The Alpha's Substitute Luna (SPG)

"We need to go. We can't let the council wait for us."

Liam glanced at Aron, who stood behind him with his usual guarding stance.

"Give me one more minute," Liam said gloomily. His lips were set into a thin line and his pitch-black eyes flickered into a golden glow before returning to their usual color. He was so torn. He needed to be in this place to think things through.

Liam heaved out a heavy breath as he stared into the horizon. On this hill, just before the protective walls of Bresmont, was where the ashes of his late wife were scattered into the air. She was here, and he felt her presence through the stillness of the trees and the peaceful sound of birds chirping.

"I missed you, Tash," he silently whispered. His heart felt empty since she was gone. It was never the same again, but he tried to live each day. There was never a day when he didn't think of her, and with each passing day, his hunger for her presence grew stronger.

He missed her so much, and his unborn child who died with her.

Liam closed his eyes and uttered a silent prayer before he stood up.

Today, he will meet the woman who will be appointed as the new Luna of his pack. She was personally selected by the Lycan King, and agreed upon by the members of the Council of Claws.

Liam grimaced at the thought.

As the Alpha of one of the districts of Devonlaire, he's bound to the rules set by the Council.

Liam needs to have another Luna to rule alongside him and produce the next Alpha in line as his successor.

Liam left the place with a heavy heart, and they drove straight to where the courthouse was located, at the Castle of the Lycan King, at the center of Devonlaire.

The majestic Castle of Devonlaire where the King resides welcomed Liam's sight. The huge castle was an attraction. Neighboring kingdoms were envious at how the Lycan King of Devonlaire established such a magnificent castle that stood amongst the rest.

As Liam and Aron entered, all eyes shifted to where they stood. The Council members were already there, except for the Lycan King.

Looked like they were waiting for him. Liam fought the urge to smirk, he didn't trust these councilmen, not even one soul. If there were someone he could trust, it was only his dead wife. And now that Natasha's gone, he's not even sure if there was one who's loyal to him.

Liam roamed his sight at each creature present inside the courthouse. His parents and brother were there. His father nodded at him, and Liam knew what that meant. He's not allowed to argue whatever the council has decided.

"So much for being an Alpha," Liam whispered to himself, but he knew every creature inside the courthouse heard what he said. But who gives a damn?

Liam gritted his teeth when his eyes locked on the only female present inside the room, Ember Jacobson, the only daughter of one of the councilmen.

Anger bubbled inside him when he looked at Arnulf Jacobson's proud face. If he could only rip off that man's head from his neck, he would probably have done it a long time ago.

Behave yourself, son. You don't want to cross any of the council members today.

His father reminded him using their mind link. And that only made Liam want to burst into anger.

He felt like he was being mocked in front of these creatures.

"We don't want to further delay this since Alpha William Ashdown is finally here." Gregor Smith, one of the councilmen said, his voice was full of sarcasm. "William, Alpha of Bresmont, you swore that you would comply with any of the Council's demands upon assuming your post as an Alpha. For years, you have been mateless and without a Luna to rule alongside you. As an Alpha, you have to secure your post by producing an heir, and you failed."

Gregor paused a bit, he looked at Liam who was about to burst in pure rage. Gregor could clearly see the anger in Liam's eyes.

"I don't want to take any Luna. Natasha will always be my Luna. Death or alive, she will always be my Luna." Liam's eyes landed on Ember, who was sitting proudly on one of the chairs. His eyes flared. He hates her already.

"If so, you will bear the punishment set by the Council for defying orders. You and your family," Arnulf interjected.

Whispers erupted from the courthouse.

The former Alpha of Bresmont stood. His eyes glowed as he stared at Liam, his son. "We have talked about this before. What the fuck is this now? I thought we had a deal?"

As a creature born with rage, Chris will not tolerate his son's behavior. He can't let Liam disgrace the name his family had been taking care of for decades. Just because of his stupid love for a she-wolf who's already dead.

