Luna's New Royal Bond

The auction hall buzzed with excitement as the next item was presented—a rare moonstone bracelet that caught the light with every twist of the auctioneer's hand. I watched Griffin's face contort with desperation as he bid far beyond what he could afford, especially now that I'd frozen all his assets.

"One hundred and fifty thousand," he shouted, his voice cracking with strain.

The gavel fell. "Sold, to Beta Griffin Barnes of Silver Creek Pack."

I rose slowly from my seat, all eyes turning to me as I moved toward the center of the auction floor. The crowd parted instinctively—my Alpha bloodline commanded respect even here, among the region's elite.

"Congratulations on your purchase, Griffin," I said, my voice carrying effortlessly across the hushed room. "It's lovely to see you spending so... freely these days."

Griffin's smile faltered. "Maci, I didn't expect to see you here."

"Clearly." I turned slightly, addressing the gathered wolves. "I wonder if everyone knows that Beta Barnes recently acquired his new mate by rejecting his Moon Goddess-given one?"

Murmurs rippled through the crowd. Emmy's face flushed crimson as she clutched the moonstone bracelet to her chest.

"Such a shame," I continued, my voice dripping with false sympathy. "The Morrison-Luna crown had protected my family for generations before Griffin melted it down for..." I paused, looking directly at Emmy's pet wolf, "...decorative purposes."

The murmurs grew louder. Elder wolves exchanged glances—desecrating sacred artifacts was taboo even among the most progressive packs.

"Maci," Griffin hissed, stepping closer. "This isn't the place—"

I unleashed my Alpha aura in full force.

The effect was immediate. Griffin dropped to one knee, his body responding instinctively to the dominance of an Alpha bloodline. Beside him, Emmy collapsed entirely, her wolf submitting to an authority she couldn't resist.

"I believe it's exactly the place," I said calmly, looking down at them both. "After all, you've made quite a spectacle of our mate bond already."

I let the aura press down for another moment before releasing them. Griffin struggled to his feet, embarrassment and rage warring on his face.

"Our mate bond remains unsevered," I announced to the stunned audience. "Despite Griffin's amateur theatrics with his... pet project."

The humiliation was complete. I walked away amid whispers and stares, feeling a strange lightness in my chest.

---

Three days later, Griffin burst into my father's study where I was reviewing pack documents.

"We need to complete the rejection ritual," he demanded, his eyes wild with desperation. "Now."

I looked up slowly. "Do we?"

"Maci, please." His voice cracked. "I can't—I need to formalize my bond with Emmy. The Summit preparations are falling apart without her connections."

"And whose fault is that?" I asked mildly.

He ran his hands through his hair. "I'll say the words. I'll reject you properly. Just... help me end this."

I stood, circling him slowly. "You want to reject me? After everything?"

"Yes," he insisted. "I, Griffin Barnes, Beta of Silver Creek Pack, reject you—"

"No," I interrupted.

He blinked. "What?"

"I said no." I smiled coldly. "I don't accept your rejection."

His face paled. "But the ritual—"

"The ritual requires both parties to complete the bond severance," I said. "And I choose not to participate."

"You can't do that," he whispered.

"I can." I returned to my seat. "And I am."

Griffin sank into a chair, realization dawning on his face. "You're trapping me."

"I'm protecting myself," I corrected him. "You wanted to play games with sacred bonds. Now you can live with the consequences."

---

The Wolf's Den bar was packed with wolves from multiple packs, all gathering for the pre-Summit social. I sat in a corner booth, watching as Emmy paraded around in a tight red dress, laughing too loudly at everything Alpha Marcus Hayes said.

"Looks like she's moving on," my cousin Lily observed beside me.

"Without moving on," I agreed, sipping my drink.

Emmy's voice carried across the room as she deliberately loud enough for Griffin to hear.

"—told him the Luna crown was a stupid tradition anyway," she was saying to a group of admiring males. "Can you imagine actually believing in that mate bond nonsense?"

The wolves around her laughed nervously—mocking sacred traditions was bold even for a she-wolf with ambitions.

"Poor Griffin," Emmy continued. "He thought being a diplomat would be glamorous, but all he does is lose things. First his treaties, then his funding..."

I caught her eye across the room and raised my glass slightly. She faltered mid-sentence.

"Don't worry," I mouthed to her. "There's more to come."

As if on cue, the bartender announced a special delivery—a case of rare Northern whiskey addressed to Alpha Hayes. The label clearly showed it had been redirected from Silver Creek's diplomatic stores.

"Another Morrison intercept," Lily chuckled.

I smiled as Griffin's face darkened from across the room. His resources were dwindling daily, his reputation crumbling with each new humiliation.

And somewhere in the crowd, I felt eyes watching me—those same silver-blue eyes from the auction. Whoever he was, he seemed to approve of my methods.

For the first time since Griffin's betrayal, I felt something other than rage or pain.

I felt powerful.