Begging the Rejecting Luna Back

SYDNEY'S POV

I received a pornographic video.

"Do you like this?"

The man speaking in the video is my mate and husband,Alexander Torres, the Alpha of the?Nightscar Pack, whom I haven't seen for several months. He is naked, his shirt and pants scattered on the ground, thrusting forcefully on a woman whose face I can't see, her plump and round breasts bouncing vigorously. I can clearly hear the slapping sounds in the video, mixed with lustful moans and grunts.

"Yes, yes, fuck me hard, Alpha," the woman screams ecstatically in response.

"You naughty she-wolf!" Alexander growls, his voice low and predatory. He stands up and flips her over, slapping her buttocks as he speaks. "Stick your ass up!"

The woman giggles, turns around, sways her buttocks, and kneels on the bed.

I feel like someone has poured a bucket of ice water on my head. It's bad enough that my mate is having an affair, but what's worse is that the other woman is my own sister, Bella.

I let the video play, watching and listening to the two of them having sex, my disgust being provoked time and time again. Every time I hear their moans, my heart feels like it's being stabbed.

My wolf,?Aria, growls inside my mind, her voice sharp and furious.?'How dare he betray you like this? He's your mate!'

I suppress Aria's rage, forcing myself to stay calm.

The cheating continues. After a few more slaps, he grabs her buttocks, thrusts his cock deep into her, and starts pounding vigorously.

After a few more thrusts, Alexander and Bella moan together as they climax. They collapse on the bed, kissing .

"Do you treat my sister like this in bed too?" Bella's coquettish voice rings out, her tone dripping with mockery.

"Don't mention her," Alexander's ruthless voice echoes through the video, his Alpha authority making his words cut deeper. "I haven't even kissed her, she can't compare to you at all."

"I knew you only loved me!" Bella smiles satisfied, hooking Alexander's neck, leans in to kiss him, and says, "I want to do it again!"

Seeing them rolling together again, I feel a wave of nausea and can't watch anymore. I angrily press the pause button, swallowing hard.

I am very clear, this video must have been sent by Bella. She wants to tell me that she still holds Alexander in her grip, and I am powerless against it. Apart from a mating bond and title, Alexander and I don't resemble a mated pair at all. Bella indeed knows how to twist the knife further.

Three years ago, My father, Michael, the Alpha of the Shadowmoon Pack, had made a disastrous investment that left our pack's company bankrupt. The funding chain was broken, and he owed a massive debt to the pack. To salvage the situation, he had no choice but to arrange a marriage alliance with the Nightscar Pack. Alexander's wealth and influence were the only lifeline left for our pack.

On that fateful day I never imagined was going to begin the worst turning point of my life, all was made ready to celebrate the union of Bella and Alexander. It was only mere minutes to the mating ceremony when Bella disappeared (or at least found out she was gone). Bella was nowhere to be found.

My parents, who were desperate to salvage the embarrassment and save face in front of the pack or whatever it was they were trying to protect that day, turned to me. They told me to put on my sister's ceremonial dress, to take Bella's place at the altar.

There was no room for argument, neither was I given the choice to say no. I was to be the figurehead, the stand-in mate who'd fulfill the ceremony in Bella's absence. There were no words of blessing and no well-wishes for a happy future. Instead, all I received were instructions to "be a good Luna."

This was how it all started.

I was left numb, standing there in the borrowed ceremonial dress to exchange vows with a man I barely knew. It felt as though my dreams and aspirations were suddenly overshadowed by the harsh reality of my circumstances. Like my life had been snatched away from me in an instant, and I barely recalled what happiness felt like after that day. I was constrained in every sense of the word.

Did I say this was how it all started?

No, I think it actually dated way back to when I was three and had unfortunately gone missing. For eighteen long years, I lived away from my pack and family. Growing older. As I grew older, from being a pup, to a young wolf, I kept searching for my roots again. And when my long-awaited dream of reuniting with my pack became reality, it was nothing like I'd expected.

There was no joyous reunion, no tears of happiness.

Instead, I was met with something close to indifference.

