His Almighty Luna

JADE pov

"Shut up!

Don't you dare speak when I'm talking!"

The sharp smack of my stepmother Sarah's palm echoed through the cold stone room, sending a sting across my cheek. I remained pinned to the floor, my knees digging into the rough ground while two guards gripped my arms like iron vise grips.

Wiping the heat from my face, I lifted my chin and locked eyes with her. "I won't keep quiet. I didn't do it."

Sarah's lips twisted into a venomous smirk. "You wretched bastard. I told your father to slaughter you the moment your useless mother breathed her last, but he insisted on keeping you alive. I doubt he'll make the same mistake twice." She snapped her head toward the guards. "Drag her to the council. The Alpha is waiting."

Before I could brace myself, the guards yanked me upward and hauled me forward. My knees scraped violently against the sharp gravel, leaving a trail of blood in the dirt.

"Stop! Let me go!" I thrashed against their hold, but their grip remained unyielding.

They dragged me into the heart of the council grounds. A massive crowd had gathered-a sea of hostile faces. Some pack members wept into their hands, others bared their teeth in fury, and a terrifying roar began to build from the crowd: *"Burn her! Burn her!"*

Just beyond the gathering, thick black smoke billowed into the sky. Guards rushed frantically back and forth, tossing pails of water onto the charred, smoldering ruins of what used to be part of our territory.

At the center of it all sat my father, Alpha Vincenzo.

He leaned forward on his carved throne, thick muscles coiled with rage. His dark beard framed a face carved from stone, his pitch-black eyes fixed entirely on me.

The guards shoved me down at the base of his throne. I slammed against the dirt, barely managing to throw my trembling hands out to keep my face from hitting the ground.

Alpha Vincenzo raised a single hand.

Instant silence fell over the clearing. Slowly lowering his arm, his lip curled with pure disgust. "Do you have any idea of the gravity of your offense? Do you know how many lives you have taken today?" His massive fist slammed onto the wooden armrest with a sound like thunder. "*How dare you?*"

I kept my gaze glued to the dirt, hot tears carving tracks through the grime on my cheeks. "You know me, Father... All these years, I've been loyal. I've cared for everyone. I have no reason to burn the pack house down! I love our people... I would never hurt them!"

I forced myself to look up, my voice cracking beneath the weight of bruises, sweat, and agony. "Please, Father... believe me. I've been set up! She hates me. Ask Angela-I was with Angela all afternoon. Ask her!"

Alpha Vincenzo leaned back, his gaze cold. "Fine. I will judge fairly, and I will hear the witness. But mark my words: if the witness testifies against you, your punishment is death."

A breath of hope fluttered in my chest. I wiped the tears from my eyes and nodded eagerly. Angela wouldn't lie. She was Sarah's eldest daughter, moving into our home after my mother died, but despite her mother's hatred, Angela and I had grown up as best friends. We shared everything.

The crowd parted as Angela stepped forward. Her skin was ghastly pale, her left hand cradling her right arm, which dripped with fresh, slick blood. She halted before the Alpha's throne, trembling.

"Tell them the truth, Angela!" I pleaded, leaning forward as far as my restraints allowed. "Tell them!"

For a fleeting second, Angela's eyes flicked to mine-hollow and unreadable-before she turned back to the crowd.

"We were upstairs in my room today," Angela began, her voice trembling just enough to sound fragile. "We were about to head down for lunch. I was a few steps ahead, running down the stairs, when... when she suddenly shoved me from behind. That's how my arm was injured."

My breath caught in my throat.

"I fell to the bottom," Angela continued, a tear slipping down her cheek. "She stood over me and confessed that she had always been jealous of me-jealous that Father loved me more. She tried to finish me off, but I managed to scramble into the washroom and lock the door. She screamed from the hallway that she couldn't risk me exposing her... and then she set the house ablaze to burn me alive."

The world tilted on its axis. My heart froze inside my chest. *What was she saying?*

Of all the people in the world, Angela was the last person I ever expected to turn on me. The betrayal sliced deeper than any blade.

"No! No!" I shrieked, panic clawing at my throat as fresh tears blurred my vision. "Angela, tell them the truth! That's a lie! I would never hurt you! Please, Angela... I'm going to die! Don't do this to me!"

Angela stared straight ahead, completely unbothered by my pleas.

Alpha Vincenzo rose slowly from his throne, towering over the clearing like a shadow of doom. "Jade Scott. You have been found guilty of attempted murder, the murder of pack members killed in the fire, and high treason against your pack."

