The Alpha's Worthless Luna

I never belonged to this place. That much was obvious from the day I was born without a wolf, the one thing that set us all in Crescent Valley. An Omega without a wolf was a curse, a stain on the honor of the Crescent Moon Pack, and my presence was nothing more than a blight they could hardly stand. Like a shadow, the persistent whispers of "cursed" and "worthless" tormented me everywhere, following every sneer, every shove. Still, I stayed, bearing their scorn for one reason-my brother Aiden-and one alone. Only his weak physique and feverish evenings kept me anchored to this spot.

Not when he most needed me, I could desert him.

Today should have been exactly like every other day. I would keep my head down, work in the infirmary, and avoid running across anyone who might remind me of my place. But something seemed strange as I moved across the main hall of the pack. Tension permeated the air, the kind that caused the hair on the rear of my neck to stand on edge. Wolves were whirling in close circles, eyes flickering frantically toward the door. Their remarks did not help me to understand their fears.

Kelt Blackthorn returned.

His name by itself made me shiver. Famously were his tales of exile, his vicious battles, and his relentless demand of retribution. He was the Alpha who had been betrayed by his closest friends; the wolf who had vanished into the wilds only to resurface more dangerous than ever. Now he was here, returning to recover his birthright, and he had no regard for who he had to destroy to get it. If at all, I never expected to see him until much later. In the big picture, I was simply a nobody-an unseen servant. Still, fate has a nasty sense of fun as always.

The doors opened as I was tending to Aiden in the infirmary, cool clothes were used to lower his fever from wrist injuries. My heart still stopped. In walked someone whose presence dominated the space like a stormcloud. Kael looked exactly like the merciless Alpha from the legends-tall, muscular, and radiating power and menace. His dark hair was wild, his eyes keen and relentless, a deep blue that appeared to cut right through you. Though I tried to keep my eyes down and concentrate on Aiden's shaking figure, the air was charged and I could feel Kael staring at me.

"Seraphina Riven?" Years of resentment and conflict had roughened his deep growl of voice. He bypassed waiting for me to respond. He didn't need to. The pack as a whole understood who I was-the cursed Omega without a wolf, the one everyone yearned would simply vanish. "You are traveling with me.

"What do you wish for??" My voice hardly steady, I managed to ask. Though I will not let it show, fear is at my core. not before Aiden.

He turned away the inquiry, his gaze flickering between irritation and something deeper. "The prophecy." It references you.

Confounded, I fixed my gaze on him. The prophecy is The half-whispered stories of a destined Luna who would save or ruin the Alpha had been told to me. Those were only stories, ancient wives' tales fashioned to make sense of the anarchy our planet experienced. They were not at all involved with me. I'm not Luna. I was only me.

Trying to keep my voice cool, I answered, "You've got the wrong person." "I'm not who you're looking for."

Kael's face became tougher. He moved forward, rapidly closing the distance between us. "There is no decision involved here. Whether you like it or not, you are here with me and will play your part.

Though I could not show it, panic shot through me. Not right now, not here. Aiden's eyes sprung open, dim with fever but full with anxiety. He tried to sit up, but I gently pushed him down.

I mumbled to him, then looked back to Kael, not sure. "I have to stay with him."

Kael's eyes flicked to Aiden, his expression revealing only cold calculating. He will be taken care of. But you are not hanging around here.

I understood that debating had no purpose. Alpha, Kael was; what he wanted he grabbed. But I couldn't just leave Aiden, the one guy who has kept me going over many years. My stomach turned over, stuck between my obligation to my brother and the unworkable weight of what Kael was asking for.

Following him from the infirmary, every step seemed to Aiden like a betrayal. Kael guided me across the complex of the pack; his presence alone divided the assembly. Their looks let me know a mix of dread, curiosity, and hardly hidden contempt. The female they had rejected now claimed by the Alpha horrified them all.

