"I'm so sorry , Luna! I didn't mean to-" she stammered , on the verge of tears.
I stepped back slightly , concerned by her reaction. "It's okay ," I said gently , trying to soothe her nerves. "There's no need to be scared. This is a lovely gift."
She flinched , casting a quick, fearful glance in my direction before lowering her gaze again. The bottle trembled in her grasp.
Offering a calming smile , I took the wine from her hands. Wanting to ease her distress , I uncorked it, poured a glass, and downed it in a single gulp.
"You see? No need to be so tense. The wine's excellent. I really appreciate it ," I reassured her.
Her head bobbed quickly. "As long as you like it , Luna ," she murmured , stealing one last look at the empty glass before scurrying away.
I returned to my preparations for the banquet. Tomorrow marked three years since Tristan and I were wed. I was genuinely looking forward to it.
Ours wasn't a love match but a strategic union-our marriage was meant to form an alliance between our two Packs. Sadly , a misunderstanding on the night we got engaged seemed to sour Tristan's feelings toward me. Since then , he's remained distant , cold even. Still , he's always acted like a gentleman. He treats me with basic respect and sometimes shows surprising kindness. Those rare moments warm me... even as his indifference wounds me deeply.
I sighed, lifting my head-then paused. Something was wrong.
The room spun violently , and my limbs started to go numb. My body weakened rapidly , growing heavier with every breath. I gripped the edge of the table to keep myself upright. What was happening?
Footsteps echoed behind me. I turned , unsteady , and saw two unfamiliar werewolves approaching. Their eyes gleamed with malice , and the air around them thickened with danger.
Alice! I called to my wolf desperately , trying to summon her. Alice , please!
But there was no answer. Panic surged through me. My wolf had vanished from our bond.
That's when I knew. The wine. There had to be wolfsbane in it.
The omega wasn't just shy-she was terrified because she'd been forced to betray me.
I stumbled back , but the two werewolves lunged forward , grabbing me roughly and forcing me down onto the bed. They tore at my clothes , vile grins spreading across their faces as I writhed helplessly beneath them.
I screamed , thrashed-anything-but my body refused to move. My limbs wouldn't respond.
No!
I glared at them with everything I had , fury radiating through every fiber of my being. I wanted to shred them into pieces-but I couldn't lift a finger.
Then-"What the hell is going on here?!"
Tristan's voice came from the doorway. Relief flooded me.
I turned toward him with tears streaming down my cheeks , silently begging for his help.
But he didn't see me. Or rather , he saw something else entirely.
"What the fuck are you doing , Stella?" he growled , his eyes blazing. "You're actually sleeping with another wolf? In our bed? The night before our anniversary?"
No , Tristan! That's not what this is!
I screamed inside , but I couldn't speak. Couldn't move.
He didn't give me the chance to explain. His expression twisted into one of revulsion.
"I knew this was who you really were ," he muttered coldly. "I saw it the night we got engaged. Disgusting. I should've ended this alliance a long time ago."
No... please...
"I , Tristan Wesley of BloodyClaw Pack , hereby reject you , Stella Graymond of Red moon Pack."
His words struck like a blade.
"You are no longer my Luna ," he declared , his voice final. "You are no longer Luna of BloodyClaw Pack."
And just like that , he turned and left-without looking back once.
I stared at the door through blurred tears. My heart shattered.
When he was gone , the two werewolves seized me again. They dragged me through the Pack house and into the woods. No one stopped them. Not a soul intervened. The realization that no one cared... it broke something deep inside me.
Had I truly been such a failure as Luna?
They hauled me into a clearing and threw me to the ground like garbage.
Footsteps rustled nearby. I forced my eyes open-and saw her.
Charlotte.
My stepsister. The one who always schemed against me.
She laughed cruelly. "Look at you now , Stella. Lying there like a filthy rodent. Pathetic."
I couldn't reply. I could only glare.
She kicked me hard in the stomach , making me cry out in pain.
"I bet the wine tasted great ," she sneered. "It was made especially for you. You really are dumb , falling for the same trick again."
Again?
My eyes widened.
"Oh yes ," she said smugly , as if reading my mind. "It was me at the engagement party , too. I spiked your drink back then, just like today. Same trick. You never learn."
She crouched beside me and pressed a silver blade to my neck.
"Being misunderstood by your own mate... must feel awful. Oh wait , he's not your mate anymore."
Then , with a grin that chilled me , she began slicing into my skin-slowly , deliberately. Blood seeped from the wounds , staining the ground.
She leaned close , whispering , "Soon , he'll be mine. I'll make him love me. He'll never even remember you existed."
Despite the pain , I mustered a faint , bitter smile and mouthed, "Becoming Luna won't erase the fact that you're nothing but a lowly Omega. Just like your mother-Maddison , the scheming bitch who clawed her way up through filth."
Her expression twisted with rage.
"What did you say?!" she screeched.
She lost control. Her fury exploded.
The dagger plunged into me-again and again. My shoulder. My ribs. My throat. My chest.
She screamed insults , the blade tearing through skin and muscle.
I felt myself slipping , drowning in blood and agony. The world dimmed.
Yet even in that moment , one thought burned brighter than the pain.
If I live... I swear I'll make her pay.
But the pain swallowed me whole. My vision darkened. My body stopped responding. The world faded into silence.
And I let go.