Obsidian Bonds Series Book 2 - Packless Luna: Ties of Shadow and Silver

POV: BRYNN

“Brynn,” Xavier calls out. I turn and watch him stride across the Everstone Academy ballroom toward me. Behind him, Harper Bellamy, his newly revealed second-chance mate, watches. Though she tries to give him room, jealousy burns in her gaze.

The Luna Trials at Everstone are finally behind us. Against all odds, I emerged as the first True Luna in a century, mastering every challenge thrown my way. Yet the bitter joke remains—I stand alone as a Packless Luna, without an Alpha or a pack to belong to, and with no clear idea of my future with either Xavier or Axton.

Offering a soft smile, I congratulate him, though losing my first love still hurts. “Congratulations, Xavier. I am really happy that you have found your Second Chance Mate.”

He scratches the back of his head, still nervous, and glances back at Harper. She lets the jealousy fade from her eyes and turns warm for him.

“Yeah, I am still wrapping my head around it.” He takes a tentative step forward. “I meant it, Brynn. I wanted to marry you. I will always love you.” His words cut through me, reminding me that our bond is ending even as my feelings remain.

“I know, Xavier. A part of me will always love you too.” A faint shrug escapes me, tears pricking at my eyes. But the Goddess has plans for you, and Harper is one of them. She will be a good Luna.

Attempting to hide the emotion behind his eyes, Xavier looks down. “I hope so.” He then clears his throat and looks back up at me. “Are you coming home? Are you going back to Moonstone Pack?”

“Um…” Scanning the room, I let my gaze settle on Asher and his new mate, Esme, huddled together as they exchange quiet words, their expressions lit with happiness. Draven, my younger brother, chats with a few warriors finishing up their time at Everstone. Nearby, my parents, Hugh and Rhea, speak animatedly about Xavier and Harper’s impending Luna Ceremony. A heavy sensation settles over me as I watch them; for the first time, I feel adrift and unsure where I belong.

Xavier’s words cut through my thoughts: “You are always welcome, Bry. Always. Moonstone will always be your home.”

My eyes fall back on Harper’s unsure glance at where her relationship with Xavier stands. “No,” I shake my head, still fighting back tears. “I don’t think so.”

He takes another step forward, and the pain of our ending shows on his face as much as it does on mine. “What do you mean? It will always be your home.”

“Xavier, you have a new Luna now. You don’t need an interim anymore.”

“Bry, you know you were never an interim.”

“Maybe, but you found her, Xav. You don’t need me lingering around and complicating things.”

“So that’s it, you’re really leaving?” Each word lands harder than the last.

“For now.” I shrug again. “Who knows where my path will lead.”

A few feet away stands Axton Mireault, my fated mate—the male who wants to mend what broke us and start over. I pushed to begin as mere friends to see if we could repair what was broken. He is deep in conversation with his Beta, Ryder, who has a casual arm slung around Cas as they share a lighthearted laugh, and I still don’t know whether I can trust what Axton and I might become.

Across the room, Axton’s eyes meet mine. A gentle smile touches his lips as he tilts his glass toward me in a silent toast. We remain suspended in this strange space—neither fully bonded nor entirely severed. This uncertainty cuts deep; Silver and Storm both crave connection, but I need time to decide whether Axton and I can build anything real. For now, friendship feels like the only safe way forward.

Xavier catches my eye as I look at Axton. With an undercurrent of jealousy, he asks, “You going to Blackfang Pack?”

I shake my head. How can he be jealous? He should be relieved; he found Harper, his other half, and I still don’t know if I can trust myself with Axton.

“I’m not sure.” Deciding on honesty.

He turns to me, trying to read my face like he did when we were kids. “Are you going to accept the bond with Axton?”

“We’re going to start as friends. I don’t know what will happen from there.”

With a somber nod, Xavier bridges the tiny gap between us and pulls me into a fierce embrace. “I wish the world for you, Bry. You deserve it. Don’t let anyone make you feel otherwise, even me.”

I nod into his hard chest, unable to fight the tear that slips down my cheek. “Thank you, Xav. I wish you happiness as well.”

He whispers, “I love you, Bry.”

Emotion choked my voice. “I love you too, Xav.”