As if I were a stranger who had wandered into their lives. My parents seemed to have moved on from me after all those years I was gone. All the love they had was for Bella; barely any left for me.

I guess there was nothing left, in fact, because if there was, I would at least be pitied enough to have been told that Bella had returned from abroad and had somehow found her way into my mate's arms.

Almost immediately, my phone buzzed with an incoming video call from Bella. I didn't want to answer it at first, but ended up swiping green. Bella's face popped up on the screen, sitting in the same room from the video with a towel wrapped around her body.

"Hi, hope you're having a happy day over there," Bella chirped with a smug smile.

She moved the phone's camera around to show more of the room, and in the background, I caught a faint glimpse of Alexander walking into the bathroom.

"Guess who's going to die a pathetic old virgin? Not me!" She laughed callously.

I silently clenched my teeth. I was reeling with annoyance from the insult.

"He doesn't deserve you," she added. "He deserves better. And I'm what's perfect for him, darling."

There was no way I was going to listen to any more of that. I angrily ended the call and flung the phone to the bed, then burying my head in my hands.

I'd had enough. I wasn't going to sit still and let myself be dragged to the ground like a piece of rag any longer.

By the time Alexander would return to the house, it was already well into the night. I sat on the cold tiles of the living room, hanging my chin on my palm and nearly dozing off when I heard the sound of the front door clicking.That familiar musky scent of his filled the air, but beneath it, I could swear I caught the faint trace of Bella's perfume.

My eyes blinked open, and I raised my head, locking a blank gaze with his face. There was that brick-hard look on his face which he always had when I was around. To think of how he was grinning from ear-to-ear earlier with Bella.

After our mating ceremony, everything I'd been told by my parents to do, I did. Both taking care of his pack,his daily life, and several other things that couldn't be counted, all for three years. It started happening frequently, that it became a ritual, like a dance of habit ingrained in my daily routine. Alexander also accepted it without question. But not for one day did Alexander spare me as much as a second glance.

My wolf, Aria, growled low in my mind, her voice sharp with resentment.?

"Three years, Sydney. Three years of giving everything, and for what? A title? You are Luna in name only, and even that title feels like a chain."

"I know, Aria,I'm tired-tired of living up to everyone else's expectations. I just want to be free."

Alexander shut the door behind him and began walking into his room. Treating me as usual like I was invisible, and for the first time, I spoke.

"I want to break the mating bond."

He turned to face me, an incredulous look on his face.

"What are you talking about?"

"I don't want this title of Luna anymore," I answered without mincing words.

That day three years ago, when I stood in that white dress, and him in his tuxedo, a congregation of pack members behind us and the pack elder in front of us, I saw that calm look of restrained anger in his eyes when he saw that it was not Bella behind the veil, but me.

I remember my chest tightening behind the ceremonial necklace I was wearing. The way his stare burned. How stupid and helpless I felt in that dress. How my parents smiled like they'd not just pushed me out there against my will and the pack cheered with probably no idea of what was going on.

"You may now seal the bond," the pack elder announced.

Alexander leaned closer towards me, but not for a mark, he merely brushed his face past my cheek and spoke into my ear, "The only thing you can get is the title of Luna."

And that title is what I was giving back to him. I didn't want it anymore. I wished I'd never let myself take it in the first place. I'd let go of too much of myself and endured more than I needed to. It was the height of it already.

"I want to break the mating bond, Alexander," I repeated myself in case he didn't hear me the first time-even though I knew he'd heard me clearly.

He stared at me with a frown before answering coldly, "It's not up to you! I'm the Alpha, and I don't have time for this nonsense. Don't waste my time with such boring topics, or try to attract my attention!"

How typical of him to believe that I was trying to get his attention. I hadn't attracted that so-called attention of his for over three years, and it's when I mention "breaking the bond" that he remembers it.

The last thing I was going to do was argue or bicker with him.

"I will have Beta Johnson send the mating bond dissolution papers to the The Elders council," was all I said, as calmly as I could muster.

He didn't even say another word after that and just went through the door he'd been standing in front of, slamming it harshly behind him. My eyes lingered on the knob of the door a bit absentmindedly before I pulled the wedding ring off my finger and placed it on the table. Don't even ask why I had it on in the first place.

