THE ALPHAS LOST LUNA: REJECTED AND RECLAIMED

“The heart that loves the most, bleeds the deepest.”

 ~Avila.

 I watched in despair as my mate kissed his newly marked pregnant mistress.

 At that moment, two women took their seats behind mine.

 “This is such an auspicious day!” One cooed, "I'm so happy the Alpha finally decided to marry lady Dahlia. She must have been really sad having a one-year-old pup and another one on the way while still unmarked.”

 "Right? She went through so much,” her partner chimed in. “She and Alpha Leonard look so good together though; this must be the reward for her patience.”

 Their words only cut further into my already shattered heart as I bit hard on my quivering lips.

 In my state of self-pity, I couldn't deny the fact that my husband, the Alpha of Moonvale pack, and his mistress of four years actually looked like they belonged together. Outsiders would think she was the one he'd been married to for the past two years.

 Yes, he took a mistress immediately after he got married to me… a mistress that gave him what he wanted the most—something I still failed to provide after four years of marriage.

 A wave of envy coursed through me as I watched him gaze adoringly into her eyes.

 He had never looked at me like that.

 In fact, it was as if anytime he saw me, something died inside him. He never loved me, and I knew that.

 I blinked repeatedly, silently praying the tears welled up in my eyes wouldn't fall.

 I knew I shouldn't be sad—it's all for the greater good of the pack. Besides, it was no one's fault I couldn't bear a child for my own mate.

 My shaky hands stilled over the wine flute mid-air when I heard my name.

 “I wonder how Luna Avila is faring though. It must be so hard for her to watch her mate marry another female. I don't think she's present here either, she probably can't stand the disgrace.”

 "Who cares about her? Do you know she was even abandoned by her own mother? Nobody wants her. Can you blame the Alpha?” One whispered quite loudly.

 “Shh, don't let anyone hear you. The way you speak; have you forgotten she is still Luna?"

 Truly, I could order the woman's punishment with my authority, but what use was it? The lady, sadly, was spewing the harsh truth, and if I really wanted to punish anyone with these thoughts, I might as well punish the entire pack.

 It was no hidden fact that I was the outcast before I met Alpha Leonard, my mate, one-on-one at the mate's ball four years back. His reaction at the realization of our mate bond and his response afterward was a bitter memory path I'd rather not go down.

 The voice of one of the women startled me out of my spiral.

 “Not for long, I'm sure. After all, our Alpha has finally met someone more befitting— equally Alpha-blooded. To think she was given such an opportunity to be fated to nobility; her only job was to keep her husband and provide an heir but she even failed at that!”

 I flinched at the unapologetic harshness of her words. She spoke as though we had bad blood between us. But that couldn't happen, not even if I tried.

 Just a night after my arrival at the palace, my husband gave me a list of rules: forty-five things I was never to do and two things I was allowed to.

 Number six was “You are forbidden from visiting and welcoming guests, friends and anything alike. If your duties require otherwise, a detailed report must be made to the office of the Alpha.”

 That purple-rimmed paper dashed every hope I had in finally attaining my long-desired freedom. No longer was I an outcast in the Moonvale pack; the title now held a royal and more official tone.

 I became the Luna who not only hid within the fancy palace walls, showing her face only at social events, but also neglected her duties and failed to provide the pack with its next heir.

 Not wanting to hear any more of their gossip, I stood to leave. As I turned on my heels, the women looked up at me.

 At the loud gasp of shock, I knew my disguised apparel didn’t do much. However, one of them stared at me, unperturbed. I concluded that she must be the mean one.

 Mentally exhausted to engage in any futile tussle with them, I exited the hall, subtly breezing through the seated crowd, my head low.

 Walking away from the festivity into the harsh coldness of the night, I felt a sudden wave of desolation surge through me.

 How could I be so lonely in my own pack?

 Involuntarily, my feet turned towards the only place that could offer me succor.

  My spot.

 I changed my mind almost immediately. If I went there, I would shift, and judging by recent incidents in which I'd been at the receiving end, my wolf might do something I would regret. I'd spent months restraining her, keeping her grounded.

 Sensing my hesitation, she let out a low growl, followed by a whimper.

 I always felt her pain as she watched her mate prance around with his lover. She wanted to take the competition out and claim her mate, mark him…something he had refused to do to her.

 But she was weak, just like me.