Kael's lodgings were far different from the dimly lit confines of the infirmary. Old treasures of the Crescent Moon Pack-ancient weaponry, maps, and trophies from earlier conquests-filled the large area. Designed to remind everyone of Kael's might, it was both a fortification and a refuge. He waved for me to sit, but I stayed on my feet with arms crossed defensively in front of me.

"You are afraid," he said, his eyes never straying from mine. "good." You survive only out of fear.

"I'm not afraid of you," I said, even as my heart surged.

He gave me shivers with his dark, knowing smile. " You ought to be." He slanted forward and his voice dropped to a whisper. "I have no interest in the prophecy. But I will exploit you to the last breath if it means recovering my pack and exacting those who wronged me.

Kael's comments hung in the air, weighty and ominous, and I understood that whatever he wanted from me was considerably more than merely satisfying some old myth. I was a pawn in his game; he was a guy motivated by revenge. Though his presence unsettled me, there was another flutter of defiance, a subtle rebellion deep inside me that would not be cowed. I would not allow Kels to utilize me without protest.

Then, though, arrived the twist I never would have seen.

Kael replied suddenly, his voice low and deliberate: "I know what Lucian did to your family." "Your brother is sick because of him."

The planet seemed to be leaning on its axis. My breath stopped, and as his words sank in my vision blurred. Aiden's illness was caused by Alpha of the Blood Moon Pack Lucian Thorn? The same guy who had been Kael's adversary since their days as allies, who had taken everything from him and now aimed to utterly destroy him. My thoughts flew, putting together bits of half-remembered talks, subdued warnings, and the sinister past between the groups.

Kael regarded me, his face blank. "I can help you save him," he replied, his voice now softer and nearly compassionate. But first I need your help.

Knowing what he was asking, it scared me. Working with Kels meant plunging blindly into a war that had been building for years, one that would shatter all I understood about loyalty, authority, and sacrifice. I couldn't walk away, though, if there was even a remote possibility to save Aiden.

"Fine," I answered, my voice more under control than I felt. I will be of assistance to you. But know this: Kael Blackthorn is not only some cursed Omega you may influence. I shall struggle for myself as well as for my brother.

Kael had eyes that shone with something quite like respect. Then let us start.

The die was thrown, the road decided. We would negotiate a risky alliance together, confronting shadows inside ourselves as well as adversaries on all sides. It was a game of survival, power, and dishonesty; neither of us could afford to lose.

One thing was certain as I fixed my gaze on the Alpha carrying my fate in his hands: this was only the beginning.

Seraphina's POV

I fixed my gaze on the flickering flames in Kael's great fireplace, my head whirling with doubt and incredulity. Now, negotiating a web of old rivalries and lethal secrets, I was bartering with a dangerous Alpha to save the life of my brother. Kael had just revealed a bombshell: Aiden's relentless illness was caused by Alpha of the Blood Moon Pack, Lucian Thorn. I wanted to yell, demand responses, but I had to keep my cool. Kael did not value frailty, hence I could not afford to be exposed.

Kael sat across from me, his gaze piercing and deliberate but his stance was laid back. Examining every action I did, he seemed like a predator ready to strike. Tension permeated the room, and the silence stretched uneasily between us. Kael was constantly three steps ahead, and I couldn't get rid of the sensation as if I was engaged in a game I wasn't ready for.

At last shattering the quiet, Kael stated, "I need you to understand something." "Sahara, I am not here to save you. There is no compassion about this. Nothing more, nothing less-you help me; I help you.

I nodded while my gut turned over. "I get it," I said, trying to project assurance. "But why haven't you taken Lucian down yet? Knowing what he did? What stops you?

Kael's jaw tightened, and for a minute I glimpsed a flutter of something-was it pain, or only wrath? "Lucian's not any Alpha, just any Alpha." He is sly, merciless, and he has developed relationships to guard him. I tried pursuing him before, but he always seems one step ahead. He wants to eradicate every trace of me, my legacy, and everything I have ever loved, not simply have me dead.

