Anita’s POV I knew I was foolish, but now that Alpha Orion had left, the weight of my decision crashed down on me like a tidal wave. I replayed his offer over and over in my mind—the chance to become Luna, to rise above my lowly position as a mere servant, a slave even. But I had refused. And now, I couldn’t stop wondering why. The truth was simple. I wasn’t ready. I wasn’t ready for the battles I would have to face as Luna. Everyone hated me, or at least it felt that way. And even if Alpha Orion had informed the council about his intentions to make me Luna, I knew they would only pretend to support the idea. Behind closed doors, they’d whisper and scheme, waiting for my inevitable fall. I didn’t want war. I just wanted peace, yet somehow, I kept getting dragged into chaos. Tears welled up in my eyes, and I quickly wiped them away, frustrated by my weakness. Crying wouldn’t solve anything. It never did. I told myself to focus on something else, something small, like the chores I h
Anita’s POV I remained on the cold floor, trying to process the pain radiating from my body and the shock of what had just occurred. My head throbbed, and the metallic scent of blood clung to my senses, reminding me of how vulnerable I had become. Luna Nora’s cruel laughter echoed in my ears as she stood over me, her fiancé joining her in mocking my humiliation. I had learned to expect this. It wasn’t the first time Luna Nora had belittled me, and I knew it wouldn’t be the last. But today felt different. Something had changed inside me. It wasn’t just the physical pain—it was deeper than that. I was tired. Tired of being treated like a worthless object, tired of being pushed around, and tired of feeling powerless. As I sat up slowly, wiping the blood from my hand, I tried to steady my breath. I wouldn’t give them the satisfaction of seeing me cry. No, I had endured enough. Today, I would not allow Luna Nora to break me. Luna Nora sauntered over to me, her smug expression infuriati
Anita’s POV As I lay there on the bed, still reeling from everything that had happened, my mind couldn’t stop spinning. Alpha Orion’s words, Luna Nora’s cruelty, Darius’ fiancée—everything swirled together like a storm in my head. I felt like I was drowning in it all, sinking deeper and deeper. The physical pain was nothing compared to the emotional chaos boiling inside me. When Alpha Orion carried me to my quarters, I thought for a moment that things were changing—that maybe he saw something in me, something worth more than the way I had been treated. But then, just as quickly as he came to my rescue, he was gone. And I was alone again. I reached out and grabbed his hand just before he could leave. It wasn’t even a conscious decision; I just didn’t want to be left there, vulnerable and broken, with no one to hold onto. He turned back, confusion etched on his face. “What is it?” he asked gently, his voice still holding that strange mix of concern and frustration. Tears slid down m
Alpha Orion's POV What exactly is going on? I can't seem to understand. Everything feels out of control, and I’m losing my grip on the very pack I command. Luna Nora, with her manipulative ways, has begun to act like she owns this palace, like she still holds the title she once did. She has forgotten that her reign is over. She’s no longer the queen of this pack, and I think it’s time I remind her of that. How dare she continue to torment Anita? Just because I’ve held back from openly claiming Anita as mine doesn’t mean I’ll allow her to be mistreated like a common slave. I can’t ignore it any longer. I need to act, and fast. Anita. I have to protect her. There’s something I need to do, something decisive. I will not let this go unanswered. I paced back and forth in my chambers, the weight of my thoughts pressing heavily on me. My frustration boiled over. I gripped the wine glass in my hand, and with a sudden, violent motion, I smashed it against the floor. The glass shattered, the
Anita's POV I woke up the next morning feeling the sharp ache in my leg, a throbbing reminder of everything that had happened the night before. I glanced down to see my leg tightly wrapped in bandages, immobilized. The pain was unbearable, making me wonder if I had broken more than just my ankle. My mind flashed back to last night, remembering how Maya had taken care of me despite my anger and constant refusals. She didn’t have to do that, I thought, a pang of guilt crossing my heart. I had pushed her away, shouted at her, yet she had stayed. Maybe she really did want to be my friend, but that didn’t mean I could trust her. I wasn’t ready for friendship. Not when I knew what it felt like to be abandoned, to be betrayed. Slowly, I forced myself up, rubbing my face to clear away the grogginess. I had chores to do, despite my injured leg. I couldn’t afford to stay in bed all day. Madame Betty wouldn’t allow it. And though my leg screamed in pain, I managed to put on my slippers, dragg
Luna Nora POV As I slowly made my way back to my room, my thoughts were racing, each one more troubling than the last. Could I have heard Alpha Orion correctly? Could the maids be right? The idea of Alpha Orion declaring that Anita is no longer a slave shook me to my core. That can’t be true. If he strips her of her slave status, then my position as Luna is under threat. I’ve worked tirelessly to maintain my place, to solidify Darius’ position as the rightful heir. I will not step down. Not for Alpha Orion, not for anyone. I felt a mix of anger and fear as I reached my bedroom, shutting the door behind me with a heavy thud. I sat on the edge of my bed, my hands trembling as they clenched the sheets. How could this be happening? How could Alpha Orion so blatantly disrespect me, stripping me of my power in front of the entire palace by elevating Anita? He was undermining everything I’ve built, everything I’ve sacrificed. I clenched my teeth, thinking of how Madame Betty had been humi
Luna Nora POV I don't know why Darius keeps acting this way. Why does he refuse to see the truth? Why can’t he understand that if we don’t act now, we’ll be forgotten? He’s acting like it’s impossible to take his brother's place, like we’re powerless in this situation. I wanted to scream at him, shake him until he understood the urgency of what I was saying. “Why are you acting like this, Darius?” I muttered under my breath. “Do you want us to fade into obscurity, to be erased from the history of this palace? To become a footnote in the lives of these wolves while Anita takes everything that should belong to us?” My voice trembled with frustration as I watched him, hoping, praying that something would break through his thick skull. He simply stood there, shaking his head. His calm demeanor drove me to the edge. “Mom,” Darius said with a tired sigh, “you can’t force me to change. You can’t keep telling me that Alpha Orion will push us out. He wouldn’t do that. He’s my brother too, r
Darius POV I know I’m not supposed to listen to my mother’s words. I’ve promised myself countless times that I wouldn’t let her manipulations sway me. I’d told myself I would act with my own mind, with my own principles. But something about the way she sounded last night…it made me worried. There was an undeniable desperation in her voice, a warning that I couldn’t shake off. It felt like she could see something I couldn’t—that we were about to lose everything. But how could that be possible? We’re royalty. We’ve always been royalty, and we always will be. I willingly gave up my chance to become Alpha so that my brother, Alpha Orion, could lead the pack. I trusted him to hold that position with honor and keep the family intact. But then my mother’s words echoed in my mind again. "Why would he want to dethrone her from being Luna? Why now?" I couldn’t shake it. Why would Orion strip my mother of her position as Luna just to make Anita Luna? Why couldn’t he marry Anita and still leav