Chapter 3. Not Fit to Be Luna

Charlotte’s POV

Even though I was an orphan, I never felt truly alone because Kiana was there for me all those years, but right now I was being forced to choose between her and my destined other half and there was no guarantee that even my mate would also choose me.

Kiana was right, you know the pack will reject me as their Luna as soon as they find out about it. But I was hoping that maybe Adonis would fight for me, he would fight for us, but it was nothing more than wishful thinking.

I was walking back from the stream and noticed that people were looking at me strangely. In fact, wherever I passed, everyone’s attention was focused on me, there were fingers pointing in my direction and I could feel them. They say I’m Adonis’s mate and I wonder how the news got out so fast it hasn’t even been up to a day.

“Why would the moon goddess play such a prank?” I heard a woman say to her son who was staring at me like a rare artefact. “Doesn’t she know that Adonis is to be our alpha? How can we have an omega who cannot even shift as our Luna?”

In the end everyone said the same thing, the same bitter truth that I wasn’t cut out to be Luna.

Clutching the bucket full of wet clothes for support, I walked past them, ignoring the woman’s words and headed towards the pack house.

I was hanging my clothes out on the line when I felt someone push me from behind. I lost my composure and fell flat on my face, cheers and laughter erupting behind me.

“How weak,” a woman said with a hiss.

I managed to get up from the ground and found that I was surrounded by familiar faces.

Ariel and her gang, known for being tyrants. On her orders, one of her henchmen tore my clothes off the rope and trampled on them brutally.

“What are you doing?” I immediately grabbed my clothes, but was knocked to the ground for the second time.

“You must think this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to finally climb up the ladder.” Ariel spoke. “Let me tell you that’s not going to happen. No one here will accept you.”

I know I fought back tears, I’ve been listening to those words all day.

“Save yourself the embarrassment, leave and never come back because there is no place for you here.”

“But Adonis hasn’t rejected me yet, even though the others assumed I hadn’t heard his thoughts yet, and until then, I’m afraid I won’t be going anywhere.”

She leaned forward to meet my gaze. “What do you say, bitch? Do I have your word that today will be the last day you spend in this pack?”

Even though I was afraid, I refused to give in. “I won’t go, not until I hear directly from Adonis that he doesn’t want me.”

A slap sent me flying to the ground, out of the corner of my eye I saw Kiana watching from the balcony, hands clasped. She looked away when our eyes met, and I understood what she meant by this, our friendship was over and I was in this alone.

After a tiring day, I collapsed on the bed, exhausted. My body ached from all the beatings and stupid pranks I had endured today. It was only the first day and they had turned me into a punching bag meanwhile Adonis was nowhere to be found. I mean, he never came to my aid. It was probably revenge for all those years of torture.

The creak of the door made me sit up in shock.

“Who’s there?” I took my flashlight.

I flipped the switch and a bright light came on, revealing my intruder’s face. Adonis shielded his eyes from the torchlight.

I sighed in relief.

He walked over to the bed and sat down without saying a word.

Somehow I could sense his mood, he wasn’t feeling too well. I think he was having a bad day, I wonder if it had something to do with me. Tired of the eerie silence, I decided to say something first.

“Just say what you want to say.”

I could tell that something was bothering him and he had snuck in here to say it but now that he was facing me, he didn’t know how to say the words.

“Everyone is telling me to reject this bond,” he said not meeting my gaze.

Same here too.

“Is that what you want?”

He took a deep breath, “Honestly, I don’t know what I want.”

I was relieved by his words until he spoke again. “But I can’t deny the truth that you are indeed unfit to be Luna.”

This time, it was my turn to avoid his gaze. I spent all day hearing this from different people, but it didn’t hurt as much as it did now from him.

“My mother died because she couldn’t defend herself against the bad guys,” he said in a regretful tone. “If I ever lost my mate like that, I’m not sure about the damage it would do to me.”

“I can train,” I said hopefully.

He looked at me. “Can you even shift?”

I found my tongue in a twist and I couldn’t answer. Tears welled up in my eyes because I already knew where this was going.

“Will you reject me?”

“It depends on you. If I could, I would definitely have chosen a better and stronger mate, but it’s not possible. Fate brought us together and I can’t ignore this attraction between us, but I can’t make you my Luna either, in the end I’m left with only one option.”

I prepared for the worst and the worst really did come.

“We can be together as long as you agree to become my second wife and give up the title of Luna.”

I swallowed hard. “And who will be first?” Even though I already had an idea, I wanted to hear it from the horse’s mouth.

“Kiana.”