Chapter 100 A Pack Without a Luna’s Connection

Chapter 100 A Pack Without a Luna’s Connection
“It wasn't me. I wish it were—I would have taken her far away from you and those snakes on the Council.”
“I don't have time to fight you, Gamma! My mate is missing and she left no trail. I need to find her, with or without your help.”
The Gamma stared at me, his breathing ragged with rage.
“I'll help you, but it's for her sake. You no longer have my respect.”
I swallowed the retort on the tip of my tongue; I needed all the help I could get.
A commotion caught our attention, cutting our argument short. Several wolves rushed toward me, carrying Beta Alaor on a stretcher.
“Alpha, we found the Beta in the middle of the woods. He was attacked and is wounded!”
Just what I needed…
Alaor lifted his head, his shoulders slumped. He avoided my gaze, looking thoroughly ashamed.
“Alpha, I tried to protect our Luna, but I failed. I beg your forgiveness!”
“What happened, Alaor? Where is Esmeralda?”
“She escaped, Alpha. I don't know how. I tracked her through the woods without her noticing and witnessed her meeting with Alpha Derik. He wasn't alone; he brought many of his wolves and tried to force himself on her, ripping her clothes in front of everyone. I attacked to defend her, but they surrounded me. He took her, Alpha, but he left me alive to deliver a message…”
As Alaor recounted what happened, my Lycan form took over, ready to declare war.
“What did that bastard say?”
“He said he's going to make the human his Luna. And if you try to take her back, he will attack our pack and claim our lands.”



Alpha Derik
“Alpha, you’re back!”
Beta Eli struggled to contain his excitement upon seeing his Alpha. He bowed formally to greet him, then quickly stood back up, his every move fueled by nervous energy.
“What’s with all the excitement at the sight of me, Beta?” Alpha Derik asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Where do I even begin? There is a true-born Luna, as beautiful as a gemstone, waiting for you in your quarters!”
Derik stopped dead in his tracks and stared at him, intrigued.
“A Luna? Who?”
“Esmeralda, the human Luna. She is here, on our territory, and she came alone.”
“Alone? I find it hard to believe that ice-cold Ares would ever let his mate visit us without him.”
“He didn’t let her, Alpha. She escaped!” Beta Eli gave the Alpha a suggestive look. “She left him and came here looking for you! Rumor has it he’s about to name a Beta mistress as the pack's Luna. Do you know what that means?”
“It means that you, my dear Beta, sound like a gossiping old lady, thrilled to spread the latest rumor. Ares would never give up his mate. He’s boring, but he’s not stupid.”
“Well, that’s exactly what she told my female! She escaped from his dungeons and ended up here.”
“Dungeons?” Derik stopped once more, stunned by what he had just heard.
“Exactly. I would never have believed it if it hadn't come straight from the Luna’s mouth. Alpha Ares locked her away and kept the Beta’s sister by his side. Several members of the Werewolf High Council are there right now to name Beta Estela as Luna. Even General Gamma has been thrown in jail!”
Derik frowned, deeply confused by Ares’s actions. No matter how foolish a male could be, Ares was one of Hecate’s chosen. The Lycan form would never accept any female other than its true mate—Derik knew that firsthand. Ever since he lost his own mate in the shipwreck, his inner beast had been wasting away, turning violent every time he mounted another female.
“Did she really say all those things?”
“Yes, poor thing, Alpha. We found her injured, covered in scratches that wouldn't heal. I’ve never seen a human before. I didn't know they were so fragile and weak... Do you think that’s why Ares despises her and rejected her for a Beta?”
I remained silent, still considering everything I was hearing to be complete nonsense.
“What kind of Alpha male needs his mate to be physically strong? The male is the one who needs to be strong, for heaven's sake! A true-born Luna? Oh, she only needs enough strength to belong to her mate and withstand the intensity of a bonded union.”
The two of them laughed, walking side by side toward the Alpha’s packhouse.
“Alpha, if I may speak freely, couldn't this be a chance granted by the Great Goddess to save our pack? If Ares marks another female as his Luna and claims her, the fated-mate bond will weaken enough for you to claim the human and mark her as your own. If you manage to start a family with her, their bond will be practically severed. We’ll be saved, and your inner beast…”
“My beast doesn’t want another female, Beta. I already thought about that when I first saw Esmeralda, and just the thought of it caused me physical pain. Besides, she already has a bond with the New Moon pack. Even if she hasn't been officially named Luna, Ares and his nature have marked her, even in her human form. Taking her for myself would be heresy.”
“But it’s different now. There is no disrespect to the Great Goddess if Ares rejected her first. He’s a lone wolf now, Alpha, and so is she! Our pack lacks a Luna's connection, and that human is a rejected true-born Luna. Not to mention, she is breathtakingly attractive. It must be your destiny to be together—think about it. When you’re with the Luna, call upon your beast to feel what it wants.”
Derik remained silent, weighing his Beta's suggestion. What he said made sense; if Ares didn’t know how to cherish a true-born Luna, he, Alpha Derik, would. Only someone who had lost his mate knew her true value.
Esmeralda was beautiful. There would be absolutely no hardship in claiming her as his mate; on the contrary, it would be a pleasure for both of them. His wolf, which dreamed of having a lineage, perked up its ears, imagining the human carrying his heirs, and readily accepted the idea. Having a human as a Luna was no issue—she would be worshiped by his dying pack, bringing hope and life to its members, and he was strong enough to keep her safe.
No female would dare challenge her for the throne. First, because the pack knew firsthand the importance of a true-born Luna’s bond, and second, because he didn't give a damn about the laws or the Council.
He was the Alpha of the Black Wolves Pack, and he ruled his pack, not some council of old fools.
Esmeralda was beautiful, clever, sweet, and kind. She had a graceful presence and a natural way of reading the people around her. He admired her, believing that Ares was incredibly lucky to be blessed by the gods with a female like her.