Chapter 2

*Poppy*

The office was huge and elegantly decorated, but it was also intimidating. I nervously walked to one of the petitioners' chairs and waited for permission to sit down.

The Queen gestured to a chair, and I quickly sat, watching as King Alexander walked over to his large oak desk and sat down in his giant leather chair, staring at me with a slightly offended expression. Queen Anastasia stood at his side and put her hand on his shoulder, pressuring him to behave.

"'How may I help you, Luna Hopkins?" the King asked, clasping his hands before him.

"Or should I say, Mrs. Hopkins? Because Luna isn't your title anymore." He added, slightly lowering his voice to a cold one.

I gulped, glanced at the documents in my hands, and cleared my throat. I looked bravely into his eyes, placed the documents on his desk, and straightened up in my chair.

"I would like to request the opportunity to exercise Luna's Law." I sang loudly, almost shouting. I quickly corrected my tone and repeated it, quieter, slower, and more precisely.

"With all due respect, Your Majesties. Although I am no longer Luna, my title was unlawfully taken from me, thus depriving me of my home and my child's right to the pack." I looked at the Queen, who looked at me confused, "My wish is to request the opportunity to exercise Luna's Law and enforce my rights." I glanced at the King, who was rubbing his lips with his finger as he looked at me with fascination, "Here I have a set of documents confirming my right to the title, as well as some of the evidence of the pack's neglect by their current leaders." I moved the documents towards the King, but he didn‘t waver his eyes off me.

We looked at each other for a moment, both waiting for the other to add something or say something, but we both remained silent. I didn't want to seem desperate, so I waited until I was asked questions. I knew I had to show them I was strong and could get what I wanted from them, as it was bestowed on me by their predecessors.

"Luna's Law was created centuries ago, and although it is binding, no one has ever used it for at least several decades." The Queen interrupted our stare contest, and I turned my gaze to her.

"Many of those who tried were rejected due to circumstantial evidence, and members questioned for verification purposes were afraid to testify against their Alpha." I finished for her, and she nodded.

"And none of the women could fight a male twice her size. It ended with the matters being dismissed and the former Luna being sent back to the other end of the country for being a liar and a jealous former lover." The king added, still not moving an inch.

I nodded, too, and went back to staring at the King. I prayed deep down in my soul so that he would not only believe me but not laugh at me or, worse still, send me away without any notice, repeating the patterns of his predecessors.

"According to the database, you divorced for personal reasons. Your bond was broken, and you lost your Luna title."

"That's half true," I replied immediately.

The king finally changed his position and leaned forward, placing his muscular arms on the desk around my modestly gathered documents.

"Half?" He raised an eyebrow and tilted his head.

His gray, almost steely eyes bored into me as if they wanted to pierce through me and suck out my most hidden secrets.

"Yes. Your Majesty. Half." I confirmed and took a deep breath, raising my left hand with the mark of the Larch Grove Pack members still visible and the bracelet given to me to weaken my wolf.

"Because the bond between my Alpha and me is still intact. That's true. We divorced according to human laws but not according to shapeshifters." I confessed to the most shameful secret I had been hiding.

"If you just take off this bracelet and let Iris talk, you will know that over the years, she has been reliving the pain inflicted on her by her soulmate almost every day." My voice was shaking, and my hand clenched into a fist.

"He never rejected me. Our mate bond is unfortunately intact." I whispered, letting a tear roll down my cheek that I couldn't hold in any longer.

The King stared at me, searching for any lie in my voice, words, or eyes. However, the Queen gasped and covered her mouth, disbelieving how much pain my beloved she-wolf had to endure in the name of marital infidelity.

I withdrew my hand and wiped my tears as I quickly sat in the chair, hoping my words would convince them. Iris moaned indistinctly in the back of my head, trying to show me her support and strength to fight to achieve my goal through the blockade imposed on her.

"The personal problems given as evidence of the breakdown of the marriage are also a lie. We had no problems, but my husband was disappointed with me when I was unable to give him a male child. Regardless of my serious and even high-risk pregnancy, he caused me emotional and physical suffering, getting rid of me, my home, and our daughter her due title." I revealed the last of my secrets, hoping this information would fulfill my request.

Suddenly, a knock was behind us, and Mr. Bernard emerged from behind the open door with a low bow.

"Your Majesty, I'm sorry to disturb you, but you have a crucial meeting with Alpha Henderson, and he has already arrived at the training ground." He glanced at me before looking at the King expectantly.

"Please leave these documents with Mr. Bernard. Your request will be considered within two weeks." The King stood up and said his formal farewells. "Important matters call me, but I promise to give you an answer within the specified time. Please leave your contact details with Bernard. I wish you a nice day." He smiled slightly and walked away with the Queen, leaving me with the man looking at me curiously.

