Getting Back My Secret Luna

Allison's POV

Blinding lights seared through my eyelids as I slowly blinked awake, the sharp tang of antiseptic clinging to every breath. Beneath me, stiff hospital sheets rustled as I shifted, and a jagged bolt of pain ripped through my abdomen. My throat was sandpaper.

"Luna Allison?" A nurse with kind eyes approached my bedside. "You're awake."

I tried to sit up, but a sharp stab of pain forced me back down. "What happened?" My voice came out raspy, thin.

The nurse's expression shifted into that practiced, careful sympathy. "I'm so sorry, Luna," she murmured. "Some pack members found you collapsed in a storage room." She paused, as if choosing words that wouldn't break me. "After the exam, we confirmed you were severely malnourished-and you'd pushed your body far past its limit. Your pup. didn't survive. The hemorrhaging was severe, but we've stabilized you."

For a second, I didn't understand the words. My mind tried to translate them into something else-something survivable.

Then they landed.

Hard.

My heartbeat sprinted.

Then it stuttered.

Then it stopped-just long enough for the silence inside me to scream.

My hand instinctively moved to my now-empty womb. The absence felt physical, like someone had scooped me hollow with a spoon and left the edges bleeding.

*Ally, our pup. our little one.*Jasmine's mournful voice resonated within me, my wolf's grief mirroring my own.

"I know," I whispered aloud. "I know, Jas." My lips barely moved. Even speaking felt like it might shatter me.

With trembling fingers, I reached for my phone on the bedside table.My Alpha mate, Lucian needed to know about our lost pup.

*He won't care, *Jasmine growled softly. *He never has. Fenrir doesn't feel our bond. We've known it from the start.*

"We still have to try," I murmured, dialing his number. The screen blurred-either from tears or the way my vision kept refusing to focus on reality.

One ring.

Two rings.

Three.

Each ring was a hammer to my ribs. Each ring made my stomach clench, as if my body still didn't understand it had already lost.

He picked up, but his voice was ice. "What is it, Allison?"

"Lucian, I'm in the hospital," I managed, my voice breaking. "I-"

He sighed. Not shocked. Not heartbroken. Just. annoyed. Like I'd interrupted something important. Like I'd spilled coffee on his schedule.

"I'm in a meeting," he cut me off sharply. "Don't disturb me unless it's important."

My fingers tightened around the phone until my knuckles ached. "But Lucian, our p-"

"Handle it yourself." The line went dead.

I stared at the phone, disbelieving. My pulse roared in my ears. For a moment, I couldn't breathe. Not because of the pain-because of the humiliation. Two years of marriage, and this-this was the mate I'd tried to love?

He left us alone, Jasmine whimpered inside my mind. Even now.

"He never wanted me," I murmured, setting the phone aside with shaking hands. "He never wanted her either." My voice cracked on the last word, like my throat couldn't hold the grief and the truth at the same time.

My mind drifted back, to a time when I'd been so naive, so painfully optimistic. I had secretly adored Lucian Storm since my student days-the most popular Alpha heir in our academy, my silent hero. He probably didn't even remember my name from back then, but he saved me.

After I'd been trapped in that dark, isolated storage room for twelve terrifying hours, it was his keen werewolf hearing that had caught my muffled cries. He found me, he rescued me, and I foolishly believed he noticed me.

That fleeting fantasy, that desperate hope, was exactly why I said yes too fast-when Alpha Victor Storm offered me a place at Lucian's side as his Chosen Luna.

Alpha Victor Storm, Lucian's grandfather, had been severely injured in a rogue attack, and I, purely by chance, had been the one to find him and staunch his bleeding long enough for the pack healers to arrive. His gratitude was powerful and absolute. And gratitude, in the hands of an Elder like Victor, didn't sound like "thank you." It sounded like an order.

Lucian was to take me as his mate.

But on our binding ceremony day, I learned the bitter truth-Lucian hadn't chosen me. He resented me. Not because I'd done something wrong. but because I existed in the space where his choice should've been.

He believed I was the obstacle, an unwanted entanglement, standing between him and the woman he actually wanted. Our marriage happened only because his powerful grandfather demanded it as payment for my unintended heroism. Even the Moon Goddess's blessing couldn't sweeten it for him.

