I Was His Luna—Until He Buried Me Alive

The Moon Scriptorium was never meant for women like me.

Its doors were carved from ashwood older than the packs themselves, etched with lunar runes that shimmered faintly even in daylight. The air inside always smelled of cold stone and ink, a place where truth was preserved whether it pleased anyone or not. Alphas came here to record bloodlines. Lunas came here to register heirs. Elders came to erase inconvenient names.

I had never needed to step inside before.

I was the Luna of Blackthorn Pack. My bond to Alpha Corvin Blackthorn had been sealed five years ago under a full moon, witnessed by the Council, acknowledged by the land itselfor so I believed. Everything in my life had rested on that truth.

Today, I was here for something simple.

A re-etching.

My name had been smudged in one of the official bond ledgers during the last solstice migration. A clerical flaw, my steward said. Annoying, but harmless. Still, Corvin and I had been discussing succession matters lately, and I preferred my records clean. Precise. Unquestionable.

I didnt expect the Moon to take offense.

The Keeper sat behind the stone desk, her hair braided with silver thread, her eyes pale and unreadable. She accepted my seal without comment, pressed it into cooling wax, then turned to the shelves behind her.

Time stretched.

Her fingers slowed as she skimmed the ledger.

Then she stopped.

I noticed it immediately. Five years of navigating pack politics had taught me to recognize hesitation when it appeared in powerful people. Her stillness was not confusion. It was discomfort.

Is there a problem? I asked lightly.

The Keeper didnt answer at once. She turned another page. Then another. Her lips pressed together, thin as a blade.

Finally, she looked up at me.

State your name again, she said.

Elowen Blackthorn, I replied. Luna by bond.

The silence that followed felt wrong.

There is no bond recorded under that name, she said.

I smiled, instinctively. Thats impossible.

She lowered her gaze, returning to the ledger. No lunar bond. No mate imprint. No recognition from the Moon.

My pulse stuttered. Perhaps youre looking in the wrong cycle.

She slid the book toward me.

Youre welcome to verify.

I stepped closer, my heels echoing far too loudly against the stone floor. The page was old, its edges darkened with age, names etched in moon-ink that never faded. I scanned it quickly at first, confident I would see myself there.

I didnt.

I slowed. Read again.

Corvin Blackthorns name was there, burned deep into the page, unmistakable.

But beneath it

A different name.

Not mine.

The letters seemed to tilt as I stared at them, my vision narrowing, breath thinning in my chest.

Seraphyne Vale.

I shook my head once, sharply. Thats a mistake.

The Keepers voice was calm, merciless. Seraphyne Vale was bonded to Alpha Corvin under the Blood Moon eight years ago. The bond remains active.

No, I whispered. She left the pack years ago.

She did, the Keeper agreed. But departure does not dissolve a mate bond.

My hands trembled as I pressed them against the desk. Then what was my ceremony?

The Keeper finally met my eyes.

A forged ritual.

The words landed softly. Gently.

They still broke something open inside me.

The witnesses I began.

Paid, she said. The markingsfalse. The Moon never answered. That is why you never bore a mark.

My throat tightened. Some Lunas manifest late.

Not true mates, she said quietly.

The room felt smaller. The runes along the walls pulsed once, as if in agreement.

I forced myself to straighten. Youre saying I was never his Luna.

I am saying, she corrected, that you were never his mate.

I left the Scriptorium without remembering how.

The sun outside was too bright, the world far too intact for what had just been taken from me. I walked the length of the city on instinct alone, my body moving while my mind lagged behind, fractured and slow.

Five years.

Five years of leading a pack that was never mine by right.

Five years of believing the quiet distance between Corvin and me was something I could fix with patience.

By the time I reached the Blackthorn estate, my legs felt hollow.

I paused at the study door when I heard voices inside.

Corvins voicecool, controlled.

Another, older. His mother.

And a third I didnt expect.

The pack advocate.

she still believes the bond is real, the advocate was saying. She hasnt questioned it.

Corvin exhaled, faintly amused. She never would.

Shes efficient, his mother said. Obedient. The pack prospers under her.

She served her purpose, Corvin replied.

The words sliced clean.

And Seraphyne? the advocate asked.

There was no pause this time.

She returns tonight, Corvin said. With my son.

The world tipped.

Elio carries my blood, he continued. The pack needs a true heir. The Moon demands legitimacy.

And Elowen? his mother asked.

Silence stretched just long enough to hurt.

Corvins voice dropped, colder than Id ever heard it.

Shes a liability now.

My hand slipped from the doorframe. I barely felt it.

Well take care of it, his mother said. Quietly.

The advocate hesitated. The Luna

She is not my Luna, Corvin cut in. Never was.

