Chapter 2

Benita’s life hasn’t always been an easy one. People said she was born with a silver spoon, but in truth, it was a black spoon disguised in silver.

Her mother was a wh*re. She must’ve gotten pregnant with her during one of her outings. Her father remains unknown.

Luna Alice got lucky when the Alpha of their pack noticed her. Despite her past, he loved her deeply. Against the elders’ wishes, he married her and made her Luna. The following year, she gave birth to Rina.

At first, Benita was happy to have a younger sister. She was two years older than her.

But things changed quickly. Her mother started to act cold toward her. She only cared about Rina. Still, that never affected the bond Benita shared with her sister. Rina always stood up for her whenever there was trouble.

Now she’s lost everyone.

Beta Gideon was made Alpha two days after her father’s burial. She never heard from her mother again.

There was no way she could stay in the pack.

Beta Gideon issues a search for her. She had to leave, to start over in a pack far away.

******

TEN YEARS LATER

“Two plates of pancakes for table five.”

“Alright, coming right away,” Benita called from the kitchen, brushing a loose strand of hair from her face as she balanced the tray on her arm.

She stepped through the swinging doors, and then it hit her, like a punch straight to the gut.

Her wolf surged forward, screaming MATE.

She could feel it, he was close. Here.

Her feet froze for a fraction of a second, and a shiver rippled down her spine. Then, she forced herself to keep walking, one step, then another towards table five.

Benita’s lips curved into a slow, involuntary smile as she scanned the room. Her heart pounded wildly, not with joy but with dread. Because she already knew who it was. Her eyes locked on him, and sure enough, he was already staring at her.

Alpha Bryan.

The infamous Alpha of the Blue Moon Pack. Powerful, feared and respected by many but never by her. At least not since she’d run away and given up on her pack.

Her breath caught in her throat as she reached the table. His piercing eyes held hers like a snare.

Benita set the plates down with trembling hands, trying to appear calm.

“Enjoy your meal,” she murmured, but her voice was breathy.

Alpha Bryan didn’t respond.

However, he came back for her.

He showed up at the restaurant more frequently after that. Once a week, then twice, then every single evening without fail. Always taking the same seat. Always watching her with the same intensity. And each time, Benita would serve him in silence, ignoring the way her wolf clawed at her insides, begging to go to him.

He pleaded with her. “Come back with me as my Luna. My pack is meaningless without one.”

Benita had long forgotten about where she came from and once called her pack. But now fate is dragging her back to the same place she ran away from ten years ago.

But Benita always said the same thing. No.

Until he caught her off guard and showed her glimpses of a different man. Not the cold Alpha, but someone gentler. Someone who touched her hand like she might break, who watched her with something that almost looked like guilt.

And after months of resistance, she said yes and returned to the one place she’d vowed to forget.

********

Alpha Bryan made her Luna.

He marked her in front of the whole pack.

By the time she found out why he wanted her to become his Luna, it was already too late.

Alpha Bryan never loved her. The pack were pestering him to find his mate.

He made her his Luna out of obligation, because she was his mate.

For a while, the pack accepted her. She played her role well, kind, dignified, obedient.

Then, when the rumors about her identity spread across the pack, everyone resented her.

“She’s the daughter of the fallen Alpha… the one whose sister murdered him ten years ago.”

“She’s cursed.”

“She should’ve never come back.”

The hatred grew like a disease. She saw it in their eyes, in the way they averted their gazes when she passed, in the way the children were pulled away from her like she carried rot.

The elders were the worst. They wanted Benita gone, stripped of her title, banished like the blood that still stained their past.

“She's a threat,” they said. “She'll bring ruin.”

And Bryan?

He didn’t defend her, not the way she needed him to.

“We’re already declining in sales. That lunar’s a bad omen. You should remove her and take a chosen mate.”

“Ryder.” Alpha Bryan slammed his fist on the table, his voice low and dangerous.

Elder Ryder fell silent immediately and sat down.

Even though they spoke against her like that, Benita still hoped Bryan would one day accept her. That maybe, just maybe, he’d look at her the way a mate was supposed to.

One night, while they were in bed, she brought it up. Told him she should leave.

He refused, his tone flat and emotionless.

“You don’t have to worry. No matter what they say, I’ll never take away your title.”

“The pack is declining because of me. Other packs are starting to distance themselves from us. I should just step down, Bryan,” Benita said quietly.

Bryan’s refusal was sharper this time.

“Then who would be Luna? You think I enjoy this? You’re still here because I can’t undo the bond without backlash from the Moon goddess.”

“Even without the title, I can still support you,” she said softly.

“No. My decision is final.”

Benita forced a smile.

She woke the next morning with a pounding headache. She’d dream again. A nightmare.

Everyone blamed her for her sister’s death. Her mother, her father— wait, no, that wasn’t right, someone had been yelling at her, throwing cruel words.

And then Rina appeared.

She grabbed Benita by the neck, asking why she let her die.

Benita’s eyes snapped open. Rina’s eyes in the dream had been filled with hatred.

She woke up coughing, her hands flying to her throat.

Still shaken, she rushed to the bathroom and splashed cold water on her face.

Then she looked into the mirror, her chest rising and falling as she tried to calm down.

Benita walked out of the room to find Alpha Bryan. She wanted to let him know the truth about her father's death. She could no longer keep it to herself, people calling her sister a killer and calling her a bad omen. Perhaps, if she came clean with Bryan, he would have a soft spot for her, trust her, and maybe even help clear her family's name.

“Where is Alpha Bryan?” she asked the guards standing in front of the hall.

“He left for his study room.”

Benita rushed there and pushed the door open.

Benita's eyes widened, her breath seized, shock written all over her face.

Alpha Bryan stood close to a woman, her arms around his neck, his lips inches from hers.

He looked up, annoyed rather than guilty.

“What are you doing here, Benita? I told you not to come in without knocking,” he snapped.

She opened her mouth, but no words came out.

“I don’t have time for your dramatics. Go back to your room.”

The woman turned to Benita with a smirk.

Benita gasped, her heartbeat increasing. This woman — There's no way it's her, she's just dreaming, right?

Rina was dead.