Forsaken Luna, Cherished by the Rival Alpha King

Selena Vale's POV:

Pale light fell through the windows and cast shadows over the carpet.

The moon was full.

For werewolves, a full moon stirred a restless heat, making the urge to mate hard to ignore.

I studied my reflection in the mirror.

My nightgown was so thin that it barely covered me, and the fabric followed the shape of my waist and breasts.

Just beneath my collarbone, I had dabbed on a little white tea perfume. Ethan Sterling had loved that scent three years earlier.

We had just registered our mate bond with the Werewolf Council when he pulled me into his arms and told me the scent made him feel safe.

A click from the lock drew me out of the memory. Ethan had come home.

I tried to calm my restless wolf before going over to him.

"You're back." I reached up and gently placed my hand on his shoulder.

An ache settled low in my belly as the full moon's pull grew stronger. The throbbing between my thighs wouldn't stop, and my underwear was already damp.

My wolf's instincts urged me to mate with him and take a true mark.

I stretched up to kiss the side of his neck, aiming for the sensitive gland where an Alpha received a mark.

He pulled away before I could reach him, his face making it clear the kiss was unwelcome.

"What the hell are you wearing?"

I could hear the disgust in his voice.

"The moon's full tonight," I replied, trying to sound calm. "It's been so long since we..."

"Is this how the Luna of the pack behaves? Throwing herself at me like a bitch in heat?" He interrupted me and pushed my arm away.

His cedar scent suddenly grew so strong that every breath felt sharp in my chest.

He was letting his Alpha pressure bear down on me.

My knees buckled, and my wolf whimpered. Instinct told her to submit to an Alpha as powerful as him.

"We're legally bonded, Ethan." I met his eyes. "Is wanting to be close to you really asking too much?"

After taking off his jacket, he flung it onto the sofa and faced me. "Do you actually want me, or do you just want my mark?" He laughed without a trace of warmth. "You think it'll secure your place as Luna, don't you? Without it, you're afraid the Council of Elders will cast you out because you were born a rogue?"

His fingers closed around my wrist, and he pushed me back. I stumbled and landed hard on the bed.

I tried to get up, but he moved over me before I could.

"You wanted me to mate with you, didn't you?" he asked in a rough, threatening voice.

He grabbed the neckline of my nightgown and pulled hard.

The material ripped, exposing my breasts to the cold air.

He forced my legs apart with his thigh, his breath hot against my collarbone.

Even through his trousers, I could feel his erection pushing against me.

He ran a hand along the inside of my thigh, pulled my underwear out of the way, and rubbed roughly against my clitoris.

"Oh..." I let out a moan before I could stop myself.

The contractions low in my belly intensified. My body's eagerness shamed me, but I still wanted him inside me.

I leaned my head back and shut my eyes, preparing to let him take me.

Then I picked up a smell I didn't recognize. Beneath his scent was a faint musk that smelled sickly sweet.

I knew a she-wolf left that scent on an Alpha after they'd mated.

Nausea rolled through me.

Just then, a single buzz came from his phone on the nightstand.

Light spread across the display.

He briefly stopped moving.

I looked toward the phone when he did. Lila Vance's name was on the screen.

Her message was easy to read. "Are you coming back to my place tonight?"

Neither of us made a sound.

My wolf gave a sharp, grief-stricken howl. Her desire disappeared, and she sank down and closed her eyes.

I'd spent three years trying to prove I was worthy of the home Ethan had offered me. The thought left me bitter. His coldness hadn't been part of his nature after all. He'd simply come to me from another woman's bed.

I felt so disgusted that I no longer wanted him anywhere near me.

"Get off me!" I pressed my palms against his chest and shoved with all my strength.

He hadn't been expecting that. He staggered back a step, then frowned as though my reaction offended him.

After looking over the wrinkles in his shirt, he took his time adjusting his cuffs.

"Enough of this nonsense," he snapped, pulling out his wallet and tossing a bank card toward me.

"You'll get twice the money you usually get this month." His gaze returned to me. "Spend tomorrow shopping for jewelry. Have some friends over if you're bored. Keep yourself busy with your duties as Luna and quit making things difficult for me."

I carefully eased myself onto the edge of the bed and gathered the torn nightgown over my chest. "Is that what you think of me? That I'll put up with anything for your money and a title?"

"You owe everything you've got to the Stormclaw Pack." He stared at me coldly. "You couldn't manage a day without me. Face reality."

Without another word, he left and slammed the door.

For a long time, I remained on the bed with my eyes fixed on the black card.

Eventually, I took my phone and called a friend.

