THE SPARE LUNA

On the night of the full moon. The door closed behind us.

Deucalion walked to the window and stared out at the moon for a long moment. I stayed near the door, the ceremonial gown still clinging to my skin.

Finally he turned.

He looked me in the eye.

"Get on the bed."

His voice was flat.

I did not move.

He looked at me then, just briefly, and the cold in his eyes made my chest tighten.

"Do not make this harder than it already is."

I walked to the bed and sat on the edge.

He removed his shirt without a word. The hard lines of his chest and shoulders caught the moonlight. When he came to me, every movement was controlled. Efficient. Detached.

He kissed me deeply.

His hands pushed the gown off my shoulders. The fabric slid down my arms and pooled at my waist. His palms moved over my breasts, firm and assessing, thumbs brushing across my nipples until they hardened against his touch. There was no tenderness in it. Only the slow, deliberate way a man completes a required task.

He pushed me onto my back.

I stared at the ceiling and tried to disappear inside my own head.

His mouth closed over one nipple, sucking hard enough to pull a sharp breath from my throat. His teeth scraped lightly. One hand slid down my stomach, between my legs, and found me already wet despite everything. Two fingers pushed inside without warning, curling, stretching, testing. He worked them in and out with the same cold precision he used for everything else, the wet sound of it loud in the quiet room.

When he finally settled between my thighs, I felt the thick head of him press against me. He pushed in slowly, inch by inch, filling me completely until my body had no choice but to take him. The stretch burned. The incomplete mark on my neck throbbed in time with every deep thrust.

His hips moved with steady, powerful strokes. Each one drove him deeper. The bed creaked. My breath came shorter. Heat built low in my stomach even as my chest stayed hollow. His body was heavy, hot, relentless. One of his hands gripped my hip hard enough to leave bruises. The other braced beside my head.

At one point his breath brushed my ear. "You are not her."

The words cut deeper than the mark.

I closed my eyes.

He kept going, harder now, chasing his own release with no care for mine. The slap of skin against skin filled the room. My body responded anyway, tightening, pulsing, betraying me with a sharp, unwanted climax that left me shaking beneath him.

He finished moments later with a low, rough sound, burying himself deep as he came.

When it was over, he pulled out and stood, already reaching for his clothes.

The incomplete mark still burned. It throbbed in time with my heartbeat, reminding me that the bond had been forced and rejected in the same breath.

I sat up slowly, pulling the sheet around myself. My body still tingled. My thighs were slick. The air smelled of sex and rejection.

Neither of us spoke.

Outside, the mating celebration continued. Voices. Laughter. Music.

Then the noise changed.

Shouting.

A woman's voice, sharp and furious, cut through the celebration.

I frowned. Deucalion's head turned toward the door.

More shouting.

Then a crash.

I stood and walked to the window. From here I could see part of the stone circle. People were moving in every direction. The elders looked alarmed.

Deucalion opened the door without a word and walked out. I grabbed the discarded ceremonial gown, pulled it on as fast as I could, and followed.

The moment I stepped into the hallway, the chaos hit me fully.

Aria, my younger sister, stood in the middle of the stone circle.

Her hair was messy. Her eyes were red and wild. She looked like she had run the entire way here. "Where is she?" Aria shouted. "Where is my sister?"

And the moment her eyes landed on me, I knew this night was about to get much worse.

****

Weeks earlier I had woken up in my room angry.

My wolf was already pacing under my skin before my eyes even opened. She hated this room. Hated the thin mattress. Hated that no one ever knocked on my door unless they needed something cleaned or fixed. That was how I was being treated.

I got up and went straight to the training ground while the rest of the pack still slept. The dirt was cold. I didn't care. I hit the wooden post until my knuckles split. Blood smeared across the wood. My wolf pushed harder, wanting real pain, real fight. I gave her what I could.

By the time the sun rose, Aria, my younger sister, stepped out onto the porch like she owned the morning. Perfect hair. Clean clothes. That soft little smile everyone loved.

Dad walked straight past me who was doing more training. Without even a word, he just went straight to her.

"Show me that new form," he said, voice warm.

She moved like water. Her wolf flashed bright and strong under her skin. Stronger than mine. Everyone always said so. Two warriors stopped to watch. One of them whistled.