The bond between our wolves, between Fenrir and Jasmine, was too fragile-or maybe too rejected-for his wolf to ever truly feel mine. He saw me not as a partner, but as an inconvenience, a perpetual source of trouble. A duty. A leash. He believed I was a weakness.

The sterile scent of antiseptic clung to the air, but it did nothing to cleanse the ache gnawing inside me. It sat behind my ribs like a stone, heavy enough to make even breathing feel like effort.

An hour later, I couldn't stand lying in bed any longer. The walls of the hospital room seemed to be closing in, suffocating me with each passing minute.

Grief needed motion. If I stayed still, I was afraid I'd dissolve into it.

Despite the nurse's warnings to stay in bed, I carefully swung my legs over the edge, grimacing at the pain that radiated through my abdomen. It wasn't sharp anymore-just a deep, bruising throb, like my body was mourning in its own language.

"I just need to use the bathroom," I told her when she gave me a disapproving look.

She hovered, concern knitting her brows. "Luna, please-take it slowly."

"I am," I promised, though my voice didn't sound convincing even to me. My hands slid along the bed rail, steadying myself like an old woman.

Moving slowly, I made my way to the door, grateful that my room was close to the nurses' station. The hallway was quiet, with only a few staff members moving about.

The hospital smelled like disinfectant and sleep-deprived coffee. A soft squeak followed every step of my socks against the floor, an embarrassing little sound that made me feel fragile.

The bathroom was just around the corner, and I was almost there when familiar voices drifted from the patient rooms across the hall.

"Are you sure you're feeling better now? We can get a second opinion if you're not satisfied with what the doctor said."

I froze, pressing myself against the wall near the corner. Lucian's deep voice was unmistakable.

My pulse leapt.

My scentless wolf trait had always been considered a weakness in the pack hierarchy-no one could sense our presence unless they saw us.

But at this moment, it became my greatest advantage.

Cautiously, I peered around the corner.

There they stood, just outside the consultation rooms. Lucian's arm was wrapped protectively around Heidi's waist, her head resting against his shoulder.

His face was filled with concern, with gentle care that shattered something inside me.

It wasn't even the sight that hurt the most.

It was the softness in him-reserved, apparently, for everyone but me.

"I'm fine, really." Heidi's voice came sweet and breathy, like she was made to be comforted. "Thank you for coming with me, Lucian. I just got so worried when I felt those cramps."

Heidi Lawrence. His college sweetheart. My throat tightened until swallowing felt impossible. My hands went cold. My fingertips tingled.

"I told you I'd be here for you, didn't I?" Lucian's voice lowered, intimate. "Whenever you need me."

Always be there for her. The words echoed cruelly in my mind. He couldn't even listen to me for five seconds when I called to tell him about our pup. and now he was here, holding her, promising her the world.

I backed away quickly, hand clamped over my mouth to stifle the sob rising in my throat.

I caught one more glimpse as I retreated-Heidi's fingers curling into Lucian's shirt, possessive and easy, like she'd never doubted she belonged there.

And Lucian-Lucian let her.

I somehow made it back to my room, collapsing onto the bed as my legs gave out. My hands shook as I wiped at my cheeks, but the tears kept coming. The dull ache in my abdomen flared with every breath, but it was nothing compared to the raw, splintering pain tearing through my soul.

*This isn't right, Ally, *Jasmine urged. *We are not lesser wolves. We deserve a mate who values the bond. who values us.*

I stared at the ceiling, watching the fluorescent light blur into a watery halo. Somewhere between one blink and the next, something inside me shifted.

*Say it,* Jasmine whispered, voice low and lethal. *Name what he did.*

Air scraped my throat.

*He left us.*

A pause.

Jasmine's growl curled around my spine. *And he chose her.*

My fingers closed over my belly-no longer gentle. Protective. Possessive.

"No more," I said, and the two words felt like a lock clicking into place.

Jasmine went still. *And if he comes back?*

My heartbeat steadied. One. Two. Three.

"Then he'll learn," I whispered, "I'm not the Luna he can abandon. I'm the mate he should've feared losing."