I grabbed my suitcase, which I'd already had my things packed in, and headed out of the house. The wind outside felt different afterward, like a heavy burden was being lifted off my shoulders for the first time in a very long while. The feeling of the night breeze blowing through the strands of my hair was immaculate.

Grabbing my phone from my purse and swiping my fingers quickly across the screen, I put the phone to my ear, hearing it ring.

"I am done with Alexander, come pick me up."

SYDNEY'S POV

The soft wind of the night continued to whip my hair to and fro while I stood outside with my suitcase next to me. I was already out of that house, finally. Not quite far ahead into the streets, I noticed the headlights flashing brightly in my direction, and a faint smile quirked up my lips because I recognized who it was in an instant.

The flamboyant red sports car pulled over right in front of where I stood, and an even more flamboyant woman was in the driver's seat twiddling her fingers at me as she wound down the windows.

It was Grace.

Grace was not only my best friend, she was also my business partner and the daughter of the Alpha of the Nightbloom Pack, a small but fiercely independent pack on the borderlands. We've been inseparable since our college days. And because we both shared a passion for fashion, we both decided to turn our dreams into reality by co-founding Luxe Vogue, a fashion-forward online shopping website that quickly became a favorite among young trendsetters.

Grace had a keen eye for design, so she was in charge of designing stunning clothing collections, while I focused on designing jewelry at our equally jointly-owned studio, Atelier. Atelier was a high-end fashion studio catering to elite clientele. Our business acumen and creative vision catapulted us into the world of high-ranking millionaires.

I knew right when I saw that grin on her lips that she was going to tease me next. Playful banters for us were as natural as breathing. I stepped into the passenger's seat of Grace's car, sighing and immediately clicking my seatbelt in.

"Finally willing to leave that bastard and return to work?" Grace quipped with a mischievous grin.

"I really don't understand why you would waste three years of your life to take care of an asshole who doesn't love you at all."

I rolled my eyes, "Because I was blind, but now I can see. Heard of that song?"

Grace chuckled, starting the car. "Well, I'm glad your eyes are wide open now. We've got a whole lot to run, we can't have you distracted by some guy who doesn't appreciate you."

"You know, Sydney, I have to say this again, that whole 'married'...with that guy? I hated it on you!" She glanced briefly at the gate of Alexander's house. "Gosh, I've been dying to say that."

I chuckled, resting my elbow tiredly on the car door, "Oh please. From the onset, Grace had always hated my marriage to Alexander. She had tried, in her way, to convey her disapproval, both indirectly and directly. There were times when she would come open about it, and other times, it was more subtle, like the way she would hesitate before congratulating me on another anniversary or the way she would change the subject whenever I brought up something related to my marriage. I was glad we could finally freely talk and make jests about it.

"I mean, what was with all those frumpy dresses and sensible shoes? Eww!"

"Grace!" I laughed again.

"Your Ex-mate really had an influence on your wardrobe? I've never seen you in so much beige in my life. And the day I saw you wearing flats with a cocktail dress, trust me, I nearly died."

I burst out laughing again, shaking my head, "Oh, come on. You know I was just trying to fit into the whole 'perfect Luna' image. Never again."

"Thank goodness you're back out of that hole."

I still thought the things she'd said earlier were funny, so I playfully swatted at Grace.

"Hey, but I thought I looked pretty good in those dresses though!"

"Huhn?" Grace funnily raised her upper lip, "Maybe to a blind man."

This reminded me of a function I had attended with Alexander, wearing a dress I'd thought was elegant, which he later deemed too revealing and promiscuous for a Luna. Not only did his insults hurt, but what hurt even more was the public humiliation I faced when others witnessed it too. The incident had reached my parents' ears and led to further embarrassment. I think that's when my wardrobe began to change. I'd been trying to please everyone, especially Alexander and my parents. What a fool I'd been.

I sighed, "Goodness. I missed us."

Grace nodded. "Yeah, me too," she said, stepping on the gas pedal, and as she did, the engine roared to life before dashing out into the road and merging into the flow of traffic.