He drew himself to his full height, his voice echoing across the silent territory. "I, Alpha Vincenzo Scott, Alpha of the Crestwood Pack, sentence you to death. But you are an abomination-your blood will not foul this sacred ground." He let out a gut-wrenching roar. "Take her to the Forest of Rogues and execute her!"

"No! I didn't do it!" I screamed, but my voice was swallowed by the roaring crowd. The very people I had loved, the people I had considered family, were now cheering for my blood.

The guards dragged me away without an ounce of mercy. My desperate cries faded into the tree line as they hauled me deep into the thick, suffocating woods.

Night had fallen completely by the time they threw me onto the damp earth. The forest was pitch-black, swallowed by a heavy, eerie silence.

One of the guards stepped forward, his sword unsheathing with a cold metallic ring. "I suppose it ends here, Princess."

He raised the blade high, catching the faint moonlight, ready to slice through my neck. I squeezed my eyes shut, bracing for the strike.

*CRACK.*

A heavy footstep shattered a branch nearby. From the deep, impenetrable shadows of the treeline, a towering silhouette emerged. His frame was colossal, his aura suffocatingly dark, and twin pools of glowing red eyes fixed dead upon the guard's blade.

A voice like grinding stone rumbled through the dark, vibrating straight into my bones.

"Leave her."

"Who do you think you are?" The guard spat, a cruel chuckle cutting through the dark. "We're supposed to just leave her? You've got a lot of nerve, stranger. Let me teach you a lesson."

He raised his sword and lunged into the gloom. A heavy *thwack* sliced through the quiet, and his head rolled onto the dirt before his body even hit the ground.

The second guard gasped, reaching for his weapon to charge, but a flash of silver cut through the night. His head severed from his shoulders in a single breath, collapsing beside his comrade.

My entire body trembled violently as the towering figure stepped out of the shadows. The pitch-black darkness swallowed his features, leaving only the fierce glow of his crimson eyes.

"Please..." I stammered, shrinking back against the dirt, my heart hammering against my ribs. "Don't kill me."

He dropped to one knee, leaning in until his heavy, warm breath fanned across my cheek. "How could I kill you," he whispered, his voice a deep baritone that vibrated straight through my chest, "when you were the one who summoned me?"

I blinked back the darkness, unable to look away.

"I was restless all night," he murmured, stepping closer. "You were calling out to me. You're my mate."

At his words, something deep within me snapped awake-a sudden, intoxicating surge that flooded every vein in my body. It was as if a invisible bridge had instantly forged between our minds. The paralyzing terror vanished, replaced by a sudden, electric heat that pulled me toward him with terrifying strength. An uncontrollable urge to touch him, to sink into him, took over.

He reached out, his calloused fingers gently cupping my face as he wiped away the dried tears on my cheek. "You feel it, don't you?" His voice was a low growl of satisfaction. "That hunger awakening inside you. Don't fight it, little one. I feel it too... the power of the mate bond."

His lips trailed down to the sensitive skin of my neck, sending a shudder of pleasure straight down my spine. A soft moan escaped my lips before I could stop it.

"I don't even know you," I whispered weakly, my head falling back against his shoulder. "I've never seen your face. I only know your voice..."

He placed another fiery kiss beneath my jawline, his grip tightening gently on my waist. "You'll have a lifetime to learn everything about me tomorrow... once you come with me. I will take you as mine and love you forever. Don't fight the desire. You can't control it anyway."

Drowning in the overwhelming wave of heat, my rational mind scattered. Hours ago, I was condemned to die, supposed to be drowning in grief-yet here I was, melting against a stranger in the dark.

He pulled me flush against his chest, his mouth capturing mine in a deep, possessive kiss. My breath hitched as his hands slid down my sides, stripping away the ruined fabric of my dress. His fingers traced a burning path downward, touching me softly, sliding in and out with a agonizingly slow rhythm that drove every shred of sanity from my head.

I moaned loudly into the silent woods, gripping his shoulders for leverage.

He shifted, turning me gently until I was arched over the cool grass. The metallic sound of his belt echoed in the quiet, followed by the firm press of his length against me. He stroked himself along my skin, teasing the ache he had created until I was trembling beneath him.

"You're so wet for me," he rasped near my ear, his fingers tightening on my hip. "Driven completely by pleasure. I'm going to make you cum for me."

With a heavy thrust, he filled me completely, stretching me to my absolute limit. I gasped out loud, burying my face in the grass as he began to move. His rhythm was relentless-deep, punishing thrusts mixed with slow, torturous glides that made my whole body ache with pleasure.

He drove into me over and over until a harsh shudder wracked his broad frame, spilling his heat deep inside me as we both panted for air in the quiet dark.

Before the heat could cool, I felt the sharp press of his fangs against my shoulder. A hot sting pierced my skin, and the undeniable weight of his mark settled deep into my soul.

