Reborn of the Luna novel Chapter 1

I stood there, stunned, unable to believe what I was seeing. My husband of six years had his arm wrapped around a petite girl in the middle of our pack house. The room, usually a warm and bustling center of pack life, now felt cold and unfamiliar. The cute ginger-head peeked at me discreetly, and I could swear I saw a smirk flash across her face, the brief curve of her lips sending a shiver down my spine.

"Kat, dear," Maximus, my husband and the Alpha of our pack, spoke to me in that familiar tone he used when we were alone, his voice a low rumble that once comforted me. "I need to confess something. I’ve found my true mate. Her name is Rebecca."

The silence in the room was suffocating, as thick and oppressive as the humid air outside. From the moment they walked in, holding hands, everyone froze, their conversations dying mid-sentence. I could feel the weight of their stares, their eyes glued to us—the Alpha, the Luna, and the Alpha’s mate. 

I couldn’t bring myself to say anything, so Maximus continued.

"Listen, I know we’re chosen mates, and you’ll always be my Luna. But ever since my wolf saw Becca, he’s been going crazy. It would weaken the pack if I rejected her now."

There it was—the excuse. The words hung in the air like the sharp, metallic tang of blood, a familiar sting that cut deeper than any physical wound.

We were high school sweethearts, the perfect couple. I was the daughter and heiress of a powerful Alpha, and Maximus was the son of my father’s best friend, the future Alpha of his own pack. We started dating when I was fifteen, and he was sixteen. Everyone was convinced we were true mates. We were the couple everyone envied, and as an Alpha’s daughter, I was groomed to become Luna, perfectly educated and trained for the role.

When Max turned eighteen, I couldn’t wait to see him, longing to hear that one word—mate. But as I ran down the stairs to greet him, both our smiles faded. I felt nothing, but he already knew.

"We aren’t mates, are we?" I asked, tears trickling down my chin like tiny rivers, warm and bitter against my cold skin.

"Not the fated ones," Maximus confirmed, sighing heavily as he held me close. His embrace felt strong, yet hollow, the warmth of his body doing little to chase away the chill settling in my bones. "But it doesn’t matter, Kat! I choose you! I will always choose you! You’ll be my mate, my chosen mate."

It helped that our families had practically planned the whole wedding. My father had lost his only son when my older brother died young, trying to save our twin sisters from rogues. They were all killed, leaving me as the only heir. The pack needed a leader, and Max seemed the obvious choice. We loved each other, and no one in our families opposed merging our packs.

A contract was drawn up, but Maximus suggested waiting until I turned nineteen. He wanted me to have the chance to find my true mate before we made it official. We visited other packs that year, but no mates were found. We married a month later, and our feelings only grew stronger.

We became the most influential couple in the werewolf world, merging our packs into one. Year after year, we worked diligently to make it stronger. By twenty-five, I was a renowned Luna, admired by everyone.

The wolf growled again, and I tried to recognize him, but it was too dark, and I was too weak. All I could tell was that he was brown, but that didn’t help. There were too many brown wolves in the world.

"I have my reasons," Becca retorted, rubbing her round belly, the gesture so casual, so indifferent, it made my stomach turn. "And I don’t have to explain them to you. Your time has passed. You’re done, Katherine."

"They’ll discover the truth," I warned, my voice hoarse, every word a struggle. "You won’t get away with this!"

Becca just laughed, kneeling beside me to grab a fistful of my hair. Her grip was cold, her nails digging into my scalp as she yanked my head back. "Don’t you get it, Katherine? I already have!"

She threw me to the ground, the impact jarring every bone in my body, and turned to the wolf. "Finish her off. Make sure nothing is left."

Paralyzed, I watched Becca walk away, her round belly still the center of her attention, as if she hadn’t just ordered my death. A tear trickled down my cheek as the wolf hesitated, his breath hot and rancid against my skin.