Pregnant Luna Rejects Her Alpha

I stood outside Easton's office door, the lunch basket growing heavy in my hands. Through the thick oak, I could hear his voice—low, intimate, nothing like the commanding Alpha tone he used with pack members.

My wolf stirred, hackles rising. Listen.

I pressed closer, my enhanced Luna hearing cutting through the barrier. Pregnancy had sharpened all my senses to a razor's edge.

"...miss you too," Easton murmured. A pause. "No, she doesn't suspect anything. I've been careful."

The basket nearly slipped from my grip. My pup kicked hard, as if she could feel my heart shattering.

"Tonight's impossible. Clara's planning some dinner thing." His voice dropped even lower, dripping with an affection I hadn't heard directed at me in weeks. "Soon, I promise. I have to go, she's coming."

I counted to three, forced my face into a smile, and opened the door.

Easton spun toward me, the comm device disappearing into his desk drawer with supernatural speed. The office reeked of stress pheromones—sharp, acrid, guilty. His eyes were too wide, his posture too rigid.

"Clara! I didn't hear you—"

"I brought lunch." My voice came out steadier than I felt. I set the basket on his desk, watching him shift to block the ledger he'd been reviewing. "Your favorite. Roast beef sandwiches from the deli you love."

"That's... thoughtful." He made no move to uncover the ledger. "But I'm swamped with pack finances. Maybe later?"

I looked at his desk. At the way his hand remained protectively over that ledger. At the guilt written across every line of his face.

"Of course." I turned to leave, then paused. "Oh, Easton? Who were you talking to?"

"Beta Thomas. About the upcoming council meeting."

Another lie. Thomas was leading the afternoon patrol—I'd approved the schedule myself this morning.

I left without another word, my wolf snarling in my mind. Find out. We need to know.

***

I waited until sunset, until Easton left for the mandatory pack run. Then I moved.

The Alpha's office was never truly locked to a Luna. I placed my palm on the biometric scanner, and the door clicked open. My hands shook as I booted up the secure financial server, entering my Luna override codes.

The pack's accounts sprawled across the screen. I filtered by date—the three months Easton was away. Then I searched for anomalies.

There.

A series of transfers, each labeled "Consulting Fees." Five thousand dollars. Then seven thousand. Then ten. All sent to an account in the Northern Territories.

Account holder: S. Reed.

I cross-referenced the dates with Easton's schedule. Every transfer corresponded exactly with his "private meetings" during the summit. Meetings he'd told me were classified Alpha business.

My vision blurred. The pup kicked frantically, responding to the adrenaline flooding my system. I gripped the desk edge, breathing through the wave of nausea.

S. Reed. Who the hell was S. Reed?

I printed the records, folded them carefully, and tucked them into my jacket. Then I went hunting.

***

I found Marcus in the guard barracks, polishing his boots. He looked up as I entered, immediately rising to his feet.

"Luna Clara—"

"Sit." I didn't raise my voice. Didn't need to. The Luna Voice thrummed through the word, ancient and absolute. Marcus dropped back onto the bench like his strings had been cut.

My wolf surged forward, lending me her authority. Every instinct screamed to protect our pup, our position, our dignity.

"You accompanied Alpha Easton to the Northern Territories," I said quietly. "You were assigned to his personal security detail."

"Yes, Luna." Marcus's face had gone pale. Lower-ranked wolves couldn't resist a direct Luna command. It was written into our very DNA.

"Who is S. Reed?"

He flinched. "Luna, I—the Alpha ordered us not to—"

"I'm ordering you now." I let the Luna Voice intensify, felt it wrap around him like chains. "Who. Is. S. Reed?"

Marcus crumbled. "Sierra Reed. An Omega from the Northern Pack. She was... she was always in the Alpha's private quarters. He said she was providing administrative support for the summit negotiations."

Administrative support. The words tasted like ash.

"How often?"

"Every day, Luna. Sometimes for hours. The Alpha ordered us to leave them alone, to guard the outer corridor instead of his door." Marcus looked miserable. "I'm sorry. We thought... we didn't want to believe..."

I turned and walked out before he could see my face crumble. Before he could see the Luna mask crack.

In the empty hallway, I pressed my back against the cold stone wall and finally let myself feel it. The betrayal. The rage. The soul-deep agony of a sacred bond desecrated.

My wolf howled in my mind, a sound of pure anguish.

And I knew, with absolute certainty, that everything was about to burn.