"From this moment on, you are mine," he growled, sinking his teeth deeper before pulling back to lick the drop of blood away. "Wherever you go, I will find you. I will protect you with the last drop of my blood. And whenever you think of me or my scent... touch yourself and come for me."

He smoothed my messy hair back, his crimson eyes locking onto mine with fierce intensity. "Come with me to my pack. Be my Luna. Be mine. I won't have you anywhere else."

I swallowed hard, trying to catch my breath amidst the lingering haze of the bond. "I'll come with you... but there's something I have to do first."

He searched my face for a quiet moment before nodding. "Fine. By noon tomorrow, I will be waiting right here. Don't be late. I will take you home to officially make you my Luna. Even if you don't show, I will hunt you down-this mark will lead me straight to you."

He pulled my dress back up and wrapped his heavy, warm coat around my bare shoulders. But before I could even murmur a thank you, he melted back into the shadows, vanishing as if he had been a ghost all along.

Once the woods fell silent, I scrambled to my feet and darted beneath the canopy of a low-hanging tree, pulling my knees to my chest. Regret instantly washed over me. *Why did I say I had to do something first?* I didn't have anywhere to go, no mission to complete-I was just terrified of stepping into the unknown with a man I barely knew.

Tracing the smooth skin of my legs, I realized the bloody scrapes from being dragged had completely healed. Tired, cold, and exhausted, I curled myself into a tight ball on the damp earth and let sleep take me.

A faint rustling sound slowly pulled me from my slumber.

I blinked against the harsh morning sunlight filtering through the leaves, my body stiff. I tried to stretch my arms, but a sharp, heavy tension yanked my wrists back down. Cold metal bit painfully into my skin.

I froze. *Chains.*

My head snapped up, my pulse spiking in instant terror. Surrounded by a wall of armed men, at least twenty guards stood in a tight circle around my tree, their weapons drawn and ready.

Standing right at the center of them was my step-sister.

Angela stood with her arms crossed, a sickening, triumphant smile plastered across her face as she looked down at me.

Rage exploded in my chest. I tried to leap to my feet and hurl myself at her, but the heavy iron chains slammed me back down onto the dirt, rattling loudly against the floor.

Angela leaned in slightly, her eyes glittering with cold amusement.

"Good morning, sunshine," she purred, her voice dripping with venomous fake sweetness. "Look at you, still breathing. It seems you're just too stubborn die like you were supposed to."

"Why?" I growled, my throat raw with rage as I rattled the iron chains.

Angela tilted her head, her smile stretching into a cold, mocking smirk. "Why what, dear sister?"

"Why did you betray me? What did I ever do to you, Angela?" Tears of betrayal burned my eyes, but I forced them back, glaring at her with pure disgust. "You coward!"

Angela let out a soft, melodic laugh that chilled me to the bone. "Oh, don't play the victim. You can't blame me. If you were in my shoes, you would have done the exact same thing. Mother said your wolf was finally awakening, and she needed you completely out of the picture. I had to make a choice-it was either going to be you, or her. And I choose my mother every single time."

She turned her back on me, flicking her wrist toward the heavily armed men. "Take her."

"Wait-what do you mean my wolf is-"

Before the question could fully leave my lips, a heavy iron gauntlet struck the side of my head. Pain exploded behind my eyes, blacking out the world instantly.

When my eyes fluttered open, the damp, suffocating air of the underground dungeons filled my lungs. Cold stone bit into my back.

*The pack cell.*

A hollow confusion washed over me. Why was I still breathing? I was supposed to be dead. My father had literally ordered my execution in front of the entire pack, yet here I was, locked in the dark instead of rotting in the forest.

I pushed myself up against the wet cell wall, shivering in the freezing gloom. That was when I felt it-the heavy fabric draped over my bare shoulders.

*His shirt.*

The mysterious man from the woods. My mate.

I lifted the dark collar to my nose and inhaled deeply. A rich, dark scent of pine, rain, and danger flooded my senses, sending a sharp, intoxicating shiver straight down my spine. Warmth bloomed deep in my chest, washing away the biting cold. He had promised to come for me at noon. He had promised to make me his Luna.

I didn't even know his name, yet a strange, unshakeable certainty settled in my heart. He was telling the truth. I could feel it through the newly forged bond thrumming beneath my skin like a second heartbeat. He was coming. I just had to hold on.

The heavy iron door at the end of the corridor shrieked on its hinges, shattering the quiet. Heavy footsteps echoed down the stone hallway before stopping right outside my bars.

