Claimed by The Mafia and Alpha King

LUNA ASTERBELLE'S POV

Today marks the third day before my debut. I have anticipated the celebration to the point that I have prepared for it for two months, even though the invitations are already ready and are just waiting to be handed out to them. Since the day that I was born, I have been eager to get to know my wolf. I'm sure that it will show itself on my eighteenth birthday.

"Hey, Yve..." I softly called my friend's name as we were both crossing the road while the signals were still allowing us to walk.

"Hmm?"

"Have you ever encountered your wolf? You're already at your legal age, right?" I asked her out of pure curiosity as I faced her.

Yve turned around the corner before she grabbed me by the wrist. "Don't tell me that you still haven't met yours?" She gasped as I shook my head twice with a hint of disappointment. "Oh my... As far as I know, I've been living with my wolf since about two to three years ago, even though I still haven't celebrated my debut," Yve answered my query.

It was the first time I heard about it. I can't help but feel saddened. "What if mine never shows up? Would I end up being abandoned by my parents and be thrown out of our pack house?"

Yve hit my head with her bare palm. "Don't be so negative, Luna. Your name says it all; you might be some ferocious Alpha's Luna. You just have to be patient; your birthday is upcoming too. Keep your hopes up, okay? Your parents would never be ashamed of you even if you end up without a wolf," she said with a cheeky smile planted on her lips.

I was affected by her positive energy, and her words made me motivated. "Thanks, Yve!" I embraced her before we decided to proceed to our destination.

We're supposed to head to the nearest cafe in our neighborhood for our group meeting. There are about eight students from the same class who promised that they would attend, excluding the two of us, which makes us ten members in total. The deadline for our project's submission is already next week, but considering that my birthday is about to come before it, I wanted to finish this as soon as possible.

Less than half an hour passed, and Yve and I arrived at Lucio's Cafeteria. I instantly got to smell the fragrance of the surroundings right after I opened the door. A bell resounded as the door creaked open as the both of us crossed the threshold.

"Luna, Yve!" I heard our classmates calling us.

The moment that I saw a group of people waving their hands at us, I headed over to where they were sitting. "Haven't you made an order yet?" I questioned as I placed both of my palms above the table to grab all of their attention.

"Andrea already did; she even paid for all of the orders," Joseph answered. He was chuckling as he nudged his shoulder against Andrea's waist.

It was kind of bothersome for me to witness, but I didn't mind since they were a couple. I wouldn't have sat idly in the same spot if I knew that they weren't in a romantic relationship, since I would already consider it a form of harassment even without her signal.

"Let's start discussing our plans for tomorrow, as well as the materials and the responsibilities of each one of us. I'm the leader here, so I hope that you will all be cooperative," I announced.

All of them replied with a yes, so I began to recall the main objective of our project. About fifteen minutes passed, and parfaits were brought to our table. There were a huge variety of drinks as well; of course, there weren't any alcoholic beverages since not all of us were permitted to drink.

My eyes felt itchy at the same time that I got this weird feeling that something was approaching, not knowing what it was or who it would be.

"What is that?" I heard someone ask from behind. I chose to listen rather than look at whoever spoke. "Isn't that a wolf?"

I almost choked myself when I heard what the man said. I instantly focused on what he was pointing out.

"Hey, Luna. Are you alright?" Emily asked; she must have noticed that I was acting out of the ordinary.

"Y-yeah..." I whispered.

I gritted my teeth when I confirmed that the man wasn't mistaken. There really was a werewolf standing outside of the cafe, even though it was still broad daylight. It's a mystery to me how the people outside weren't even in a state of panic.

But weren't werewolves not allowed to be in this city? I'm pretty much sure that they have their own territories, and only humans who still haven't found their own wolves are permitted to stay here until they graduate.

"A-ahh!" Andrea screamed out of her lungs. It was quite deafening for me to hear since she was just right beside me.

Before I even got to turn my head around to ask what was wrong, blood splattered all throughout our table. I knew that the werewolf had killed a classmate of mine, but I was literally frozen in my seat. Everyone ran away from the cafe. Men didn't care about the women and children that they were bumping into, as they prioritized their own safety. Some escaped through the windows since the exits were occupied.

"Luna, snap out of it! We have to run! Yve yelled directly in front of me as she was reaching for my arm.

I was dragged by Yve away from where we were. I looked back to our seats and saw that it was Joseph who was getting slaughtered by the werewolf. My lips parted in realization that the silhouette that I saw from the window was merely a trick for the wolf to get into the cafe without being noticed.

"J-Joseph... We have to save Joseph," I stuttered as I forcefully stopped Yve from her tracks.