The room went very still.

Then Corvin said the words that finally shattered me.

Take her beyond the northern forest tonight. If she survives the Moon finish it before dawn.

I stepped back.

The door creaked.

Silence exploded inside the room.

I didnt stay to see their faces.

I ran.

The pack felt different before anyone said a word.

It wasnt dramatic. No alarms. No open hostility. Just a subtle shift in the air, like the land itself had drawn a breath and decided not to exhale around me anymore. Wolves were sensitive creatures. They felt truth long before it was spoken aloud.

By dusk, they already knew.

I stood on the balcony overlooking the inner grounds, fingers curled around the stone railing as torches were lit one by one below. Pack members gathered in clusters, their voices low, their laughter restrained. When I passed among them, conversations slowed. Heads dippednot in respect, but in uncertainty.

For the first time since Id taken my place beside Corvin, no one called me Luna.

The sound of hooves echoed from beyond the gates just as the moon began its climb.

The guards straightened. Elder wolves stepped forward. A murmur rippled through the courtyard, sharp with recognition and something dangerously close to reverence.

She arrived on a black-coated stallion, her posture easy, unburdened, like she had never left. Her hair was loose, dark and thick, brushing her waist, catching silver where the moonlight kissed it. She wore no crown, no symbols of rankshe didnt need them.

The Moon had already claimed her.

I felt it before I saw the mark.

It curved along her collarbone, pale and luminous, a crescent burn that pulsed softly in time with my heartbeat. The true mate mark. Undeniable. Alive.

Seraphyne Vale dismounted gracefully, boots touching Blackthorn soil as if it had been waiting for her all these years.

And behind her

A child.

He couldnt have been more than five. Dark hair. Sharp eyes. A faint shimmer of power clinging to his small form like static in the air. He scanned the courtyard with open curiosity, utterly unafraid.

When his gaze landed on Corvin, his face lit up.

Father.

The word rang through the silence like a bell struck too hard.

Corvin moved without hesitation. He crossed the courtyard in long strides, dropping to one knee before the boy, hands steady as he cupped the childs face.

You dont fake that kind of instinct.

My fingers tightened painfully against the railing.

Seraphyne watched them with a small, knowing smile, her gaze lifting slowly until it met mine across the courtyard. There was no surprise in her eyes. No confusion.

Only assessment.

As if she were finally seeing the thing that had been misplaced in her absence.

The pack bowed.

Not formally. Not on command. But instinctively, wolves lowering their heads to the Luna their blood recognized.

No one looked at me.

Corvin rose, resting a hand on the boys shoulder, pride unmistakable in his posture. He turned, finally acknowledging the watching crowd.

Pack of Blackthorn, he said, his voice carrying easily. Tonight, the Moon restores what was once broken.

His gaze slid to me briefly. Empty. Polite. Finished.

Seraphyne Vale has returned, he continued. With my son. With my heir.

The words pressed into my ribs until breathing hurt.

Seraphyne stepped forward, laying a hand over the boys head. This is Elion, she said softly. Born under the Blood Moon. Bound to this land.

A collective inhale rippled through the wolves.

Blood Moon born.

Of course he was.

I descended the stairs slowly, each step measured, my spine straight even as something inside me cracked open with every heartbeat. I stopped several paces away, the distance between us suddenly vast.

Welcome back, I said, my voice steady by sheer will. Youve been gone a long time.

Seraphynes smile widened just a fraction. Long enough.

Her gaze flicked to my hands, bare. To my neck. To the absence of a mark she had always known was missing.

Understanding settled in her eyes like smoke.

You must be the one who kept my place warm, she said gently. Not cruelly. Worsecasually.

I didnt answer.

Corvin cleared his throat. Elowen has managed the pack in your absence, he said. Shes been capable.

Capable.

Five years reduced to a word you might use for a steward.

Seraphyne inclined her head toward me, polite. Dismissive. Im sure.

Elion tugged at Corvins hand. Is this her? he asked, tilting his head. The lady you told me about?

Corvin stiffened. Enough.

But Seraphyne crouched, meeting her sons eyes. Yes, she said. She is.

The boy studied me openly, his gaze sharp in a way childrens rarely were. Then he frowned.

She doesnt smell like you, he said.

The courtyard went still.

Seraphyne rose smoothly, her eyes never leaving mine. No, she agreed. She wouldnt.

That night, the pack feasted.

I sat at the high table out of habit more than invitation, untouched food cooling before me as laughter rose around us. Corvin sat beside Seraphyne, their shoulders brushing, their wolves murmuring softly beneath their skins.

He never once reached for me.

