The Fake Luna: Marked By The Alpha King

Aria's POV

As I approached Ethan's office, voices drifted through the half-open door.

A woman's voice.

"Ethan-yes-right there-"

His voice, ragged and raw. "You feel so good, Clara."

Clara. My best friend!He cheated on her!

I never imagined that cutting my business trip short and rushing home would mean walking in on the two of them betraying me.

For two years I had swallowed everything the Silver Creek Pack threw at me.

The whispers behind my back. The wolves who wrinkled their noses when I passed, as if my human scent offended them.

The council members who refused to meet my eyes when I spoke, because a human had no business sitting where a Luna should sit.

I told myself it was worth it. I was going to be the first human Luna in living memory. I had studied their laws until my eyes burned.

I had rebuilt the Pack's finances from nothing, learned their customs, memorized every unwritten rule about bloodlines and hierarchy and mate bonds.

I did it all because Ethan told me the Moon Goddess had chosen me. Because he swore I was his True Mate.

I believed him.

Then, something even worse than being betrayed by my best friend and mate hit like a freight train.

"When are you going to get rid of her, Ethan?"

"Our son is already three years old. I'm tired of pretending." Clara's voice was sharp with impatience.

Marcus. The little boy Ethan claimed we'd adopted because my human body supposedly couldn't handle pregnancy, and the pack needed a pup to serve as the Alpha's heir.

I couldn't breathe. The pup I had lovingly raised was Ethan and Clara's biological child! My heart was bleeding-how dare they!

Inside the office, Ethan sighed. "Just a little longer."

His voice was cold. "We still need her. The Pack's finances are stable because of her work. Once we've locked everything down, I'll cut her loose."

"What am I supposed to do until then? Keep playing victim while she parades around as Luna?"

"You know she's nothing to me. Just a tool. Once we've squeezed every last drop of value out of her..."

I didn't wait to hear more.

I shoved the door open.

Clara was perched on Ethan's desk, her blouse undone, skirt pushed up to her waist.

Ethan was buried inside her, his hips driving into her as she gasped against his mouth, her legs wrapped tight around him.

It made me want to throw up.

"Sorry to interrupt."My voice sliced through the air like a blade.

They froze. Clara scrambled to cover herself, nearly falling off the desk. Ethan jerked upright, his mouth wet, his eyes wide with shock.

I leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed, a cold smile on my lips.

"Don't stop on my account. I'd hate to ruin the mood."

"Aria. You shouldn't be here," Ethan said with mild annoyance.

"Shouldn't I?" I said, my voice shaking with rage."I think you owe me an explanation."

"You told me I was your True Mate. You pursued me for months. You convinced me the Moon Goddess chose us.But now you're sleeping with my best friend?"

"There's nothing to explain. I've always loved Clara,"Ethan said flatly, "let's not beat around the bush. "

"The deal with V&A Group need final signatures. We need you for one last meeting as Luna. After that, we'll give you reasonable compensation for your... services."

"Compensated?" The word tasted like poison.

"You lied to me for two years. You used me to build your Pack's business portfolio.And now you want to pay me off like a servant who's served her purpose?"

Clara walked toward me, adjusting her clothes with deliberate slowness.

"You should be grateful, honestly. A human orphan with no family, no packs? Where else would you have ended up? If you're smart, you'll take whatever he offers and leave quietly. Otherwise-"

I moved.

I was across the room before Clara could finish the threat, my hand fisting in her golden hair. Clara yelped, stumbling backward into the desk.

"Aria!" Ethan grabbed my arm, twisting it hard enough to make me gasp. Then he shoved me backward. Hard.

I hit the floor, the impact jarring through my spine. Pain exploded in my tailbone. I looked up at him, stunned.

Ethan stared down at me, his light blue eyes ice cold. "Touch her again and I'll break your wrist."

The words hit harder than the fall.

Something inside my chest cracked. Not my ribs. Something deeper.

I pushed myself to my feet, my hands shaking. My tailbone throbbed where I'd hit the floor. Everything hurt. Not just my body.

"You're going to regret this," I said quietly. "Both of you."

I turned and walked out before either of them could respond.

I made it to the parking lot before my legs gave out. I sank onto my car, and let the tears come.

Two years. Two years of biting my tongue, of being the human they tolerated, of believing that one day the Bonding Ceremony would come and Ethan would finally mark me in front of the whole Pack.

I had thought his hesitation was protection. I had thought he was waiting for the right moment.

He'd never planned to claim me at all.

That was when my phone rang.

