A tale of one she-wolf's life Belladonna who knows she was chosen by her father to be mated off to Alpha Parker of the Lustrous Moon, to be his Luna, but to also be rejected at a later date for his Goddess-Gifted Mate. She was chosen by her Alpha and Luna as a way, she knew to get rid of her from their own pack. They mated her, the bastard daughter of the Alpha off to their enemy. No one has ever seen her wolf, she cannot be called forth by just anyone. Not her father, not Parker. Being mated to Alpha Parker was not what she expected, he is an Alpha that takes his words in every deal he makes seriously, he follows all of the rules of any agreement he makes to the very letter. Including the very mating alliance that saw her mated to him. Once mated to Alpha Parker something odd happens within the pack, every time Belladonna goes into heat, it sees that babies bloom within the pack just months later, there are also suddenly no deaths occurring within the pack from childbirth, not the mother or the child. Something she doesn't understand; but can only attribute to her wolf that is a mystery even to her, knows things that one should be able to know. Not even Belladonna understands her type of wolf, is her wolf normal or as her grandmother once stated a Wolf of Destiny? What is a Wolf of Destiny? Can she ever be called out and, if so, who is the one that can call her out? Only one can control her Wolf, is what her grandmother told her once, and only one can remove a Wolf of Destiny. But the Fate of the one carrying a Wolf of Destiny is hard and sometimes unforgiving. A tale of the fate for one she-wolf that just wants to live her life as she chooses to, to have a peaceful life, as a pack doctor. To one day understand who she is and what her wolf really is, but if she learns the truth behind it all, can she survive the fate of Wolf of Destiny, will she still be the same when the truth comes out

Part 1: Null & Voided Belladonna

Bella stood in the shower in the Luna’s suite, allowing the warm water to wash over her. She was pleasantly exhausted, Parker had left her suite; he was off to a mating ball in another state. She had four days now, where he wasn’t going to be there inside the pack.

She was his Luna; had been for eight years now, but she was bound to him not by her choice, had been chosen for him by her own Alpha and Luna; just to get rid of her, and she knew it.

She was the youngest child of her father, and unwanted and shunned; a bastard child not born of his Mate bond, and that was why she was hated by the Luna in her home pack.

This allianced mating, that she’d been bound to at just 19 years of age. It was, she believed, her father’s Luna’s way of getting rid of her from their pack, once and for all. The only solace she had was that there was a detailed mating alliance. That did not allow for Parker to bring harm to her.

Parker came to her room, the Luna’s suite every other night to bed her, and though the sx was good, more than good, damned near on amazing at times, she had to admit, because he wasn’t just a man that came and took what he wanted.

No, he was a man that enjoyed sx, enjoyed knowing he pleased the woman in his bed, even if she had been sold to him. Parker could spend hours in her bed, touching and tasting her, sometimes all night long. He was not a terrible Mate to her, but he was indifferent most of the time.

She had been given to him to stop a war between their two packs, had been Marked and Mated by him, taken as his Chosen Luna, with full view of rejecting her one-day down the line. She didn’t actually mean anything to him.

He didn’t love her, and she didn’t love him. She could enjoy him being in her bed because of the Mate Bond, enjoyed it a lot, and had been known to scream with pleasure at him having his way with her. He could be utterly insatiable at times, and a part of Bella craved him; as his Mate she loved his every touch. She actually enjoyed her heat when it came, just once a year, spent seven glorious days being mated by him, and the sx; all rough I’ve just got to have alpha-blooded needs on the surface.

Screamed in utter bliss that week multiple times a day and half all night, but it was the only time he never got out of her bed and slept in his suite.

Every time always ended the same way. The moment he couldn’t scent her heat anymore, he was up and gone from her suite. Eight years of it; nothing had changed for him. Just three days ago, her heat had ended, and he’d left in the middle of the night. She’d not even known, she had been exhausted by them mating furiously that last time, and she had slept like the dead. Then she'd woken up on her own because her heat was over.

This morning, him in her bed for a few hours before the sun rose. It was because he was going away for a mating ball and would be gone for four days. The pack he was visiting was in another state, 12 hours away, unaffiliated to him but a good opportunity for his wolves to pair up.

There was nothing unusual about him being gone for four days, seeing as how far away that pack was, sometimes it was five full days. That was nice for her, he wasn’t one to tax his wolves, and so they stopped overnight on the way there or back if necessary. Not that he informed her of his doings, she just learned it over the years.

