Luna Of The Lone Wolf

"I've been having sex with your sister, Freya," Alpha Modrich said to me.

I froze, forcing myself not to react. My face remained unreadable, even as his words tore through me. Inside, my chest burned with pain so deep it felt like I couldn't breathe. But I refused to let him see me break.

I wanted to scream, to hit him, to make him feel even a fraction of what I felt... but I sat there, silent and motionless, holding myself together while my world crumbled with every word he had just spoken.

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My name is Freya, the Luna of Alpha Modrich, the Alpha of Goldside Pack. We've been together since I was fifteen years but became husband and wife when I was nineteen. Now I'm twenty-four... married for five years, been together for ten years.

When I was fifteen, I was trained on how to be a Luna. Although this union was not built on love but on duty, we are each other's responsibilities. I know he doesn't love me, but I don't know why he'd do it with my sister, of all people.

My legs crossed as I stared at the both of them sitting close to each other and holding hands. Like they are teenage lovers, and it burns my chest, but I don't show it... all thanks to all the training I had in the past on how to hide emotions as a Luna.

"I–It's not Alpha Modrich's fault. It's mine, sister," Veriel said.

I already heard the sweet pretense in her voice. I know my sister more than anyone. She's a manipulator, a deceiver, and a pretender. But she can deceive anyone but me.

"Yes, it's your fault. And you should be blamed for all this," I said, and her eyes flew to me in shock.

She couldn't believe I'd say that. She thought maybe I'd say... oh no, you don't need to blame yourself... you were naïve and blah blah blah.

I am four years older than Veriel, that doesn't make her a little child at twenty. She bent her head down, seeing I don't buy her pretense.

"You don't need to be mean to her, Freya," Alpha Modrich said.

I gave out a painful smile. He's taking her side? I'm not even pissed at Veriel the way I am pissed at Alpha Modrich. After one sex... the next... the next, and the next, and so on.

"Whose fault is it then? Yours?" I asked bitterly.

"It's yours, Freya," Modrich said.

My eyes flew in bewilderment. How is it my fault? I sat upright, staring at him. He couldn't even look me in the eyes when he spat those lies. Of course, I was prepared for these blames. I knew I'd surely be blamed for it... just as I have been blamed for everything in this life.

"No, Modrich. It's not Freya's fault, it's mine, honestly," Veriel said, referring to Modrich as Modrich without the Alpha. Just how long has he been sleeping with her?

"If I hadn't... if I hadn't drugged your drink, this wouldn't have happened."

Of course, the same thing they told me when they called me and said they had something to discuss with me. Veriel had spiked Modrich's drink and slept with him while he was not in his right state of mind.

The next day, when he woke, he didn't shout at her, he didn't inform my parents nor me... rather, he went ahead enjoying what Veriel had started, and he dares blame me for it.

"Forgive Veriel, she's not to be blamed, Freya. You forgive lots of people for crimes and disobedience in this pack as the Luna. Why can't you forgive your own sister then?"

I stared at Alpha Modrich, my heart shattered. I did things for him. I ruled by him, handled pack cases, and was his wife... and this is how he repays me? I'm hurt, but how can I show it when I've been taught to hide it?

"Can you leave me and my sister alone? I think we need to discuss alone," Veriel said to Alpha Modrich, who hesitated before sighing.

"Okay. Fine," he said.

He stood up and left the living room, and as soon as the door closed, Veriel knelt down and clasped her hands together.

"Sister, please... forgive me... I just wanted to know how it feels to have sex, and it just happened."

"Liar," I blurted out bluntly.

I don't know why she's kneeling down, but it's all a façade. And how dare she lie boldly in my face? She just wanted to know how sex feels when she's not a virgin?

Her eyes looked innocent, but only I know she's not innocent. She's cunning and manipulative.

"You've slept with different men, and yet you lie boldly in front of me that you just wanted to know how sex feels. And you did it with my husband?"

"Does this mean you are calling me a whore?" she asked, faking surprise.

Just then, tears started pouring from her eyes, and she started crying. To my surprise, the door flung open and Alpha Modrich came inside and looked at her. He bent to her in shock and stared at me in anger.

"What have you done, Luna?" he asked angrily.

"Freya just called me a whore and said I've been sleeping with other men other than you," Veriel said, sobbing real hard.

Alpha Modrich turned to me angrily. He stood straight and spoke.

"When I woke up after our first night, there was blood on the bed, signifying I am the first man she's been with," he said.

I know that's not true, and I know this... maybe she manipulated everything. Veriel is the queen of manipulations. Alpha Modrich raised his hand and pointed a finger at me with contempt.

"But I won't say the same about you, Luna. There was no blood when we had our first night, which means you've been with men before me. Who is the real whore now?"