Elders addressed Seraphyne directly, voices warm, deferential. Matters Id overseen for years were discussed as if Id never existed. When I spoke, responses came a heartbeat too late, eyes sliding past me to her.

By the third cup of wine, I understood.

They werent waiting for Corvin to choose.

They already had.

I rose before the feast ended.

No one stopped me.

The corridor outside the hall was cool and dim, the familiar stone walls suddenly foreign. I had just reached the bend toward my chambers when footsteps echoed behind me.

Elowen.

I turned.

Corvin stood there alone, his expression controlled, his wolf silent behind his eyes.

Shell take the east wing, he said. With Elion.

I said nothing.

Its temporary, he added, because lies were easier than silence. Until things settle.

Settle, I repeated softly.

His jaw tightened. You knew this day might come.

No, I said, finally looking at him. I knew you were distant. I didnt know you were a liar.

The word struck. His eyes darkened.

Lower your voice.

Why? I asked. Afraid shell hear the truth?

He stepped closer. You were never meant to last.

The honesty was almost kind.

The pack needed stability. You gave it. I wont deny that. But this he gestured vaguely toward the hall, toward her, toward the bond burning bright enough for everyone to see, this is what the Moon intended.

And me? I asked.

His silence answered.

Later that night, as I lay awake in chambers that no longer felt like mine, the Moon climbed higher, its light spilling silver across the floor.

Somewhere beyond the walls, wolves lifted their heads and howled.

Not for me.

Not anymore.

I woke before dawn to the sound of boots in the corridor.

Not hurried. Not secretive. Just the steady rhythm of people who believed they had every right to move through the east wing as if it already belonged to them.

When I opened my door, two maids were passing with folded linens, their eyes fixed carefully on the floor. A third followed behind with a basket of herbs and a jar of salvewolfbane-free, the kind reserved for pups and Lunas.

None of it was for me.

I watched them disappear into the next corridor, the one that led to the rooms that had always been locked, always under renovation, always waiting for a future Corvin insisted we didnt need to rush.

The future had arrived overnight.

By the time I dressed, the estate was already awake. The pack moved with a restless energy, the way wolves did when the hierarchy had shifted and their instincts were trying to catch up.

I went to the council chamber out of habit. Out of stubbornness. The chamber doors were carved with the Blackthorn cresta wolfs head crowned with thornsand I had passed through them at Corvins side more times than I could count. Meetings, disputes, allocations, border negotiations. I had sat in the Lunas chair and spoken with the authority of a woman who believed she belonged there.

Today, the guards at the door hesitated.

Luna, one began.

His voice trailed off as if the title had burned his tongue.

I lifted my chin. Open it.

They did, but not with the crisp obedience I was used to. Their hands were slower, their eyes cautious. Fearful of being seen deferring to the wrong woman.

Inside, the elders were already seated in a half-circle, their silver hair braided with charms and bone beads. Corvin stood at the head, one hand resting on the back of the Alphas chair, posture composed. Seraphyne sat to his rightan unspoken claimwhile Elion perched beside her on a cushioned bench, swinging his legs as if council sessions were bedtime stories.

The chair Id always taken was still there.

Empty.

I stepped forward, my footsteps echoing in the hush. For a heartbeat, no one moved. Then Elder Marius cleared his throat.

Elowen, he said, carefully, as if my name was the only safe thing left. We werent expecting you.

I forced a small, controlled smile. Thats interesting. Ive attended every council meeting for five years.

Elder Nessa looked away. Circumstances have changed.

Seraphynes gaze found mine, calm and sharp. Its not personal, she said softly. Its simply order.

Order.

As if I were a chair being moved to make space for its rightful owner.

Corvin didnt look at me. Sit, he said, gesturing vaguelytoward the lower benches along the wall.

Not the Lunas chair.

A hot pulse of humiliation rose in my throat, but I swallowed it down. Wolves didnt survive by giving their enemies the satisfaction of visible pain.

Ill stand, I said.

Corvins eyes flicked to mine at last. A warning. I held it.

Elder Marius began anyway, voice formal. We are here to discuss the renewal of the eastern border treaty, the redistribution of the riverlands, and the confirmation of succession.

My spine tightened. Succession. Of course.

He continued, With the return of Luna Seraphyne and the presence of the Alphas blood heir, it is time we restore the line as the Moon intended.

Seraphyne laid a hand on Elions shoulder, her fingers gentle. The boy leaned into her touch instinctively, eyes bright.

Elder Nessa smiled at him. Hes strong.

I can feel it, another elder murmured. The land responds to him.

The Blackthorn blood, someone else agreed. Its been too long since we had a true heir.

My nails dug into my palm. So all of this, I said quietly, is about an heir.

The chamber went still.