I kept hitting the post. No one looked my way.

Mom came out with tea and only had eyes for Aria. "Don't push too hard, baby. You have that meeting later. We need you looking your best."

Aria glanced over at me for half a second. Just long enough to let me see the small, satisfied curve of her mouth. Then she turned back to Dad and laughed at something he said.

I wiped the blood from my hands on my pants and walked to the kitchen.

The floor was covered in flour again. Aria's failed baking from last night. I cleaned it. Then I started the morning food. When one of the younger girls dropped a pot and looked scared, I fixed it before Mom could start yelling. When Aria left her jacket on the floor for the third time this week, I picked it up without a word.

At lunch I sat at the far end of the table. Dad talked about patrols. No one asked how my training went. No one ever did.

Afterward I was outside fixing the east fence when two warriors passed by, talking low.

"Debt to Blackridge is worse than they told the pack."

"They're going to lose territory if they don't make a deal soon."

I hammered the nail in harder than I needed to. The sound covered the rest of their words.

That evening the air in the house felt wrong. Heavy. I was carrying water when I heard voices from Dad's study. The door was shut tight. That only happened when something bad was being decided.

I set the buckets down and stepped closer.

Mom's voice came first, sharp. "We can't give Aria to the elder one. He's too big for her. The younger brother will be perfect."

Dad sounded tired. "Blackridge wants a mating bond to happen on the coming full moon. They asked for her by name."

Silence stretched.

Then Mom again, quieter. "There's another option. The older one."

My blood went cold.

"Malia?" My father asked.

"Yes, we can offer Malia to their first son and Aria can go with the second son."

"Is that ok? Aria and the first son has a thing going on already, don't you-"

"Don't mind Aria, she's too young to see that the eldest son is too much for her. I can't have my eighteen year old baby mating with someone old enough to be her father."

"You have a point. So what are you saying?" My father asked.

I could hear the movement of chairs. "Since Malia would be thirty years next week, why don't she mate with him instead? Their age gap is just ten years, compared to Aria.

I didn't wait to hear more. I walked into the room before more decisions were made behind me.

"What the hell is going on here?" I asked with my fist clenched.

My mom looked at my father. Then she faced me and let out a long breath. "How much did you hear?"

"How much did you hear?"

I stared at my mother. My hands stayed clenched at my sides.

"Enough."

Father shifted in his chair. He looked uncomfortable, but not surprised. That hurt more than the words themselves. They had already decided my future. All I had to do was stand there and take it.

"Sit down, Malia," he said.

"I'd rather stand."

His jaw tightened. "This concerns you."

"I figured that out."

Mother sighed. "You were not supposed to hear it this way."

"Then how was I supposed to hear it? After you already sold me?"

Her eyes hardened. "Watch your tone."

I let out a short, bitter laugh. "You were talking about giving me to another pack like I'm a piece of land."

Father rose slowly. "No one is giving you away."

"Then what do you call it?"

"A mating arrangement."

The words twisted something in my stomach.

He kept talking. "Blackridge holds a debt claim against our territory. If we refuse their proposal for a strong luna, they take part of our eastern lands. We cannot afford that."

"So send Aria, she's stronger than me. You know she is."

Mother's head snapped toward me. "No."

I stared at her.

"She is eighteen," she said. "The first son is nearly forty-two. That age difference is unacceptable."

"But it was fine when you talked about matching her with the younger brother."

"That is different."

"How?"

"Because he is closer to her age. The younger son is twenty-four."

I swallowed the anger rising in my throat. "And what about me?"

Father answered before she could. "You turn thirty next week."

"So?"

"The first son is only twelve years older than you. It is reasonable."

Reasonable.

That word sat heavy in my chest.

Because I was older, I was easier to sacrifice.

"You want me to mate a man I have never met because Aria is too young for him? Do you have any idea that Aria is seeing the oldest son already?"

Mother folded her arms. "Aria is just a kid, she doesn't know what she's doing. And you are making this sound worse than it is."

"Worse?" My voice cracked. "You're asking me to leave my home and become the mate of a stranger."

"You will have a position in Blackridge," Father said. "You will be respected."

"Respected?" I shook my head. "Have you ever asked me what I want?"