His voice was low, boiling with barely restrained wrath. I could now understand why Kael was so dreaded. This was personal, a deeply ingrained resentment that had fanned for years, not only about power. And now I seemed to be caught in the center of it somehow.

"So where do I fit into all of this?" Wary about the response, I inquired.

Kael slumped back, his gaze fixed on me with a terrible intensity. "Lucian is aware I am visiting him. He does not know you, though. You are my hidden weapon since he views you as not a threat. You will enable me to enter his circle, expose his flaws, and demolish him from the inside.

I stepped back slightly as his strategy sank in weight. I was to be a spy, a pawn in this lethal game between two strong Alphas. Though I couldn't turn back now-not when Aiden's life was on the line-the prospect horrified me.

"What enables me to do that?" I questioned, my voice a little rebellious. I am not a secret agent or a warrior. I am simply me.

Kael's lips twisted into a thin, almost contemptuous smirk. You have lasted this long in a pack that hates you. When everyone else dropped out, you looked after your brother. Remember yourself, Seraphina; don't minimize yourself. You are more robust than you might believe.

His comments stung since they carried a truth I wasn't ready for. My entire life I had been attempting to show a pack that would never consider me anything but a mistake in my value. Kael was now asking me to use that same might to bring down one of the most potent Alphas currently on Earth. Though careless and crazy, for the first time someone considered me as more than simply an outcast.

Still, uncertainty still persisted. And should I fail, what happens? I asked softly.

Kael's face grew stiffer. "Failure isn't a choice. Not for you or for me.

His finality made me shudder down my spine. Kael lived in a world free of mistakes. Everything was plain and white-that either you lost everything or won. I had either to adapt or die.

A knock sounded across the room before I could reply. Raiden, Kael's Beta, entered and his presence was sharp and commanding. Tall and muscular, Raiden carried a scar across his cheek that served as a constant reminder of the many conflicts he had fought at Kael's side. His allegiance to Kael was unquestionable, but his eyes toward me were watchful and almost cynical.

"We have a situation," Raiden stated, his voice tight. "Men of Lucian have been seen close to the northern border."

Kael's face clouded. "Lucian's already moving," he murmured, getting to his feet. He looked at me, his eyes ablaze with will. Your first test is this one. Join me.

I stopped, the weight of the moment crushing down on my shoulders. This went beyond simply strategy and whispered ideas now. It was genuine, instantaneous, and far more perilous than I had ever dreamed. But I could not afford to exhibit anxiety-not now, not ever.

We trailed Raiden across the compound, the tension in the air electrified. On great alert, wolves were getting ready for an eventual battle. My heart thumping in my chest, we arrived at the northern watchtower. Lucian's scouts were silhouettes I could see hovering in the distance, observing and waiting. They served as a sobering reminder that we were under continual hunting and that every choice might result in slaughter.

Kael examined the sight, his face set in a mask of focus. He said, nearly to himself, "They're testing our defenses." " Looking for a weak spot."

Raiden nodded with a dark look. "Do you want us to engage?"

Keal shook his head. Not at all Allow them to believe we lack readiness. We will attack at least least expected times. He fixed me with a sidelong gaze with narrowed eyes. "You have to develop your Alpha, Seraphina, thinking style. Always always be two steps ahead.

I tried to assimilate his remarks by swallowing hard. This was a warning not only a lesson. Kael was not going to hold my hand across this or coddle me. He expected me to prove myself deserving of standing by his side, to adjust and endure. Though it was frightening, the idea also sparked a flutter of will within me.

I knew this was only the beginning as I saw the enemy scouts withdraw into the darkness. Every action we took would shape not only our packs but also our own life going forward from the lines of battle. Though it was dangerous, Kael's strategy was also my sole chance to shield Aiden and carve out a spot for myself in a society that had always turned aside me.