Corvins jaw flexed. Seraphynes expression didnt shift.

Elder Marius sighed. Elowen, you knew the burden of a Luna.

I knew the expectations placed on a Luna, I corrected. I didnt know I was never one.

The words fell heavy.

A few elders exchanged glances, uncomfortable.

Seraphyne tilted her head. You went to the Scriptorium, she said. It wasnt a question.

Yes.

And the Keeper told you.

She told me the truth, I replied, refusing to look away. The Moon never recognized me. My bond was forged.

A sharp inhale came from somewhere to my left.

Corvin stepped forward. Thats enough.

No, I said, my voice steady but edged. Its not.

His eyes darkened, wolf-shadow rising behind them. Youre going to make this harder than it needs to be.

Harder? I repeated, almost laughing. You stole my place and called it order. You lied to my face for five years and called it stability. And now you want me to be quiet because the pack is watching?

Seraphynes lips curved faintly. They are watching, she agreed.

It was a warning dressed as calm.

Elder Marius raised a hand. Enough. This meeting is not for grievances.

It is for the pack, Elder Nessa added quickly. And the pack needs peace.

Peace.

They always said peace when they meant submission.

Corvin leaned toward me, voice low enough that only I could hear. Leave, he said. Before you embarrass yourself.

My breath came shallow. Embarrass myself? I whispered back. I built your alliances. I negotiated with rival packs. I bled for your territory when the rogues invaded. And you think the embarrassment is mine?

His gaze hardened. You did what you were allowed to do.

Allowed.

As if my work had been a privilege.

Seraphyne rose then, smoothing her dress. The movement drew every eye in the chamber. She took a slow step forward, stopping just short of me, close enough that her scent wrapped around my senseswinter pine and moonlight, sharp and pure.

True mate.

True Luna.

Her voice was soft. Elowen, I dont hate you.

That surprised me more than cruelty would have.

She continued, I understand why you held on. Anyone would. But youre standing in a place that was never yours, and the longer you cling to it, the more painful this becomes for everyone.

For everyone, I echoed.

She nodded. For the pack. For Corvin. For the child.

And there it was, the subtle blade.

For the child.

My throat tightened. You mean for me.

Seraphynes eyes didnt flinch. You can leave with dignity, she said. Or you can be dragged out without it.

The elders pretended not to hear. They stared at the table, at their hands, at anything except my face.

Corvin said nothing.

That was the moment I understood the full truth: this wasnt Seraphyne returning to reclaim what shed lost. This was Corvin and the council restoring a story theyd always intended to tell.

I had just been a placeholder in the chapters they wanted to skip.

I turned sharply and walked out of the chamber, my steps fast, my vision narrowing. I didnt stop until I reached the quiet corridor leading toward the greenhousemy one refuge in this estate. The place Id poured my restless energy into, the only corner of Blackthorn land that felt like mine.

But when I pushed open the glass door, I froze.

The greenhouse was full of men.

Pack enforcers. Broad-shouldered, silent, their wolves pressed close beneath their skin. They were pulling up planters, tipping over pots, ripping flowering vines from their trellises. The air was thick with torn greenery and crushed blossoms.

One of them held a pot in his handsan orchid I had nurtured for monthsbefore smashing it against the stone walkway like it meant nothing.

What are you doing? My voice came out too sharp.

The men paused.

Then one stepped forward, head lowered slightly in respect, but not enough.

Orders, he said.

From whom?

He hesitated, glancing past me as if checking for permission to speak.

Then he said, From the Luna.

The words struck with sick clarity.

Not from Corvin.

Not from the council.

From her.

My chest tightened. I stepped forward, my gaze darting across the wreckage. A tag lay cracked on the floor, my handwriting smeared with soil. Another pot was overturned, roots exposed like ribs.

Stop, I said again, quieter. Deadlier.

The mans jaw flexed. We cant.

I looked at his faceone I recognized. A guard I had once convinced Corvin not to banish after a mistake. A man whose mother I had sent herbs to during winter sickness.

His eyes held a flicker of regret.

But his hands didnt stop moving.

I turned slowly, breath steadying with effort, and saw her in the doorway.

Seraphyne stood there as if she belonged in this space more than I ever had. The moonlight behind her framed her silhouette, making her look carved from silver and shadow.

She surveyed the destruction with calm approval.

Elion has allergies, she said casually. Certain blooms irritate him.

I stared at her. So you destroy everything?

She shrugged slightly. Its only a greenhouse.

Only.

My throat tightened, rage hot and pure. You waited five years to come back, I said, voice low. And your first act is to erase me.

Seraphynes gaze held mine, steady and cold now. Im not erasing you, Elowen, she said. You were never written into this packs true story.