"Please give me your phone number and address so I can deliver the response. I promise to make sure your case is not missed." Bernard handed me the form, and I filled it out immediately.

I met Arthur in the lobby. He was talking with a few of his colleagues, and when Mr. Bernard noticed him, he bid his goodbye and walked in the opposite direction, leaving me with my driver. I watched him march proudly, dressed in a most expensive suit, towards the other end of the hall with a massive glass door.

He opened it and disappeared right after the corner, probably to join the King and Queen at the training grounds. I sighed deeply, and before approaching Arthur, I glanced around the massive hall and admired the interior. It was a really, incredibly impressive mansion. Not only was the decor exquisite, but the colors used to match the royal crest perfectly fit with the floral arrangements.

"There you are, my dear; I see the meeting went well. I don't see any documents on you, so the King must have accepted your application." Arthur surprised me by quietly approaching me from behind.

"Yes." I squealed and quickly covered my mouth with my hand.

"Yes. The King asked me to leave them to verify my request. Unfortunately, he had to go to an important meeting, so he promised to look into the matter and give me an answer within fourteen days."

I repeated what the King and Mr. Bernard told me, and with a hopeful smile, I took his hand and headed towards the exit.

"It will certainly be so. King Alexander cannot stand injustice."

Arthur assured me, and we got into the car together, taking the passenger seat in the front seat instead of the back seat, bypassing the protocol Arthur had introduced me to.

Watching the flower beds passing us, full of the most exquisite autumn colors, my thoughts went to the moment when my life turned into a series of pain, suffering, and almost extinct courage to continue living.

Until five years ago, my people liked, respected, and admired me. I was Luna Poppy Hopkins. My mate, Alpha Seamus, was a very ambitious, demanding, and intolerant leader. But he was also a tender, devoted, and loving husband until he stopped being one.

We were together for almost ten years. I was Gamma's daughter, so we were close from childhood, but something started to happen between us when we turned sixteen. Our wolves began to wake up, our hormones began to surge, and our sexual drive was directed only at us.

This was the beginning of our relationship, and when we reached adulthood, and our wolves could recognize their mates, we were delighted to discover that we were meant to be together. There was no end to the joy, so without waiting long, we got married, and we both started training intensively and learning to be future leaders.

For two years, we absorbed knowledge and learned fighting, politics, and diplomacy. When we were finally officially recognized as Alpha and Luna, we were happy for another reason: I got pregnant. Unfortunately, this joy did not last long.

Already at the end of the first phase, when we could determine the sex of the offspring, it turned out that our boy would not survive the birth. Devastated, we had to say goodbye to our son and end the pregnancy prematurely. Seamus, although devastated, sad, and embittered, did not give up and supported me in my suffering. This support resulted in another pregnancy. Unfortunately, we had to say goodbye to our second son in another one. And so, for the next three years, my life revolved around a broken heart and a slowly fading hope for a child.

But everything changed for the worse when, during my last pregnancy, despite the high risk that it would end the same way, my beloved decided to cheat on me. It hurt not only my heart but also my lower abdomen, where the pain of betrayal towards the bonds manifests itself. I couldn't believe it, but the confrontation with Seamus confirmed it. Not only did he consider me incapable of producing a male child for him, but upon learning that this time I was carrying a girl, his disgust intensified, and his true colors came to light.

I was accused of concealing the truth about my inability to maintain a pregnancy, and for Alpha, having a child, a male in this case, is not only a necessity but also his greatest ambition. He filed for a divorce and humiliated me in front of our pack by taking a new Luna. He turned everyone against me and silenced those who stood behind me, including my parents.

I was broken, alone, humiliated, and in great pain, punished for something that wasn‘t my fault. And the worst of all was that keeping our bond intact, he considered a new level of amusement. He liked to watch me suffer, not caring about our unborn daughter or me.

Only with the secret help of my loyal Gamma, Tanner Davis, and his distant family could I safely and unharmed disappear from the Larch Grove Pack and find refuge over two thousand miles from a place I called home.

It wasn't easy for me; on the contrary, it was extremely difficult for me. The pain of childbirth mixed with the pain of infidelity almost killed me and my daughter, but thanks to the determination and extreme strength of my beloved Iris, we managed to give birth to a small, beautiful, and sweet girl in the world.

She became our new goal in life. Thanks to her, we managed to survive the last five years despite the pain and suffering, and it was for her that I decided to face Seamus and the injustice that had befallen us.

For my beloved Justice Gemma, I intend to face not only the council of werewolves and the royal family, telling them in minute detail why I want justice, but most of all, I will stand face to face with Seamus and his new Luna, showing them that for their sins against me, mate bond and my daughter they will have to pay dearly.