The Breeder Luna Bites Back

I wake up to darkness. My heart races. The sheets feel wrong. Too smooth. Too cold. My fingers grip them tight, but I don't recognize anything. The smell of cedar. The scent of rain. My skin tingles, and I freeze.

I'm not alone.

I can hear his breathing. Slow. Calm. It makes my skin crawl. My pulse is in my throat, choking me. I turn my head, just a bit. And there he is. A stranger. His face hidden in the shadows. But a mark that catches my eye - on his spinal cord, shaped oddly like a snake's head. His scent is everywhere. It sticks to me, clings to my clothes-no, to my skin.

I have to get out. Now.

I slide out of bed, my bare feet hitting the cold floor. It's marble. The chill shoots through me, but I can't stop. I stumble, trying to be quiet. Trying not to wake him. The room spins, and my head pounds. I don't remember. Anything. How did I get here? Who is he? Why can't I remember?

The door. I see it. My hand shakes as I reach for the handle. My fingers fumble, the cold metal slipping in my grip. It clicks. I hold my breath.

Don't wake up. Don't wake up.

The door creaks open, and I slip out into a long hallway. It's empty. Silent. My breath echoes off the walls as I run. The scent of cedar fades, replaced by something sharp, metallic. Blood? No. Not blood. It's fear. My fear. It's in the air, heavy and thick.

I don't know where I'm going, but I keep moving. Left. Right. Another right. The walls close in on me. My vision blurs. Everything's wrong. My skin burns where the stranger's scent lingers. I need to wash it off. Scrub it clean. But I keep running.

Then I see it. A door at the end. It looks different. Bigger. Familiar. I push it open, and the sight makes my stomach twist. A penthouse. The pole lights are a blur outside the floor-to-ceiling windows.

No. No, no, no.

I know this place. I know who lives here. Malachi. My husband. My alpha. My mate. My heart slams against my ribs as I stagger inside. The air is too thin. I can't breathe.

And then he's there. At the top of the stairs. Malachi. Tall, broad shoulders, dark hair that's always perfectly in place. Except now, something's off. His eyes. They're not right. They flash with something unnatural. Cold. Like ice.

"So, the breeder finally awakens," he says, his voice low, a growl underneath.

I flinch. Breeder. The word stings, cuts deep. But I can't look away from his eyes. They're not the warm brown I remember. They're dark, almost black, like something is hiding behind them. I blink, and they flash blue for a second. I must be seeing things.

"Malachi, I-" My voice shakes. I don't know what to say. My throat tightens. The room spins. "I don't understand. What's happening?"

His lip curls into a sneer. "What's happening?" he echoes in a mocking tone. "You don't remember, do you?"

I shake my head, tears stinging my eyes. "No. I don't remember anything."

A laugh, sharp and cruel, cuts through the air. I turn, and there she is. Emilia. His mistress. Her sleek brunette hair, her perfect makeup. She's everything I'm not.

"Oh, darling," she coos, stepping closer. "Didn't he tell you? You were nothing but a pawn. A means to an end."

Her words are knives. They slice through me, leaving me raw, exposed. My hands shake as I try to hold on to something, anything that makes sense. But it's slipping. Everything is slipping.

"Get out," Malachi says, his voice cold, final. "What are you still doing here? Get out."

I stumble back, trying to make sense of his words, when he suddenly marches down the stairs and thrusts a stack of papers into my trembling hands. My fingers fumble with them, and I see the word **DIVORCE** in bold letters at the top. My heart sinks, the final nail in the coffin of my broken world.

"What..." I can barely form a word.

I look at him, my eyes pleading. But his are empty, dead. There's no warmth. No love. Just darkness. I see it again. A flicker of blue in his eyes, but it's gone before I can make sense of it. I stumble back, the papers falling carelessly to the floor and the world blurring around me. My legs move on their own. I don't know where I'm going, but I run.

Emilia's laughter follows me, echoing in my head. Her voice, sweet like poison. "You were nothing. Just a god-awful overbearing breeder."

