ALPHA RYDER'S LUNA

MAYA'S POV

"Do you know that Caleb will be choosing his mate and our next Luna today at the party? He's planning on marking her in front of everyone," Elena, my sister, said excitedly, her voice filled with anxiety as we rode in the car to the party.

I gave a quick smile, knowing fully well I was the one she was anticipating to know. It had been a few months now since I found out Caleb, our pack's alpha, was my mate, and of course, Caleb himself knew, and so did my best friend, Layla.

I reached to my stomach, recounting how I met Caleb and how we made the baby that was now growing inside of me. I could vividly remember the day he walked up to me in the gardens, the beginning of our love story.

FLASHBACK

I had just clocked 20 years when I began to feel so drawn to Caleb. Even now, as I stood in a crowd of werewolves celebrating the festival of the moon goddess, I could easily pick up his alluring scent that was beginning to drive me crazy, and at different times, I had seen him steal glances at me. I guess he knew; he must have known for years that we were mates. Yes, for years. Caleb was 24 years old, a cheering 4 years older than I was.

I calmly set my eyes on Caleb's amid the crowd, but as soon as they did, I averted my gaze, shy and embarrassed that I had been caught staring. I stood and began to make my way out of the hall where the party was being held.

Within a few seconds, I found my way out and began to walk towards the garden behind the building we were at; the full moon lit my path as I walked in the night's darkness.

The garden had a nice view to it; the planted flowers were in full bloom, reminding me of how I had just bloomed. Sighting a long seat in the middle of the garden, I walked towards it, then allowed the events of the last few days to replay in my mind.

It's a great thing. I now had a mate, and by the looks of things, he must like me, since he couldn't seem to get his eyes off me. I smiled. I was lost in my thoughts, but the sound of a twig snapping brought me back to reality. I looked around sharply; there was no one, but I knew someone was there. He was here; I could sniff him.

"Now I know you are as intelligent as I thought," he said, stepping out of the shadow from behind a tree.

"'Maya, right?" He asked as he sat beside me.

I nodded affirmatively, as I couldn't seem to be able to form words; the devastatingly handsome alpha beside me had that kind of effect on everyone.

"No one could have thought an omega would be so smart." He commented, "I could feel the disgust in his tone when he mentioned the word 'omega,'" but maybe I just decided to blind myself to the fact.

So instead of saying anything, I blushed hard; the thought of the alpha being mine was one that made me feel above the moon.

I timidly bowed my head, unable to directly look him in the eye.

"Are you always this bashful?" He asked.

"N-no," I uttered.

"It's alright, you're agile; it's okay to be bashful," he said, giving me a reassuring smile that made my heart jump more rather than putting it at ease, which was what Alpha Caleb intended.

He placed a hand on my fingers, making me realize I had been trembling. His touch sent shivers, as though my body had been struck by lightning. I felt something so good in me, something deeper than just catching his scent. My weak wolf wanted to jump into his arms, but I had to behave. I wasn't his yet; for all I know, he could reject me, and there's nothing I can do. Rumor had it that he had a mate who he'd rejected in the past, so I decided not to get ahead of myself.

"It seems we are mates," I said, averted, not meeting his gaze.

"Definitely, yes we are," he said in the calmest tone, then pulled me in for a kiss, my first kiss.

Alpha Caleb gently landed his lips on mine before allowing his tongue to find its way into my mouth. The kiss slowly ended, and he hugged me tightly like his life depended on it.

"I wish for you, Maya," he said, then groaned softly. And I wanted him too.

"Come with me," he said, although it sounded more like an order, and without thinking twice, I followed him.

Without hesitation, we made our way back to the huge hotel building, but this time around, not to the hall where the moon goddess' festival was being held. Alpha Caleb led the way to a hotel room, and while the whole of my morals screamed not to follow, my wolf kept saying to follow, and so I did.

All the rooms were large and beautiful, but I didn't take in many details, as Alpha Caleb surprisingly leaned on me and we began to kiss passionately. Soon after, clothes began to fly up and down, and he was inside of me. The first thrust was painful, as it was my first time, tight, and painfully soothing my urge, but the subsequent thrust was a mixture of bittersweet pleasure.

I could not get enough of him, and neither could he get enough of me. Alpha Caleb fucked me in different styles that night; we didn't stop till it was around 6 am.

"I'd like to ask you," I said in a low tone, "when will you mark me?" I had asked after the long night.

He giggles softly before he responds, "After I am crowned Alpha king in one and a half months, at my coronation party, but we should keep this a secret; I fear you might be harmed before then," he replies amidst dozing off.

And just like a novice, I believed him. The happiness I felt that night was everything I needed to wait for one and a half months, and within those months, I had met Alpha Caleb on different occasions, and we had been intimate each time. It was beyond expectations.

***END OF FLASHBACK***

Finally today, I was going to be announced as his mate and Luna of Nightshade Pack. Our car came to a halt in front of the palace of Nightshade.

Elena and I came down and then started making our way inside. We were side by side when we heard loud cheering coming from the crowd; a waiter passed by with drinks when Sheila stopped her and asked,

"What's happening?"