"So, where are we headed now?"

"To the airport, of course. I've got a sudden urge for a short trip."

"Wow, I thought you were going to come over to my place at least for the night or something," Grace remarked.

I shrugged. "Just want to get away for a bit."

Grace leaned back in her seat, resting a hand on the car door while the other stayed on the steering wheel. "Well, needed anyway."

"That reminds me," Grace said, "A company is interested in buying the website. And I kid you not, it's an insane offer. I'm tempted."

"I'm really not in the mood for work right now. We'll talk about that when I return," I said, glancing at Grace. Grace nodded understandingly. "Totally get it."

I really needed this trip, to get my mind out for a bit, to revel in my freedom from Alexander and the suffocating routine I had fallen into. I knew my parents were going to be mad; they always were when I tried to break loose from their demanding decisions. But I couldn't even care less for whatever was to come. The thought of finally leaving everything behind was just liberating.

Grace pulled into the airport. As the car came to a stop, I unclicked my seatbelt and reached for my handbag, eagerly taking out my phone. I dialed a number and held the phone to my ear.

"I'm here now, where are you?" I spoke first. "Alright, alright," I added as the receiver responded before ending the call.

Grace looked at me curiously. "Who was that?" she asked.

"You'll see," I grinned cryptically. Grace gave me a suspicious look, but didn't probe me any further.

While we waited in the car, a man in a sharp suit approached the car, carrying a briefcase. Immediately recognizing him, I told Grace, "Wait here," before getting out of the car to meet him.

"Good evening," He greeted me professionally and I returned the pleasantries with a nod.

He was Asher, my trusted lawyer from the Shadowmoon Pack, who had helped me draft the formal request to dissolve the mate bond with Alexander.

Asher opened his briefcase and took out an envelope containing the documents. While he did, I glanced back at the car and saw Grace watching curiously.

"Here," he handed me the papers. I glanced through them one after the other, feeling an overwhelming feeling of finality wash down on me.

"Do you need some more time to go through them?" Asher asked. I shook my head, determined. "No, where do I sign?"

He pointed to various areas on the pages, "Here, here," flipping through them, "over here and here," he directed. Then, he handed me a pen.

I signed each page and spot that required my signature. Finally handing the papers back to him along with the pen.

"I'll have Alpha Alexander receive a copy as well and will send yours too," he said as he placed the papers back in his briefcase.

"You can have them sent to my mail."

"Will do," he said."Once the papers are signed, your mate bond dissolution request will be submitted to The Elders council. Provided there are no asset disputes, your mate bond will be officially severed within thirty business days"

I nodded, "Thanks," shaking his hand.

"It's my duty," he replied, smiling.

As I got back into the car and shut the door after me, I let out a heavy sigh. It felt kind of warmer in the car compared to outside.

Grace looked at me, immediately asking, "So, are you going to kill my curiosity now?"

I looked at her and replied, "That was Beta Asher. I signed the formal request to dissolve the mate bond with Alexander.Everything will be easier if I give up my share of the pack's wealth"

Grace's eyes widened, and she let out a dramatic scream, "Are you crazy? You're actually giving up on asking him for compensation? He's the Alpha of the Nightscar Pack, you could get a hundred million in assets!"

I chuckled bitterly, "It doesn't matter. I just want to dissolve this bond as soon as possible! I'm a successful businesswoman by myself; I don't need him to raise my value."

Grace shook her head, "But still, a hundred million." she looked so pained, so much so I nearly chuckled.

I shrugged, "Let him keep his wealth to himself; we're bigger than that anyway. I just want to move on with my life."

"Aww, girl. I totally get it." Grace reached out and squeezed my hand, "I'm here for you, no matter what."

"And that's all that matters to me," I smiled and squeezed her hand in return. We must have looked like two typical best friends acting in some kind of soap opera for a minute.

Grace snapped us out of our little emotional moment. "Alright, let's get your things," she said, getting out of the car to help me pull my suitcase from the backseat and raising the handle tall.

"Tell all the eligible Alphas, the Queen is back!" I announced loudly into the wind.

