The Forsaken Luna

Ariella

For three years I’ve lowered my head, softened my strength and dimmed the fire that burned within my very soul, all for him. For Alpha Ronan Blackthorne, leader of the Silver Moon Pack, the man I had chosen as my mate, the one I had given my heart, my loyalty and everything I was to.

To everyone, I was Ariella, the gentle Luna, quiet, kind and seemingly no stronger than any average she-wolf.

I’d let them believe it too. I lowered my power, suppressed my true nature, because I thought love meant standing beside him as an equal, but letting him lead, letting him shine.

I wanted to be his support, his peace, his home. I never imagined it would be the very thing that made him think he could break me.

The day everything fell apart started like any other. Sunlight filtered through the tall trees surrounding the pack house, birds sang in the branches and the air carried the familiar scent of pine and rain, the scent of home.

But as I walked down the long hallway toward Ronan’s office, a strange, heavy feeling settled deep in my bones. My wolf, Alara, restless and sharp within my mind, growled low, warning me but I brushed it off. I trust Ronan. I love him. I thought he loved me too. But then I hear it.

Soft moans, breathless whispers, the sound of skin against skin coming from behind his closed office door. My blood runs cold, every muscle locking up as if I’ve been turned to stone.

My heart pounds so hard it hurts, thundering in my ears and drowning out every other sound, yet I hear every single word spoken on the other side of that wood as clear as if they were right beside me.

“You have nothing to worry about my love,” Ronan’s voice, the voice I’d fallen for, the voice that used to whisper promises of forever, is thick with desire. “Ariella is weak, soft, easy to handle. She’ll accept it. She knows her place. She knows I’m the Alpha and I take what I want. She won’t dare make a scene, and even if she does, she has nowhere else to go, and certainly no power to stand against me.”

A feminine laugh follows, sweet, cruel and triumphant, I recognise it instantly. It’s Talia, a lower-ranked pack member, a woman Ronan brought back here six weeks ago after rescuing her, a woman who has always looked at Ronan with hungry eyes, who has always been jealous of my position.

“And what if she tries to leave?” Talia purrs. “What if she causes trouble?”

“Let her try,” Ronan scoffs without a single ounce of care. “She’s nothing compared to me. I’m the strongest Alpha in the region. She has no strength, no influence, nothing. Besides… she’s useless in giving me an heir. But you… you’re carrying my child now. You’ll give me the heir I deserve, and you’ll be my true Luna soon enough. She’s just a placeholder, a pretty face I kept because the Moon Goddess bound us. But bonds can be broken, and I have grown tired of her.”

Those words hit me harder than any physical blow ever could. Every promise, every kiss, every moment we had shared was nothing but a lie to him. He thought I was weak. He thought I was nothing. He thought he was the most powerful being to walk this earth, completely unaware that the woman standing outside his door, the one he so easily discarded, was not just his mate, I am the daughter of the Moon Goddess herself.

I had hidden my true nature since the day I met him. I concealed my immense strength, my ancient magic, the golden aura that naturally radiated from my skin, the power that could bend elements, shift tides and make even the oldest, most powerful creatures tremble in fear. I done it out of love, because I didn’t want him to feel small or insecure beside me. I wanted us to be partners, not master and subordinate.

But he mistook my sacrifice for weakness, my kindness for stupidity, my patience for fear.

Slowly I push the door open. The sound makes them jump apart, scrambling to cover themselves, but it’s too late. I stand in the doorway, my expression calm, my face carved like marble, though inside my rage is building like a storm waiting to tear the world apart. My eyes, usually soft and warm, glowed faintly with silvery light, a flicker of the power I struggled desperately to keep contained.

Ronan’s face pales, guilt flashing across his features only to be quickly replaced by arrogance, as if he was the one wronged here. Talia just smirks, resting a hand over her flat stomach, wearing her sin like a crown.

“Ariella…” Ronan started, straightening his jacket, his voice trying to sound commanding and authoritative, but even he could feel the shift in the air, the sudden drop in temperature, the static charge that made every hair on his body stand up. “This… this isn’t how it looks.”

“Isn’t it?” I say, my voice is quiet but it echoes around the room, vibrating through the floorboards and walls making them both flinch.

“You betrayed me. You said I was weak, that I was nothing but a placeholder until you found someone worthy enough to carry your pups.” My gaze falls to Talia and I snarl. “And this is who you deem worthy? A whore.” My cold laugh echoes around us. “You think I’m powerless because I chose to protect you and your pack with silence and grace. You think you’re the peak of power… but you’re nothing more than a small flame believing itself to be the sun.”

Ronan frowns, confusion mixing with annoyance. “What nonsense are you speaking Ariella? You’re my mate, bound by the moon, but you’re still just a wolf like the rest of us. Don’t try to act superior now just because you’re angry. It changes nothing.”

“Angry?” I let out a low, cold laugh, the sound carrying no warmth whatsoever. “Anger is too small a word for what I feel, Ronan. You didn’t just break my heart. You spat on my sacrifice, you trampled on my love and you disrespected not only me, but the divine bond the Moon Goddess herself created. You believed you could use me and discard me like trash, thinking they’d be no consequences.”

I turn my gaze towards Talia and she shrinks back, the smug look vanishing but there’s still defiance in her eyes.

“You carry his child thinking it makes you powerful, thinking it gives you the right to take my place. You’re mistaken. You’re nothing but a pawn, a temporary distraction and you have no idea the kind of storm you’ve walked right into.”

“Watch your tone.” Ronan says, his face darkening.

“Or what?” I say my voice rising.

I’m really struggling to control Alara she wants to show her true self and rip them both to pieces.