Allison's POV

It's been three days since I was discharged and returned to the pack.No one asked how I was. No one checked in.The paperwork waiting for me has already piled up in the study-

As if I were nothing more than a hired housekeeper for the pack,Useful, but never truly seen.

But is that really who I am?

I sat at my desk and stared at my research notes from before my marriage. I had been working on promising studies in traditional herbal remedies that could benefit werewolf healing.My work had been promising enough that Professor Jenkins, my mentor and fellow Moonstone Pack member, had recruited me for his team despite my youth. It had been my passion, my purpose-until meeting Victor Storm had changed everything.

With trembling fingers, I reached for my phone and dialed a number I hadn't called in nearly two years.

"Allison? Is that really you?" Professor Jenkins' familiar voice brought tears to my eyes. The genuine warmth in his tone was such a stark contrast to what I'd grown accustomed to in the Storm Pack.

"Hello, Professor," I managed, trying to keep my voice steady. "I hope I'm not disturbing you."

"Not at all! Gods, it's been ages. The Moonstone Pack has missed you-we all have. "

I swallowed hard. "I miss you guys too, and I'm calling to ask about that confidential three-year research project you mentioned earlier. Is it still going on?"

There was a moment of silence. "The Silvermoon Initiative? Yes, it's entering its second phase now. Do you want to join?!"

"I want in," I said decisively, surprising even myself with the firmness in my tone.

"Allison," his voice turned serious, "are you absolutely certain? This isn't just about the research, is it? What about your position as Luna of the Storm Pack? What about Lucian?"

The mention of his name sent a sharp pain through my chest.

I glanced at the framed photograph on my desk-Lucian and me on our binding ceremony day. His expression was stoic, proper. Mine was full of hope and adoration. I had been so certain that with enough love and patience, I could fill the emptiness in his heart.

I had forgotten that a glass bottle with no bottom could never be filled, no matter how much you poured into it.

"I need this," I whispered, my fingers tracing the cold glass of the frame. "Please, Professor. I need to come home to something that's truly mine."

"If you're sure, then yes, we would welcome you back. Your research was truly groundbreaking, Allison. Just... make certain this is what you want. Once you're in, there's no turning back for the full three years."

After ending the call, I began gathering my old research files, opening folders that had remained untouched since my marriage. Each page filled with my precise handwriting reminded me of who I used to be-a respected researcher with purpose and passion, not a shadow existing in the corners of someone else's life.

My eyelids grew heavy as I worked, the emotional and physical exhaustion of recent weeks finally catching up to me. Eventually, I drifted to sleep right there at my desk.

I woke to the sound of the bedroom door slamming open. The desk lamp cast long shadows across the room as I blinked groggily, trying to orient myself.

"Ally," Lucian's voice slurred from the doorway. The strong scent of whiskey and unfamiliar perfume hit my nostrils, making my wolf growl protectively.

I straightened in my chair, wincing at the stiffness in my neck. "You're drunk."

"Pack celebration," he mumbled, swaying slightly on his feet. His usually perfect appearance was disheveled-tie hanging loose, dark hair tousled, eyes unfocused. "Ryan insisted."

Anger flared within me, hot and sudden. I'd been in the hospital, lost our child, and he was out celebrating with his friends? He hadn't even noticed my absence.

*He reeks of her,* Jasmine snarled inside my mind. *Heidi's scent is all over him.*

It took every ounce of my self-control not to physically recoil. Instead, I stood slowly, my decision crystallizing with each passing second.

"Let me help you to bed," I said coolly, moving to his side and slipping my arm around his waist. The contact made my skin crawl, but I needed him coherent for what was to come.

When we arrived in our bedroom, I helped him sit on the edge of our California king bed, my mind already made up about what needed to be done.

But before I could speak, he pulled me into his arms, his lips finding mine in a hungry kiss.

"Lucian-" I tried to pull away, but he pressed me against the wall, his hands roaming my body with unusual urgency.

"Need you," he mumbled against my neck, his teeth grazing the sensitive skin there. "Need you now."

How dare he come to me after getting cozy with another she-wolf, like nothing ever happened? The thought sent a fresh wave of fury surging through me.