Chris growled. Sharp nails on his hands started to elongate, and his teeth started to appear as he snarled at his own son.

"Why?"

Heads snapped at Ember when she suddenly stood. Ember Jacobson is a true definition of beauty. With her red hair and emerald eyes, she's every man's dream. She's not just an epitome of beauty, but also of strength, since she's one of the strongest the pack ever had. That's the reason why she was chosen by the Lycan King to be the next Luna of Bresmont. She possessed all those qualities to be a great leader to rule alongside the Alpha. And she couldn't quite figure out why this ruggedly handsome yet stupid Alpha couldn't see her worth. He knows her. They grew up together, and Liam knew what she was capable of.

"You are the Alpha of Bresmont, it's your responsibility to be the anchor of every pack member. Yet, here you are, still mourning the loss of your wife. It's a clear display of weakness and unstable emotion. Didn't you swear to put the pack first before yourself? Are you a liar also? Aside from being weak and stupid? Your actions are a total disgrace to Ashdown's. You don't deserve to be called an Alpha." Ember spoke about what she had in mind. Her face was void of any emotions. Her eyes were like the depths of the ocean, mysterious and scary.

As one of the strongest female werewolves in Bresmont, it's an insult to her to be declined by their Alpha. She came from a family of strong werewolves, the finest warriors Brestmont ever had. Yet, their Alpha had the audacity to reject her.

Growls erupted inside the courthouse as Liam tried to shift. But he was instantly stopped by his brother, Kean, and his Beta, Aron. The councilmen were in their fighting stance, too.

"You fucking bitch! How dare you speak to me like that?" He snarled. His eyes glowed and he bared his teeth. Liam was ready to shift to his wolf form, but Chris appeared in front of him using his lightning speed and gripped his throat.

Liam tried to lunge at her, but Kean and Aron got both of Liam's arms restricted.

Liam was one of the strongest werewolves in Bresmont, but he was no match for his father's century-old strength. Chris clawed Liam's neck; his sharp nails dug into his flesh, making fresh blood gush out from the wounds.

"Enough!" Chris' thunderous voice reverberated inside the courthouse.

Liam let out a whimper. Chris' tight hands were still on his throat. "You will not disgrace this family, William. I will not tolerate it." His voice was strong and his eyes flickered, an indication that he was trying to control his anger.

It was written by the Code of Law of Devonlaire. Whoever defies the commands and decisions of the council shall suffer the consequences. For Alpha Liam's part, he will be exiled and his family will lose status in society. Their wealth will be confiscated, and they will be left in the streets like rats. The pride of the Ashdown's can't take that shame. "Do you understand me?" Chris demanded.

Chris tightened his hold on Liam's throat, blocking the air passage to his lungs. Liam choked and he couldn't breathe, but Chris was determined to get the answer he wanted from his son.

Chris truly understands his son's sentiments, but as one of the elders of the Ashdown Clan, he can't allow their downfall just because his son chose to be faithful to his dead wife. He knew how painful it is to lose a loved one. He himself experienced the deaths of his family. But right now, they need to use their wits.

"Fuck! Yes!" Liam struggled to say those words.

His heart ached for Natasha. Just the thought of having another woman in bed made him want to lash out at all of the creatures present in the courthouse.

His pride was wounded. He felt so powerless and weak.

As Liam stared straight into the emerald green eyes of Ember Jacobson, he promised that he would make her life miserable with each day that she would live as his Luna. She would regret the day she looked down on him.

The union between werewolves is not the same as the union of other creatures. As an Alpha, the Lycan King should approve of the union first before they can proceed to the Marking Ceremony, which will be held at Bresmont.

Some wolves have mates and some don't have one. As for Liam, he married Natasha, who was not his mate. Or maybe he hasn't found her yet. But Liam didn't actually care about that mate thing, he only wanted Natasha, and no one else.