My vision swims. My lungs burn. I burst out into the night, the cold air hitting me like a wall. The forest ahead looms, looking dark and endless. My feet pound against the earth, pushing me forward. But I can't escape it. I can't escape the emptiness inside me. The hole where my memories should be.

The forest closes in, the trees whispering insults and condemnations as I run through. My breath comes in ragged gasps. I can feel them. Malachi's wolves. They're close. Too close. Their snarls are in my ears, their teeth at my heels.

Why is he still pursuing me?

What does he want?

I stumble, my foot catching on something, and I go down hard. Pain shoots through my ankle, but I don't stop. I can't. I crawl, my fingers digging into the dirt. The scent of oak fills my nose, sharp and clean. It's a relief from the cedar and rain that clings to me.

Then, a voice. Deep. Commanding. "Stop!"

I freeze. The wolves stop too. Everything is still. Silent.

A figure steps out from behind the trees, tall, broad, with eyes that glow in the dark. He's an alpha, I can feel it. His presence is overwhelming, suffocating. But there's something familiar in his gaze. Something safe.

"Princess?" he says, his voice softening. "Is that really you?"

I open my mouth to speak, but nothing comes out. The world tilts, my vision darkening at the edges. I see his eyes, piercing blue, filled with concern. But then they shift. For a moment, they're Malachi's eyes. Cold, dark, and full of that unnatural glow. And then everything goes black.

My head hurts. A dull throb that pulses behind my eyes, making it hard to think. I don't know how long I've been out, but the softness under me is a relief. Not cold. Not like before.

I try to open my eyes, but the light is too bright. I wince, squinting, and slowly, the world comes into focus. The room is warm, bathed in golden sunlight streaming through the tall windows. The walls are painted in soft, calming colors-pale blues and greens. It feels...safe. But I don't recognize it.

And then I hear them.

Voices. Low, murmuring, but too loud to ignore. I turn my head and see them. Three men standing by the door, all of them with their backs turned, speaking in hushed tones. They're tall, broad-shouldered, and similar in a way that's uncanny. But it's not just their size. There's something else. A connection I can't explain.

I blink, trying to sit up, but my body feels like it's made of lead. The movement catches their attention, and they all turn at once. Three pairs of eyes lock onto me, and I freeze.

The first one to move is the one with dark hair, cropped close to his head. He's the tallest, with a sharp jawline and eyes that seem to pierce right through me. His steps are measured, careful, like he's afraid I might break.

"Trice?" His voice is deep, rough like gravel, but there's something tender in the way he says my name.

I open my mouth, but no sound comes out. I just...stare.

The second one follows, a smirk playing at his lips. His hair is slightly longer, messier, like he couldn't be bothered to tame it. His eyes are a striking blue, sparkling with mischief even as they soften when he looks at me. He's a bit shorter than the first, but still tall enough to tower over me.

"Little sis," he says, and there's a skip in his tone, playful, teasing. "You're awake. Good. We were starting to think you'd sleep forever."

"Shut up, Leo," the third one snaps, rolling his eyes. His hair is somewhere between the other two-neat but not too neat, a deep brown that catches the light. He's the one who looks the most worried, his brow furrowed as he takes a cautious step closer.

"Don't listen to them, Trice," he says softly, his voice a soothing balm. "I'm Lysander. It's okay. You're safe."

Safe. The word echoes in my mind, but it doesn't feel real. How can I be safe when everything feels so wrong? I stare at them, these three men who look at me like I'm the center of their world, but I don't know them. I should know them. I should remember them.

But I don't.

"Who...who are you?" My voice is weak, barely more than a whisper.

The smirk fades from Leo's face, replaced with something sadder, deeper. The one they called Lysander looks like he's been punched in the gut, but it's the first one, the tallest, who speaks.

"I'm Lucian," he says, his voice steady, but I can see the cracks in his calm. "And these two idiots are Leo and Lysander. We're your brothers, Trice. Your triplet brothers."

Brothers. The word doesn't make sense. Nothing makes sense.