"What are you saying? He's already a goner!"

"But Andrea..."

"At least once in a while, think of yourself rather than anyone else. Don't be stubborn if you don't want to end up in the same situation as Joseph. Yve cut off whatever I was about to say.

Authority was evident in the tone of her voice, but I know that she's also scared. Even though her eyes weren't faltering, I knew that Yve's soul was screaming with fear as well.

LUNA ASTERBELLE'S POV

Both of my legs were getting wobbly; I felt like my own body would soon betray me, and I would end up dragging Yve into despair with me. I have thought about it for a few minutes, and I know that I shouldn't stay with Yve if I don't want to place her life in danger.

"If you're planning to cast me away, it's useless," Yve muttered.

I was about to push her chest so that she would be forced to let go of my wrist, but I guess that I'm such an open book. I couldn't think of any other way for her to let go of me, so I let her be. We were stuck in the middle of the crowd, and even though this is just an average cafeteria, there are a lot of people who are considered regulars here because of their outstanding menu.

My friend was the one leading the way while I was focusing my whole attention on the werewolf, who had just recently finished off Joseph. It was only a matter of time before it was able to reach our destination; the wolf was now in front of me. "Y-Y-Yve," I stuttered her name as my teeth were shaking.

The wolf threw away the people who were getting in its way.

"What?!" Yve shouted due to the commotion, thinking that I would not be able to hear her voice.

The moment that I sensed her grip getting tighter, I knew that she saw the same wolf who was inches away from us.

"Take this chance to escape, Yve. I'll handle things here," I said with a brave face.

An instant of regret flushed through my mind when it slashed my left arm with such a strong impact. It was enough to make the two of us hit our backs against the wall. I had Yve behind me, so I wasn't that hurt. She was the one who suffered a lot; her knees were scraped, and I know that her body wasn't in the right condition.

"H-hey, get up," I whispered to her ear as I carefully assisted her to stand up. I winced in pain from the blow that I received from the wolf. "I told you to run."

"Why would I abandon a friend of mine? And besides, you don't even have a wolf within you!" Tears began to stream down her cheeks, heading down to her neck.

I know that I am completely defenseless against this insane creature, but if I don't end up sacrificing myself, I will lose Yve. I took advantage of the fact that she can no longer walk properly without anyone's assistance. I stepped forward towards the wolf and gave him a death glare.

"What do you want? Why are you creating a mess in our city?" I politely asked him.

"Luna."

My face flushed as heat rose up to my head. I didn't know if he was referring to me or if it was some Alpha or Beta's Luna.

He raised his claw and pointed a finger at me. "Luna," he repeated.

My eyebrows furrowed as I heaved out a sigh. "Can't you say anything else other than Luna?"

I was sent flying through mid-air in my second inquiry; he used his muscular legs to kick me in the stomach. He must have noticed that I was just buying enough time for the people inside the cafeteria. It felt like my bones got dislocated; my frail body was numb. I could no longer muster up the strength to stand on my own two feet. The only thing that I could do was watch him walk closer and closer to me, trapping me in the corner.

Closing my eyes in fear of what would happen to me, I heard Yve's continuous wailing as she pleaded for help to save me. There were no footsteps approaching my direction; maybe it was time for me to accept what my fate is...

That I would die without reaching my legal years and without transforming into a werewolf. I still had a lot of ambitions in life. I wanted to repay my parents for everything that they had done for me. I wanted to prove to them that all of their blood and sweat weren't for nothing. That I would end up becoming someone's queen, someone's luna.

I tilted my head sideways as I could literally sense his hot breath directed at my neck. He kept on sniffing me from whatever part of my body. "D-dont kill me..." Disgust for myself and fear for my life were the things that stuck in my mind as I uttered those three words.

Despite the cold temperature from the air conditioning inside the cafeteria, a strong wind of heat flowed inside. It brushed off my skin, and after a few seconds, I unconsciously opened my eyes. Only to witness that the werewolf was no longer in front of me.

And instead of a hungry beast, a man covered in a black hoodie gained my attention. "Who are you?" I'm certain that he was the one who sent such an impactful presence that made me open my eyes.

Before I even got to hear his response, Yve came running in my direction and pulled me away from the corner of the cafe. She immediately brought me out of that place, even though something was giving me the urge to go back. That warm sensation that I felt earlier was the first for me; I haven't sensed it from anyone else.

"I have to go back. I must know the identity of that man!" I told Yve, but she just wouldn't budge.

"Have you gone insane as well, Luna? I told you to snap out of it already!" Yve didn't hesitate to slap me twice with the same hand.

