Lycan's Love for Scorned Luna

The whispers followed me everywhere now.

I caught them as I walked through the corridors of the pack house—hushed conversations that died the moment I appeared, pitying glances quickly averted when I turned my head. The pack members who once greeted me with warm smiles and respectful nods now lowered their eyes, their bodies instinctively submissive as if approaching an unpredictable, dangerous animal.

"Did you hear what happened?"

"They say she threatened Madison..."

"The Alpha had to restrain her..."

My wolf growled in frustration. *They believe her lies. All of them.*

"Not all," I whispered back, though I wasn't sure I believed it myself. Two weeks of Madison's performance had been devastatingly effective. The Luna they once respected was now the unstable, jealous mate who couldn't accept her Alpha's "special bond" with his stepsister.

I straightened my shoulders as I approached the dining hall. Tonight was the formal pack dinner—a monthly tradition where pack affairs were discussed over an elaborate meal. As Luna, I was still expected to attend, though I knew my place at Alexander's side would no longer be secure.

Taking a deep breath, I pushed open the heavy oak doors. The large room fell silent as I entered, dozens of eyes tracking my movement. I kept my chin high, refusing to show how deeply their scrutiny wounded me.

Alexander sat at the head of the table, looking every inch the powerful Alpha in his tailored suit. Madison was seated at his right—my rightful place as Luna. She wore a flowing emerald dress that accentuated her slender figure, her hand resting possessively on Alexander's arm as she leaned close to whisper something in his ear.

The only empty chair was three seats down, a deliberate humiliation. I walked toward it with measured steps, ignoring the whispers that followed.

"Luna Victoria," Elder Thomas acknowledged me with a curt nod, his eyes cold with judgment. "We were beginning to wonder if you would join us."

"I wouldn't miss it," I replied, my voice steady despite the rage and hurt churning inside me. "It is my duty to the pack."

Dinner proceeded with excruciating slowness. I picked at my food, unable to stomach more than a few bites as I endured the pointed exclusion from conversations. Alexander barely glanced in my direction, focusing his attention on Madison and the pack business being discussed around him.

As dessert was being served, Madison suddenly set down her glass with a delicate clink that somehow commanded the room's attention.

"Alexander and I have an announcement," she said, her voice breathless with excitement.

My stomach dropped. My wolf went completely still within me, sensing the blow that was coming.

"We wanted the pack to be the first to know," Madison continued, her eyes deliberately finding mine across the table. "I'm pregnant. We're going to have a pup."

The room erupted in congratulations and exclamations of joy. Glasses were raised in toasts. Pack members rushed to offer their blessings to the Alpha and the mother of his future heir.

I sat frozen, unable to move, unable to breathe. The mate bond in my chest, already damaged beyond repair, seemed to tear further, bleeding pain through every fiber of my being.

*NO!* My wolf suddenly roared to life, clawing to get out, to challenge this ultimate betrayal. *OURS! HE IS OURS!*

I felt my control slipping as rage and grief overwhelmed me. My nails lengthened into claws, digging into the wooden table. A low growl escaped my throat as my wolf fought to surface.

Before I could move, Alexander's eyes locked with mine from across the table. They glowed with Alpha power, and his voice cut through the celebratory noise like a blade.

"STAY WHERE YOU ARE."

The Alpha command hit me like a physical force, slamming me back into my chair. The weight of his power crushed down on me, making it impossible to move, to speak, even to breathe properly. In front of the entire pack, he had used his ultimate authority to restrain me like a rogue wolf.

Madison's smile was triumphant as she placed a protective hand over her still-flat stomach. "You see?" she said softly, her words meant for the table but her eyes fixed on me. "This is why we've been concerned. This instability... it's not safe for the baby."

I sat paralyzed by Alexander's command, tears of humiliation burning in my eyes as the pack witnessed my final degradation. In that moment, as I saw the mixture of fear and pity in their faces, I knew Madison had won.

But as Alexander's command slowly eased and I regained control of my body, I made a silent vow. This would be the last time they humiliated me. The last time they broke me.

Next time they saw me, I would be gone.