"But..." I shake my head, trying to clear the fog that clouds my thoughts. "I don't... I don't remember."

Lucian steps closer, his hand reaching out to gently cup my face. His touch is warm, grounding. "It's okay. You've been through a lot. You don't have to remember everything right now. We're just glad you're back."

I want to believe him. I want to feel that warmth, that safety he's offering. But the fear, the confusion, it's all too much. My hands tremble, and I clench them into fists to stop the shaking.

"How?" The question slips out before I can stop it. "How did I get here?"

The brothers exchange glances, as if silently conversing in a way I can't decipher. Leo sighs, running a hand through his messy hair.

"We found you," he says, his voice unusually serious. "In the forest. You were...in bad shape. But you're here now, with us. That's what matters."

"Bad shape?" I repeat, my mind spinning. "What happened to me?"

Lysander sits on the edge of the bed. His presence is calming. "You were running from something-or someone. We're not sure who yet. But when we found you, you were unconscious. We brought you back home."

Home. The word feels foreign. Strange.

"I don't understand," I say, my voice trembling. "I don't remember any of this. How do I know you're telling the truth?"

Lucian's hand drops from my face, and he steps back, his jaw tightening. "Because we're your family, Trice. We're your blood. We've been looking for you for years, ever since you disappeared. You were lost to us, and we never stopped searching."

My heart aches at the pain in his voice, the desperation I hear under his calm appearance. But it's all too much. Too fast.

"I... I need time," I stammer. "This is... It's too much."

Lysander nods, giving me a small, understanding smile. "Of course. We'll give you all the time you need. But know this-we're here for you, Trice. Always."

Leo grins, the sadness gone from his eyes, replaced with that familiar spark of mischief. "And don't worry, we're not going anywhere. We've got years of sibling bonding to catch up on. Just wait until you hear all the stories we've got."

Despite everything, a small smile tugs at the corner of my lips. There's something about Leo's carefree attitude, Lysander's gentle nature, and Lucian's strength that makes me want to believe them. That makes me want to feel safe here.

But the memories are still missing. The fear still lingers. I don't know if I'll ever truly feel safe again.

Lucian nods toward the window, the sunlight pouring in. "Come on. Let's get you out of this bed. There's a lot to talk about, and we can't do that if you're cooped up in here."

I hesitate, but something in his voice, in the way he looks at me, makes me want to trust him. Slowly, I push the covers off and swing my legs over the edge of the bed. I'm wearing a decent topez-coloured gown, but the way it fits on my body makes me know it's not just decent but expensive. My body is weak, my legs shaky, but I stand.

Lysander is by my side in an instant, offering his arm for support. "Easy. You've been out for a while. Take it slow."

I nod, leaning on him as I take a few unsteady steps. The room spins slightly, but I keep going. They're here. My brothers. It feels strange to think of them like that, but a part of me-a small, distant part-feels like it's true.

Lucian leads the way out of the room, and I follow, with Leo at my other side, his presence a comfort I didn't know I needed. As we step into the hallway, I catch a glimpse of myself in a large mirror. My reflection stares back at me-pale, tired, but alive.

"Welcome home, Trice," Lucian says softly, and for the first time since I woke up, I feel a flicker of hope.

Maybe, just maybe, I can find myself here.

I don't know how I'm still standing. My legs feel like jelly, but I keep moving. One step at a time. The hallway stretches out before me, long and endless. The walls are lined with portraits, faces I don't recognize, but there's something...familiar. Like I've seen them before, maybe in a dream.

Lucian leads the way and his gait is confident, purposeful. Leo is by my side, his arm casually hanging over my shoulders, like we've done this a thousand times. But we haven't. At least, I don't remember if we have. Lysander is on my other side, his hand resting gently on my arm, guiding me like I'm fragile, like I might break.

And maybe I will. But not yet.

The further we walk, the more the fog in my mind clears. Little by little, pieces of the puzzle start to come together. They're my brothers. They say they are, and somewhere deep inside, I want to believe them. But it's hard. Everything is hard.