My heart was thumping in milliseconds, and I couldn't get it back to its normal state no matter how many times I breathed in and out as calmly as I could. I've been feeling mixed emotions just because of that unknown man's appearance: excitement, anxiety, and even this nonstop heating sensation from deep within my soul.

He must have some connection with me, but why?

LUNA ASTERBELLE'S POV

Days have passed since the cafeteria incident. The entire class mourned for the loss of Joseph, and we have also offered our condolences to his family. The school's administration promised that they would be compensated with the finances of his burial and that they were at fault because we had to set up a meeting for our project.

I couldn't sleep for the entire night after that tragedy; I was feeling guilty. I was the leader, and I knew that I owned and carried a huge responsibility for Joseph's death because I scheduled that group meeting. His parents and even Andrea might be blaming me up to this point, which is why I chose to lock myself up in my room.

"Luna, your party will start in less than three hours. Are you sure that you wouldn't attend?" Mrs. Asterbelle asked from the other side of the door.

"I'm not sure, Mrs. Asterbelle," I replied with honesty. "Please tell Mr. Asterbelle that I will just be a little bit late."

I had to treat the both of them with the utmost respect since my parents were the king and queen of the Blood Moon Pack and I was considered their only daughter. I wasn't originally born in this place, and I was just adopted by the Asterbelles. No matter how much they wanted to have their own child, Mrs. Asterbelle was unfortunate to be given the curse of not getting impregnated by her mate.

I wasn't able to get any hints as to who my real parents were, but I just let it pass by. I was content with the current family that I had inside this pack house of mine. After carefully considering whether I'd attend or not, I mustered up the courage to take a shower and prepare for my celebration.

"Which one do you prefer, Lady Luna?" an Omega who was assigned to me asked.

She placed her hands on two gowns that were worn by mannequins. One was pure red and seemed to be alluring to the eyes of many, while the other was a simple dress that was sparkling due to the variety of accessories. Believing that I would be able to transform into my werewolf form later on, I decided to go on with the simple dress that would not gather much attention. Besides, it would be a waste if I wore the red gown since it would just be ruined and torn apart.

The caretaker assisted me into wearing the dress; her hands were too gentle, as if she were taking care of something fragile. She was also the one who gave my make-up a retouch. The only thing I refused from her was her suggestion of giving me 3-inch heels. No matter how short it may seem, I just can't walk properly without a pair of flat sandals.

I wouldn't want to embarrass myself in front of so many people that I treasure.

An hour went by before I arrived at the venue where my debut would be held. I could see Yve standing in front of the gate; she was most probably waiting for my appearance.

"Hey." I shortly greeted her with a peck on her cheeks.

"It's almost your special day, Luna. Don't worry about what happened the other day and just celebrate your heart out," Yve cheerfully said, in an attempt to lift my hopes up.

I gave her a faint smile as I nodded my head to her and just made my way inside the ballroom. Everyone seemed to be luxurious; of course, my parents wouldn't dare invite anyone who was in the lower class. It would have been great if they were here, but they told me earlier that an emergency had occurred and that they needed to protect the common wolves since the guards were away.

Speaking of which, I can't wait to see what my appearance will be as I transform into a wolf later on! I wonder if I would immediately find my mate; I heard that mates would come looking for one another unless I am a stealer.

I was making sure that each of the ones that came to my party were getting entertained when Yve called me while she was holding the logbook of attendees. "Why is Jerome the only one blacklisted in your event?" she asked as she raised a brow at the same time that she lent me the logbook.

I didn't know what the right words were to describe our current situation. It has been a couple of years since the last time that I saw Jerome. When I knew that he had transferred schools, I was genuinely delighted, as I was bullied by him from time to time. He never told me the reason why he was rude to me, but I always sensed this strong bloodlust emitting from the way that he touched me.

"We just don't get along," I reasoned. Even though I'm always the type of person to be considerate, Jerome was the only exception.

Yve sighed as she shook her head. "He hasn't been in contact with you for years. There's the possibility that he might have been slaughtered by a rampaging wolf on the outskirts of Grimstone. This might be the time for you to just forgive and forget about him, as his soul might not be able to rest in peace," she persuaded me.

Silence surrounded the entire place as the chandeliers began to lose their light. My chest tightened, and I felt like something was suffocating me to death. The crowd panicked when every source of electricity went down.

I couldn't see anything.

"You have no right to enjoy this celebration of yours," said an unfamiliar voice who spoke just right beside my ear.

He gave me goosebumps, and I was instantly frozen where I was standing when the electricity came back at the same time that I saw him.

Those ferocious eyes... I can't be mistaken; it's him.

"Jerome..." I mentioned his name as I gulped, drops of sweat flowing through my forehead.