His Abandoned Luna Chapter 70

|| Alaric’s POV ||

I stepped out of the car, the cool night air doing little to calm the storm inside me. The packhouse loomed before me, its familiar silhouette offering no comfort. I walked inside, the sound of my footsteps echoing in the empty halls. My office was my sanctuary, the one place where I could shut out the world and focus. But even there, Lilac’s presence haunted me.

I sat at my desk, the files in front of me blurring as my mind wandered. The memory of her in my arms, the way she had looked at me, the way she had kissed me— it all played on a loop in my mind. But then, the doubt crept in. The way she had pulled away, the way she had questioned our bond. It gnawed at me, a constant ache in my chest.

A knock on the door pulled me from my thoughts.

I exhaled sharply, trying to rein in my emotions before calling out, “Come in.”

The door creaked open, and Marcus stepped in, his usual smirk plastered on his face. His dark eyes gleamed with amusement, and I already knew I wouldn’t like whatever was about to come out of his mouth.

“Hey,” he said, leaning against the doorframe, arms crossed like he owned the damn place.

“Yeah?” I replied, sharper than I intended.

He lifted a brow at my tone but didn’t comment. Instead, his smirk deepened.

“So…” He drawled, clearly enjoying himself. “Wasn’t she Lilac Blackwood? Your brother’s ex?”

I stilled.

The words hit me like a punch to the gut.

Kael’s ex. Fuck it!

I hated that title. Hated that anyone would ever associate her with him. My wolf, Hunter, bristled at the mere suggestion, a deep growl rumbling in my chest before I could stop it.

“Don’t say that ever again,” I snapped. My voice was cold, cutting, final.

She was never Kael’s.

She was only mine.

Marcus held up his hands in mock surrender, though the damn smirk on his face didn’t fade.

“Okay, okay… I’m sorry,” he said, though he didn’t sound sorry at all. He strolled into the room like he had all the time in the world and dropped into a chair across from me.

For a moment, he just studied me, his sharp eyes searching. Then, his expression turned serious.

“Goddess, you don’t have to be so worked up,” he said, his voice softer now, like he actually cared.

I clenched my jaw.

I knew Marcus well enough to know when he was just being an ass and when he was actually concerned. Right now, it was a mix of both.

“Are you here to chitchat?” I asked, leaning back in my chair, forcing myself to relax.

“Of course not,” he said, flashing a grin before leaning forward. “I’m here to get the details. You introduced her as the Luna. Does her family know? Do they agree?”

My jaw ticked at the question.

Of course, they didn’t.

I sighed, running a hand over my face. My mind drifted to the past, to the weight of everything I had inherited before I was even ready to understand it.

Marcus and I had known each other for years— long enough that he could read me like a damn book. After my mother’s death, I had grown up in this pack, under the care of my uncle. My father had brought home Cassandra, and the castle had never been the same.

My uncle had taken me in, raised me as his own, and on my eighteenth birthday, he had given me the pack.

Then the burden had come fast.

My mother’s side of the family was wealthy, with hundreds of businesses in the capital under their name. One after another, they had all fallen to me.

But it wasn’t just the pack or the businesses that had come with my eighteenth birthday.

I had received the curse too.

The price of being a Nightshade, not to mention, being the Alpha.

Outsiders only knew us as the Blood Moon Pack. A pack no one really cared about. But the truth?

The name had come from the day our pack was cursed.

A blood moon was supposed to guide werewolves to their soulmates, to strengthen their bonds. But one of my ancestors had abandoned his mate on a blood moon to gain more power. He had conspired with witches, betrayed the sacred laws of our kind, and in her fury, the Moon Goddess had punished us.

We had lost everything.

The curse had demanded we step down from the crown, and for generations, we had obeyed.

I couldn’t tell her everything yet. Not until she was ready. Not until she chose to be a part of my world.

Because the Goddess forbade it.

I wished she could understand my pain.

Marcus was still watching me, waiting for my answer, "well, lover boy?"

“No, they don’t,” I admitted, my voice heavy with frustration.

Marcus let out a low whistle, shaking his head. “Damn, Alaric. You really don’t do things the easy way, huh?”

I shot him a glare. “Wouldn’t be any fun if I did.”

He smirked. “Oh, because stealing your brother’s ex and making her your Luna is so much fun?”

I growled. “She was never his.”

Marcus held up his hands again.

“Relax, big guy. I know. I just like seeing you lose your cool.” He chuckled, leaning back in his chair. “So, what’s the plan? You gonna tell her? Or are you just going to keep looking at her like she hung the damn moon and hope she figures it out?”

I clenched my jaw.

Lilac was already tangled in my world in ways she didn’t understand.

She had been reborn into it.

Fated to it.

To me.

But she didn’t know that yet.

And I had no idea how to tell her.

“She’ll know when she’s ready,” I muttered.

Marcus snorted. “Yeah? And what if she never is? She flew right after you introduced her as the luna.”

That thought alone sent a sharp pain through my chest.

Because if she never was— if she never chose me… if her damn mate showed up...

Then I would be damned to lose her.

Marcus nodded, his expression softening. “Hey, don’t be upset. I’m sure her family will come around. It’s only natural for them to be protective of her. Besides, you have so many rumors in the market. I’ve told you multiple times to clear up your name.”

I knew the rumors. Most of them had been spread by Cassandra to push me into the shadows so that Kael could rise. But it hadn’t worked. I had never cared about the throne. I never could have the throne anyway.

“That’s fine,” I said, though the words felt hollow.

Marcus leaned back in his chair, a smirk playing on his lips. “Anyway, I heard Alpha Asher is hosting a party. He’s sent out an invitation— well, two actually. One for the Nightshades and the other for our pack.”

He placed two invitations on my desk, the elegant script catching the light. I glanced at them, my interest minimal.

“Not interested,” I said, focusing on the file before me. Or at least, I pretended to.

Marcus chuckled, his grin widening. “Well, from what I’ve heard, most of the packs will be going.”

“Great,” I replied, my tone flat. I had no intention of attending the party.

“Including the Royal Beta Family,” he added, his grin turning into a full-blown smirk.

Fuck. Lilac might be there. Was she going to look for her mate? The thought sent a surge of possessiveness through me, my wolf growling in response.

“When is it?” I asked, my tone sharper than I intended.

Marcus’s smirk widened. “I knew you’d be interested.”

I glared at him, but he just laughed. “So, who’s going there? The Alpha of the Nightshades or the Alpha of the Blood Moon Pack?”

“Of course, the Alpha of the Blood Moon Pack,” I snapped, my irritation growing. This was the only identity I could use outside. Though very few knew me as the Alpha, the Blood Moon Pack lands were secluded from most of the others. We had more land and wealth than most, but we rarely showed it. After all, we were the rightful heir to the throne.

“Got it,” Marcus said, standing up and heading for the door. He paused, turning back to me with a grin. “I’ll make the arrangements.”

As the door closed behind him, I leaned back in my chair, my mind drifting back to Lilac. It had been only a few hours. No calls, no messages… it felt like an eternity. Will I see you there, dove? My wolf growled at her name, as if he too was holding onto hope.