The number was unfamiliar. For a second I almost let it go to voicemail. Then I answered, my voice thick.

"Hello?"

"Am I speaking with Miss Aria Smith?" A crisp, professional voice. Older. Human.

"Speaking."

"My name is Richard Castellano. I'm the executor of the Smith family estate. I represent the late Mr. Vincent Smith." A pause. "Miss Smith, I'm calling because you have been named the sole legal heir to his estate."

I wiped my face with the back of my hand. "I think you have the wrong person. My father-I don't have a father. I grew up in an orphanage."

"There's no mistake. A DNA test conducted through the estate confirmed the match. Vincent Smith was your biological father. His will names you the sole heir to the entirety of the Smith family holdings, including commercial interests spanning several Pack territories in North America."

The world went very quiet.

Vincent Smith. Even I knew that name. The human who had built an empire inside the wolf world, the one businessman the Packs actually let through the door.

"That's-that can't be right."

"I assure you it is. Time is a factor, Miss Smith. Certain parties are already contesting the will. It would be in your interest to formalize your claim as soon as possible."

"I can meet you now," I said, before I even knew I'd decided. "Today. I'll sign whatever needs signing."

"Excellent. I'll send a car. I'll need your full legal information for the paperwork." A brief rustle of pages. "Just to confirm our records-your current status is listed as single, unmarried. Is that correct?"

The concrete seemed to tilt beneath me.

"Single," I repeated slowly.

"Yes. No registered union of any kind. Should I correct the file?"

I closed my eyes. Two years. A wedding I remembered walking through. A marriage certificate Ethan had waved in front of the council. A title I had worn like a crown of thorns.

None of it had ever been real.

"No," I said, and for the first time in two years my voice didn't shake. "The file is correct. I'm single. I always have been."

I ended the call and stared at the office building, at the window where the two of them had thought they'd buried me for good.

They had no idea who they'd just thrown away.

My chance had come.

Ethan's POV

The door slammed behind Aria. I should go after her. Smooth things over like I always did. I took a step forward.

"Ethan." Clara's hand wrapped around my wrist, yanking me back. "Where do you think you're going?"

"She just saw us. I need to talk to her before she does something stupid."

"Something stupid?" Clara's amber eyes flashed. "Like tell everyone you cheated? She won't. She loves you too much to destroy what you've built together."

I pulled free, running a hand through my hair.

Clara was right. Aria had proven her love a thousand times over. Working herself to exhaustion for the Pack, enduring my mother's cruelty, raising Marcus without a word of complaint. She wouldn't throw all of that away over one moment of weakness.

"But what if she heard us talking about Marcus?"

"If she had, do you think she'd just walk out?" Clara scoffed. "She'd have been hysterical. Screaming, crying, breaking things." Her fingers trailed down my arm. "Give her three days. She'll come crawling back, accepting a pup with pure Alpha bloodline, begging you not to let her go."

I exhaled slowly. "I guess you're right."

"I'm always right." She smiled.

Clara had always been like this. Bold, unapologetic, dangerously sure of herself. It was what drew me to her when we were teenagers, when she'd dragged me bleeding out of the forest after a rogue attack. I owed her my life.

But Aria was different. She was my True Mate, chosen by the Moon Goddess herself. And I'd rejected that bond the moment I understood what it meant, because accepting her meant letting go of Clara.

Fortunately, as a human, Aria's sense of the bond was weak. After the rejection, she'd felt no pain, still clinging to hope for a connection I'd already severed. That worked in my favor.

Her talents were undeniable. My Pack had flourished under her guidance, and I kept Marcus at her side so she could help shape him into a perfect heir. In front of her, I didn't mind playing the devoted mate. It was the only kindness I could afford to give.

"Ethan." Clara's voice cut through my thoughts. "I want to move in. With you and Aria. I'm tired of sneaking around like some dirty secret. Marcus deserves both his parents under one roof." Her chin lifted. "Either I move in, or I take him and leave. Your choice."

My wolf snarled at the thought of both women under one roof. But if Clara walked out with my son...

"Fine," I heard myself say. "You can move in."

That evening, I brought them home like it was nothing. Marcus came barreling into my arms the second the door opened, his golden hair a mess, his little face split with a grin.

"Daddy! Mommy said we get to stay together now!"

"That's right, buddy." I ruffled his hair, warmth blooming in my chest. This was how it was supposed to be. My mate, my son, all of us together.

Clara laughed as Marcus tugged her toward the living room, chattering about the toys he wanted to unpack first. The house felt right. Complete.

Aria would understand eventually. She'd come home, see reason, and take her place quietly like she always did.

