Poor Luna: My Cruel Alpha

AVA

As my mate and I stood in the room, the air between us felt tense. His eyes roamed over my wolf form, taking in every detail as I tried to stand on my ground. But when he took a step forward, my wolf instincts kicked in, and I backed away.

'What the hell?' I asked myself as I got curious about my wolf's unsettling gestures.

"Aren't you eager to meet our mate?" I asked in my mind, addressing my wolf's sudden retreat.

"Yeah! But he cheated on us! And I don't like cheaters!" My wolf, Alana, answered with a huff, her anger still simmering from the earlier encounter with Stella.

I didn't bother responding, knowing we were both hurt and vulnerable. Stella's words had cut deep, and I couldn't shake the feeling that there might be some truth. But I wasn't about to let anyone see me as weak or vulnerable, especially not my mate.

So when Stella pushed me too far, I lashed out with a ferocity that surprised even me. For once, I stood up for myself and refused to be harassed by my bullies.

But as I looked at my mate now, I couldn't help but feel a sense of regret. I didn't want him to think I was violent or unruly, and I knew my actions could have severe consequences if the alpha found out.

And at this point, nobody could do anything to me that I had not already experienced. In fact, if the alpha were still in the picture, I would be dead and buried by now. I was digging my own grave if I attacked one of his pack members.

As if sensing my thoughts, my mate's expression softened momentarily before he masked it with a cold stare.

"Change back. Now," my mate ordered me, his voice filled with authority as he threw a blanket over my wolf form.

I felt the power in his words as I slowly shifted back to my human form, the blanket covering my naked body as I lay on the ground. When I looked up, my mate was already leaving the room, leaving me to process everything that had occurred today.

I knew I had a lot of work to do now that I had Stella back, but I was determined to do whatever it took. For the first time in a long time, I felt a glimmer of hope that maybe I could be something more than what everyone else saw me as.

Shortly after, Katie returned and found me collapsed on the floor, trembling from exhaustion.

"Oh, my God! Ava!" She lifted me from the ground and used her lap as my headrest.

"Katie...I-" My sentences paused as I suddenly felt drained from the change. While I stared at her in a daze, the sounds surrounding me began to muffle, and my sight blurred. I sank into the darkness as I was dragged into the abyss.

***

When I opened my eyes, I was surprised to find myself in bed.

'How did I end up here? I was outside the kitchen...' Confused and disoriented, I sat up and tried to piece together the events that led me to this unfamiliar place.

'What happened? Who brought me back to the room?' As my mind raced with possible scenarios, I gradually adjusted to the bright sunlight streaming through the open drapes.

As my mind kept racing, creating scenario after scenario of where I might be, I quickly stood in bed. It took a while for me to adjust to the brightly lit room because the drapes were open, and the sunlight was peeking through the windows.

'Where exactly am I?' I asked myself while my eyes were squinting.

Looking around the room, I was relieved to discover I was in "his" room. It was all starting to make sense, though I still couldn't quite believe that everything that had happened the day before was real.

It all felt like a dream, from meeting my mate to getting into a fight, healing someone, and transforming into a wolf. It was a whirlwind of events that felt almost surreal.

Lost in thought, I heard a voice clearing her throat in my mind.

"Ahem."

My heart leaped with excitement as I realized it was my mate.

"Bejeezus!" I reacted in surprise.

Alana, my wolf, rolled her eyes at my childish excitement, but I couldn't help it. I never expected to see her again or to shift into a wolf after she stopped communicating with me.

"I'm really sorry, Alana," I cried, feeling guilty for everything I'd put her through and endured.

"Don't be, Ava," she said in a sarcastic voice. "I've already come to accept who you are. I mean, it's not your fault that you're a spineless idiot."

"Well, thank you very much for rubbing it in me, Alana," I huffed out, dismayed by her comment.

"What? I'm just telling the truth. No offence to you, Ava," Alana retorted.

I was offended, but I knew she was right. I'd never stood up for us, never stood up for myself. Sometimes she tried to take control so she could defend us, but I always pushed her away and took the beatings.

