Eighth-Born Luna

Emily’s POV

“I, Ryan Whitmoor, future Alpha of the Gray Moon Pack, reject you, Emily Leyly, as my mate.”

Pain shot through my chest, and tears filled my eyes.

“Look at you,” he said, his voice full of bitterness. “Scrubbing floors, covered in dirt, a weak Omega. Did you really think you could ever be my Luna?”

My sister Beatrice stood next to him with a proud smirk. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him slowly.

“I told you he’d choose me,” her voice mocked me in my mind.

Then she placed her hand over her flat stomach with a cruel smile.

No! Please, Moon Goddess, not this! Was she pregnant with Ryan's baby? The betrayal and humiliation were too much to bear.

For years, I believed that when Ryan became Alpha, everything would get better. I hoped he would stop being cruel once I became his Luna. I still remember the sweet boy who once promised to protect me. But looking at him now, I knew that boy was dead.

All my hopes were just a painful lie I kept telling myself. Inside my head, Nyx, my wolf, cried out in agony. The mate bond was ripping us apart from the inside.

Looking at Beatrice’s smirk and Ryan’s disgusted eyes, something inside me finally snapped.

I wiped my tears, raised my chin, and looked Ryan straight in the eyes with all the strength I had left.

“I, Emily Leyly—”

Suddenly, he slapped my cheek hard.

I fell, hitting the cold kitchen floor. My face stung, and black spots blurred my vision. My ears rang, and I tasted blood.

“Who do you think you are? You don’t have the right to reject me, Emily,” he whispered. His eyes were black with anger. He leaned in, his breath touching my swollen lip.

Fear ran through me, but I didn’t look away.

“You have no rights here,” he whispered. "Tonight, after the ceremony, you'll belong to whoever I decide. A whore for my friends. And they will ruin you night by night."

Ryan dropped his hand and wiped it on his jeans, as if touching me made him feel dirty.

"The mating ceremony is starting, baby. We need to do a final check," my sister said.

“You're always right, baby.” He pulled Beatrice close to his side. “Alpha King Garrett is coming with his eldest son: everything must be perfect.”

The surrounding girls in the kitchen straightened up in respect. His cold eyes turned back to me, and I started to tremble.

"And you better keep your mouth shut," he said, leaning in so his voice was low and threatening. "If you do anything to embarrass Beatrice in front of the Alpha King, I'll make sure that by tomorrow morning, you'll wish I had killed you instead."

He didn’t wait for an answer. He turned and walked out, keeping Beatrice close to his side.

"Poor, ugly Emily," Chloe mocked, leaning in close to my ear. "No one is going to help you get ready for the ceremony."

Danika stepped forward and grabbed a thick lock of my hair near my scalp. The cold metal blades of her scissors snapped open right against my skin.

"I’m sorry to interrupt, but they’ve arrived," a nervous voice stammered from the doorway. "The Alpha King wants all the she-wolves in the hall right now."

It was Craig. He walked into the kitchen, his face pale as he saw what was happening.

"Whatever. Beatrice will be the Luna anyway," Danika sneered, dropping her scissors and looking down at me like I was nothing. "We’ll have plenty of time to mess with you later, Emily."

They ignored me after that, too busy trying to impress the royals.

“Did you hear?" Chloe whispered excitedly as they walked to the door. "The Alpha King's eldest son only has one month left to find his true mate.”

"Is that why he’s been visiting all the packs this summer?”

"Yeah! I think I’m going to be his chosen mate."

“No way, I am!" Danika said, shoving Chloe aside. They kept arguing, their shallow voices fading as they gossiped.

They forgot I even existed on the floor. I lay on the cold tiles, my heart pounding.

In my head, Nyx let out a low, heavy sigh. “Too bad the Moon Goddess doesn't grant second chances to worthless Omegas like us. We’re stuck watching Ryan and Beatrice forever.”

“Yeah. Too bad,” I muttered darkly.

"Emily? Oh Goddess, are you okay?" Craig knelt beside me, his hands shaking as he reached out to help me up.

"I will be," I whispered, holding his hand tightly.

"I was told to bring you these clothes," Craig said quickly, holding out a plain white dress. "You need to change into this for the ceremony."

"Why?" I let out a bitter, broken laugh. "They usually hide me away like I’m the pack’s biggest mistake."

“They can't disobey Alpha King Garrett's direct order. He demanded to see every single she-wolf in the pack,” Craig said softly, his eyes full of sympathy.

For a split second, a wild thought flashed through my mind. I wondered if Craig could save me, if I could hold on to his steady kindness. He was the only one in this pack whose warmth ever reached me.

“He won't,” Nyx reminded me gently, her voice full of sad reality. “He’s too terrified of the Alpha. He won't ruin his own life for us.”

Craig suddenly leaned in, his voice dropping to a panicked whisper right in my ear.

“You have to run tonight,” Craig said, his voice shaking. “I overheard Ryan. Those threats he made? They’re real. He’s handing you over to his friends, and he’s going to watch them hurt you.”

Tears blurred my vision as I begged, “He can’t!”

Craig looked at me, and the pity in his eyes broke the last piece of my already shattered heart.

“I’m sorry, but it’s true.” His voice cracked, thick with shame. “And he promised nobody would stop them.”

