I Built My Kingdom

I had just used a secret ritual to confirm that I carried the heir of my Alpha husband.

I brimmed with joy and prepared to share this wonderful news with him.

But that very evening, through the mate bond between us, I sensed his utter bliss.

That bliss did not belong to me.

A sultry female voice drifted through the link, laced with gasps and mockery. "Your Luna? Does she serve you as well as I do, Alpha?"

...

My wolf soul did not howl. It froze solid in an instant and died.

That alien pleasure surged through the mental bond and zapped straight through my brain.

I felt his taut muscles, his labored breaths, and the touch of another woman on his skin.

Silky and soft, it carried the cloying scent of perfume.

It was the scent of a human.

My stomach churned violently, and I bolted into the bathroom, gripping the cold sink as I retched.

I brought nothing up, only stomach acid that scorched my throat.

The woman in the mirror looked pale, her silver eyes devoid of any emotion.

I was Elara, an Omega exiled by my family for my silver eyes, which they deemed an ill omen.

Kael was the Alpha of the Black Moon Pack, the ruler of this forest.

The Moon Goddess had bound us together, and everyone believed I had gotten the better deal.

He accepted the Moon Goddess's decree.

He marked me and made me his Luna.

He treated me well.

He gave me lavish gifts, ordered servants to prepare meals when I felt unwell, and defended my position as Luna before the entire pack.

My mother once said that my silver eyes held the power of the Moon Goddess.

I always dismissed it as legend. Now it seemed I had been naive.

My wolf soul sent a thought. He lied.

A wolf's instincts never failed.

The pack elders stayed in their own homes, and no signs of gathered energy came from the council hall.

I wiped the fluid from my mouth and straightened my posture.

I did not cry.

Tears served no purpose.

I learned that truth on the day my family cast me out.

I left the bedroom.

The stone floor beneath my feet felt icy, but I paid it no mind.

I walked step by step toward the pack's council hall.

The two guards at the door saw me and bowed their heads. "Luna."

"Is the Alpha holding a meeting inside?" I asked.

My voice stayed steady.

The guard on the left looked baffled. "The Alpha left an hour ago. He said he was patrolling the borders."

Another lie.

My heart turned utterly cold.

He could not even be bothered to spin the same tale to his subordinates.

I pushed open the wooden doors of the council hall.

No one waited inside.

Around the massive round stone table lingered only faint traces left by the elders after they departed.

Kael's scent had vanished long before.

I approached the grand chair reserved for the Alpha.

The chair was carved from obsidian, with wolf heads etched into the armrests.

I once believed I would sit in the seat beside it forever.

Now that belief struck me as ridiculous.

I did not sit.

I stood in the center of the hall and waited. I waited for my husband to return, reeking of another woman's scent and wrapped in layers of deceit.

Time dragged on slowly.

The sensations from the other side of the bond quieted, leaving only a weary satisfaction.

That feeling kept seeping through, like a dull knife slicing my soul.

My wolf soul curled up and slipped into a deep slumber.

It shielded itself from the pain of my mate's betrayal this way.

I did not try to wake it.

I hurt too.

After what felt like forever, steady footsteps echoed outside.

It was Kael.

I smelled it.

That cloying human perfume clung to his scent, so vivid it made me nauseous.

The door swung open, and Kael's tall frame filled the doorway.

He wore a black combat uniform, his posture rigid and commanding.

When he saw me, surprise flickered in his dark eyes. "Elara? Why are you here?"

He stepped inside, his tone casual, as if he had truly just gone on a patrol.

"I waited for you," I said.

He smiled.

He approached me, arms outstretched, ready to pull me into an embrace. "Waiting for me? My little Luna, you're getting clingier by the day."

His voice was low and warm.

Once, that voice sent my heart racing.

Now, it only mocked me.

I stepped back.

His arms froze midair.

The smile vanished from his face.

"What's wrong?" He furrowed his brow.

A wave of potent Alpha energy pressed toward me.

Once, it would have rattled me.

Now, I only wanted to laugh.

"Where were you?" I locked eyes with him.

