Luna's Revenge on Alpha

The pale light of dawn crept through the forest as I led the Silver Ridge pack on our morning run. My paws hit the ground with practiced rhythm, the familiar territory blurring around me as I pushed forward. Today wasn't just any day—it was Emma's day. The anniversary of when I lost her. My beautiful daughter. My heart.

My wolf, Sophia, whined softly inside me. *Isabella, don't push yourself too hard. Think of the pup.*

I slowed slightly, acknowledging her concern. My swollen belly had grown more pronounced in recent weeks, our second child nestled safely within. This pup was my hope, my salvation after losing Emma. A chance to fill the hollow space she'd left behind.

"Luna, should we turn back?" Beta Michael called from behind me, his concerned voice carrying through the crisp morning air.

I shook my large wolf head, pushing forward. I needed this—needed to feel the wind in my fur, to outrun the memories, if only for a little while.

That's when I caught it—an unfamiliar scent cutting through the forest. Musky. Wild. *Rogue.*

*Isabella!* Sophia's warning came too late.

They burst from the underbrush like shadows—five, maybe six rogues, their matted fur and wild eyes speaking of desperation and hunger. Their coordinated attack suggested this was no random encounter.

"Protect the Luna!" Michael shouted, his wolf lunging forward as our pack warriors formed a defensive circle around me.

But these rogues were determined. A massive gray wolf broke through our line, lunging directly for my throat. I twisted away, my teeth finding purchase in his shoulder, but his claws raked across my flank. Pain seared through me as I tumbled to the ground.

The sounds of snarling and fighting surrounded me as I struggled to my feet. Blood matted my silver-white fur. Something felt wrong—terribly wrong. A sharp, twisting pain shot through my abdomen.

*The pup!* Sophia's panicked voice echoed in my mind.

I tried to call for Nathan through our mate bond, sending waves of distress and pain. *Nathan, please. I need you. Our pup needs you.*

No response came as darkness crept into the edges of my vision.

---

I awoke to the sterile smell of the pack's medical hall, harsh fluorescent lights buzzing overhead. My body had shifted back to human form, a thin blanket covering my naked, bruised body. The pain in my abdomen had intensified, sharp and insistent.

"The pup," I whispered, my voice cracking. "Please, my pup..."

Healer Grace approached, her eyes not quite meeting mine. "I'm sorry, Luna. We're doing everything we can, but..."

A warm wetness spread between my thighs, and I knew. I was losing our child. On the anniversary of our daughter's death, I was losing another piece of my heart.

"Where is he?" I asked, gripping the healer's wrist. "Where is my mate?"

Grace's eyes darted nervously to the door. "Alpha Nathan gave orders to keep you comfortable. He said he had urgent pack business."

"Urgent pack business," I repeated hollowly. On today of all days.

I closed my eyes, reaching for our mate bond. It had weakened over the past year, but it was still there—a golden thread connecting my soul to his. I followed it, seeking comfort, seeking my Alpha.

What I found shattered me.

Through Nathan's eyes, I saw not the pack house or council room, but Victoria Sterling's elegant living room. And in his arms was not his wounded mate, but a small, healthy pup with Victoria's honey-blonde hair. The child that should have been Emma's age. The child that lived while mine died.

"She's growing so strong," Nathan's voice echoed through our bond. "Just like her mother."

Victoria's laughter, light and melodic. "She has your eyes, though. Those Cross family eyes."

I severed the connection violently, bile rising in my throat as another contraction tore through me. Alone on a narrow cot, I birthed our dead child while my mate cradled another woman's living one.

---

Hours later, bruised and hollow, I dragged myself back to the pack house. My body felt foreign, empty. Sophia had retreated deep within me, her grief too profound for words.

I moved like a ghost through the familiar halls, pack members averting their eyes as I passed. Did they know? Did they all know what their Alpha had been doing while his Luna bled alone?

As I approached our bedroom, a whisper of voices caught my attention. I paused, my hand on the doorknob of Nathan's study.

"You worry too much," Nathan's voice, low and intimate. "Isabella suspects nothing."

"But the bond—" Victoria's voice, concerned yet somehow smug.

"Is weaker every day. Ever since Emma..."

My fragmented mind-link flared to life unbidden, connecting me to Nathan's thoughts. For a brief, agonizing moment, I saw through his eyes again—Victoria's face close to his, her hand on his chest, his fingers tangled in her honey-blonde hair.

"You're mine," he whispered. "You always have been."

Sophia howled in agony within me, the sound echoing in the hollow chambers of my heart. Seven years of devotion, two children lost, and this—this was my reward.

I backed away from the door, a cold clarity washing over me. I understood now. I understood everything.