Behind her, footsteps echoed.

Corvin.

He stopped beside her, eyes scanning the wreckage. Something flickered in his expressionbrief, unreadablethen hardened again.

Let it go, he said flatly.

I looked at him, really looked, searching for the man Id believed in, the partner Id protected, the Alpha who had promised me we were building something real.

All I saw was a stranger in my home.

And then his voice came soft, almost bored, like he was issuing an administrative order.

Tonight, youre leaving the estate.

My breath caught. Where am I supposed to go?

His eyes stayed cold. Anywhere but here.

Seraphynes hand slid to Elions shoulder as the boy peeked around her legs, curious.

Corvin didnt even glance at him when he said the words that made my blood turn to ice.

If you refuse, he added, the pack will escort you.

And I knew what that meant.

Not escort.

Removal.

The kind you didnt return from.

I didnt pack.

There was no point pretending this was a departure Id chosen. Anything I took would only be proof I still believed I was allowed to leave like a person instead of being erased like a mistake.

By nightfall, the estate felt hostile in a way it never had before. Doors that once opened at my approach remained shut. Servants avoided my eyes. Wolves Id dined with, fought beside, negotiated forevery one of them suddenly remembered something important on the opposite side of the corridor when they saw me coming.

Isolation wasnt loud. It didnt announce itself.

It settled.

I went to the armory first. The door was locked.

That alone told me everything I needed to know.

The Alphas private wing was sealed as well, guarded by two enforcers whose hands never strayed far from their weapons. They didnt challenge me. They didnt need to. The message was clear: whatever I did next, I would be doing it without protection.

Without witnesses.

I turned away and headed toward the old training grounds, the part of the estate closest to the northern forest. The air grew colder with every step, the moon already high enough to cast silver veins through the trees beyond the boundary stones.

The forest loomed like a living thingancient, dense, unforgiving. Wolves respected it for a reason. Too many had gone in chasing prey or pride and never come back.

That was where Corvin had said they would take me.

I heard footsteps behind me before I reached the edge of the clearing.

Three sets.

Measured. Deliberate.

I didnt turn immediately. You dont need to pretend this is protocol, I said quietly. I know what this is.

The footsteps stopped.

Then one of them spoke. Alphas orders.

I faced them at last.

Three enforcers stood in a loose line, their expressions unreadable. I recognized all of them. One had trained under my supervision. Another had been present when Id negotiated peace with the Stoneclaw Pack. The thirdyoung, tensecouldnt meet my eyes.

Escort, I said flatly.

The first man nodded once. Beyond the boundary.

And then?

Silence.

The youngest swallowed. We wait.

I let out a slow breath. The night air tasted sharp, metallic, like rain before a storm.

Does Seraphyne know? I asked.

The oldest answered. She didnt need to.

That hurt more than if she had ordered it herself.

I stepped forward without resistance.

They led me along the narrow path that cut toward the forests mouth, the moonlight thinning as branches swallowed the sky. The deeper we went, the quieter the world became. No birds. No insects. Just the soft crunch of boots and the distant, restless shifting of unseen animals.

At the boundary stone, they stopped.

Ancient runes marked the slab, warnings carved deep into its surface. Beyond this point, the packs protection ended. Whatever happened past the stone was considered the will of the land.

One of the men cleared his throat. You should remove your shoes.

I stared at him. Why?

Less noise, he said. And better chance, if you run.

Run.

So there it was.

I bent down slowly and slipped off my boots, setting them neatly beside the stone. The earth beneath my feet was cold and damp, needles biting into my skin.

I straightened. You can tell Corvin something for me.

The oldest enforcer met my gaze, jaw tight. What?

I smiled faintly. That the Moon remembers who was honest.

His expression flickeredconfusion, maybe fear.

Then they stepped back.

No shove. No dramatic farewell.

Just three men retreating into the shadows, leaving me standing alone at the edge of the forest.

I waited until their footsteps faded completely before moving.

I didnt run.

Running made noise. Panic. Easy mistakes.

Instead, I walked into the trees, placing each step carefully, listening to the forest breathe around me. The moonlight fractured through the canopy, painting the ground in shifting patterns that made distance hard to judge.

Minutes passed. Or hours.

Time dissolved into sensationthe scrape of bark against my arm, the ache creeping into my bare feet, the slow, steady thud of my heart.

Then I heard it.

A low growl, close enough that the sound vibrated through my bones.

I froze.

Another answered from deeper in the forest.

Rogues.

Drawn by unfamiliar scent. By weakness. By blood.

I backed away slowly, breath shallow, but a snapped branch betrayed me. The growl deepened, closer now, hunger unmistakable.

