Luna's Revenge on Alpha

I lay in bed, staring at the ceiling as sunlight filtered through the curtains. The hollowness inside me had transformed into something darker, colder. Sophia prowled restlessly within my consciousness, her grief having crystallized into rage that matched my own.

A soft knock at the door announced Marcus's arrival. My father's Beta slipped inside, his expression grim but determined. He moved with the silent grace of a warrior, crossing to my bedside and kneeling.

"I have what you asked for," he whispered, reaching into his jacket to produce a worn leather ledger.

My fingers trembled slightly as I took it, the weight of it somehow significant. "What did you find?"

"Six months of diverted resources," Marcus said, his voice barely audible. "Healing herbs, lunar crystals, ritual components—all labeled for 'Victoria family.'"

I flipped through the pages, each entry a fresh wound. Nathan's signature authorized every transaction, each one dated before Emma's illness. He had been preparing, stockpiling resources for Victoria's pup while our daughter still lived.

"He knew," I whispered, the realization washing over me like ice water. "He knew Emma would need the ritual, and he chose..."

"There's more," Marcus said, his jaw tight with anger. "The ledger shows he's been supporting her financially since before your daughter fell ill. Pack funds, Isabella. Your father was right about him."

I closed the ledger, pressing it against my chest as if to absorb its damning evidence directly into my heart. "Thank you, Marcus."

He squeezed my hand briefly. "What will you do now?"

"Gather more proof," I said, my voice steadier than I expected. "And then destroy him."

After Marcus left, I forced myself to rise, to dress, to appear as the grieving but recovering Luna. I moved through the pack house like a ghost, wolves averting their eyes as I passed. How many of them knew? How many had watched their Alpha betray his mate and let his daughter die?

In the eastern corridor, I spotted him—Delta James, a guard recently reassigned by Nathan. He stiffened when he saw me approaching, his eyes darting for an escape route.

"Delta," I said softly, infusing my voice with the Luna tone I rarely used. "A moment of your time."

He bowed his head, unable to refuse. "Luna Isabella."

I led him to a quiet alcove, ensuring we wouldn't be overheard. "You were assigned to the ritual chamber the night Healer Elara arrived for Emma."

It wasn't a question, but he nodded anyway, sweat beading on his forehead.

"Tell me where you took the ceremonial supplies," I commanded, allowing my Luna authority to press upon him.

He swallowed hard. "Alpha ordered me to bring them to Victoria Sterling's quarters instead of yours, Luna. I... I didn't question him. He said it was pack business."

"Pack business," I echoed, the words bitter on my tongue. "And did this 'pack business' include my daughter's death?"

His face paled. "Luna, I didn't know—"

"You may go," I cut him off, unable to bear his excuses. Another piece of the puzzle, another nail in Nathan's coffin.

That evening, I sent word to Nathan that I wished to see him in my private quarters. It was time to test him, to see how deeply his lies ran.

He arrived looking wary, his posture tense. "You wanted to see me?"

"I've been thinking about Emma," I said, watching his face carefully. "About the night the healer came."

He stiffened almost imperceptibly. "Isabella, we agreed not to revisit that pain."

"Did we?" I moved closer, forcing him to look at me. "I was organizing some of her things today and found the ritual supplies we had gathered. Strange that they were never used."

His eyes darted away from mine. "The healer arrived too late."

"Did she?" I pressed, my voice deceptively soft. "Or did you redirect her elsewhere?"

For a heartbeat, panic flashed across his features before he masked it with concern. "You're still grieving, Isabella. The miscarriage has affected your mind."

In that moment, with his lie hanging between us, I knew with absolute certainty that everything Marcus and the guard had told me was true. My mate had sacrificed our daughter for Victoria's pup.

I smiled, a cold, empty thing that didn't reach my eyes. "Perhaps you're right, Alpha. I should rest."

Relief washed over his face as he backed toward the door. "I'll check on you tomorrow."

Another lie. We both knew it.

As the door closed behind him, I turned to the window, watching the moon rise over the territory I had helped build. Sophia's voice rumbled within me, dark with promise.

*He will pay for what he's done to us. To Emma. To our pup.*

"Yes," I whispered, the last of my love for Nathan Cross turning to ash in my heart. "He will pay with everything he has."