I shoved him away with all my strength, fury blazing through me like wildfire. The crack of my hand across his face echoed in the quiet bedroom.

He stood there, stunned, the red imprint of my palm blooming on his cheek.

"What the-"

"We're done," I said, my voice deadly calm despite the inferno raging inside me.

His expression shifted-shock, raw and unmistakable. His wolf eyes flashed silver as Fenrir surfaced, momentarily cutting through the alcohol haze.

"What are you talking about?"

I laughed bitterly. "I'm done being invisible in my own home."

"Allison, you're not making any sense." He reached for me again, his movements uncoordinated.

I stepped away, creating distance between us. "I want a divorce."

The words hung in the air between us like shards of ice. Lucian stared at me, uncomprehending.

"A divorce?" he repeated slowly, as if testing the unfamiliar concept. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"Trust me, I've never been clearer," I replied, crossing my arms over my chest. "Are you hard of hearing, or just that dense? I said we're getting divorced-should I spell it out slower for you?"

Lucian's POV

For several moments, I simply stared at Allison, unable to fully process what she'd just said. The slap had sobered me somewhat, though my head still felt foggy from the whiskey.

*Is she serious?* Fenrir growled within me, surprisingly disturbed by her declaration.

*She can't be,* I responded internally. *It's just another emotional outburst.*

"What do you mean?" I demanded, my voice dropping to that dangerous timber that usually made lesser wolves cower.

She stood before me, chin raised, those amber eyes burning with a determination I hadn't seen in her for... had I ever seen it? Something about her seemed different-stronger, more resolute. It was almost attractive, if it hadn't been so irritating.

"Are you deaf? I said we're getting a divorce. Is that so hard to understand?!" she spat, her voice carrying a harshness I'd never heard before.

"Divorce?" I finally echoed, a disbelieving smirk forming on my lips. "Is this some kind of game, Allison?"

"No game," she continued, her voice steady despite the tears drying on her cheeks. "I want out of this marriage."

A strange, hollow feeling expanded in my chest, but I quickly dismissed it. This was clearly a ploy for attention-some desperate attempt to make me chase her after what had just happened. Women and their emotional manipulations were all the same, weren't they?

"Playing hard to get now?" I chuckled, loosening my tie further. "A little late for that strategy, isn't it? We've been married for two years."

"This isn't a strategy," she said, moving away when I stepped closer. "It's a decision."

*She's serious,* Fenrir growled within me, surprisingly upset. *Our mate is leaving us.*

*She's not our true mate,* I reminded my wolf. *Just a convenience.*

Yet something about her resolve made me uneasy. I was used to Allison being compliant, accommodating-the perfect silent partner who kept my home running smoothly while I built our empire. This defiance was new, and I didn't care for it.

"Don't be dramatic," I said dismissively. "You've had a perfect life here."

"Perfect?" She let out a sharp, brittle laugh, the sound cracking at the edges. "I've been nothing but a glorified housekeeper to you. And our-"

I saw her fall silent instantly. Our what? I felt Allison was hiding something, so I stared directly into her eyes, noticing they were wet with tears. Was she crying?

"Look, if this is about me being busy lately," I tried to soften my tone, "I have responsibilities to the pack and the company. You know that.I can make it up to you."

"I don't need anything from you anymore," she whispered. "You wouldn't understand anyway."

"Ok.And what exactly do you plan to do?" I asked with exaggerated patience, as though speaking to a child.

"Where will you go? How will you support yourself? You haven't worked in two years, Allison. You've been a housewife-and not even a particularly good one at that."

It was a low blow, and I knew it. Allison had tried desperately to fulfill the role of Luna, despite the pack's thinly veiled contempt for her common origins.

My mother had made her life especially difficult, constantly criticizing everything from her table manners to her inability to throw the lavish social gatherings expected of a Storm Pack Luna.

"That's none of your concern," she replied, her voice surprisingly steady. "I'm doing you a favor, Lucian. Do you really want her to remain your mistress forever? Wouldn't it be easier if I just stepped aside?"

"Who?" I froze, tension snapping through my body like a whip.

"Heidi Lawrence, your first love."