"What's going on, Selena? Why are you calling so late?" Nora Quinn still sounded groggy.

I turned toward the windows and the full moon beyond them. "I need an Unbinding Petition drawn up, Nora. I want this mate bond ended, and I don't want to wait any longer than I have to."

Selena's POV:

Morning had already come.

I threw the ripped nightgown into the trash, then turned to my closet and started packing.

Now that I'd made up my mind to file the Unbinding Petition, I had no reason to stay here any longer.

Without warning, the bedroom door flew open.

According to pack law, no one was allowed to enter the Luna's private rooms without permission.

I turned around, confused by the sudden intrusion.

Lila stood casually in the doorway, wearing a blouse that dipped low across her chest.

She came from a pure bloodline and held a high rank in the Stormclaw Pack. She was also Ethan's most trusted aide at the company.

To Ethan's mother and the Council of Elders, Lila was everything a Luna was supposed to be. Her wolf was strong and active, her bloodline was spotless, and they believed she was the only woman truly suited to stand beside Ethan.

To them, I was just a rogue who'd climbed into my position on a contract.

The moment Lila walked into the room, a strong scent hit me.

Ethan's familiar cedar scent clung to her, mixed with the heavy musk of a she-wolf in heat and the unmistakable smell of sex.

"What are you doing here?" I asked coldly.

Lila ignored the question and walked straight into my closet instead, slowly looking over the rows of expensive dresses.

"After Ethan left your room last night, he came straight to me." She glanced back at me with a smug smile while playing with the edge of her collar.

As she moved, I could clearly see the marks across her neck and collarbone. Red bruises covered her skin, and several dark bite marks trailed down beneath the neckline of her blouse.

"He completely lost control last night," Lila said softly. "When he turned me over, he was so rough I thought he'd snap me in half. He went so hard that even my legs are still shaking."

My stomach twisted with disgust.

Inside me, my wolf growled low, furious.

"Are you finished?" I looked at her without any expression. "If you are, get out."

Lila clearly didn't like how little her words affected me.

She drifted toward the couture gown I only wore for official pack ceremonies and ran her fingers over the embroidery.

"Selena, you've been holding onto this position for three years. Aren't you tired of pretending it still means something?" She turned to me with open contempt in her eyes. "On paper, you're the Luna. That's all. You're rogue-born, Ethan has never given you a real mark, and you still think he actually wants you? Every time he touches you, he's probably just thinking about shutting the Elders up."

She stepped closer. "I'm different. Last night, his wolf was practically losing its mind over me. Ethan needs a she-wolf who can actually give him what he wants, not someone who just stands beside him and looks the part."

The ambition written all over her face was almost laughable.

I walked over and knocked her hand away from my gown. "Don't touch my things with those filthy hands. And if you really think sleeping with Ethan once is enough to make you Luna, you're even more delusional than I thought."

I gave her a cold smile and looked at the marks covering her neck. "If he wanted you that badly last night, then why didn't he leave an actual mark on your scent gland?"

Lila's face immediately twisted with anger, and she glared at me through clenched teeth. "What the hell are you so proud of? He'll mark me eventually! Once he finally throws a worthless bitch like you out of the pack..."

"Until the Council officially dissolves our bond, I'm still the Luna of the Stormclaw Pack," I cut her off before she could finish. "And you? You're just a convenient body he uses when he feels like getting off. So get out of my room."

Lila shook with rage and lifted her hand to hit me.

"What the hell are you doing?" A cold voice came sharply from the doorway.

Ethan stood there with a deep frown, looking from Lila to me.

Lila dropped her hand immediately. "Alpha..." Her voice softened into a wounded whine as she hurried toward him. "I only came to check on Luna, but she..."

She held the back of her hand and stopped there, making herself look too frightened to continue.

"Selena, haven't you made enough trouble already?" Ethan walked into the room and stepped in front of Lila without hesitation. "I already doubled your allowance. What else do you want from me? Stop taking your anger out on everyone around you. Is this really how a Luna is supposed to act?"

I looked at Ethan, the man I'd spent the last three years loving.

"How am I supposed to act?" A bitter smile touched my lips. "She walks into my bedroom smelling of your mating scent, just so she can rub it in my face, and somehow I'm the one you want to lecture?"

"She came here because she was worried about you!" Ethan snapped as the weight of his Alpha aura filled the room. "Listen to yourself. You're acting completely unreasonable."

He pointed toward Lila. "Apologize to Lila. Right now."

I stared at him without saying a word. There was no anger left in me. No hurt either. Even the crushing pain from last night had disappeared.

