The Luna's Shadow Rejects Her Alpha

After finishing evening study, I stood by the bike rack outside the training grounds, waiting for the Alpha heir. I wasn’t planning on following him back to the pack house; I just needed the keys I’d given him this morning.

Through the dim light, I spotted Dax walking casually with one hand in his pocket, his broad shoulders and towering frame unmistakable even from a distance. Anastasia, a Beta from the Nightshade Pack, skipped alongside him, her vibrant energy a stark contrast to his calm, commanding presence. She lifted her pretty face, her eyes sparkling as she teased, “I did better in combat tactics today, Alpha Heir. You owe me an ice cream.”

Dax kept his cool demeanor, but the corner of his mouth twitched in reluctant amusement. It was the same expression he wore when he couldn’t resist indulging someone’s charm.

Last year, during our pack’s training expedition to the mountains, I collapsed halfway from exhaustion. Dax, ever the dutiful future Alpha, crouched in front of me, his piercing gaze softening as he tousled my hair. “Brooklyn, if you act cute, I’ll carry you the rest of the way.”

Yet, I only muttered back without changing my expression, the weight of grief still heavy on my shoulders since my father, a Delta warrior, had fallen in battle. Smiling or acting cute didn’t come easily. Dax chuckled softly, his deep voice carrying a warmth that momentarily eased the ache in my chest, and he lifted me onto his back. “You’re tough to handle.”

That day, fog swept over the mountains, bringing a biting cold. But Dax’s back felt warm and steady, his Alpha aura a comforting presence that calmed my inner turmoil.

“Yay! Alpha Heir, you’re my favorite!” Anastasia’s laughter, carried by the evening wind, almost sounded like a confession. By the time I snapped back to reality, Dax had already pulled out the keys, his sharp eyes locking onto mine as he waited patiently for me.

“Walk home by yourself and don’t spill anything to the Luna,” he said, his tone firm but not unkind.

Anastasia caught sight of me and shyly hid behind Dax, though her movements were more playful than bashful. As she peeked out, her smile had a trace of mischief, as if she knew something I didn’t.

“Okay,” I replied, my voice steady despite the tightness in my chest.

I took the keys from his outstretched hand, my fingers brushing against his briefly. Adjusting my backpack, I turned to head home, the weight of the Alpha heir’s expectations and the Beta’s knowing smile pressing down on me like a storm cloud. But I walked on, my steps steady, refusing to let the cracks in my heart show.