We turn a corner, and the hallway opens up into a massive room. My breath catches in my throat. The ceiling is high, arched, with beams of dark wood crisscrossing above. The walls are lined with more portraits, more faces I don't know. The air smells of polished wood and something sweet, like freshly baked bread. My stomach growls, and I realize I haven't eaten in... I don't know how long.

"This is the Great Hall," Lucian says, his voice echoing off the walls. "It's where we hold our pack meetings, ceremonies, that kind of thing."

I nod, trying to take it all in. The room is beautiful, grand in a way that makes me feel small, but also...important. Like I belong here.

Leo grins, nudging me with his elbow. "You should see it when it's full of people. It gets loud. And I mean loud. You'll love it."

"People?" I ask, my voice barely more than a whisper.

"Yeah, our pack," Lysander says, his tone soft, like he's explaining something to a child. "They've been waiting for you. Everyone's been waiting for you, Trice."

The words hit me like a punch to the gut. Everyone's been waiting for me? I can't wrap my head around it. Why would they wait for me? I'm just...me. A girl with no memory, no past. But then I see the looks on their faces, the way they watch me with something like hope, and I feel a flicker of...something.

"You're our princess, Trice," Lucian says, as if reading my thoughts. "Our long-lost princess. This is your home. These are your people."

I want to believe him. I want to feel that connection, that sense of belonging. But it's like there's a wall in my mind, keeping me from feeling anything but fear and confusion.

Leo's hand tightens on my shoulder in a reassuring squeeze. "Hey, don't overthink it, okay? Just take it one step at a time. We've got your back."

I nod, grateful for the comfort, even if I don't fully understand it. I take a deep breath, letting the scent of the room fill my lungs. It's a good smell, warm and comforting, like home.

As we walk through the Great Hall, I start to notice the details. The carvings on the walls, the rich collages and mosaic artworks that hang from the beams, the soft glow of candles flickering in sconces along the walls. It's all so...beautiful. And yet, it feels strange, like I'm seeing it for the first time and also like I've seen it a hundred times before.

We reach the end of the hall, and Lucian pushes open a heavy wooden door. The sunlight floods in, bright and warm, and I blink against the sudden glare. When my eyes adjust, I step out into the open air, and my breath catches in my throat again.

The courtyard is massive, with lush green grass and tall trees that sway gently in the breeze. The air is fresh, clean, with a hint of pine and earth. It smells like freedom. I feel the sun on my skin, warm and comforting, and for a moment, I forget about everything else. I just stand there, soaking it in.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Leo says, his voice soft with a rare touch of sincerity.

"Yeah," I breathe, unable to say anything more. It is beautiful. It's everything I didn't know I was missing.

We walk through the courtyard, and I start to notice people-men, women, children-all of them watching me, their eyes wide with awe, respect, something I can't quite name. They bow their heads as I pass, murmuring greetings I don't know how to respond to. It's overwhelming, but I try to keep my head up, to smile, to be...whatever they expect me to be.

Lucian stops in front of a small group of people, and I follow his gaze to a man standing slightly apart from the others. He's tall, taller than Lucian, with broad shoulders and a strong, commanding presence. His hair is dark, almost black, and his eyes are a striking blue, cold and piercing.

I freeze. My heart skips a beat. I know him.

"You," I whisper, the word slipping out before I can stop it.

The man's eyes lock onto mine, and for a moment, something lights up in them. Recognition? But it's gone before I can be sure.

He steps forward, his gaze never leaving mine. "Princess," he says. His voice is deep, smooth and almost as fluid as a stream. "It's an honor to meet you."

Honor? The word feels wrong. This whole situation feels wrong. But I can't shake the feeling that I know him, that I've seen him before. And then it hits me.

"You...you saved me," I say, my voice trembling.

His expression doesn't change, but there's a flicker of something in his eyes, something I can't quite place. "I'm sorry, Princess. I think you must be mistaken."

"No," I insist, stepping forward, closer to him. "It was you. In the forest. You...you were there."