"Alpha Caleb marked Lady Layla as his mate," the waitress replied.

There and then, my world came crashing down before me. I was pregnant and obviously now rejected for no reason by my mate, who didn't only reject me but also marked my best friend, Layla, as his mate and Luna.

CALEB'S POV

"I hereby introduce to you Layla as my mate." Everyone seemed to be happy, apart from one person who stood in the doorway with a very moody and sad expression, Maya.

I don't think she will expect me to name her as my mate and Luna, at least not after what her mother did to me 20 years ago.

Lady Luciana, Maya's mother, had been my mate, but she had rejected me in the most humiliating way by getting pregnant for my best friend, Kent. They had gotten married and ended up having a daughter, Maya, and now, 20 years later, the daughter of those who had caused me the greatest heartache was my mate.

To mark her will be over my dead body. How would I be with her? Luciana and Kent might have died early, thereby missing my chance to get my revenge on them, but their daughter was going to bear their sins.

"Caleb?" Layla called, and I turned my face back to her.

"He really needs to have a word with you," she said.

"Who?" I asked.

"My father, honor him," she added, her voice laced with excitement and fulfillment. It was a great thing to be my mate.

As I walked gently to my soon-to-be father-in-law, in the corner of my eyes, I could see Maya running out of the room with teary eyes, and her friend, Maria, ran after her.

"Caleb," her mother spoke softly, "so, since when have you known our daughter is your mate?" "Diana?" Layla's mother asked, grinning ear to ear. Instead of replying, I just smiled.

The rest went on and on as the whole pack celebrated; congratulations flew left and right to Layla and me.

"I haven't seen Layla; do you have an idea where she's at?" I asked Diana's mother.

"Just about to ask you the same thing; we were supposed to have a dance together, but I can't seem to find her anywhere," Diana explained, looking sideways to check if she could catch a glimpse of her daughter, but she didn't.

I took a walk around the room in an attempt to find her, but I still couldn't find Layla.

"Alpha Caleb?" Someone called out from behind me, tapping my shoulders. I turned to be met with a not-so-familiar face. I looked confused, giving the man a questioning look.

"Oh, I'm Thane, an omega. There's something outside you need to see, sir," the man who I now knew to be Thane said. I couldn't help but notice the sadness and urgency in his tone as he spoke. At once, I followed him.

Thane led the way; he led me outside and to the corner of the palace, and there it was.

My eyes met a very gory image of a lady lying lifeless on the cold floor; her face was ripped out, but I knew who it was. I knew that dress, that nail polish, that shoe, and that necklace; it was Layla's.

My new mate and Luna had been murdered on the night I marked her. Who would dare? my wolf growled in anger.

"Call me Tyler.'' I backed those orders out of my throat to Thane; he hurriedly scurried away and in no time appeared with Tyler, my right-hand beta.

Tyler stopped in his tracks as he saw the image before him. "Oh geez!" He covered his face in shock. "Is that whom I think it is?"

"I need to find who did this. We need to hunt them down. We need to show them no one messes with Luna of Nightshade and gets away with it," I growled to Tyler, who just nodded in affirmation. I might not have loved Sheila as much, but I sure as hell wouldn't allow anyone to get away with a direct attack on my wolf.

An attack on my mate was as well an attack on me. Soon after, the news reached the whole party, making everyone fretful for their lives. People began to leave one after the other. Diana rushed to the scene and began to scream and cry, and her husband, Raven, tried his best to hold onto his wife, but it was proving difficult. The tone of the party went from a happy one to a sad one.

"Did you find anything?" I asked as Tyler came back.

"Yes," he declared confidently, "but I'm not sure if you're going to like the results of this," he said, looking worried.

"Crack it," I ordered, but he was still hesitant. "Obey my order; I'm your alpha," I barked at him.

"Maya," Tyler mentioned.

"And what is with her?" I asked.

"Layla was seen talking to Maya a few minutes before Thane found her body," he dropped the bombshell.

"Maya? Maya has done this to Layla out of revenge? How dare Maya stand against me? How dare she?

"I want her in front of me, Tyler," I growled at him. "Find me Maya right now, and bring her to me. Search the premises; she must still be around. I will also join you in the search," I ordered and began to walk away.

The search for Maya went on, but it was beginning to prove unfruitful.

"Caleb, Maya has been spotted running away from the Pack's territory. What should we do?" Tyler asked.

"You stand there while she's running away? She must be real guilty, and there's only one thing to do: we hunt her down!" I growled at Tyler.

"Listen up, everyone, your Luna and my mate have been murdered by a young woman whom we all have, one way or another, cared for after she lost her parents, and this is how she repays us? And now, I want everyone to spread out and find her, bring her back to me alive, and let us show her Nightshade always repays what we owe.

"I ordered," and every werewolf growled in agreement at once, and soon.

"I don't think we should hunt her like this. She is the last person to be with Elena, but she is only an omega, and Elena is a beta. Do you think she could kill her? She is just a suspect, for now," Tyler said, trying to reason with me.