Movement flickered between the trees.

I turned and ran.

Branches tore at my skin as I bolted through the undergrowth, lungs burning, feet slipping on damp earth. I didnt look back. I didnt need to. I could hear themheavy bodies crashing through brush, their snarls sharp with anticipation.

A root caught my ankle.

I went down hard, the impact knocking the breath from my lungs. Pain flared up my leg, hot and blinding. I scrambled, dragging myself upright just as a dark shape lunged from the shadows.

Claws raked my shoulder. Fire exploded across my back.

I screamed, the sound tearing out of me raw and broken, and stumbled forward again, vision blurring. Another blow sent me sprawling, my cheek hitting the ground, the taste of blood filling my mouth.

They circled.

I pushed myself up on shaking arms, every breath agony, my body already betraying me. My wolfsilent, distantrefused to rise. Whatever dormant thing lived inside me had never learned to fight.

So this was how it ended.

Alone. Unmarked. Forgotten.

A figure stepped from the trees.

For a heartbeat, I thought I was hallucinating.

He moved with predatory calm, tall and broad-shouldered, his presence cutting through the chaos like a blade. His eyes caught the moonlight, storm-gray and sharp, locking onto the rogues with lethal focus.

They hesitated.

That alone told me who he was.

An Alpha.

The first rogue lunged.

The man shifted mid-stride, bones snapping, fur rippling across his skin in a blur of motion. A massive wolf burst forward, larger than the others, his snarl echoing through the forest as he slammed into the attacker with brutal force.

The fight was over almost as soon as it began.

When it ended, the forest was silent again.

I sagged against a tree, my strength gone, blood soaking into the earth beneath me. The Alpha shifted back, human once more, his movements efficient, controlled.

He approached slowly, carefully, like I might disappear if he moved too fast.

You shouldnt be here, he said, voice low and rough.

I laughed weakly. Funny. I was told the same thing.

He knelt beside me, eyes scanning my injuries, his expression darkening. Who did this?

I swallowed, my vision dimming. My pack.

Something dangerous flickered across his face.

Blackthorn, he said, not asking.

I nodded.

He exhaled through his teeth. They dont throw away whats still breathing unless theyre afraid of it.

Im not worth being afraid of, I murmured.

His gaze snapped to mine. You survived the boundary. That alone makes you interesting.

My strength gave out then. The world tilted, darkness creeping in from the edges.

The last thing I felt was his arms lifting me with surprising gentleness, his voice cutting through the fog as he spoke to someone I couldnt see.

Get her to the safe house, he ordered. Now.

As consciousness slipped away, one thought anchored itself in my mind, sharp and unyielding.

They thought the forest would erase me.

They were wrong.

I drifted in and out of consciousness for days.

At least, I thought it was days. Time lost its edges when pain became the only reliable measure of reality. Sometimes I woke to the crackle of fire. Sometimes to the murmur of voices I couldnt quite grasp. Sometimes to nothing at alljust darkness pressing in, heavy and warm, like the forest still had me in its grip.

When I finally stayed awake long enough to understand where I was, the first thing I noticed was the ceiling.

Wooden beams. Rough-hewn, old. Not pack architecture. No sigils. No polished stone floors or ceremonial carvings. Just a low roof, a faint smell of pine smoke, and the soft glow of moonlight filtering through a narrow window.

I turned my head and regretted it immediately.

Pain flared along my shoulder and ribs, sharp enough to steal my breath. I bit down on a cry and stared at my arm, wrapped in clean linen, faintly stained with blood.

Youre awake, a voice said calmly.

I looked toward the sound.

The Alpha from the forest leaned against the far wall, arms crossed, posture relaxed in a way that only truly dangerous men ever mastered. He had changed clothes since the fightdark fabric, simple cut, nothing ornamentalbut his presence filled the room regardless.

You dont look surprised, I managed, my voice hoarse.

He tilted his head slightly. You dont look like someone who scares easily.

I almost laughed. It came out more like a breath. You saved me.

I intervened, he corrected. Saving implies intention.

I studied him more closely then. Storm-gray eyes. Scar along his jaw, half-hidden in shadow. The faint hum of power beneath his skin, steady and restrained.

Whats your name? I asked.

Aleth, he said after a moment. Alpha of the Ashen Ridge.

Ashen Ridge.

A rival pack. Exiled by the Council generations ago for refusing to bend to lunar law. Wolves whispered their name with equal parts fear and respect.

And you? he asked.

Elowen, I said. Former Luna of Blackthorn.

His eyes sharpened. Former.

They never bonded me, I added quietly. I was never recognized.

Something in his expression shiftedinterest, maybe. Or calculation.