How else can someone define true pain, if not by hearing her own husband call her a whore because of her sister? The moment the word left his mouth, something inside me tore, something I'm not sure will ever heal again.

I don't think I can hold this in any longer. I tried so hard not to cry in front of Modrich and Veriel. I tried to keep my dignity, to stay composed, but the weight of it all crushed any strength I had left.

By now, Veriel's sobbing has quieted, reduced to small, delicate sniffles that almost seem rehearsed. Pretend tears, and pretend innocence. I see through all of it... through every lie she tells so effortlessly.

I never saw this betrayal coming. I never imagined Veriel would desire Alpha Modrich... my husband. But when I look back, maybe I should have known.

Growing up, she always reached for what was mine. She always wanted whatever I wanted, whatever I chose, whatever made me smile.

I remember when Father brought home chocolate and strawberry candies. I never cared for strawberries, but I adored chocolate. Yet Veriel demanded both, simply because I wanted one.

Veriel had cried for mine, even though she already had the strawberry candy in her hand. I remember standing there, confused and hurt, while she sobbed as if the world had ended simply because I held the chocolate.

And I remember my parents telling me to be the bigger sister... to hand everything over to her.

So I did, again and again. That became my role... giving, surrendering, sacrificing because I was the oldest. Because keeping the peace always seemed more important than keeping what was mine. But my husband? That was something I never imagined I would have to hand over.

That was something I never believed she would dare touch. Yet here we are.

"I already told my parents. They said they're on their way," I said quietly.

Their reactions were instant. Shock flashed across both of their faces undeniable, as if I had summoned ghosts into the room.

"You called Mom and Dad?" Veriel sputtered, with her eyes wide, her voice trembling in disbelief. For once, she looked genuinely rattled.

I guess I beat her to it. I guess she didn't expect me to report this.

"I never thought you would be so selfish. Veriel was supposed to be the one to break the news to your parents, not you," Modrich snapped, his voice filled with anger.

Selfish?He called me selfish? The words stung more than I expected, paining deeper than any insult he had thrown before. If anyone in this room was selfish, it was him. How dare he? But I forced myself to stay calm. I swallowed the pain, burying it the same way I had been taught to bury every emotion.

"You're so cold," he added, frowning when my expression didn't change.

Of course I looked cold. I had been trained from the age of fifteen to master my emotions, to maintain control at all costs. A Luna does not break, a Luna does not tremble. But beneath that icy exterior, I was nothing but a soft, wounded girl. A girl whose heart was bleeding, cracking, shattering piece by piece.

Veriel suddenly burst into another round of dramatic sobs. She rose from the floor where she had been kneeling, her tears flowing like she was the one wronged, and then she turned and ran out of the living room.

Running... always running, and never facing what she destroys.

Modrich looked me directly in the eyes, his stare cold enough to freeze liquid water. I refused to look away, holding his gaze with quiet defiance. That alone seemed to enrage him... my calm, my silence, my refusal to break. His jaw tightened, and I could almost hear the unspoken words behind his clenched teeth: How dare you?

Without another word to me, he turned quickly and followed Veriel, calling her name as if she were the wounded one. I let out a slow, exhausted sigh before standing and walking to my room.

Inside, I went straight into the bathroom. My maids hurried in behind me, their hands already reaching to undress me for the evening bath.

"I want to be alone," I said quietly. They bowed and left immediately.

When I stepped into the warm bathtub, the heat did nothing to stop the trembling in my chest. The tears came instantly, spilling over my cheeks as if they had been waiting for permission. Even my silent sobs echoed softly against the marble walls.

I let myself cry, though Lunas are not supposed to cry. Love was never meant to be part of this position. An Alpha can always take new concubines...

But I never imagined Modrich would turn his eyes away from me, and toward my sister.

"Welcome, Mr. and Mrs. Hampton," the palace maid said as Freya's parents stepped inside.

Her voice was steady, but her eyes flicked between them, sensing the tension they carried.

She led them through the hallway to the living room. The couple sat with their backs straight, and their hands tight on their laps. No one spoke, making the silence settled heavily around them.

"I'll inform Alpha Modrich and Luna Freya that you've arrived," the maid said. She bowed quickly, almost nervously, then hurried out, leaving the Hamptons alone in the living room.

A few minutes later, Veriel walked in with Alpha Modrich beside her. She spotted her parents and hurried forward.

"Mother, Father... you're here," she said, her voice soft, sounding almost careful.

Mr. and Mrs. Hampton rose immediately. Even though they were older, they still bowed their heads out of respect. Alpha Modrich acknowledged them with a brief nod, his expression unreadable.

"Alpha," Mr. Hampton greeted, keeping his tone steady.

