Luna second Chance
Chapter 1: The Blade of the Moon
Luna’s POV
The blood moon hung low, a crimson wound in the sky, and my wolf clawed at my insides, urging me to run faster through the shadowed forest. Pine needles crunched under my paws, the air sharp with the scent of frost and betrayal. I wasn’t supposed to be here, tearing through Dominic’s territory unannounced, but the news burning in my chest couldn’t wait. My mate—my fated mate—was about to hear something that could change everything. Or destroy it.
I skidded into the clearing outside his den, shifting mid-stride into human form, my breath heaving. The moonstone pendant around my neck swung wildly, its cracked surface catching the bloody light. “Dominic!” I called, voice raw, my bare feet stinging against the icy stone. The den’s entrance loomed, a black maw in the cliff face, and my wolf’s senses screamed danger. Something was wrong—his scent was too faint, overlaid with another’s, sharp and unfamiliar.
“Luna?” His voice, deep and strained, cut through the silence. He stepped from the shadows, his broad frame tense, amber eyes glinting with something I couldn’t place—guilt? Fear? Behind him, his Beta, Cassian, lingered, his gaze darting away. My heart stuttered. Dominic’s dark hair was disheveled, his hands clenched like he was holding back a storm.
“I—” I started, but my words were short as a figure emerging beside him. Nova, my pack-sister since cubhood, her black hair gleaming, her smile a blade. My wolf snarled, hackles rising. Why was she here, standing so close to my mate?
“Luna, you shouldn’t be here,” Dominic said, his voice clipped, formal. “You didn’t announce yourself.”
“I didn’t have time!” I snapped, stepping forward, my pendant swinging. “I have news, Dominic. It’s—” I faltered, glancing at Nova, whose eyes narrowed, predatory. “It’s important.”
“News?” Nova’s voice was honeyed venom. “Oh, Luna, always so dramatic. What is it this time? Another rogue sob story?” Her laugh grated, and my claws itched to extend.
“Enough, Nova,” Dominic growled, but his eyes stayed on me, heavy with something unspoken. “Speak, Luna. What’s so urgent?”
I swallowed, my pulse hammering. The words I’d rehearsed—I’m carrying your pup, our future, our bond—stuck in my throat. Nova’s presence, her smug confidence, threw me off. “I… I need to speak to you alone,” I said, glaring at her.
Nova’s smile widened. “Secrets, Luna? That’s not very pack-like.” She stepped closer to Dominic, her hand brushing his arm. My wolf roared, vision flashing red.
“Stop it, both of you!” Dominic barked, rubbing his temples. He looked at me, and for a moment, I saw the Dominic I loved—the one who’d hunted with me under starlit skies, who’d whispered promises of forever. But then his face hardened. “Luna, I have news too. You need to hear it first.”
My stomach dropped. “What?” I whispered, dread coiling like a snake.
He took a breath, and the world tilted. “I’m taking a mate. An arranged bond, for the pack’s strength. It’s Nova.”
The air vanished. My wolf howled, a sound of pure agony, but my human body froze, rooted to the stone. “No,” I choked out, shaking my head. “You’re my fated mate, Dominic. The moon goddess—”
“The moon goddess doesn’t rule pack politics,” Nova cut in, stepping between us. “Dominic’s mother, Alpha Selena, chose me. My father’s warriors control the northern hunting grounds. This bond secures our future. You’re just… a rogue’s daughter, Luna. You can’t compete.”
Her words were claws, tearing into my heart. I looked at Dominic, pleading. “Tell me this isn’t true. Tell me you’re not betraying our bond.”
His jaw clenched, eyes flickering with pain. “I don’t have a choice, Luna. The pack comes first. You know that.”
“Do I?” I snarled, my voice breaking. “I know you swore to me, Dominic. I know you felt our bond, same as I did. And now you’re throwing it away for her?” I gestured at Nova, who smirked, unfazed.
“Luna, please,” he said, stepping toward me, but I backed away, my pendant burning against my skin. “I never wanted to hurt you.”
“Then why are you?” I screamed, tears streaming down my face. My wolf surged, claws extending, and I fought to keep her in check. “You’re killing me, Dominic!”
Nova laughed, a cruel sound. “Oh, Luna, don’t be so dramatic. You’ll survive. Omegas always do.”
Something snapped. I lunged, not at Nova, but at the stone table beside us, smashing my fist into it. The crack echoed, pain shooting up my arm, but it was nothing compared to the fire in my chest. “Don’t you *dare* speak to me like that,” I growled, my eyes flashing wolf-gold. “You’re no sister to me, Nova. Not anymore.”
Her smirk faltered, but Dominic stepped between us, his scent overwhelming. “Luna, stop. You need to leave. Now.”
“Leave?” I laughed, bitter and broken. “You think I’ll just walk away while you parade *her* as your mate? While you spit on everything we are?”
“It’s done,” he said, voice cold. “Go, Luna. Don’t make this harder.”
I stared at him, the mate I’d loved, the future I’d dreamed of, crumbling to ash. But then I felt it—a flutter in my womb, faint but real. Our pup. My secret, my strength. I straightened, wiping my tears. “You’ll regret this, Dominic,” I said, my voice steady despite the storm inside. “Both of you will.”
Nova rolled her eyes, but Dominic’s face twitched, a crack in his resolve. I turned to leave, my wolf howling for me to stay, to fight, but I forced myself forward. Then Nova’s voice stopped me cold.
“Oh, Luna? One more thing. The claiming ceremony’s tomorrow. You’re invited—as a witness. Don’t disappoint me.”
I didn’t turn back. My feet carried me into the forest, the blood moon watching, judging. But as I ran, a new scent hit me—sharp, metallic, wrong. I froze, my wolf’s instincts screaming. Footsteps crunched behind me, deliberate, not Dominic’s or Nova’s. I spun, but the figure was gone, leaving only a glint of silver in the underbrush—a dagger, etched with pack runes, abandoned on the ground.
My heart raced. Someone had been watching, waiting. But who? And why? I grabbed the dagger, its weight heavy in my hand, and ran, the forest closing around me like a trap. The pup in my womb stirred, a reminder of what I had to protect. Dominic might have betrayed me, but I wasn’t broken yet. Not while I had a reason to fight.
And fight I would.