But the hours crawled past. Marcus fell asleep on the couch. Clara went up to bed. And the front door stayed shut.

Nine o'clock. Ten. Eleven.

I sat alone in the dark living room, one lamp burning, telling myself she was just being dramatic. Sulking somewhere. She'd walk through that door any minute now.

Midnight came and went.

Where the hell was she?

I was still awake, jaw tight, when I finally heard the click of a key in the lock.

---

Aria's POV

The meeting with Mr. Castellano had run far longer than I expected.

The estate was even larger than he'd let on. Commercial holdings, shipping contracts, mineral rights buried inside three different Pack territories. Page after page after page.

I signed everything in a strange, floating daze, my name looking foreign on paper that would soon make me one of the wealthiest people in the wolf world.

"There are parties already positioning to contest this," Castellano had warned, gathering the documents. "Your father's widow. His stepson. Certain Alphas with financial stakes. The moment your identity becomes public, you'll have targets on your back. My advice? Keep this quiet until we've secured every asset legally. Once it's locked down, no one can touch you."

I understood exactly what that meant. As long as I remained Ethan Holt's fake Luna, as long as Silver Creek Pack believed I was theirs to use, they'd bleed me dry the instant they scented that kind of wealth. Ethan would smell opportunity like blood in water.

I needed to disappear before that happened.

So I waited until well past midnight to slip home and pack. I never imagined he'd still be up.

"Aria." Ethan rose from the couch, unhurried, as though the afternoon had never happened. "You're late."

"Am I?" I walked past him toward the kitchen. "I didn't realize I had a curfew."

I poured myself a glass of water, more for something to do with my hands than anything else. My heart was pounding so hard my ears ached.

Footsteps followed me.

"Can we talk?" His voice was low, careful.

I turned slowly. "About you and Clara?"

"It's not what you think," he said, that condescending tone creeping in, the one I'd grown to hate. "Clara's going to stay here as Marcus's nanny. He needs stability, and honestly, you're not around enough-"

"Not attentive enough?" I cut in. "Ethan, I run this Pack for you. Every meeting, every decision, every contract. And you? What exactly have you been doing all this time?"

His jaw clenched. "That's not the point."

"Then what is?"

"Marcus needs someone to care for him."

"Fine." I set the glass down. "The answer is no."

He blinked. "Excuse me?"

"I said no. This is my home. I never agreed to a live-in nanny."

"She's not just a nanny. She's helped raise Marcus since the day he was born. He needs her here."

Of course he did. Because she was his real mother.

"Not my problem," I said coldly. "If you want to keep Clara close, buy her an apartment. She's not living under my roof."

Something dark flickered across his face. "Aria-"

"Choose, Ethan." My voice didn't waver. "Her, or this arrangement. You can't have both."

"Marcus needs care," he said quietly.

Just like that. No hesitation. No regret.

I laughed. It came out cold and brittle, a sound I barely recognized as my own.

I echoed. "Right. Well, then. That makes this easy."

"Aria-"

"I'll be gone by morning." I met his eyes without flinching. "Don't worry, I won't make a scene. Why would I? I was never really your Luna anyway. There's nothing here to walk away from."

For the first time, something flickered across his face. Uncertainty. A flash of the panic he'd been so sure he'd never feel.

He opened his mouth to speak.

I turned and walked up the stairs before he could find the words.

Aria's POV

The next morning, I dragged my suitcase down the stairs, ready to leave Silver Creek behind for good.

I'd only packed clothes. Nothing that would tip Ethan off. As far as he knew, I was just sulking, throwing a tantrum like the spoiled wife he thought I was. Let him think that. It made everything easier.

I was almost at the door when a small figure came barreling toward me.

"Where are you going?"Marcus appeared at the bottom of the stairs, his small arms crossed, his blue eyes narrowed into slits. God, he looked exactly like Ethan when he did that.

I didn't answer him. I just kept walking.

That was a mistake.

The boy darted forward and, before I could react, scrambled up onto my suitcase, planting both feet on the top and bouncing with all his weight.

"You're leaving? Good! Nobody wants you here!" He jumped harder, the wheels wobbling beneath him. "I hope your stupid clothes break!"

Clara stood a few feet away, one hand pressed to her chest in a perfect imitation of concern.

"Marcus, honey, get down from there," she cooed, making no move to actually stop him. "Sweetie, that's not nice."

Empty words. She wasn't even pretending to try.

Something inside me went very still.

I crossed the room in three steps and slapped her clean across the face.

The sound cracked through the foyer like a gunshot.