Turning on his heel, Kael said, "Let's get back." "We have to work on this.

I followed him, thoughts and worries whirling through my head. Benefit it all, though, was a developing will. My entire life I had been told I was nothing-a helpless, cursed Omega with no future. Now under Kael's direction, I was prepared to reinvent my destiny.

This transcended mere survival to become more than that. It was a struggle for control, for atonement, and for an opportunity to at last be the Luna I was never supposed to be. And I was not about to let anyone deprive me of that.

I silently promised as the sun sank below the horizon and created long shadows across the estate. I would stand next to Kael, face Lucian, and do all it would take to guard people I loved. Even if it meant rising to be a warrior in a society where only the strong survived-something I had never dreamed of.

Seraphina's POV

As the animosity between packs simmered under the surface, Kael's complex pulsed with restless energy. My footsteps echoed on the cold stone floor as I moved across the poorly lit halls. Rushing past me, wolves were getting ready for the certain collision with Lucian's army. Every face I met was stern, deliberate, each wolf bearing the weight of a fight felt both old and extremely personal.

Expecting me to match his unrelenting speed, Kael had thrown me right into the middle of it. But I felt out of place, like an invader in a world I didn't completely know. Neither was I a strategist like Kael nor a fighter. My only edge was my will to defend Aiden, and Kael's risky conviction that I could be more than what everyone had defined me to be.

Raiden showed up by my side, his look opaque, and broke off my thoughts. Not thinking through politeness, he said, "Kael wants you in the strategy room." Small chat had no place in Kael's life.

My nerves tight, I trailed Raiden throughout the meandering hallways. Since the border confrontation yesterday night, I hadn't seen much of Kael, and the little glances I did catch of him were tinged with a sullen rage. The pressure was building, and Kael was not the kind of person to gently manage tension.

We walked into the strategy room, which was dominated by a big, scarred table strewn with records and maps. Standing at the head surrounded by his closest group was Kael. His eyes turned up as I walked in, evaluating me with the same icy precision. But there was another element there too, a trace of expectation that tightened my chest.

"Seraphina," Kels started, his voice sharp. "I have our next action on some thought. You will assist us in approaching Lucian. We must get closer to him.

Knowing this discussion would be yet another challenge of my will, I stiffened myself. "What do you need me to accomplish?"

With his finger following the territory lines separating our packs, Kael motioned to the map laid out on the table. "Lucian has plans; I need ears and eyes inside. You will be reuniting with an old buddy of his who has access to data required.

I scowled, attempting to retain a calm voice. "Who?"

Kael's lips quenched into a slight smile, but there was no comedy about it. Lydia Crowe is here. She used to run with Lucian's pack before their relationship soured. She still has her contacts even if she is working alone now. She is erratic, slick, yet she also yearns for an ally.

Lydia Croche. I had heard of her; she was always playing both sides of any argument and was known for her capacity for manipulation and dishonesty. She was, yet, nevertheless fiercely independent, with loyalty just to herself. Lydia would be the one who could come near Lucian without drawing suspicion. Getting her to collaborate with us would present yet another difficulty completely.

" Why would she assist us?" I inquired about Kael's proposal. She is not particularly known for her teamwork.

Kael's eyes become steely. She owes me, therefore. And since she despises Lucian practically equally to what I do. She will come around if you can persuade her that serving us will benefit her most.

I missed the way Kael's eyes narrowed as he talked, as though he were challenging me to challenge him. But I could see the computation underlying his strategy: Lydia would only be persuaded by someone else; Kael needed Lydia. I entered there at that point.

"What's the Catch?" Pressing, I knew Kael never gave without wanting anything in return.

Kael leaned forward, his voice lowering to a threatening whisper. Though Lydia is brilliant, she also exhibits paranoia. She won't trust you readily. You have to play your cards well, win her confidence, and keep her in line. She will turn on you should she feel weak.