He pushed off the wall and crossed the room, stopping beside the bed. You crossed the northern boundary unmarked, he said. Survived a rogue attack without a wolf. And Blackthorn chose to discard you.

That about sums it up.

He studied me in silence for a long moment. You know what that looks like from the outside.

I swallowed. Enlighten me.

It looks like fear, he said simply.

I closed my eyes, exhaustion pulling at me again. They had no reason to be afraid.

Aleth snorted softly. They always do.

When I slept again, the dreams were different.

No screaming. No claws.

Just the Moon.

She hung low and impossibly close, silver light pouring down over a forest that felt alive in a way it never had before. I stood barefoot in the clearing, unbroken, unbleeding, my skin humming with something I didnt recognize.

You are late, the Moon seemed to whisper.

I wasnt invited, I replied in the dream.

A pause. Then

You were hidden.

I woke with my heart racing, my skin warm, my blood humming faintly beneath it.

Days passed.

My wounds closed faster than they should have. The gashes along my shoulder knit cleanly, leaving thin, pale scars. The ache in my ribs dulled to something manageable. Aleths healers said little, but their glances lingered on me longer each time they changed my bandages.

Youre not fragile, one of them muttered once, half to herself.

On the seventh night, Aleth returned with news.

He didnt sit this time. He stood at the foot of the bed, his expression unreadable.

Blackthorn announced your death, he said.

The words didnt land all at once. They scattered, sharp and cold.

Death? I echoed.

Rogue attack beyond the northern forest, he continued. Your body was never recovered.

I closed my eyes, a strange, hollow laugh bubbling up in my chest. Efficient.

They held a Moon Burial Rite, Aleth added. An empty grave. Your name carved into stone.

Something twisted inside menot pain, not quite grief. More like disbelief.

They didnt even pretend to look for me.

Aleths gaze held mine. They mourned convincingly.

I laughed then. Really laughed. It cracked out of me, ugly and raw, startling even myself. Tears slid down my temples, but I didnt wipe them away.

So thats it, I said softly. Im dead.

As far as the packs are concerned, he agreed. Yes.

Silence stretched between us.

Finally, he asked, Do you want them to know youre alive?

I thought of the council chamber. Of Seraphynes calm smile. Of Corvins voice ordering my removal as if he were discarding an inconvenience.

No, I said slowly. Not yet.

Aleth nodded, as if hed expected that answer. Good.

He turned to leave, then paused. The Moon doesnt erase what it hasnt claimed, he said over his shoulder. If she wanted you gone, youd be gone.

After he left, I sat up carefully and swung my legs over the side of the bed. The floor was cold beneath my feet, grounding.

Dead.

They thought I was dead.

I moved to the small mirror on the far wall and studied my reflection. I looked thinner. Paler. The woman staring back at me seemed sharper somehow, as if the softness had been burned away, leaving something lean and dangerous underneath.

I died once, I whispered to her.

She didnt look afraid.

That night, Aleth took me outside.

The sky was clear, the Moon full and luminous, bathing the mountains in silver. We stood at the edge of a cliff overlooking the valley, the world stretching vast and indifferent below us.

Blackthorn will move on quickly, Aleth said. They always do. Corvin will formalize his bond. His heir will be presented to the Council.

I said nothing.

Theyll tell your story however it suits them, he continued. A weak Luna. An unfortunate loss. A necessary correction.

I inhaled slowly, the cold air filling my lungs. Let them.

Aleth studied me from the corner of his eye. And what will you do?

I looked up at the Moon, her light washing over my skin, warm and electric. Something stirred deep inside menot a wolf, not yet, but a presence that felt old and patient.

Ill learn, I said. Ill heal. And when I walk back into their world

I turned to him, my voice steady, my resolve iron-hard.

it wont be as a Luna.

Aleths lips curved, slow and dangerous. Good.

Below us, the wind howled through the mountains like a warningor a promise.

The Moon shone brighter, as if she were listening.

Corvin Blackthorn did not cry at my funeral.

He stood at the head of the Moon Circle, dressed in ceremonial black, his posture straight, his expression appropriately solemn. To anyone watching, he looked like an Alpha bearing loss with dignity. The kind of man the pack could rally behind. The kind of leader the Council respected.

Only those who knew him well might have noticed how carefully controlled his stillness was.

The Moon Burial Rite was held at dusk, when the light balanced between day and night. Wolves gathered in silence, their breaths fogging in the cooling air as the elders traced runes into the earth around the empty grave. An unmarked coffin rested above the pit, sealed and immaculate, filled with nothing but folded cloth and ashes from the ritual fire.

Symbolic.

Efficient.