 If she dared attack Dahlia, Alpha Leonard would kill her instantly. The love for his unborn pup was stronger than any unwanted mate bond. Besides, it wouldn't be a fair fight because pregnant females couldn't shift.

 Suddenly, I heard a short rustle in the bush behind. My neck snapped in the direction instantly as my nose detected a faint oud-ish scent lingering in the air. It felt masked…concealed.

 Strange.

 Just as I was about to move near, in search of the source, my greyish-green eyes met with electric blue ones. I gasped at the sudden tingling sensation I felt. But just like it appeared in a flash, it disappeared, leaving me unbalanced.

 "My Luna." My attendant, Megan, dipped her head in reverence, breaking my thoughts.

If she noticed my bizarre outfit— my attempt at a disguise, she said nothing. But then, she was a woman of little words.

 “Is anything wrong?" Her gaze followed mine to the forest in confusion.

 I stared at the spot for a while, but no one was there; it was almost like I'd imagined everything… maybe I had.

 Peeling my eyes away, I said to her. “No, there is nothing."

 Together, we walked the long distance to my apartment.

 “Have you delivered the foods to the oldies’ home?" I asked her as we entered my room.

 “Yes, my Luna. And they still have enough left from the last."

 I beamed. “Good, there's never too much food."

 The oldies had helped me in so many ways since I was a child— lost, homeless, and bullied.

This was a little way to show my gratitude.

 Nodding to dismiss her, I settled on the bed with a yawn, suddenly feeling an overwhelming urge to sleep.

 “My child!" A loud shrill echoed, disrupting the cold silence of the night.

 The voice sounded so familiar I couldn't pinpoint it.

 I looked around, searching, but all that encompassed me was dark, dreary emptiness.

 Suddenly, I heard muffled cries reverberating through the vast void. Then, a speck of light shone in the thick darkness.

 I followed its trail till it stopped just above a tiny figure on the ground.

 I moved nearer to make out its form. It was a pup, not more than a year old, lying there.

 Before me, his skin instantly darkened, and blood rushed out of his mouth like a tap.

 It was such an ominous sight that I screamed out in horror.

 "My queen!!!" A panicked voice called out, and I looked around frantically for the source.

 The voice called out again, and this time, soft breaths fanned my face. My eyes slowly opened to see Megan's agitated face over my head.

 “What happened?" I forced out, my throat suddenly dry as she moved back with a bow.

 “You had a nightmare, my Luna." Concern was written all over her face.

 “I'm fine now," I smiled a little to dissipate her worry. “Please, get me a glass of water."

 After she left, I struggled hard to remember what I dreamt about, but my mind was in a fog, no matter how hard I tried.

 How could I not remember when it felt so real that it left me an intense sense of fear? My hands gripped my racing heart.

 In an instant, I felt an overpowering impulse to paint something. It was like an inspiration that came from nowhere. I had no idea what I wanted to paint, but as I picked my canvas and paintbrushes, they came rushing to me.

 So I painted, layering hues with exactness, blending and contrasting tones with each brush stroke. It was swift. It was perfect.

 After what seemed like hours but was actually mere seconds, I felt strange…normal again.

 My eyes roamed over the art. It was enthralling…ethereal. Even these words come short of describing it. I felt airheaded; every hue intrigued me and gave me an unexplainable, divine sense of joy.

 Until I took it all in…until it all came together.

 Every exhilarating feeling disappeared when I realized I had just painted the unconscious body of a one-year-old pup lying under the full moon. A woman knelt by his side, her face in the earth. Her grief was palpable. I felt it.

 Dahlia! I gasped with dread as recognition hit me.

 Then…

 The pup was Jace, her one-year-old male. The Alpha's heir.

“Beware the kindness that kills, for it can be a subtle poison.”

 ~Avila.

 I placed my hands on my head as I felt the room spin around me.

 What was happening?

 I dared to peek at the ominous painting before me, hoping it was all a dream. How could something be so beautiful and yet so… so viscerally appalling? If those words even come close.

 I was on the floor now, my eyes huge with stunned disbelief. How on earth did I paint the death of my stepson?

What possessed me?!

 The door creaked open, and I swiftly flung the painting under the bed.

No one could find out about this!

 I stood to face Megan, hoping my face didn't betray my disconcerted heart.

 "My queen, your water." Her gaze lingered on my paint-covered palm for a moment, and I hastily hid it behind my back.

 “I wanted to relieve some stress." I instantly grimaced at my defensive tone.

 She knew I loved to paint; that was about the only t