After the approval and blessing from the Lycan King, Liam and Ember went straight back to Bresmont, where the marking ceremony should be held. Liam had requested that it be private because he didn't want to have a huge celebration.

"Congratulations to both of you." Esmeralda, Liam's mother, greeted the two as they stepped out from the walls of the King's Castle. "Ember, dear, you look exceptionally beautiful with that dress. Congratulations on being the new Luna of Bresmont. As the mother of the Alpha, you can always come to me whenever you need help." She lovingly touched her face.

Esmeralda extended her slender arms and hugged Ember. She liked Ember from the very beginning. Her courage to stand in front of the council and had spoken up what's on her mind, Ember earned the respect of not just the councilmen but also the former Alpha and Luna of Bresmont.

"Thank you. I'll keep that in mind." Bree offered a tight smile to the couple. She's glad that the former alpha and luna of Bresmont were civil to her despite what she did.

"Welcome to the family, dear." Alpha Chris hugged Bree before he faced Liam. "Take care of your new Luna, son." He tapped his shoulder, but Liam didn't show any response.

Liam pursed his lips to avoid lashing out. He had to draw a lot of self-control not to burst into anger. He felt like he was being manipulated.

"C'mon, let's head back to Bresmont. We have a ceremony to witness!" Esmeralda clapped her hands in excitement. What she didn't know was that Liam ordered to have a simple celebration, instead of having a grand one.

He made it clear yesterday that he's not going to have a flashy celebration since it was against his will to be married to a traitor's daughter. In Liam's mind, he was already plotting how to get rid of Ember and her clan. He's not going to be a puppet for these treacherous bastards.

Liam pursed his lips into a thin line when he arrived at Bresmont. He blinked twice to make sure that his vision was not altered. Anger rose when he realized that he was once again fooled!

There was a huge make-shift stage in front of their mansion and the place was swarmed with different people. Foods were being served on the spot and the booze was pouring like rain.

Anger bubbled inside of him. He made sure that there would be no celebration being held after the king's approval. There is no need to celebrate such an event that made his life more miserable. He dreaded this very day, and yet these people had the audacity to celebrate, defying the orders from their alpha.

Liam walked past the visitors who greeted him, he didn't even spare them a glance. He is furious, and there's only one person who did this, Ember Jacobson. That wench! She had all this planned!

He went straight inside the mansion, ignoring the sea of people. His eyes scanned the crowd and his ears strained to hear every voice in the vicinity, searching for hers.

He found her talking to his mother. She wore a different dress from the one she used at the castle. Liam's eyes flared at the sight of her having a good time.

"Mother, can I have a minute with her?"

"Oh, yes dear! I'll just be outside."

Liam's hand gripped Ember's arm tightly so that she winced at his strong hold. Liam does not actually care if Ember gets hurt by his grip. He knew how strong she really is, and it irked him to death.

"Wait! Can you, please let go of my hand?! You can't just drag me!"

He didn't listen to her protest and he continued dragging her until they reached a secluded place. That noisy crown from the party disappeared.

Liam slammed the door, shot and pushed Ember. His hands automatically circled her creamy neck and pushed Ember even harder on the wall, making a loud thud as Ember's back hit the concrete wall.

Ember groaned in pain, but Liam could only care less.

"What the fuck is this?" he demanded.

"What?" Ember looked innocent, but Liam knew that she was only feigning innocence to get to him.

Liam grew even more pissed at her reaction. She clearly planned all of this to spite him!

"I made it clear that there will be no celebration for tonight. I do not want to celebrate my union with you because you are not my desire, Luna. You will never be!" Liam spat those words in front of Ember, and he didn't care if she would be offended. He had just told her that ugly truth about this union.

"Really? And who was your Luna? My dead cousin? Is she of use in this pack? Now that she's dead, could she still bear your heir now that she's nothing but ashes scattered everywhere." Ember smirked as she enumerated those things.