It was hard for her, and we had both been through a lot. We might not have visible scars thanks to my healing abilities, but our internal wounds ran deep. We needed to work on healing together to come out triumphant.

"Anyway, I'm really disappointed, Ava." Alana opened up.

My eyebrows shot up. "About what? Me again?"

"No, not you. But with our mate!" she grumbled. "Why is our mate a dick? I just can't accept this!" Alana muttered with a pout.

"I feel you," I replied with a sad sigh. "I can't understand why the Moon Goddess gave him to us."

"Plus, he doesn't want us, but his wolf, Jax, does. That's why he brought us here because his wolf made him." Alana sighed.

"I understand your point, Alana, but I don't want you to have your hopes up only to be disappointed," I tried to reassure her. "We don't need him if he doesn't like us."

"But he's our mate, Ava. Our other half. We need him," she argued.

"I know, but we don't necessarily need him to be happy or complete. We can find our own happiness," I replied.

Alana let out a sigh and looked down.

"You know I love you, Alana, and I don't want to see you get broken again," I confessed. "When you left, I was utterly devastated because I thought you wouldn't return to me anymore."

"Ava. I love you too. I'm sorry if I did that." Alana sighed and continued, "I guess I've gotten scared and exhausted seeing you being beaten up by those people..." she said with a bitter smile before retreating to her hiding spot.

Feeling relieved that I had eased some of Alana's frustration, I got out of bed and went to the bathroom. After a quick shower, I changed into some comfortable clothes I had brought with me. As I lifted the oversized shirt over my head, my stomach grumbled. When Katie diverted my attention, I realized I had forgotten to eat yesterday.

I rummaged through my bag and found a sandwich I had made a few days ago. I was about to bite when Katie walked in with a food tray.

"Oh, you're awake! I brought you breakfast. Please don't tell me you were about to eat that," she said, looking at my sandwich disgustingly.

"Hey! This sandwich is really good," I argued.

"Maybe it was a few days ago," Kate replied, placing the tray on the bedside table.

"What? No!" I pouted, but she just laughed. I extended my arm to show her my sandwich and said, "This still tastes good!"

"You're such a child," she teased, shaking her head.

"Well, I am a child," I defended myself.

Her eyebrows furrowed as she asked, "Really? How old are you?"

"I'm 18," I replied, and her eyes widened slightly.

"Oh. You're very young. I'm 25," Katie said, and I gaped at her.

"No way, you look so young," I said.

"Good genes, I suppose," she said with a smirk. "Anyway, give me your disgusting sandwich and eat this hearty and healthier meal." Katie handed me the tray.

Taking it from her, I smiled. "Thanks, Katie. I really appreciate you doing this."

"Nah! Don't mind it. Eat up." She gestured with her hands in dismissal. "You must be hungry."

As we ate, we chatted about various topics. I opened up to Katie about myself, except for the part where I was the punching bag of my old pack. My answers were mostly vague, as I didn't want her or anyone else to know what I had been through.

Perhaps one day, I could tell her everything, but not today. After finishing breakfast, we went into town together. I still received strange looks from everyone, but I ignored them. They were likely just curious about the new girl in town.

After strolling around for a while, we decided to grab some drinks and relax on a bench beside a fountain in the park. I sat beside Katie, and we were having a good time laughing and teasing each other when something caught my attention in the distance.

I squinted my eyes and focused on the figure, and instantly, a chill ran down my spine. My drink slipped from my hand and fell to the ground, and I turned away for a second to collect myself.

Katie sensed my discomfort and asked, "Hey, Ava, are you alright?"

As I gazed back in the direction where I saw the figure, there was no one there anymore. Maybe, it was my imagination, and I couldn't have been more relieved.

"Hmm?" I replied, looking at her. "Yeah, I'm fine."

"Are you sure?" Katie asked as she looked in the direction I was looking at before. Her eyes scoured the surroundings as she added, "Did you see someone you know, Ava?"

.

As I glanced again at the same spot, I saw the same person waving to me with a condescending smirk before disappearing into the crowd.

Oh hell.

Shaking my head, I gazed back at Kate. "No. I-I just thought I saw someone I know."

***