His Abandoned Luna Chapter 180

|| Lilac’s POV ||

The sunset bled across the sky in streaks of crimson and gold, but the beauty of it did nothing to ease the restless dread coiling in my chest. I sat by the window, fingers gripping the sill until my knuckles turned white.

Where was Alaric?

He should have been back by now. He only went to see Elias. Did something have happened?

A cold whisper of unease slithered down my spine. Runa, my missing wolf, howled faintly in the depths of my mind— a distant echo of warning.

Something was wrong.

I shut my eyes, forcing my breathing to steady. Focus. The wind carried no scent, no sound— just a suffocating silence. And then, like a ripple in water, a vision flashed behind my eyelids.

Teeth. Blood. A sea of rogues crashing against the pack borders.

My eyes flew open.

"No—"

I was moving before the thought fully formed, my bare feet slapping against the polished floors as I sprinted through the house. My fingers fumbled with the front door, the wrought iron handle biting into my palm as I wrenched it open.

The night air hit me like a slap, thick with the scent of pine and damp earth. The packhouse loomed in the distance, its windows glowing like watchful eyes. I ran, my nightgown tangling around my legs, brambles snagging at my ankles.

Faster. Faster.

The packhouse doors were already thrown wide when I skidded to a halt in the entryway, my chest heaving.

Elizabeth stood framed in the doorway, her arms crossed, a smirk twisting her lips.

"Look who’s decided to grace us with her presence, again," she drawled, her voice syrup-sweet with malice.

I didn’t have time for this.

"Move, Elizabeth," I snapped, stepping forward.

She sidestepped, blocking my path. "Oh, I don’t think so. You don’t just get to waltz in here like you own the place. Not after what you’ve done."

I clenched my jaw. "Elizabeth, I swear to the Goddess—"

"What? You'll do what?" She laughed, tossing her hair. "Your mate left you, and now you’re crawling back to Alaric? Pathetic. Even for you."

Something inside me snapped.

Runa surged forward, a phantom growl tearing from my throat as my aura erupted—thick, suffocating, dominant. Elizabeth’s eyes widened, her body locking under the weight of it.

"I am your Luna," I hissed, stepping so close she flinched. "And you will obey me. One more word from that spiteful little mouth, and I’ll make sure you regret every syllable."

The packhouse fell silent.

Elizabeth cowered, her bravado crumbling. Good.

My gaze snapped to Garry, who stood frozen near the stairs.

"Garry. We have a crisis." My voice carried, sharp and clear.

He stiffened. "What is it, Luna?"

"The kind that involves rogues breaching the north border in less than twenty minutes."

Gasps erupted.

"How do you know that?" a warrior barked from the crowd.

I didn’t blink. "Because I saw it. Gather every pack member. Now. The non-fighters go to the tunnels. We’re about to be attacked."

A gasp rippled through the room.

"What?" Garry’s face paled.

Whispers slithered through the room like snakes.

She’s lying.

She’s not even our real Luna.

Why should we trust her?

"I don’t give a damn if you trust me or see me as your Luna," I said, voice cutting through the noise. "But Alaric does. He put his faith in me, and I won’t back down when this pack is in danger. So move."

For a heartbeat, no one did.

"Right away, Luna. Do it," Garry said, his voice rough. "Sound the alarms. Get the women and children to the tunnels. Warriors— positions, now."

The packhouse erupted into chaos.

Within minutes, the packhouse was a storm of motion— warriors arming themselves, mothers ushering children downstairs, elders being guided to the tunnels beneath the house.

"Garry, double the guards at the north border," I ordered.

"On it." He turned, barking commands.

An omega tugged at my sleeve. "Luna, you should go downstairs too—"

A scream cut her off.

"My pup! Where’s my pup?!"

A woman clawed at her hair, wild-eyed. "He’s only five— he’s so small—"

My stomach dropped. "Stay here," I told her. "I’ll find him."

I didn’t wait for a response.

Outside, the night had turned to hell.

Snarls. Howls. The wet crunch of bone. The scent of blood hung thick in the air. My pulse hammered as I sprinted toward the garden, scanning the shadows.

There.

A tiny figure huddled behind a rose bush, trembling.

"Hey," I whispered, dropping to my knees. The boy whimpered, his eyes wide with terror. "It’s okay. I’ve got you."

I scooped him up just as a guttural growl sounded behind me.

Rogue.

I didn’t think, I just moved.

Shoving the pup toward the kitchen door, I hissed, "Run. Now."

Then I turned, planting myself between him and the monster stalking closer.

No wolf. No strength. Just me.

But Alaric had trained me for this.

The rogue lunged.

I sidestepped, driving my elbow into its throat. It choked, staggered— but didn’t go down. Claws raked my arm, hot pain searing through me. I gritted my teeth, swinging again.

A blur of fur slammed into the rogue from behind.

The she-wolf tore into it with savage fury, her snarls vibrating in the air. When the rogue finally collapsed, she shifted back. The mother of the pup I’d just saved.

"Thank you," she gasped.

I nodded, wincing as blood dripped from my arm. "Tunnel. Now."

The fight wasn’t over.

The tunnels were cramped, the air thick with fear.

Mothers clutched their children. Elders murmured prayers. The scent of sweat and copper clung to the walls.

"Are you okay?" a woman asked as I slumped against the stone.

"I'm fine," I lied, pressing a hand to my bleeding arm. It wasn’t healing as fast as the other's.

"She saved my pup," the she-wolf said, voice trembling.

"That’s my job," I breathed.

A sudden gasp. "Luna— you’re with child! Our alpha's child!"

My head snapped up. "How did you—? I don’t have a scent—"

"We’re all mothers here," an elder said softly. "We know."

Silence. Then I heard them in the chorus.

"You are our Luna."

My throat tightened. "How? I couldn’t even fight out there. My wolf’s gone. I’m—"

"You don’t need fangs to lead," the elder interrupted. "You just need to care."

I looked around— and froze.

All the eyes were on me but it wasn't what shocked me. The faint, ghostly shapes of wolves hovered around each of them— their spirits, their wolf souls. Watching me. Seeing me. And I could see them back! I could feel the connection with them.

"The Alpha trusted you," the elder murmured.

"He did," I whispered. "Enough to tell me about the curse. About everything."

"He loves you."

"And you love him."

"You care for us too."

"We’re proud of you, Luna."

One by one, they knelt.

My vision blurred.

Was I ready for this?