Seraphyne stood at Corvins side, her fingers threaded through his arm, her presence unmistakable. The Moonlight caught the crescent mark at her collarbone, making it glow faintly. The pack saw it. Felt it. They straightened in unison, instinct bending them toward her like iron filings toward a magnet.

This is how it should have been, Corvin told himself.

Restored. Balanced. Correct.

Elder Marius began the rite, his voice low and steady as he recited the words that returned a fallen wolf to the land. She who walked among us now walks beyond, he intoned. May the Moon judge her truth.

Corvins jaw tightened.

Judge her truth.

The words scraped against something in his chest he didnt want to examine.

Elion shifted beside Seraphyne, tugging at her sleeve. Why is everyone sad? he whispered, his voice carrying farther than intended in the quiet circle.

Seraphyne knelt, smoothing the boys hair. Because someone left, she said gently. And theyre saying goodbye.

Elion frowned. Did she go to the Moon?

Seraphyne hesitatedjust a fraction. Then she smiled. Yes.

Corvins gaze snapped to her, sharp and warning. She met his eyes calmly, her own wolf steady beneath her skin.

The elders lowered the coffin into the earth. Soil followed, heavy and final. Wolves bowed their heads. A few lifted their muzzles and howledlong, mournful cries that echoed across the valley.

Corvin didnt join them.

He stared at the grave, an odd pressure building behind his ribs.

She should have broken, he thought.

Elowen had always been composed, controlled, too careful with her emotions. Shed accepted every slight with grace, every delay with patience. Even at the end, she hadnt begged. She hadnt screamed.

Shed looked at him like he was already a stranger.

The rite ended. Wolves dispersed slowly, murmuring to one another, already shifting into conversations about new beginnings. Succession. Territory. The future.

Seraphyne squeezed Corvins arm. Its done, she said softly.

He nodded. It is.

That night, the estate felt louder than it ever had.

Music filled the great hall, low and rhythmic, a celebration disguised as remembrance. Wine flowed freely. Laughter rose without guilt. The pack had shed an inconvenient skin and was eager to enjoy the relief.

Corvin stood near the fire, nursing a drink he hadnt touched, watching the movement of bodies through the room. Seraphyne moved easily among them, receiving nods of respect, soft touches of reverence. She belonged here in a way Elowen never truly had.

And yet

When Corvins gaze drifted toward the doorway that led to the east wing, his chest tightened unexpectedly.

The greenhouse came to mind.

The way Elowen used to disappear there when pack politics grew too sharp, returning calmer, more focused. He hadnt understood it at the time. Plants had seemed like such a small thing to cling to.

Now the space was empty. Stripped. Silent.

Good, he told himself. Necessary.

Youre distracted, Seraphyne said, appearing at his side with two glasses of wine. She handed one to him, her fingers brushing his briefly.

Just tired, he replied.

She studied him, her gaze shrewd. You dont look relieved.

I am, he said automatically.

She smiled, but it didnt quite reach her eyes. Then drink.

He did, downing the wine in one swallow. It burned going down, settling heavily in his stomach.

Later, when the hall had thinned and Elion had been taken to bed by the nursemaids, Seraphyne pulled Corvin toward the Alphas chambers.

This is our night, she murmured, her lips brushing his ear. The pack has its Luna back.

He followed her, because that was what was expected.

The bond between them hummed, warm and insistent, the Moons approval unmistakable. And yet, as Seraphynes hands slid over his skin, his mind betrayed him with unwanted memories.

Elowen standing in the council chamber, refusing to bow.

Elowens voice, steady as she accused him of lies.

Elowen walking into the forest without shoes, her back straight even as he condemned her.

He clenched his jaw, forcing the images away.

Corvin, Seraphyne murmured, sensing the shift. Stay with me.

I am, he said, more harshly than intended.

She stilled, pulling back slightly to look at him. Youre thinking about her.

The accusation hung between them.

Shes dead, he said flatly.

Seraphyne searched his face for a long moment, then nodded. Good, she said. Then let her be buried.

She leaned in again, reclaiming his attention, and this time he didnt resist.

But later, long after Seraphynes breathing evened out beside him, Corvin lay awake, staring at the ceiling.

The Moonlight crept across the room, pale and uninvited.

For the first time since the rite, he felt itsharp and sudden.

A pull.

Not the bond with Seraphyne. That was steady, expected.

This was something else.

A faint, distant ache, like a thread pulled taut somewhere deep inside him, vibrating with a tension he couldnt explain.

He pressed a hand to his chest, scowling into the darkness.

Get it together, he muttered.

Outside, far beyond Blackthorn land, the Moon burned bright and watchful.

And somewhere in the mountains, a woman the pack had buried breathed in that same silver lightvery much alive.