in," I called, not looking up.

"Well, well. Look at you, all officials."

I glanced up to find Kara leaning against the doorframe, her arms crossed and a smirk on her face.

"Elder Moira gave me about a thousand things to catch up on," I said, gesturing at the mountain of papers. "Apparently I've been neglecting my duties."

"You've been neglecting them because a certain Alpha has been keeping you in the dark." Kara walked in and sat on the edge of the desk. "Don't beat yourself up about it. Most of us assumed he was filling you in during your private time together. It wasn't until recently that we realized he wasn't spending any time with you at all."

Heat crept up my neck. Of course the pack knew. They probably all knew about the unconsummated marriage, the separate bedrooms, everything.

How humiliating.

"I'm surprised you're all still speaking to me," I muttered. "I'm sure I'm the laughingstock of Shadowcrest."

"Are you kidding?" Kara snorted. "Vera, half the females in this pack want to be you right now."

I stared at her. "Why?"

"Because you're finally standing up for yourself. Because you walked into that training ground yesterday and demanded respect instead of waiting for someone to give it to you. Because..." Kara leaned forward, her voice dropping. "Because you're the first person in four years who's made Alpha Darius look rattled."

"Rattled?"

"Completely unhinged." Kara grinned. "He came to training this morning, he never comes to morning training, and he was distracted the entire time. Snapped at three different wolves for minor mistakes. Then he shifted and ran into the woods for two hours. When he came back, he looked like he'd been fighting ghosts."

I tried to ignore the small flutter of satisfaction in my chest. "That doesn't mean anything. He's probably just annoyed that I'm making things difficult."

"Maybe." Kara's eyes glinted with amusement. "Or maybe he's finally realizing what he's been throwing away."

Before I could respond, another knock sounded at the door. This time, it was one of the younger pack members, a boy who couldn't have been more than sixteen.

"Luna," he said, slightly breathless. "Elder Moira asked me to tell you that Alpha Kieran from Ashwood Pack has arrived for his visit. He's asking to meet with you."

My stomach dropped. Ashwood Pack. That was the pack from the neighboring territory, the one we had that complicated alliance with. And Alpha Kieran...

I'd met him once, briefly, at a pack gathering three months ago. He'd been kind. Warm. Had actually treated me like a person instead of an inconvenience.

"Why does he want to meet with me?" I asked.

The boy shrugged. "He said something about discussing the upcoming Summit. Elder Moira said you should meet him in the formal receiving room."

I looked at Kara, who was trying very hard not to laugh.

"What?" I demanded.

"Nothing. Just... this should be interesting." She stood and headed for the door. "For what it's worth, Luna? Kieran's a good Alpha. Fair. Honest. And he's been unmated for three years since his Luna died. The pack gossip is that he's finally ready to start looking again.”