If this alpha thought that he could scare her away, then he thought it wrong. She will prove to him that she's way better than Natasha, and that she is more capable of ruling this district. Ember will make sure of it.

Liam let out an angry growl. His eyes turned pitch black and his sharp nails elongated. Without any warning, he gripped Ember's neck and slammed her on the wall once again, which created a loud bang. The walls cracked as he pushed her even further, not giving her a chance for an escape.

Blood dripped down her white dress. But Ember didn't even flinch. Her emerald eyes looked straight at his golden brown ones. The tension was too strong between the two of them.

"No matter what you say, Alpha, I am the Luna now. Whether you like it or not, you should suck it." Ember uttered. Her face was void of any emotions.

Her father had thought that emotions could be used as a weapon against any creature. One should not display any emotions if one wishes to survive in this cruel world. Ember imprinted those words inside her head.

"Fuck you! You will never be my Luna, and you will never bear my heir. I will make sure of it. Tell that to your father!"

Ember was about to open her mouth when the door suddenly slammed open, and Aron stood there breathing heavily, his face was full of worry and his clothes stained with blood.

"Alpha, there's an ambush in the west forest. We have wounded and casualties. Hunters."

Liam's blood had gone cold. His body shook in rage as he digested the report. His soldiers were wounded, and some are even dead. How dare those lowly hunters!

He left Ember in the room without any words.

"Who did it?" Liam asked Aron, as they paved their way to the mansion's infirmary.

"It was the hunters, Robert's men. Three of our best soldiers were dead on the spot, while we had more than a dozen wounded." Aron explained.

Laim fisted his hand.

Ever since the very beginning, the war between the hunters and wolves has already existed. Liam knew that there was no way that this could be fixed, only by blood-bathing war.

The celebration was halted. All were frantic as doctors attended to the wounded. When Liam saw the damage, he cursed inside. The infirmary was bathed in blood, and his soldiers were grunting from pain.

Ember was right behind Liam. Her eyes widened in terror as she witnessed the pain and agony of those wounded soldiers. They were crying in pain as wolfsbane-soaked arrows were being removed from their bodies. Blood. There were lots of them.

The hunters use wolfsbane to weaken them, and if it's struck on a vital part, then death will come.

Ember didn't waste time. Though she was new to the place and never had any friends or acquaintances, she volunteered to help. She couldn't just stand there and watch. She's the luna of the pack now, she needed to do something.

"Send tropes to every boarder. Close the north and south gates. I do not want anyone to get in or out of the district." Liam commanded.

"Yes, Alpha."

He chose to bring twenty elite werewolf soldiers to scan the area. These elite teams were hard-trained werewolves who specialized in hand-to-hand combat.

Liam left with the tropes to search the whole area. More soldiers were dispatched to every boarder of Bresmont.

Liam wanted to shout in pure rage. The stenching smell of blood filled the air, a mixture of hunter's and werewolves' blood. His eyes turned pitch black when he smelled something that was not familiar. Something that does not belong in the pack.

"Someone's here." Aron declared, in a low, hoarse voice, but it's enough for every werewolf to hear.

"Fucking hunters. I'm going to rip their bodies into pieces and smash their heads." Rudson, one of the elite soldiers, gritted his fangs as he imagined those brutalities in his mind.

They continue to sniffed the air, searching for that hunter who was hiding in the dark of the night. They could smell his blood and his fear, and it made them more excited.

Liam, together with his troops, they spread out in the dark forest on the border near the east gate.

"That fucker was just around here. I can smell his fear, I can sense his trembling body. He knew that we were going to kill him the moment we caught him." Fulker let out a growl as his hands itched to scratch the flesh of their most heated enemies.

Liam kept his senses heightened as he listened to the rustles of the leaves, the hoot of the owls, and the flapping of the nightly birds. Liam halted in his tracks and closed his eyes. His nose sniffed through the cold breeze of the night, he wanted to know which way the smell of the human hunter came. He trained his ears to where the erratic beating of his heart came.