My blood ran cold. "How do you know about Heidi?" I demanded, anger masking my shock. "Have you been following me? Going through my phone?"

She laughed, the sound hollow and bitter. "That's what you think of me? A desperate, stalking wife?"

She shook her head. "This pack has eyes everywhere, Lucian. Did you really think your little rendezvous would stay secret?"

"That's not what I meant," I growled, running a hand through my hair. "Are you divorcing me because of Heidi? Don't be ridiculous. The Luna of the Storm Pack will only ever be you."

"I don't care about that position," she said coldly. "You want to know why I'm divorcing you? Let me ask you something first. Where were you the day I called you? Just tell me the truth, and I'll tell you my reason."

My mind flashed back to that day-I was with Heidi at the hospital. Guilt flickered through me, but I pushed it down.

"I already told you," I answered stiffly. "I was in meetings."

Allison's laugh was bitter, escalating until tears formed in her eyes. "You'll never know what you lost, Lucian. Never."

Unease crept up my spine. "What are you talking about?"

She shook off my hands and turned away, moving toward the closet to begin packing.

Fenrir stirred within me, restless. *"Don't let her go, " *he growled. *" Say something. Stop her."*

But my pride held me still-until I realized she'd already folded two sweaters and tossed them into her suitcase.

I decided to change tactics. "What about your mother? Who will pay for her care if not me?"

She paused for a heartbeat, her back still to me. Then she resumed folding. "I'll find a way," she replied quietly.

"What way?" I countered. "The specialized facility, the round-the-clock nurses-do you have any idea what that costs? Where would a housewife like you get that kind of money? Without me, she'd be in some state facility within weeks."

She turned to face me, and the naked hatred in her eyes made something in me recoil. "You're despicable! I regret ever loving you, Lucian," she said, her voice like ice.

"Allison! Watch your tone. I am your Alpha."

"Not anymore. "Then her eyes suddenly blazed amber as Jasmine surfaced, and the words that followed sent an arctic chill through me.

"I, Allison Carter, reject you, Lucian Storm, as my mate and Alpha. I sever our bond and withdraw my loyalty to you and your bloodline."

The ritual words of mate rejection hung in the air between us like jagged shards of ice. A sharp pain ripped through me as Fenrir howled in agony within my mind.

I stumbled back, clutching the doorframe for balance, but Allison didn't even flinch. She turned back to her packing, methodically filling her suitcase with clothes and personal items.

Once the last piece was tucked in, she snapped the zipper shut with a decisive click and lifted the suitcase from the floor.

As she passed by me, her voice dripped with venom:

"And let me give you something to chew on before I go. You really think you've ever satisfied me?"

My breath caught.

Uh-oh.

" The nights I melted in your arms? They were an act.Pretending that I enjoy our pathetic excuse for intimacy. Lucian. You can't please a woman with that undersized equipment and your two-minute performance."

That cut deep, deeper than I admitted-to even myself.

Fenrir howled in humiliation.

"You lie," I growled, teeth half-shifted now. "Watch it, Allison."

She tilted her head. "No. I don't answer to you anymore. I don't fear you. Hell, I don't even pity you. Keep your little porcelain heiress. See how long she entertains you once your empire starts cracking."

"You'll regret this," I snarled "Don't come crying back when you realize what you've thrown away."

"I already know exactly what I'm throwing away," she said, eyes glinting with razor-sharp finality. "Nothing of value."

With that final barb, she turned and walked out-no hesitation, no backward glance. Just the sound of her heels echoing down the hall, and the silence she left behind.

*Go after her!* Fenrir demanded. *She is OURS. We cannot let her leave!*

But my pride held me rooted to the spot. Was she trying to threaten me with divorce? Or was this some ploy to attract my attention?

I wasn't going to fall into her trap. No one could disrupt my plans. Let Allison have her little tantrum.

She'd be back, tail between her legs, once she realized what life without the protection of the Storm Pack would really be like.

That would definitely be the outcome.

As I heard the front door slam downstairs, my phone rang. Heidi's name flashed across the screen.

I answered the call, pushing away the hollow feeling in my chest and the desperate howling of my wolf.

"Heidi," I purred into the phone, "I was just thinking about you."