Luna Rejects Her Traitor Mate

The first sign came three days after I'd treated Mazie's laundry. I was preparing breakfast in the kitchen when I heard her shriek from upstairs.

"Isaac! ISAAC!"

I set down the knife I'd been using to slice fruit, my wolf stirring with interest inside me. *Finally.*

Isaac appeared in the doorway, his hair disheveled from sleep. "What happened?"

"Mazie," I said quietly. "She's calling for you."

He brushed past me without a second glance, taking the stairs two at a time. I followed at a distance, my heart pounding with anticipation.

When I reached the Luna suite—my former suite—I found Mazie sitting on the edge of the bed, her arms outstretched to show Isaac her skin. Angry red welts covered her forearms and neck.

"Look what's happening to me," she sobbed, her voice breaking perfectly. "It started as a tingling sensation yesterday, and now..."

Isaac examined the rash, his face darkening with concern. "This is a reaction. Did you come into contact with anything new?"

"The laundry," Mazie whispered, her eyes lifting to meet mine as I stood in the doorway. "It was the only thing different."

My wolf smirked. *Let her suspect. Let her prove it.*

"I washed everything according to your instructions," I said calmly.

Isaac's gaze hardened as he looked at me. "You must have used something different. Something that irritated her skin."

"I didn't," I insisted, maintaining my composure.

Mazie whimpered, clutching her pup closer. "The baby's skin is so delicate. What if this is somehow affecting him too?"

That night, Isaac didn't return to our room. Instead, he set up a cot outside Mazie's door, declaring he would personally guard them against whatever threat lurked in our pack.

---

The weekly pack gathering fell on a crisp autumn evening. Members filled the great hall, their voices creating a low hum of conversation as they awaited Isaac's address.

I sat in my designated Luna chair, feeling the weight of stares. Eleanor had positioned herself prominently at the front of the hall, her silver hair gleaming in the firelight.

Isaac stood before the assembly, his voice strong as he discussed border patrols and hunting rotations. I watched him, searching for any sign that he still considered me his mate.

"And now," he concluded, "my mother has some announcements regarding pack welfare."

Eleanor stepped forward, her smile sharp as a blade. "Thank you, my son."

She moved to the center of the hall, her eyes sweeping over the gathered wolves before landing on me.

"As we consider the future of our pack," she began, her voice carrying to every corner of the room, "we must reflect on the Moon Goddess's gifts—and sometimes, her warnings."

My wolf tensed. *Here it comes.*

"Some wolves," Eleanor continued, "are blessed with the ability to continue strong bloodlines. Others..." She paused, her gaze fixed on my abdomen. "Perhaps the Moon Goddess is showing us that some wolves are not meant to bear the next generation of leaders."

The silence that followed was deafening. I felt heat rise to my cheeks as dozens of eyes turned toward me.

"Charlotte has been Luna for three years now," Eleanor said, her voice dripping with false concern. "Yet her womb remains empty. Perhaps we should consider what this means for our pack's future."

My fingers curled into fists as I fought to maintain my dignity. My wolf snarled, no longer quiet but enraged.

*We are Alpha blood,* she reminded me. *We could bear stronger pups than any of them deserve.*

---

Later that night, unable to sleep in our empty bed, I wandered the silent corridors. A soft light spilled from beneath Mazie's door, along with the murmur of voices.

I moved closer, my wolf guiding me to press my ear against the wood.

"I never wanted to hurt you," Isaac was saying, his voice low and intimate. "Mating with Charlotte was a duty—to strengthen pack alliances. My heart never left you, Mazie."

I held my breath, my hand pressed against the wall to steady myself.

"Then why did you mate with her?" Mazie asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Pack politics," Isaac replied. "My father insisted on the alliance with Charlotte's family. But I never loved her the way I loved you."

"And now?"

"Now you're back," he said, his voice thick with emotion. "And I can't pretend anymore."

I heard the rustle of fabric, the soft sound of a hand touching another hand.

"I came back for you," Mazie said softly. "Despite knowing about your mate bond. Despite everything."

My wolf, who had been so quiet in the face of betrayal, suddenly roared to life inside me.

*Enough,* she growled. *ENOUGH.*

I stepped back from the door, my heart pounding not with hurt but with a rage so pure it nearly blinded me.

Three years of devotion. Three years of enduring Eleanor's barbs and Isaac's indifference. Three years of suppressing my true nature.

No more.

My wolf stretched within me, her power flowing through my veins like liquid fire.

*It's time,* she whispered. *Time to show them who we really are.*