His eyes snapped, and without any word, he flew at full speed to the direction his senses have pointed. He has not fully shifted yet. Using his bare feet, he jumped from one tree to another, leaving marks of his own claws.

Aron and the tropes followed him.

In the silence of the night, a loud scream echoed through the woods.

After helping Dr. Brynn, the pack's doctor, at the infirmary, Ember was led by the in-house maid to her room. The master's bedroom, Liam and her bedroom.

Tonight, was supposed to be the Marking ceremony, but Ember knew that it would never happen. Liam will never give his mark to her. With the kind of relationship that they had and his hatred towards her family, Ember prepared herself for everyday battle with that hard-headed alpha.

But that's the least of her worries. She can always seduce Liam and make him surrender to her. She will prove to him that she's better. So much better than Natasha.

Ember scanned the room. Her eyes landed on every detail of the room, and she was impressed.

The room was very spacious, the king-sized bed looked so comfortable, and the color of the walls was so calming. There's a luxury chandelier that hung in the middle of the room, which added to the majestic ambiance of the room. The design of the room was a combination of old and modern design. It was actually very appealing to the eyes.

It's actually in contrast to Liam's personality. She wondered if Natasha was the one who designed this room. If she was, then she would change everything and erase her memory in this room.

Their species was quite possessive, and though the marriage Laim and she had was just part of the council's plan, there was a tiny part of her that wanted to be possessive of Liam.

Ember halted when she saw a portrait of Liam and Natasha hung on the wall. Ember felt like she was being slapped hard on the face. Looking at their happy faces, Ember knew what kind of life she was about to face.

A knock on the door dragged Ember back to the present, and the old lady who assisted her a while ago appeared from the door. She had a stiff, unsmiling face. From a distance, Ember could smell that she was slightly different from them. A half-breed, perhaps.

"I'm Rose, I govern this house. If you need anything, you can tell me." Rose just stood there with a stoic expression. She's in her fifties, unmarried and had been serving the Alpha's family since she could remember.

Ember forced out a smile. "I'm good. I will just call you if ever I need something." It's Ember's subtle way of dismissing her.

Rose was about to leave when Ember remembered something. "Actually," she drawled, "I do need you to do something. I want that portrait removed from this room immediately. It's insulting, and I don't see any reason for that to remain here. It's inappropriate." Ember pointed at the portrait that was mounted on the wall.

Rose was utterly shocked, and was speechless. The creature didn't know what to do. Surely the Alpha would throw a fit if that portrait was removed from his room. But Rose couldn't also deny that the new Luna's domineering aura intimidated her.

Before Rose could say a protest, Liam strode inside the room with a scowl plastered on his face and he was bathed in his own blood.

Liam had clearly heard what Ember just said and it made his blood boil.

"Leave us." He commanded, and Rose retreated with a pale face. She scuttered away immediately because she didn't want to witness the Alpha's wrath.

Liam was known in the whole of Bresmont for being ill-tempered and cruel. He uses harsh words and imposes strict rules, especially for half-breeds like Rose. He's merciless, but behind all of that, he's still in the shadow of his dominant father, the former Alpha of Bresmont.

"You insolent creature! Who gave you the right to remove that portrait of my wife?" Liam's growling voice reverberated through the walls of the room. Liam's body was soaked in blood. From his shirt down to his hands where ropes of blood flowed from his wounded shoulder. But it seems like Liam doesn't care about pain at all. He was wounded by their search in the woods. The hunter got the chance to stab Liam on his shoulder.

Instead of cowering in fear, Ember scoffed, which made Liam grimace. She crossed her arms across her chest, which accentuated her breast, making it look bigger. Her perfectly plucked brows cocked.

Liam's eyes dropped a little bit when he got distracted by the swell of Ember's breast. It was just a second or two, but Ember was able to catch that. At that moment, Ember knew she had him. A simple gesture of seduction, but enough to attract the Alpha's attention.

