Rejected Luna’s Hidden Mate

Roman Hudson, Alpha of the Silver Moon Pack and Lycan Prince, needed a Luna, and the Alpha Council chose me. Three years into our mate bond, we maintained a polite relationship, living a life that could be considered stable. He courteously called me "Luna," while I addressed him as "Alpha." There was no deep connection between us, only a bond that gradually formed over time. Initially, I thought Roman was as emotionally reserved and detached as I was. But later, I learned that he had once been deeply in love. He had defied his parents' wishes, giving up his position as heir to the Lycan throne, all for her.

Together, they had run wild through the forests of the Mediterranean, howled beneath the full moon in the Appalachian wilderness, and found peace in a small pack nestled in the Alps. Eventually, his family found them, tearing apart their vibrant love story. When he shared this with me, I was deeply moved. I asked him, "Have you ever thought about finding her again?" Roman extinguished his cigarette, his Alpha aura flickering faintly, and replied calmly, "She's already forgotten me."

I became his Luna at twenty-five, our bond arranged by the Alpha Council to strengthen alliances between our packs. It was a union based on responsibility, family, and mutual benefit—love had no part in it. Roman was two years older than me, not a significant difference in the werewolf world. He carried himself with the commanding presence of a Lycan Prince, his aura strong and unwavering. He was like an ancient tome, filled with forgotten stories. I sensed this at our first meeting. Whether it was the pause as he looked at my hands or the way his gaze wandered as he sat across from me, it was clear he had a story to tell. Such a person seemed out of place in a mate arrangement. Yet, there he was.

As I stirred sugar into my coffee, I thought with indifference about how none of us can escape the Moon Goddess's plan. When the time comes, we follow the path laid out for us. It was true for me, and it was true for him as well. The weight of his title, the expectations of his pack, and the shadow of his past all loomed over him, shaping the man he had become. And though our bond was stable, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was missing—something neither of us dared to name.