"You may sit, Mr. and Mrs. Hampton," Modrich said, and they lowered themselves onto the couch. Before anyone could speak further, Veriel hurried forward and dropped to her knees.

"Father... Mother... forgive me," she cried. "I brought shame to our family. I slept with my sister's husband. I don't know what came over me."

Her voice shook, but her tears felt almost too quick, like it was prepared.

"It's not entirely Veriel's fault," Alpha Modrich added, stepping slightly in front of her. "I don't want you viewing this as something she alone caused."

Mr. and Mrs. Hampton exchanged a tense, confused look.

"It's all her fault to begin with," Freya's voice cut in. Everyone turned to the door, and Freya stepped into the living room with calm, steady steps.

They all sat there, staring at Veriel as she lowered her head again, slipping into another round of practiced innocence.

"Don't say that about your sister, Freya. She's naïve," Mrs. Hampton said quickly.

Freya looked at her mother, disbelief flickering across her face. The room fell quiet for a moment.

"Naïve, you say, Mother?" Freya asked, trying to keep het voice steady. "How naïve can Veriel be when she knows the exact drug used to weaken a man, then waits until he's helpless before climbing into his bed?"

Mrs. Hampton's eyes widened, but Freya didn't look away.

She was the one who had called their parents to the palace. She needed them to hear the truth, not the softened version Veriel would feed them. She wanted their scolding, their judgment, their fairness. She wanted them to understand the weight of what her sister had done, not hide behind excuses or pity.

But instead, they picked a side... just as they always had, which was Veriel's side. Calling her naïve, fragile, confused. Freya felt the familiar sting settle in her chest.

Could she have expected this reaction? Yes. But not now, and not in something this serious.

"Freya," Mr. Hampton said, shaking his head as if she were the unreasonable one. "You need to learn forgiveness. I've told you this many times, but you never want to forgive your own sister."

Freya stared at him, her expression flat. Forgive? For this? They still didn't see her, only her sister up to this point.

"This is exactly what I told Freya yesterday," Alpha Modrich said. "She forgives everyone in the pack when they do wrong, yet she can't forgive her own sister?"

Freya let out a quiet breath, her eyes fixed on Veriel. "You want me to forgive my sister for sleeping with my husband?" she asked calmly.

"Maybe... maybe... if she asked for forgiveness and meant it, I might consider it."

Veriel lifted her face slightly, but Freya's gaze didn't soften. "But she hasn't asked sincerely. All she's done is cry and hide behind excuses."

"But I went down on my knees yesterday and begged you to forgive me," Veriel said quickly, wiping her cheeks. "And instead... you called me a whore."

Mr. Hampton's head snapped toward Freya. "You called your sister a whore, Freya?" he gasped, as if the word itself was the greatest sin in the room.

Mrs. Hampton shook her head in disbelief. "What kind of elder sister does that? How could you speak to her that way?"

Freya stared at them, stunned. Veriel's lies had slid so easily into their ears, and just like always... they believed her without a single question.

Even though Veriel had knelt yesterday, Freya knew it was all an act. The tears, the pleading, it wasn't sincere. And no, she had never called Veriel a whore. She had only stated the truth, which was Veriel had slept with other men before Modrich, contradicting her claim of virginity.

Freya watched closely, seeing the tiny shifts in Veriel's posture, the calculated pauses in her speech. She understood perfectly what was happening... Veriel was trying to twist the story, as she always did, a skilled manipulator. Freya's jaw tightened.

"I never knew you could be so cold-hearted," Alpha Modrich said, with his voice sharp.

"Veriel is young, naïve... and as her elder sister, you're supposed to guide her, care for her, and forgive her mistakes."

Freya's eyes narrowed to Alpha Modrich, her jaw tightening, but her voice remained calm.

"Maybe you should apologize first," she said quietly, hiding the storm of emotions inside.

"For going ahead and having sex with my sister... repeatedly... without any remorse. You claim guidance, yet you've encouraged her to betray me. You've all played your parts, but I see the truth."

Modrich's gaze faltered, just for a moment.

"I do not want you and my sister together," Freya said firmly. "She will leave the palace and follow our parents back to the house."

She knew Alpha Modrich could take as many concubines as he wished, but not her sister. Allowing this would be a direct insult to her as Luna, and she would not allow it.

"Have as many concubines as you want," she continued, her eyes locked on him, "but leave my sister out of this. She does not belong here."

"And what if I want to take Veriel as my concubine?" Alpha Modrich asked, his voice cold and deliberate.

Freya met his gaze without flinching. "You won't dare."

A faint, mocking smile touched his lips. "Then hear me well," he said.

"From this moment onward, I, Alpha Modrich, will take Veriel as my concubine. This is my decision."

"Prepare for the celebration," Modrich added, as if announcing a victory.