"Being the Luna gives me the right to decide things here. Let me remind you, Alpha, that you needed me. The council was expecting you to have an heir in less than a year from now. And you clearly know what it means if you fail to do so. I, too, have my own reason why I agreed to this union. Don't be so full of yourself. We both know that you have been a weak Alpha since the death of my cousin. The last thing you would want to do was spite the council. You knew very well what they're capable of doing."

Ember stood there with her head held high. She knew to herself that she needed Liam's cooperation if she wanted to succeed, but she was not going to permit that she'd be under his command.

Liam balled his fist. His body shook in anger as to what Ember told him. "How dare you speak to me like that. I am the Alpha of Bresmont, a direct descendant of the Great White Wolf. No one, not even you, had the right to underestimate me like that!"

"I was just shoving that truth right in front of your face. And, forget about Natasha from now on. She's dead, she's not coming back, and she can't help you. Basically, there's nothing to hold on to her memory as she didn't do good when she was the Luna. She didn't do anything to improve the district. She's just a shadow who acts upon someone's command." Ember will not hold back, it's not her attitude to sugarcoat things.

Liam saw red because of what Ember said. His heart exploded from intense anger that he couldn't control it anymore. He let out a loud roar of anger. Natasha was dead, but she was still the Luna in his heart. Anyone who talks shit about her will suffer the consequences.

His eyes turned pitch black and he semi-shifted into his wolf form. Charcoal black fur appeared on his back and chest. His claws elongated like those of a monster.

He lunged at Ember using his lightning speed. He was so fast that Ember almost didn't see him coming to her. Because she was caught off-guard by his sudden attack, Ember was not able to dodge his huge, clawed hands.

Long and sharp nails scrapped Ember's flesh in her shoulders, resulting in blood gushing out from her wounds. Ember let out a low and painful growl. The impact was strong, and Ember winced in pain when she realized that Liam had actually hit her with his sharp claws.

She stumbled on the floor when Liam tried to reach for her neck. This time, Ember was fast enough to escape from him. She ran to the farthest side of the room, away from Liam.

Ember stared at Liam in total disbelief. "What the fuck?!" Blood continued to spurt out from her wound. She had not expected that attack.

There were circulating rumors about William Ashdown's temper, but she did not expect that he was this hot-tempered.

Ember let out a growl. Her eyes turned from light brown to a glow of golden yellow. If Liam thought that she would cower just because he showed his anger, then he thought it wrong.

She bared her fangs to let Liam know that she was going to fight him, if she needed to.

Liam let out a low guttural sound as he lunged again to where Ember was standing. He tried to give her a hard blow of punches, but Ember ducked, dodging his every assault. And because Ember was way smaller than Liam's huge frame, she was quick to kick his knee, making Liam stumble on the floor.

Liam was quick to stand to attack her again, but Ember found an old antique base and threw it at Liam. She literally threw every expensive piece of antique in the room as she kept on dodging his attacks. He growled in frustration as he could not land even a single punch to Ember.

The room was filled with sounds of animalistic growls and the smashing of things. Two strong werewolves were fighting inside, and the scene was literally bloody.

Ember noticed the chandelier just above where Liam stood. An idea popped inside her mind. With Liam's temperament, surely, he would not think of strategies. He acted based on his emotions, not a good trait for an Alpha.

Ember jumped high to where the luxury chandelier hung. It swayed in the air as she tried to balance herself. Liam looked up to where Ember was hanging. Before he could lunge again, Ember used her sharp claws to cut the chain that supported the chandelier.

The chandelier dropped, a loud bang erupted in the room, along with the sound of glass breaking and the low growl coming from Liam. He was hit by the fallen chandelier, with Ember above it.

The door opened, and everyone witnessed how the supposed marking ceremony had turned out. It was chaotic, bloody and really messy. It was not a sight they expected to witness.