Clara staggered back, her hand flying to her cheek, amber eyes wide with shock.

"You-you hit me!"

"You're the nanny, aren't you?" I said, my voice ice-cold. "You can't teach my son basic manners. So you take the punishment for it."

Marcus froze mid-jump, startled by the sound, and lost his balance. He tumbled off the suitcase and landed on his backside with a thud, immediately bursting into wails.

Right on cue, Ethan came thundering down the hall.

"What the hell is going on?" He dropped to his knees, scooping Marcus into his arms. Then he shot me a glare that would have terrified me two days ago. "Did you push him?"

"No. He fell." I looked between the three of them-the crying child, the sniveling mistress, the furious Alpha. My perfect little family. "Though I'm touched you assumed the worst. Really shows how much you think of me."

"Aria-"

"Save it." I grabbed the handle of my suitcase. "You want to raise your son to be a monster? Be my guest. But don't expect me to stand here and clean up the mess."

I walked out without looking back.

---

The penthouse was quiet when I arrived. My penthouse now-the one my father had left me.Blessedly, gloriously quiet.

Floor-to-ceiling windows. Heated marble floors. A soaking tub big enough to drown my regrets in. I ran a bath, poured myself a glass of wine from the fully stocked bar, and sank into the water with a sigh.

Two years. Two years of pinching pennies. Buying store-brand everything, skipping lunches, telling myself the sacrifice was worth it because I was building a life with my mate.

What a joke.

I'd handed Ethan everything-my money, my labor, my dignity-and he'd spent it all on Clara.

Never again.

I was halfway through my second glass when my phone buzzed. Unknown number.

I almost let it ring out. Then, on instinct, I answered.

"Hello?"

"Aria Smith?" The voice was deep, warm, unmistakably an Alpha's. "My name is Victor. Victor Smith." A pause. "I'm your uncle."

I sat up, water sloshing over the rim of the tub. "My uncle."

"Vincent was my foster brother. Crescent Moon Pack took him in when he had nothing." A soft breath. "I've been searching for you for a long time, sweetheart."

I gripped the phone tighter. "If you're calling to warn me off the inheritance, save your breath."

"Relax. I have businesses of my own." He didn't sound offended.

"I only wanted to tell you this, Aria-signing those papers put a target on your back. Sylvia won't let it go quietly, and she isn't the only one watching. You've stepped into something bigger than you know."

"I'm aware." My voice didn't waver. "I signed anyway. I don't do things I'm not prepared to fight for."

There was a long silence on the line. Then, softly, Victor chuckled.

"God. You sound just like him."

I said nothing. How could I? I'd never met Vincent. I didn't know if he'd been kind or cruel, brave or cowardly. To me, he was just a name on a will and a stranger who'd left me his fortune.

"There's a dinner tonight," Victor continued. "Small, private. The Alpha King is passing through to inspect the territory. As family, you're expected to attend." A beat. "I'd very much like to meet you properly, Aria."

The Alpha King. Even I knew that name carried weight.

"I'll be there," I said.

---

The boutique was the kind of place that didn't list prices.

I'd just slipped into a stunning emerald gown-one that made my green eyes glow-when a sharp voice cut through the fitting room.

"Excuse me. That's mine. I called it in this morning."

I turned. A blonde woman stood there, arms crossed, lip curled like she'd smelled something rotten.

"I don't think so," I said calmly. "I'm already wearing it."

Her amber eyes raked over me. "Let me guess. You wandered in off the street and can't even afford the zipper. Do yourself a favor and take it off before you embarrass yourself." She snapped her fingers at the two men by the door. "I'm Vanessa Crane. My father is Alpha Richard Crane of Riverside Pack. Get her out of my dress."

The guards stepped forward.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you."

A silver-haired man in an immaculate suit strode through the entrance, half a dozen men behind him. Vanessa's guards froze.

He stopped before me and inclined his head. "Miss Smith. Forgive the delay. Alpha Victor sent me to escort you to the family dinner. I'm Harrison, Beta of Crescent Moon Pack."

The color drained from Vanessa's face.

"Smith?" she whispered. "As in-Vincent Smith?"

"His daughter," Harrison said coolly. "And sole heir."

Vanessa nearly tripped over herself. "Miss Smith-I-I had no idea. Please, forgive me. I never meant-"

I studied her for a moment. I still didn't know what kind of power Crescent Moon truly held, or how many enemies I could afford. Making one more tonight seemed unwise.

"An apology's enough," I said. "You can go."

She fled without another word.

I turned to Harrison and smiled.

"Give me five minutes to change."