Let me out Ariella, let me rip them apart. How dare they do this to us?

Please Alara not yet. I don’t want to show them who we are yet. Can you speak with Odin?

I… I can’t reach him Ariella, he’s there but I don’t know, something’s wrong. It’s like he’s powerless.

Ronan takes my silence and pause as a queue to continue his pathetic excuse.

“I will take Talia as a second mate, she will have the same authority as you, she will be the Luna to this pack alongside you. She will bare my pups and you will help raise them.”

I stare at him, for a long moment I simply stare, then I smile. Not because anything is funny, because I finally understand. I finally understand that the male standing in front of me never truly knew me at all. The room falls deathly silent.

“No.”

His head snaps to me.

“What did you say?” He growls.

“I said no, I don’t accept it and as per wolf laws, your existing Luna must agree for you to take a second mate and I don’t. You have already broken several pack laws Ronan. Do you think because you’re the Alpha you can do what you want and there be no consequences? You’re wrong.”

“You will agree Ariella, if you don’t you will go to the dungeons until you do.” He says slamming his hand down on the table.

I let out a soft laugh as Alara goes mad inside me.

Let me out NOW, I will rip his throat out. How dare he humiliate us like this. Ariella you need to show him who you are!

No, I want to see what he’ll do.

“I spent three years loving you, Ronan.”

My voice is quiet, yet every word lands like a hammer.

“I stood beside you while you built your reputation. I supported you while you strengthened this pack. I defended you when others questioned your decisions and this is how you repay that? By committing adultery against a bonded mate. By getting some whore pregnant.”

My eyes dart to Talia, she’s still holding her stomach, but something doesn’t smell right. It smells like Ronan, but it’s… off?

“Ariella!” Ronan shouts, his Alpha aura flares, a display of dominance and a warning. The pressure slams into me and disappears like it never existed. Ronan freezes, I continue walking, unaffected, unimpressed, untouched. His eyes widen.

“I gave you loyalty. I gave you trust.”

The temperature in the room drops. Talia wraps her arms around herself.

“I gave you my heart.” My voice cracks slightly on the final word.

Because despite everything, that part still hurts. Ronan shifts uncomfortably. For the first time since I entered the room, he looks uncertain.

“You called me weak.”

Silver light begins swirling through my eyes. A glimpse of the power I’m struggling to hold back.

“You called me nothing.”

The office windows vibrate.

“You called me a placeholder. If I mean so little to you, then reject the bond Ronan, but I will never agree to you taking a second mate.”

“No! You will agree Ariella, I will never reject the bond!”

“Why?” I ask softly, the question catches him off guard.

“What?”

“Why won’t you reject me? You told her that bonds can be broken, so reject me Ronan, break the bond and take her as your Luna.”

“No, just agree and I’ll make sure you will still have the Luna title but so will she, she is carrying this packs heir, she needs a title.”

I laugh. “She isn’t even a pack member Ronan, she was a dirty rogue you brought here, and for the last fucking time I will not agree or accept. This bond will be broken Ronan, I don’t want to be with you, not anymore…”

I’m cut off by his hand coming across my face, Talia gasps but she has a small smirk on her face. I wipe the blood from my lip and look at him, he’s staring at his hand, like he can’t believe he hit me and stumbles back.

“Ariella…”

“Fuck you, take me to the dungeons. Lock me away, torture me every day for the rest of my life, but I will never agree. But you also forget that the rest of the pack and the elders need to bless the bond, you can’t just make her Luna. Maybe if you thought with your brain and not your dick you would have remembered.”

He snarls at me, but that pisses Alara off and she snarls back, Ronan’s eyes widen as he stumbles further away from me, the power she’s radiating is causing him to tremble.

“How? How did…”

“Shut up and take me to my new home. ”Say bored cutting him off.

“Marcus!” He shouts.

I can hear footsteps rushing down the hall and Beta Marcus walks in the room. His eyes narrow when he sees Talia and I swear I see disgust flash across his face.”

“Alpha?” He says bowing his head.

“Take Ariella to the dungeons and leave her there until she comes to her senses.”

Marcus’s head snaps up and his eyes land on me and then to the bruise forming on my cheek and his eyes flash.

“You hit her?” He roars.

Ronan at least has the decency to look ashamed but he quickly masks it.

“I said take her away.” He growls.

“No! I will not lock my Luna away in the dungeons, have you lost your fucking mind?!”

“You will do what I say, are you defying a direct order Beta?” Ronan roars.

“I will not lock the Luna away. Where is Odin? Why can’t I reach your wolf?”

Ronan looks away for a second.

“He isn’t well, now do as I say or you’ll be joining her.”

“Let me guess, he’s been unwell for around six weeks?” Marcus snaps and my brows furrow.

I look towards Talia and her face pales. Interesting.

I place my hand on Marcus’s arm to calm him, I can feel his wolf wanting to surface.

“Marcus, it’s okay. I’d rather be there than anywhere near my so-called mate and his whore. Please take me.”

"But Luna…”

“It’s okay, I promise.” I whisper.

Marcus sighs and nods once before sending Ronan a look of disgust.

As Marcus leads me to the dungeons I quietly open a private mind-link. Reaching across impossible distances, searching for the one person I know will answer.

Immediately, a familiar presence brushes against my mind, warm, protective, dangerous. Concern instantly floods through the connection.

Little moon?

My throat tightens, for the first time all day I feel safe.

Dad… I need you.

The response comes so quickly it steals my breath.

I’m coming.

Then the link closes.

Another thing Ronan doesn’t know, yes I’m the daughter of the Moon Goddess herself, but I’m also the daughter of the Alpha King.