"If she wasn't guilty, why is she running?"" I asked, but he couldn't reply.

"Now I want you to hunt her down and bring her to me alive. I am going to teach that bitch a lesson. For the rest of her life, she will live in bondage," I spat in anger and walked out on Tyler, who followed behind.

CHAPTER 3: ON THE RUN

MAYA'S POV

I raced out of the room in mortification and disgrace. I was still pregnant and had given my whole to a man who didn't want me; my virginity was lost for real. I could hear Elena running after me as I left. I ran outside, gasping for breath.

"Maya!" She whispered, but I didn't hear her clearly. "Hey, Maya, what's wrong?" Elena asked.

"Caleb, Caleb chose Layla as his mate and Luna," I answered her.

"Are you that shocked, sister? Well, I guess I am too, but why would you be this shaken over that? Layla is our friend, and that means one thing: we'd enjoy her luxury as Luna. She chimed excitedly, obviously clueless as to what I was going through.

"Caleb is my mate, Elena, and..." I broke down into a hysterical sob to finish my sentence.

"No, Maya, Caleb is Layla's mate," she replied, confused as to whatever it was I meant. "And please don't cry," she added, patting my back.

"No, Elena, Caleb is my mate, and he's been for 2 months now; in fact, it's deeper-we made a baby," I said, touching my stomach as I cried harder, then found my way to sit on a stairway at the entrance.

"But I don't understand; he told me he was going to announce me as his Luna today and mark me as his, and now he marked Layla. It means I've been rejected'" I rushed my words amidst sobs.

"No... what?" Elena asked, surprised.

"But why am I just hearing of this? How did you guys meet? When did all of this happen?" She had a lot of questions, and I knew it was wrong for me to have kept them from her; she was my sister, and she never kept anything from me.

"Caleb, he told me to keep it a secret," I said, realizing I had been stupid, and began to break down and cry even more.

"I hate to say this to you now in your darkest moment, but Maya, how could you be so stupid? How would you expect Alpha Caleb to love you when he'd rejected his mate, who was an omega, once?" She asked; she was concerned, but I knew even though Elena was concerned, she'd always say the truth and hit the nail on the head, but what she was saying I had no idea.

"He rejected an omega?" I asked, facing her as I wiped my eyes. "What could she have done?" I probed.

"You really don't know?" Elena asked. myself in, the more confused I was.

"She's here," Elena muttered, tugging at my gown, succeeding in getting my attention. I stood from the stairway I sat on, dusting my gown, trying to look presentable as Layla approached. She was now my Luna, and no matter how I felt, I was to serve her.

"Maya dear," Layla said in a very disgusting tone, "you must have thought Caleb was going to name you as his," she said as she began to toy with her fingers and then burst into hysterical laughter.

"But you see, you dream so high and try to reach things that can never be yours. I mean, look at you, trying to become the alpha's Luna; a mere omega dares to dream," she mockingly said.

Layla had changed from the loving beta friend who stood by me to a bitch who dared to steal a man she knew was mine. "I don't. Would you explain to me already?" I demanded, and then she sighed and began.

"Before you, Caleb had once been mated to another, only he never marked her; his excuse for rejecting her was that she was a weak omega who he couldn't trust to rule alongside him."

I couldn't seem to be able to comprehend the rest of whatever Elena was saying, as the only thing that kept ringing in my head was.

Alpha Caleb had rejected me because I was an omega, but then, why had he been intimate with me? Was I just a plaything in his eyes?

"Maya, Layla is walking towards us," Elena snapped, waving her right hand in front of my face.

But I paid her no attention; the more I thought about the situation, I found it was mated to me.

"But I'm not surprised he rejected you; if I were you, I'd reject me too."

she said with a wicked grin on her face.

"Don't you dare talk to my sister like that, you bitch," Elena growled at Layla, but I pulled her back. Layla was now above us, and getting on her bad side meant punishment.

"Let's go; I want to leave this place'" I said to Elena, who tried to protest, but looking at me, seeing the frustration on my face, she closed her mouth, held my hand, and dragged me further away from Layla.

"I need some water; could you get me some?" I asked Elena. We were in the warehouse of the hotel and had sat in silence for over 25 minutes since we got here after fleeing Layla. Elena didn't say a word; she just sat there for me.

"Sure, let me fetch you some water." She said and made her way out of the warehouse, but soon after, she came rushing back in, panicking.

"Maya, you have to run, right now," Elena said, roughly tugging at me.

"What's wrong?" I asked, confused and not understanding what she meant.

Elena moved closer to me and then, in a low tone and with a sense of urgency, repeated, "You have to leave Nightshade right now."

"Why?" I asked in a more serious tone.

"I can't explain much now, but Layla is dead-no, she's murdered-and Caleb seems to believe it's your doing, and now, the whole pack is on the hunt for you," Sheila said, pacing around in front of me as she rushed her words, but they were clear enough.

A lot of thoughts rushed through my mind, a lot of questions I knew better not to ask because Elena wouldn't have answers to them.

Why was I to be hunted? Why was I suspected? Why should I run? And more importantly, where was I supposed to run to?