Angela unlocked the gate and stepped inside, holding a small wooden stool. She set it down in the center of the cell and sat, smoothing out her flawless dress as if she were visiting a tea parlor rather than a filthy dungeon.

"I'm guessing you're sitting there wondering why you're still breathing," she purred, crossing her legs. "Well, Father received an urgent, unexpected call early this morning. He and Mother had to leave the pack territory immediately for some emergency Alpha council meeting."

She paused, watching my face for a reaction before continuing. "Before Father left, he realized the execution guards hadn't reported back. He ordered that if you weren't dead yet, you were to be brought back unharmed. He even said if you were wounded, you should be treated in the infirmary immediately. No one is allowed to touch a hair on your head until he returns." She scoffed lightly under her breath. "Nobody knows what caused his sudden change of heart."

Angela stood up and closed the distance between us. Before I could flinch away, her cold, delicate fingers touched the side of my neck, right over my pulse point.

"Your temperature is burning up, sister," she murmured softly, her eyes glinting with dark amusemnt. "Have you even eaten anything?"

Rage erupted in my chest like wildfire. I slapped her hand away with every ounce of strength left in my aching arms.

"Don't you dare touch me!" I screamed, my voice echoing off the stone walls. "I am *not* your sister! Stop pretending you care after what you've done to me!" I leaned forward, my knuckles turning white against the dirt. "If you want me dead, kill me right now while you have the chance! Because I swear to God, the second I get out of these chains, the very first thing I'm going to do is tear you apart! I will *never* forgive you!"

Angela didn't even flinch. She simply wiped her hand against her skirt, a pathetic expression plastered across her face.

"I'm truly sorry, sister. I did what I had to do because I had no choice, but I hope you'll understand one day. Let me go get you something to eat."

She turned and glided out of the cell, locking the heavy iron door behind her. The soft, cruel smile never left her lips, making it abundantly clear that my threats meant absolute nothing to her.

A short while later, the heavy door clanked open again. Angela walked back in carrying a covered wooden tray holding a plate and a brass cup. She set them down on the dirty floor right in front of my feet.

"Believe me, I really do care about you, Jade," she whispered sweetly, gazing down at me with fake pity. "Please try to eat something so you can stay strong... for me, okay?"

Without waiting for a response, she stepped back, locked the iron bars, and vanished into the darkness of the hallway.

Hours dragged on. The silence in the cell grew heavy, punctuated only by the slow drip of water somewhere deeper in the dungeon. My stomach twisted with agonizing hunger pains. It had been nearly a day since I last had a crumb of food or a drop of water.

Finally, swallowing my pride, I crawled toward the tray.

I lifted the cloth off the plate. It was a small portion of white rice. Hungry and desperate, I scooped up a spoonful and shoved it into my mouth.

Instantly, a foul, rotten taste exploded across my tongue. Sour, expired, and clearly spoiled, the food had been carefully arranged to look fresh from the kitchen. Nausea surged up my throat, making me gag.

Desperate to wash the horrific taste out of my mouth, I grabbed the brass cup, threw my head back, and swallowed the liquid in three frantic gulps.

The sharp, pungent sting hit the back of my throat immediately.

My eyes widened in pure horror as the foul smell finally hit my nose. It wasn't water. It was urine. Angela had urinated into the cup just to mock my desperation.

A violent heave tore through my chest. I fell to my hands and knees, dry-heaving furiously until everything in my stomach poured out onto the stone floor. I retched and sobbed, my body shaking violently as the last bits of my strength were completely stripped away.

I collapsed in front of my own vomit, trembling on the cold ground. The physical pain was nothing compared to the dark, crushing despair suffocating my chest. Angela hadn't just framed me-she had systematically destroyed my dignity, my home, and my spirit. I had reached my absolute breaking limit. There was nothing left inside me to fight with.

Curling into a tight ball on the wet stone, I cried until my tear ducts ran dry, letting the exhaustion drag me under into a deep, pitch-black sleep.

*BANG! BANG! BANG!*

A deafening rattle of metal against metal shattered the silence, ripping me violently from my sleep.

My heart slammed against my ribs as I bolted upright, my vision blurred and my head spinning. The heavy cell door was thrown wide open, slamming hard against the outer stone wall.

Two massive pack guards stepped into the doorway, their shadow blotting out the dim torchlight behind them. Their faces were grim, hardened, and completely void of sympathy as their hand gripped the hilt of their heavy iron batons.

One of them stepped forward, reaching down to grab my upper arm in a vice-like grip that bruised my skin instantly. He yanked me to my feet, barely giving my trembling legs a second to support my weight.

"Get up," he growled, his voice echoing off the damp walls like a death sentence. "The Alpha has returned. He has summoned you, Princess."