"Woo-hoo! The Queen is back, everyone!" Grace hooted after me.

Alexander'S POV

I pulled into the driveway of the house, exhausted. Another long day of managing both the pack and the GT Group had left me drained, and all I wanted was to unwind and relax. I stepped out of the car and loosened the collar of my shirt, eager to get inside and finally relax. When I entered the house, I saw Sydney sitting there, staring at me with her usual blank look. I barely spared her a glance while heading straight for my study.

"I want to break the mating bond," Sydney said before I could even reach the sanctuary of my study.

Breaking the mating bond?After I returned home from a long day of exhausting work, I heard my Luna wants to break our mate bond? Ridiculous was the first word that came to my mind, and ridiculous it was indeed. The Shadowmoon Pack, Sydney's pack, had formed an alliance with the Nightscar Pack through our mating bond. As part of the agreement, Sydney's family's company merged with the GT Group, which I owned. This was a contract that benefited both parties in every sense of the word. Sydney was only a woman I'd married, who depended on her parents and me for survival.

Breaking the mating bond, huh? It was obviously her new way of crying for attention, like she was fond of doing. It used to be the pitiful demeanor she carried around her, which was enough to convince an outsider that she was being treated wrongly, even though that had never been the case. We'd been keeping up the mated couple facade for three years already.

Now she was pulling a new stunt, which I wasn't going to fall for.

The next morning, I entered the dining room to have breakfast before leaving, but all I was met with was an empty table. A frown creased my brow as I asked one of the omegas lingering around.

"Where is Luna Sydney? And where's my food?"

"I've not seen her this morning, Alpha," the omega replied. Later on, I got a report from the omegas who'd happened to see her leaving with her suitcase last night. Most of her things were also gone from her room.

Oh. This perhaps had to do with the "Breaking the mating bond "thing she brought up. Did she expect me to fall for it or talk to her about it?

I shrugged off the thought, grabbed my suitcase and jacket, and headed out. She had probably just gone to her parents' house. Where else could she go? They would surely knock some sense into her head about how to be a good Luna and send her back.

My eyes darted up from the files in front of me when Beta Johnson entered the office. Without a word, he placed a file on the table in front of me with a curt bow.

"I think you need to see this, Alpha," he said before stepping back.

I took off my glasses and pulled the file closer, flipping it open to find the emboldened words "Mate Bond Dissolution Request." I frowned, continuing to scan the papers. She had already signed them.

"Thank you, you may leave," I said to Beta Johnson, who bowed again before exiting the room.

Sydney had taken the first step in what seemed like a smart game to her, but to me, it was nonsense.

"When the campaign for a seat on the Alpha Council is in full swing?"I sneered.

The Alpha Council elections were a pivotal moment for our pack, a chance to secure influence and power that could shape our future for generations.

The Alpha Council wasn't just a title-it was a symbol of authority, a position that demanded respect and unity. A fractured mate bond, especially one as public as ours, could undermine everything.

The campaign was already a delicate balancing act-every move scrutinized, every decision weighed against its potential impact. And now this? A public severance of the mate bond would be a scandal, a weakness our rivals would exploit without hesitation.

Besides,did she think I had the time for all this?

The GT Group was not only my pride and joy, but also proof of my years of hard work and dedication. It was a large private equity firm based in Europe that specialized in investing in a variety of sectors like consumer goods, services, fashion, medical, and technology. With over 250 investment projects under our belt, we were a force to be reckoned with in the business world.

It was our third round of fundraising. We needed to secure a staggering $5 billion from investors worldwide. This was a critical moment for my firm, and the next month was going to be a whirlwind of activities. With me having to crisscross the globe and meet with potential investors from New York to Tokyo, London to Hong Kong. The next six months for me were packed with meetings, presentations, and negotiations.

And here someone was, bringing some useless papers to my table.

I angrily gathered up the papers and marched over to the shredder in the corner of my office, feeding them into the shredder and watching the machine devour every single one of them, before settling back down in my seat to resume what was a hundred times more important.