In my mind, Nyx bared her sharp teeth, a fierce power waking up inside her. “Then let them try.”

Craig pressed something cold and heavy into my palm. It was a key.

“The southern gate,” he whispered urgently, glancing around to make sure we were alone. “Everyone is distracted at the ceremony right now. I checked the back gates—there are no guards patrolling there. Go.”

A small, fierce spark of hope lit up inside me. Freedom. Then a cold, mocking voice cut through the kitchen air, chilling me to the core.

“Is she dressed yet?” Beta Thomas walked in, his dark eyes scanning my bruised body with a disgusting, hungry smirk. “Too bad. I wanted to watch.”

Anger surged inside me, burning away my fear. I grabbed the white dress and pulled it on, stripping off the filthy rags while Craig stood in front of me, blocking the Beta’s view.

"Don't worry, little wolf,” Beta Thomas sneered, stepping closer and grabbing my arm tightly. “We’ll have plenty of time to play with you tonight. Now move.”

He shoved me hard toward the exit. I stumbled and slammed into the kitchen door, forced out into the corridor toward the Grand Mating Hall. But right before I could disappear into the massive crowd, he leaned down, his toxic breath hitting my ear.

“Try not to attract any attention tonight, Omega. If you do, I will personally make you wish you were never born.”

His threat made my skin crawl, but it didn’t break me. Instead, it made me more determined.

I gripped the gold locket at my neck. Inside was my parents' photo, the only piece of my old life left.

I reached out to my wolf. “Nyx, tonight we do whatever it takes—we escape, or we die trying.”

I hurried through the crowded hall toward the main stage, where Ryan, Beatrice, the priestess, and Alpha King Garrett stood. People moved away from me in disgust. I looked nothing like the glamorous wolves around me. My hair was chopped, my face was bruised, and I wore a cheap, oversized white dress that hung awkwardly on my thin frame.

I lowered my head, hiding my face, and kept walking.

At the center of the room stood a raised stage covered in silver flowers and hundreds of glowing candles. The priestess stood tall, and beside her stood Ryan and Beatrice. Together, they looked perfect, just like the powerful future Alpha pair the entire pack wanted.

My wolf howled in bitter agony at the sight.

The priestess raised her voice, her tone booming through the quiet room. “Beneath the watchful eyes of the Moon Goddess, we witness the rise of a new Alpha and Luna!”

Deafening applause thundered through the Grand Mating Hall.

Ryan stepped forward proudly, his chest puffed out. “I, Ryan Whitmoor, accept Beatrice Leyly as my chosen Luna.”

The crowd erupted into wild cheers. Beatrice took the ceremonial silver blade, slicing her palm open without flinching, and pressed her bleeding hand firmly against Ryan’s. “I accept you as my Alpha.”

The true mate bond ripped inside my soul so brutally that fresh tears flooded my eyes. The pain was so intense I clutched my chest and gasped for air. I couldn’t even hear Alpha King Garrett’s speech anymore. Everything blurred, and I just needed to sit down before I collapsed.

I moved to the back of the crowd, feeling invisible among the celebrating wolves. Music blared and laughter echoed. Everyone was celebrating a bright future while my world was falling apart. I had lost my mate. I was alone.

Without looking, I sat down in an empty chair at the very back of the hall, trying to steady my breathing and stop the tears. I didn’t care where I was. My heart hurt, and I just wanted to disappear.

But the moment I slumped into the seat, a sudden realization hit me.

I had sat next to someone huge. His muscular build barely fit in the chair, and I felt a sudden warmth where our legs touched. His arms were covered in dark tattoos, and his presence felt dangerous and intense. He was sitting far from the stage, deliberately hidden from the crowd.

I glanced up in shock and froze.

His dark eyes locked onto mine. There was something powerful and dominant in his gaze. I felt warmth rush through me, and my inner wolf responded in a way she had never felt before—not even with Ryan.

I panicked, jerking my body backward. I needed to leave. Now. Before Ryan or the guards saw me sitting next to a guest.

But before I could even stand, the powerful stranger shot his hand forward, grasping my wrist in a tight, unyielding grip.

"Stay," he commanded.

His voice was a low, rumbling baritone that vibrated right through my bones. I physically couldn’t move. To my horror, my wolf was obeying his unspoken command, refusing to let me pull away.

Suddenly, the roaring music faded, and nearly everyone in the grand hall turned to look straight at us, their eyes wide with shock.

"Why... why are they staring at us?" I whispered, my voice trembling as panic seized my throat.

The dangerous stranger looked me slowly up and down, taking in my bruised face, my torn white dress, and my chopped hair, before a dark smirk played on his lips.

“Because you’re the first person to ever sit by me willingly.”

And then, a horrifying realization crashed into me.

The tattoos, his powerful presence, and the empty royal seat next to Alpha King Garrett at the front of the room told me exactly who he was. I had sat beside the Alpha King’s son. His dark eyes gleamed as he watched me panic.

"Interesting," he murmured.

Over his shoulder, I caught Ryan’s furious glare. Beta Thomas was already marching toward me, teeth bared. I yanked my hand back with a sharp jerk. Caught off guard, the Alpha King’s son let go.

I bolted.

“Hey! Stop her!” someone shouted behind me.

I didn’t look back. I couldn't.