His gaze stayed steady, not a hint of evasion. "I told you, the border. Some rogue wolves were stirring trouble."

He lowered his hands, a trace of irritation creeping into his tone.

"What's with you today? Who upset you?"

"Your Beta and Gamma," I said, holding his gaze, "were at their posts an hour ago. You didn't hold a meeting."

Kael's pupils contracted.

He stared at me, his eyes sharpening.

"Are you having me followed?" His voice turned cold.

"I don't need to." I pointed to my chest. "Our mate bond tells me everything."

His face changed in an instant.

He finally remembered.

The mate bond worked both ways.

He sensed me, and I sensed him.

He forgot that our bond was his most fatal flaw.

"Elara, let me explain..." He stepped forward, reaching for my hand.

"Explain what?" I cut him off. "The perfume on you or the woman's voice in your mind?"

His body went rigid.

"You... heard it all?" For the first time, panic crept into his voice.

"Yes." I forced a smirk, my face devoid of any warmth.

"She said, 'Are all you werewolves this wild?'" I stared at him, each word deliberate. "Kael, tell me, are you a wild werewolf?"

Not a trace of color remained on his face.

Kael did not answer.

He stood there, the towering Alpha, the king of the Black Moon Pack, looking lost for the first time in my presence.

It was laughable.

If apologies held any weight, the pack's code would not exist.

"Elara..." His voice finally returned, hoarse and strained. "It's not what you think. It was an accident."

"An accident?" I sneered. "An accident that you slept with a human? Or an accident that you lied to your mate?"

"I..." He opened his mouth but found no words.

The council hall fell deathly silent.

I looked at him, the man I once thought I would lean on for life.

His face twisted with struggle and pain, but it stirred no sympathy in me.

The moment he chose betrayal, everything between us ended.

"Enough." I refused to hear more of his excuses. "I don't want to know who she was or what happened."

I turned toward the summoning circle.

"Elara, what are you doing!" Kael sensed my intent, his voice thick with panic.

He lunged to stop me.

But I was faster.

I poured my energy into the circle.

Silver light shot skyward, and an alarm blared through the entire pack.

It was the signal for an emergency gathering, used only for enemy invasions or major announcements by the Alpha.

Kael's face twisted with fury.

He roared, "You've lost your mind! Stop this now!"

I ignored him.

Pack members flooded in from all directions-warriors, healers, and ordinary folk.

They gathered in the square outside the council hall, their faces etched with confusion and unease.

Valerius burst in first, freezing at the sight of our standoff. "Alpha, Luna, what's happening?"

"Kael," I said, my eyes fixed on my husband, "don't you love holding meetings? Now, in front of the entire pack, explain the 'meeting' you had tonight."

Kael's fists clenched, veins bulging on his hands.

Rage in his eyes threatened to consume me.

But he could not lash out.

In front of the pack, he had to maintain his dignity as Alpha.

He took a deep breath, swallowing his anger, and turned to face the growing crowd in the square.

"It's nothing," he declared in his charismatic voice. "Just a small misunderstanding. Everyone, disperse."

The pack members exchanged glances, hesitating as they prepared to obey.

An Alpha's command was absolute.

"Wait." My icy voice cut through.

It was not loud, but it reached every ear clearly.

Everyone froze, their eyes turning back to me.

I stepped past Kael, ascending the platform overlooking the square, facing the entire pack.

Their faces showed confusion, worry, and some disdain.

I knew many of them looked down on me, an Omega-born Luna.

That was fine.

From this day forward, they would never forget me.

"I, Elara, Luna of the Black Moon Pack," I began, my voice amplified by energy, ringing across the square, "called you here to announce something."

I paused, my gaze shifting to Kael.

He stared at me, his eyes brimming with warning, pleading, and a trace of despair.

I looked away, my heart calm.

I placed a hand on my abdomen. Here rested his heir.

I had wanted to give him a complete family.

Now, I could only give him a future free of betrayal.

I took a deep breath and spoke the ancient, cruel incantation. "I, Elara, in the name of the Moon Goddess, reject you, Alpha Kael, as my mate for this lifetime."