It had been three long months of hectic fundraising for GT Group. I finally returned home to find that Sydney still wasn't there. My nose was hit with a gust of stuffiness when I pushed the door to her bedroom open, and the way everything was completely covered in dust, I could tell that it had been left unoccupied for a long time.

She'd not returned yet?

I angrily stormed out, picked up my phone and dialed her phone number.

"Sorry, the number you're trying to call is no longer in use," came the automated voice through the speaker.

I dialed again.

"Sorry, the number you're trying to-" I cut the call with a grit to my teeth.

"Find her immediately," I turned to Beta Johnson. Get in touch with her parents, whatever you need to do."

Beta Johnson bowed hurriedly and scurried off, while I retreated to my room, both tired and exhausted. She'd successfully added more fuel to my already foul mood. I went into the shower, turned on the tap, let a torrent of cold water rain over my head, and wished all that iciness could take away all the fatigue and frustration I felt.

Stepping out of the shower, I hastily wrapped a towel around my waist just as Beta Johnson's mindlink connected.

"So what really happened?" I demanded, water still dripping from my hair.

"Alpha Michael has no idea where Luna Sydney is. They haven't been in contact for months." The news sent a fresh wave of anger through me. Just because Sydney was their long-lost daughter didn't mean they could shove her into my life as a replacement for Bella. They'd never cared about her-until they needed a stand-in.

"Keep searching,"?I growled. "Her disappearance is probably part of some elaborate scheme to get my attention."

My fist slammed into the desk with a thunderous crack. Inside my mind, my wolf howled in furious protest - an Alpha's pride wounded. Damn Sydney. She'd actually managed to get under my skin, leaving me both furious and... unsettled.

I could only really take care of this after the next 3 months when I returned from my second trip. Before boarding the plane, I gave strict instructions to my Beta, "Find her before I return. If you fail, you'll lose your position."

Beta Johnson nodded at my words and hurried to assist with my suitcase. I paused, turned my head back because something on the table in the corners caught my hand. When I moved closer to see, it was the wedding ring. The ring that was initially meant for Bella but ended up on Sydney's finger.

The ring lost all significance to me since that day three years ago, which was supposed to be one of the happiest days of my life. My chosen mate was not Bella, the wolf I loved, but Sydney, her sister. I felt like such a fool back then, standing in front of the congregation like nothing was wrong. I just had to keep the show going on, and I made it very clear to Sydney that I wasn't going to be accepting her as my mate. She could keep the title for all she cared.

As soon as I'd stepped down from the altar and worn the last round of fake smiles at the guests and photographers at every corner, I got into my car and pulled the damned ring off my finger. In fact, I didn't remember where I'd kept it after that day. I probably flung it off in annoyance.

But Sydney had decided to wear hers. Now that I saw that ring lying there in its own full circle of dust, I couldn't help thinking, maybe Sydney was serious about the 'Breaking the mating bond 'after all.

For the sake of the Nightscar pack's reputation, I've had to maintain this facade of a bond. Everyone believes Sydney and I are chosen mates, that we're star-crossed lovers who fell for each other at first sight. That narrative has brought my company immense profits, and in return, I've never interfered with her role as Luna in managing the pack.

I arrived at the airport, immediately pulling on my sunglasses before stepping out of the car. I was quite popular, and a couple of people would often approach me, stare, or gawk because they recognized me from television or some other outlet.

"I'm sorry, are you so-and-so?" That kind of thing. The glasses were a minimal disguise, but they still did the job to an extent, with me having to add some bizarre mysteriousness to my outfit. While sometimes I'd nod with a smile and try to keep the interactions brief. I was particularly not in the mood today.

I headed towards the boarding gate, through the bustling airport crowd, at the same time checking my wristwatch, when a woman brushed past me. A familiar scent-citrus and floral-drifted into my senses, stirring something deep and unsettling. It almost made me feel nostalgic in a strange kind of way.

I stopped slowly in my tracks. I tried to fight the urge, but I couldn't resist turning my head. Her figure was receding into the distance behind me, and I could not tell if she was someone I knew.

I didn't recall ever seeing that face before.But that scent. it haunted me.