I picked up the travel bag I'd already packed and zipped it closed.

"Ethan, you don't just disgust me-you've made me see what a blind fool I've been for the last three years."

I lifted the bag onto my shoulder and walked toward the door.

When I passed him, I stopped for a moment and looked him straight in the eyes. "You don't have to throw me out. I'm leaving because I want to. Whoever wants the Luna title can have it."

Then I walked out of the room without looking back.

Selena's POV:

A tall black iron fence stretched along the edge of the Sterling Estate.

I pulled my suitcase behind me while the wheels scraped steadily over the pavement.

Cold wind stung my face, carrying the damp chill that always seemed to settle over Sretmont.

Once I got through those gates, I'd finally be away from Ethan's control, even if it was only for a little while.

"Sorry, Luna." Two guards dressed in black stepped in front of me and blocked the way out.

"Open the gate." I stopped and looked straight at them.

"Alpha gave us orders. You're not allowed to leave the estate without his permission," said the guard on the left, standing firmly in front of the exit.

"I'm not a prisoner." I tightened my grip on the suitcase handle. "Move."

"Please just go back. Don't make this harder than it has to be."

Instead of backing off, the guard stepped closer. Then he shot out a thick arm and reached for my wrist, clearly intending to drag me back inside.

Disgust hit me immediately. I jerked my arm away and leaned back to escape his grip.

I backed away too fast, missed my footing, and stumbled into the middle of the driveway.

At that exact moment, tires screeched against the asphalt, and the sharp smell of burnt rubber filled the air.

I snapped my head around and saw a sleek black Maybach stop less than half a meter from my knees.

If the driver had reacted even a second later, the car would've hit me.

The guard looked shaken by how close it had been and quickly reached down to help me up.

Then the rear window of the Maybach slowly lowered.

No one said anything. The first thing that reached me was a powerful scent of fir and tobacco, mixed with the heavy pressure of an Alpha's presence. His pheromones filled the space around us so quickly that the air itself seemed to tighten.

A sharp whine came from my wolf deep inside me.

Instead of shrinking back, she fought against me, restless and agitated. It wasn't fear-more like a physical shudder being forced awake inside my chest.

My knees nearly gave out. Heat tightened low in my stomach while a strange rush traveled up my back.

I locked my jaw, steadied myself, and turned toward the lowered window.

Someone was sitting in the rear seat.

Dark hair framed a sharply defined face, and a perfectly cut black suit covered his broad frame. The first thing that caught my attention, though, was the unusual gray of his eyes.

Nothing about the way he sat looked tense. Even so, the power surrounding him pressed down on everyone nearby.

There was no mistaking who he was. Adrian Blackthorn, Alpha of the Darkcrest Pack, was also Ethan's strongest competitor in business.

That explained why he was here. He must've come for the negotiations taking place at the estate.

Not a single apology came from him for the close call. He simply remained inside the car and studied me with an expression I couldn't read.

"Luna, please come back here!" The guard finally seemed to realize exactly who was inside the car, and panic crossed his face.

Two quick strides brought him beside me, and his hand shot toward my arm. "You're blocking Alpha Adrian. Get back inside before this gets worse!"

He immediately turned toward the car and put on a polite smile. "Please excuse this."

Under Adrian's suffocating gaze, the guard's movements turned rough.

Before he could grab me again, I lifted the papers in my hand and held them directly in front of him.

"Section Seven of the Stormclaw Pack Council's Mate Bond Act is very clear. Unless the pack is at war, an Alpha can't keep his mate confined against her will." I kept my voice even and looked him straight in the eye. "Lay a hand on me again, and I'll file a complaint with the Council for unlawful confinement. When their investigators come asking questions, do you really think Ethan is going to risk himself to protect a guard who went too far?"

The guard's arm stopped halfway toward me.

For all his loyalty to Ethan, he was still only a guard. Getting the Werewolf Council involved was a problem he couldn't afford.

"But our Alpha ordered us to..." His voice faltered.

"Then he can answer for his own orders." I knocked his arm aside before he could finish.

With that, I tightened my grip on the suitcase and headed for the gates without slowing down.

He stayed behind me, furious and helpless, but this time he didn't try to touch me.

Only after I'd crossed beyond the estate did I stop and glance over my shoulder.

The Maybach was still waiting. Through the open window, Adrian's attention had shifted from me to the papers still clutched in my hand.

There was too much distance between us for me to figure out what that look meant.

A moment later, he seemed to lose interest. The window rose, the engines started again, and the line of vehicles continued into the estate.

I turned away first, tucked the papers into my bag, and kept walking without looking back.