Stepping back, he gently brushes away a stray tear. A quiet, melancholy smile touches his lips before he turns to rejoin Harper.

All around me, the ballroom hums with festivities held in my honor, celebrating my triumph in the Luna Trials. Yet behind the dazzling facade, victory feels hollow—meaningless when I have nothing left. As the celebration swells around me, I turn to slip away unnoticed, but a voice calling my name stops me.

“Brynn, may I have a word?” Framed in the grand hall doorway, Professor Ortiz appears immaculate in her sharp dark suit, every strand of hair meticulously pinned. Through every brutal trial, her steady presence anchored me and kept me standing.

Offering a small smile, I nod and slip past the crowd behind her into a secluded office. She gestures to a chair across from the desk, then leans back against the polished wood, arms crossed.

“First, I want to congratulate you on a tremendous accomplishment. Your scores are the highest this Academy has ever documented.”

“Thank you, Professor Ortiz. I couldn’t have done it without your guidance.”

She waves her hand, as if shooing away a fly. “Nonsense, that was all you.” She then continues, “Have you thought about what you will do after today?”

The question everyone keeps asking.

“Honestly, no.”

“I am aware of your situation at Blackfang and Moonstone.”

My eyes lift from my clasped hands to hers, shocked that she knew so much. “You do?”

“Naturally,” she replies with a dry chuckle. “Our kind thrives on rumors, and your name has been on everyone’s lips.” Heat creeps up my neck and flushes my cheeks; the realization that my pain has become public stings.

She takes the seat next to me, kneels, and captures my full attention. “Brynn, you are accomplished. You passed your Warrior Training with honors, you’re a True Luna, you have dual undergraduate degrees in business and political science, and you just finished your master’s program in global enterprise management. The wolf community needs someone like you.”

Confusion painted across my face. “I don’t understand.”

“You joined the Luna Trials as an interim luna for your home pack. Have you thought about assisting packs who have new Lunas or helping in the interim if they don’t have one?”

A dry laugh escapes her at the stark surprise on my face, and her expression softens into a rare, warm smile. “We need you, Brynn.”

“Like a traveling luna?”

“In the beginning, perhaps. As it stands, the Trials remain our only benchmark. Each pack decides whether its prospective leaders must undergo them. When an Alpha and Luna share a fated bond, custom assumes the Goddess herself has blessed the union, rendering tests unnecessary. As a result, countless females who never dare to dream of leadership remain untrained. Some Alphas have buried their mates and refuse to choose another.” She extends her arm, fingers clasping around my trembling hands. “I have closely observed your journey, Brynn. You possess the strength to become that bridge—the vital guidance our world lacks. You could build the framework and lay the foundations to empower struggling packs. So, tell me, would a calling like that interest you, even as your future with Xavier and Axton remains unresolved?”

“Perhaps as a beginning,” I reply, uncertainty crossing my mind. “Yet where do I begin? What would such a role entail?”

“We can support you through Everstone. Letting people know your abilities and the services you can provide to strengthen packs. In essence, you would be hired by Everstone.”

“Would I be contracted?”

“The agreement would define a specific term, tailored to suit both yourself and the pack. You will have full oversight to evaluate every contract before finalizing any commitment. Should you choose not to renew upon completion, an invitation awaits you within the Luna Trial program—or” a knowing, subtle smile touches her lips, “you may chart an entirely new course for your future.”

Could I do this?

I whisper to my wolf, Silver, through our link, “What do you think?”

I can feel her indecision. She wants to give Axton and Storm a chance, but purpose also pulls her forward.

“Maybe this is what the Goddess has intended for us for now.” Silver whispers back.

“What about Axton and Storm?”

Silver thinks for a moment, then replies, “You’re starting as friends; who says you can’t be friends while you help other packs?” Then I hear her sweet laugh in my head, “Plus, he needs to work for it.”

“I guess you’re right.”

“Of course, I am. Duh.” I can feel Silver’s eyes rolling.

“So, you support this?”

Silver chuckles, “Gitty-up.”

I refocus on Ortiz, catching her knowing smile after conferring with my wolf.

“I will do it. How do we begin?”

“Let me talk with the council and get things started. For now, rest and leave the details to me.”

We’re doing this…