Silence filled the room.

That silence told me everything.

I looked straight at my father. "Have you?"

He looked away.

My chest tightened.

All these years I thought they simply ignored me. I thought maybe they believed I was difficult or not as important as Aria. But this was different. They had never considered that I could choose.

To them I was the daughter who stayed behind. The one who cleaned, fixed things, trained alone, and never complained loudly enough to become a problem.

The one they could use when their perfect daughter needed protection.

The door opened.

Aria stepped inside.

"Mom, I-"

Mother stood so fast her chair scraped the floor. "Aria, darling. Come with me."

Aria frowned. "Why?"

"Your dress for the meeting tomorrow. I need your help upstairs."

"But I thought-"

"Now."

Aria glanced at me. Her eyes moved from my face to Father, then back to me.

"What happened?"

"Nothing," Mother said quickly, already guiding her toward the door.

I watched them leave. The door closed.

I turned back to Father.

"I refuse."

His expression changed. "What did you say?"

"I said no."

"You do not have that choice."

I stepped closer. "It is my life."

"And you are a member of this pack."

"So?"

"So your life is not yours alone."

I stared at him.

His voice grew colder. "You will go to Blackridge on the full moon. You will accept the mating bond. You will do your duty."

"No."

His eyes narrowed. "Think carefully, Malia."

"I have."

"Then understand this. If you refuse, you leave this pack."

My heart stopped.

He did not look away. "You heard me. I will cast you out."

"You wouldn't."

"I would."

The room suddenly felt smaller.

"Father..."

"Without this pack you have nothing. No protection. No territory. No place among other wolves."

I knew he was right about one thing. A lone wolf was vulnerable. Our traditions demanded that every wolf belong somewhere. Without a pack, strength faded. Instinct became harder to control. Survival turned dangerous.

Knowing that did not make the threat hurt any less.

"You're threatening your own daughter."

"I am giving you a choice to make. The decision is up to you."

I stared at him in disbelief. "That isn't a choice."

"It is the only one you are getting."

My eyes burned, but I refused to cry in front of him.

For years I had swallowed every insult. Every ignored achievement. Every time Aria received praise for something I had helped her with. But this was different. They were asking me to give up my future. And if I refused, they would take away my pack.

I turned toward the door.

"Malia."

I stopped but did not look back.

"You have until the full moon."

I said nothing.

I walked out.

The hallway felt colder than before. I climbed the stairs without looking back and entered my room, shutting the door hard behind me.

For once I had nothing to clean. Nothing to fix. Nothing to distract me.

I sat on the edge of my bed and stared at the envelope lying on my desk.

Black wax sealed the front. The Blackridge mark was stamped into it.

A formal summons from their Alpha.

My hands trembled as I reached for it.

I did not open it.

I just stared.

In a few days I would have to stand before a pack I had never known and meet the man they had chosen to become my mate.

Unless I chose the only other path.

Exile.

I pressed my fingers against the cold seal.

For the first time in my life, I understood exactly what my family thought I was worth.

A sacrifice because of a debt.

I stayed on the edge of my bed long after leaving my father's study.

The envelope sat on the desk.

Black wax. Blackridge's mark.

My future, sealed before I even knew it existed.

I reached for it and broke the seal.

The paper inside felt thick. It carried the faint scent of another pack.

I unfolded it. My eyes moved across the first lines.

To Aria, the chosen mate of the First Son of Blackridge...

I stopped breathing. I read it again. Then again.

Aria.

Not Malia.

A strange feeling spread through my chest.

Relief.

Real, overwhelming relief. Blackridge did not know about my family's plan. They were expecting Aria. They had chosen Aria.

Which meant everything my parents had arranged could fall apart before it even began.

A small smile almost reached my lips.

"So you don't even know," I whispered.

I read the rest of the letter.

Aria was expected at Blackridge territory tomorrow for a formal introduction with the First Son. The mating arrangement would be discussed before the coming full moon.

I leaned back in the chair.

Tomorrow. I could go myself. I could tell them the truth. I was not Aria. I was not the woman they had summoned. And I had no interest in becoming anyone's mate.

For the first time since I overheard my parents, my shoulders relaxed.