I agreed, the weight of the work squarely falling on my shoulders. This was a game of dishonesty, one in which the stakes were greater than I had ever encountered before, not a straightforward mission. Still, I couldn't back down. Aiden's life relied on my success; Kael's haphazard approach was our best chance.

Raiden cleared his throat, then pointed Kael back toward the others. "Lucian's men have been sniffing around Lydia's old haunts," he continued, his voice dark. "They are observing her quite attentive. There is no money for mistakes.

Kael nodded with a tense face. Seraphina must approach this gently. Lydia is not aware of our whole scheme. She just has to know what is absolutely required.

I took a hard gulp, sensing the weight building. Kael was depending dangerously on me, and I wasn't sure I was qualified for the weight. But I refused to let anxiety rule me-not now, not when so much was online.

"Don't worry," I said, trying to give my voice confidence. "I'll bring her on our end.

Kael's eyes stayed on me for a moment more, as though he was looking for any trace of uncertainty. He then nodded, content. Excellent. We go tonight.

The conference broke up, and I was left by myself in the corridor, the weight of the work ahead crushing down on me. Lean against the wall and attempt to control your breathing. In Kael's perilous environment, this was my first actual test. And failing would not be affordable.

Footsteps followed me while I worked through my ideas. I turned to find Raiden walking forward, his demeanor strangely austere. With a worried tone, he asked, "You're really going through with this?"

I nodded and matched his look. "I have no option here."

Raiden groaned and ran a hand over his hair. "Just be cautious, Seraphina." Plans usually have layers, and occasionally the people closest to Kael find themselves caught in the crossfire.

My shiver came from his warning. Raiden had been by Kael's side for years, and he was without doubt devoted. But his comments alluded to something more, a warning story I was not really aware of. Kael lived in a world of continual danger, and connections were as flimsy as they were required.

Though my voice faltered somewhat, I answered, "I can handle myself."

Raiden's gaze softened, and for a minute I sensed a flutter of empathy. You are capable, as I know. Lydia is, however, a wild card. Maintaining your guard.

Thank you; I nodded. I needed this direction. Raiden's real concern was sincere, and it made me realize that even in Kael's inner circle there were still human moments despite the conflict and continuous power play.

Night fell and I got ready to head to see Lydia. The words of Kael kept coming back to me, a continual reminder of the gravity. I couldn't afford to be hesitant or afraid. This was my opportunity to show myself-to Kael, to Aiden, most especially, to me.

I left into the chilly night air, the moon low in the heavens like a mute observer of the developing anarchy. Every step I took felt more weight than the next; the road ahead was dark. But I couldn't reverse it now.

At a run-down warehouse on the outskirts of the city, deals were done and secrets revealed in the dead of night. Lydia was already there, leaning against the rusting frame of an old car and her sharp eyes gleamed in the darkness.

She raised her head as I walked up, a smile flickering on her lips. "Seraphina Thorne," she said, her voice laden with scorn. "Did not think I would find you here."

I forced a grin to cover my anxiety. About you, Lydia, I could say the same.

Lydia's eyes furrowed and her laughter vanished. "Kael's got you now running his errands? Had to be really desperate.

I shrugged, not allowing her to get under my belt. "I'm here to offer you.

Lydia's look became dubious, yet there was a flutter of interest. "I am listening.

Knowing this moment might either run or save everything, so I inhaled deeply. "We require Lucian's details. And we will grant you something you have always yearned for in return: retribution.

Lydia's eyes narrowed and for the first time I noticed a fracture in her façade. Between her own aspirations and the weight of a grudge she had never let go of, she was tempted.

Her voice laced with danger, "You better not be wasting my time," she cautioned.

I met her eye, my will strengthening. Lydia, trust me. This is only the start.

I became determined as Lydia thought about my comments. Every action was a gamble and every alliance a possible betrayal as I was entering unexplored ground. Still, I was ready to meet whatever was ahead.

This was about seizing control of my destiny, regardless of cost, not only about survival.