My Alpha Betrayed Me, So I Became His Rival's Luna

The laurel sachet was in the ash bucket.

I found it at dawn, half-buried in gray soot beside the council hall hearth. In its place on Damian's side table sat a flask of black pine liquor and a wolf-fang charm strung on leather.

"Looking for your little perfume pouch?"

Sienna lounged in Damian's private chair. She wore his training coat, and the sleeves were rolled to her elbows. A dozen warriors loitered near the walls, watching.

"That sachet keeps his wolf stable," I said.

"Does it?" She tilted her head. "Or does it keep him needing you? Herbs. Moon blessings. Healing hands every night. Smart trick, Luna. Make an Alpha think he'll fall apart without you."

"The silver poison is suppressed. It isn't gone. His wolf still needs rest and regular treatment. If he stops suddenly—"

Sienna threw her head back and laughed.

"A real Alpha doesn't need his Luna to put him to sleep like a pup."

The warriors snickered.

The side door opened. Damian walked in, and the shadows under his eyes were dark as bruises. I stepped toward him and reached for his temple.

"Let me check your wolf."

He caught my hand before it touched him.

"No more sachets," he announced to the room. "Starting today, Sienna trains with me. High intensity. I'm strong enough without herbs."

"Have you forgotten the nights after the Blood Moon?" I kept my voice low. "You almost turned on your own Beta. Twice."

His mouth flattened.

"I'm your mate, Evelyn. Not your wounded wolf to manage."

Something clenched hard behind my ribs.

I remembered the cave. His body shaking, silver veins crawling under his skin. Me holding his head in my lap night after night, whispering, *Don't be afraid. I'm here.* I'd burned part of the Goddess's power inside me to pull him back. Every winter since, my fingers and toes went numb with cold.

He was already walking away.

---

At noon, a temple messenger delivered my anniversary gown.

I stared at the folded silver silk. Tonight. We were supposed to renew our vows at the Moon Altar tonight.

I'd already made the amulet. Moon-silver wrapped around a blue moonstone. I meant to use it during the ceremony to strengthen the barrier around his wolf.

"The Alpha canceled the ritual," the messenger said, eyes on the floor. "He's attending the winter warrior trials. With Head Warrior Vale."

I took the amulet and went.

---

The training yard was loud with cheering.

Sienna stood pressed against Damian in fitted black armor. She lifted a cloth and dabbed the sweat from his brow, slow, like she had all day.

"Remember that cave on the border?" she called to the crowd. "One fire, one blanket, snow all night. He snores, by the way."

The warriors howled.

"Damian." I stopped at the edge of the yard. "Come back to the temple with me. It's our anniversary."

He didn't move. "My warriors are waiting. Stop putting your feelings above pack business."

"Of course." Sienna grinned. "Luna's only weapon is a ritual. Tie the Alpha up with Goddess vows so he can't wander." She jerked her chin at the platform. "Want to earn his attention? Fight me."

"No."

"Scared?"

"Bored."

Her eyes narrowed. Then her hand shot out and snatched the amulet from my belt.

"Pretty." She dangled it by the chain. "Too delicate for a real warrior, though."

"Give it back. Now."

She weighed it in her palm. "What's so special?"

"Damian pulled that stone from the bottom of Moon Lake eight years ago." My voice came out thin. "Our vow is carved on the back."

She flipped it over and read aloud, mocking.

"*In every lifetime, my wolf chooses yours.*"

Then she tossed it high into the air.

"Oops."

She didn't even try to catch it.

The amulet struck the obsidian ground with a sharp crack. The blue moonstone split apart. Tiny threads of silver light spilled out and faded into nothing.

The mate mark over my heart seared. I folded forward, gasping.

That stone had glowed the night our souls first resonated. It had been the proof.

I dropped to my knees on the frozen black stone and began gathering the pieces. The edges sliced my palms. Blood ran over the carved words.

"Relax." Sienna examined her nails. "I'll buy you a bigger one. Crying over an old rock, Luna? Really?"

Damian's face had gone white. Gold flared in his eyes. His wolf was right there, angry.

"Sienna—"

"I took a silver arrow for you." She said it softly. Just to him. "I almost died. And you'll shout at me over a stone?"

The gold dimmed. His shoulders came down.

He looked at me.

"It's just a stone. Stop turning everything into a tragedy."

I raised my head slowly.

"Was our bond just another thing you could replace?"

He glanced away. "You're too emotional right now. Go back to the chamber and calm down."

Sienna looped her arm through his. "Come on. One more round."

And he went.

I stayed on my knees with the bloody shards in my fist and waited for the tears.

None came.

---

High Priestess Maren nearly dropped her candle.

"Sever a fated bond? Child, do you understand what you're asking? The pain will tear through your soul. You could lose part of your wolf forever."

I set the broken moonstone on her altar.

"Staying is killing me more slowly."

---

I slid the moon-silver ring off my finger. Damian had put it on me himself, kneeling, his hands shaking.

I left it on his desk in the Alpha's chamber, on top of the petition. Then I saddled my mare and rode north toward the Northern Moon Temple.

---

Damian read the petition twice. Then he crushed it in his fist.

"She's bluffing," he snapped at Rowan, his Beta. "Using the bond to threaten me."

"Alpha, the Luna took her horse. She's gone north—"

"She'll come back. A Luna can't just walk away from her Alpha."

The words had barely left his mouth when Sienna's crystal blazed on his belt.

"Damian!" Her voice cracked, sobbing. "Rogues—on the border patrol—there are too many, please—"

He grabbed his cloak and was out the door before Rowan could speak.

The ring stayed on the desk.

---

The storm hit me halfway through the northern gorge.

Snow lashed sideways. My mare stamped and screamed. Ahead, through the white, red eyes opened one pair at a time.

Five rogues. Six.

Behind me, rock thundered down the mountainside and sealed the path.

I raised my bleeding hand and called on the Goddess.

The light flickered. Weak. Fading.

My power was draining away like water through cracked stone.

I fumbled for my message crystal with numb fingers.

"Damian. Northern gorge. Rogues. Please."

The crystal pulsed once.

Then it went dark.

No answer came.

The lead rogue lowered its head and began to stalk toward me.