Maybe I had been afraid too soon. Maybe I would not have to fight my father at all. Maybe Blackridge would simply just reject me.

I folded the letter and slipped it back into the envelope.

A quiet laugh escaped me. "They're going to be furious."

For once, I did not care. I changed into my night clothes and climbed into bed.

My wolf, restless all evening, finally settled under my skin.

Tomorrow I will go to Blackridge. I will tell them my name.

Malia.

Not Aria.

And then I would come home. With that thought, I closed my eyes.

For the first time in weeks, I slept with relief.

The next morning, a knock came from my door.

I opened my eyes.

For a moment I forgot where I was. Then I remembered the letter.

A small smile touched my face.

"Who's there? Mom?"

The door opened. My father stood there. "You're leaving in ten minutes."

I sat up. "Ten minutes?"

He nodded. "Warriors are waiting outside."

I frowned. "That quickly?"

"You were summoned, didn't you read the letter?"

"I did. I overslept."

I climbed out of bed. Something about his calm face bothered me. He was not angry. He was not worried. He was not even surprised.

He looked like a man who already knew how the morning would end. "Father?"

He stopped at the door. "Why aren't you worried?"

His eyes narrowed slightly. "About what?"

"About me going to Blackridge."

"You're going where you were ordered to go."

"That doesn't answer my question."

He stared at me for a moment. Then he said, "Get dressed."

He walked away. I watched him disappear down the hallway.

My uneasiness returned. If Blackridge expected Aria, why was he so calm about sending me?

Unless he knew something I did not.

I dressed quickly and grabbed the envelope. When I stepped outside, three warriors waited beside two horses.

One of them lowered his head. "Lady Malia."

I nodded. "Where's Aria?"

No one answered.

I looked toward the house. My father stood on the porch. So did my mother. Aria was nowhere in sight.

I walked over to him. "Why isn't Aria coming?"

"She has other matters to attend to."

I almost laughed. I know he was lying. "She's the one Blackridge summoned."

His face stayed unreadable. "Just go, Malia."

I stared at him.

There was something behind his eyes. Something he was not telling me. "You know they're expecting her, don't you?"

He said nothing.

My stomach tightened. "Father?"

"Enough." His voice was firm. "Go."

I looked at my mother. She would not meet my eyes.

That was all I needed. I had this feeling they had another plan prepared in case things did not go well. I just did not know what it was.

I turned away. "Fine."

I mounted the horse.

The warriors rode on either side of me as we left the pack territory.

The journey stayed quiet.

Too quiet.

I kept thinking about the letter tucked inside my clothes.

Aria, the chosen mate of the First Son.

Whatever my family had planned, Blackridge had not agreed to it.

That gave me hope. Hours later the forest began to change. The trees grew taller.

The air turned colder. Even the birds seemed to disappear. One of the warriors slowed his horse. "We're close."

I looked ahead. Beyond the trees stood a line of ancient stones covered in black markings.

The Blackridge border. My wolf stirred. I frowned. She had been strangely quiet the whole journey.

Now she was alert. Very alert.

"What is it?" I whispered.

She did not answer. I crossed the border.

The moment I did, something changed. My entire body went still.

My wolf stopped pacing. Stopped growling. Stopped everything.

It felt like she had frozen under my skin. I pulled on the reins.

The horse stopped. "What happened?" one of the warriors asked.

I did not answer.

I could not. A strange pressure filled my chest.

Then the forest went completely silent. No birds. No insects.

Nothing.

And then-

A howl exploded through the trees.

Deep. Powerful and terrifying.

The sound rolled through the forest like thunder. My horse reared beneath me. I grabbed the reins tightly.

The warriors looked calm for some reason. My heart hammered against my ribs.

I had never heard an Alpha howl before. Not like that. The sound was not simply loud.

It carried power and authority.

Something inside me answered before I could stop it.

My eyes burned. I blinked.

The warriors stared at me. One of them whispered, "Your eyes..."

I touched my face. My fingers trembled. My wolf finally moved.

And my eyes glowed. Bright blue like it was alive I stared into the dark forest ahead. Whatever had just howled was close.

And for some reason, my wolf was not afraid. She was listening. Waiting.

As if she already knew exactly who was calling.