Parker didn’t think that he was required to tell her his movements, she was only his Mate and Luna, due to the mating alliance that they had. It didn’t bother her at all, it just meant she had four days to herself this week. He always liked to have sx before he left and when he got back as well, something about he had an alpha-blooded sx drive that he needed to sate on a regular basis.

She didn’t argue about it, she had it too, there was no need to either, they both got all the tingly mate bond goodness in that bed of hers. And it was always in her bed. She’d never even seen inside the Alpha Suite; that was not a place for her to be.

Bella dressed for the day and headed downstairs, to get herself some breakfast, where she saw him and his unit all heading across the foyer and out the front door of the packhouse to leave. He nodded to her, but never said goodbye to her. No one here thought anything about it, they all knew she had been given to him. Was not his Goddess-Gifted Mate.

Though the pack here was nice to her, they didn’t treat her badly at all, that had been a surprise to her, and she herself was nice to all of them. She actually liked the pack, and it seemed the pack actually liked her. Looked to her for advice even. She did her Luna duties as was required of her.

She had been sent here against her will, but actually found that she fitted in better inside this pack than her own home pack. She had respect here from this pack, from Parker to a certain degree, she thought.

She’d learned how to be a Luna to this pack, and attended to all of those duties that Parker had tasked her with, when she’d first been brought here. She had even been allowed to study with his pack’s doctor in the hospital, and now, eight years later she herself was a good doctor.

Bella specialized in the delivery of pups, and looking after the she-wolves in labour, using her Luna Calm to help them settle when fully distressed, and things got a bit on the hairy side. She’d not lost a single pup or she-wolf in the past eight years of assisting and then delivering on her own.

She was a fully registered doctor with this pack, and one day when she left, she would be a doctor for another pack somewhere else. That was the goal. Though what the really crazy thing was, was that six months after she went into heat herself, there was always an explosion of pups within the pack.

It hadn’t gone unnoticed by the pack's doctor, her mentor Annette, she shook her head and had stated “It’s you, you know.” They often laughed and joked about it. Annette had already chuckled just yesterday about getting supplies ready for pups to be born in a few months’ time.

Bella had just snorted and shaken her own head, they were currently going through that now, that heat she’d had last week was completely unexpected and out of the blue, her second one for this year. Had not been expected at all.

Annette’s theory only made Bella shake her head, she thought it was just a coincidence was all. She’d not gotten pregnant once in the past eight years of having a heat once a year.

A part of her was glad of it as well, knowing that there was a clause in her mating alliance that stated all pups she had while still bonded to Parker, were to be given to him. When he found his Goddess-Gifted Mate and rejected her, she had to leave them behind for him to raise. They were his heirs. It was not something she wanted to happen.

She knew that Parker would make her give them up as well. He followed all his alliance dealings to the letter. She also knew it was a clause he’d written into their mating alliance himself. He wasn’t willing to relinquish any child to her, he would be claiming all of them as his heirs. She might be their mother if she ever birthed any pups, but she had no rights to them; that was how she looked at that clause.

She saw him sometimes looking at her, in the weeks after her heat, assessing her, she knew, listening for a heartbeat of a pup. He wanted an heir and she, being Alpha-blooded like he was, their pup would be a pure-blooded heir for this pack. There were no pups, even though she wasn’t on birth control of any kind, he wouldn’t allow it. He was hoping for a pup between them and she knew it.

2 Belladonna

Bella thought there was no pup simply because she didn’t want one and her wolf certainly didn’t want one to a Mate that was not her Fated or that was how it felt to Bella. Neither of them were at all interested in having a pup with a Mate that was going to, at some point in time, whether it be in the near or far future, reject them for his Goddess-Gifted when she came along.

Why would anyone want to do that when they knew that their Alpha Mate would be sending them away, pretty much just tossing them out of his pack and without their pups, making them sever their kind bond to however many pups they had and loved. No she-wolf she knew would agree with that, it was insane; and neither she nor Freya, her wolf, were interested in that happening to them.

Parker had made a few comments over the years about it, and she’d stared at him, stated simply, “Maybe, Selena doesn’t want us to have a pup, Parker.”

To which he’d retort, “And maybe you’re infertile.” Sounding a bit on the angry side about it.

“Could well be,” she’d nodded at him simply. She’d not taken offense to his words.

Though she wasn’t infertile. She’d been tested a few years back along with himself after that very comment. She’d thought he’d gone away and thought about his own words, and maybe come to the conclusion that one of them was infertile.

So they’d both been tested at his request, and they were both fine and capable of conceiving a pup, apparently. It just wasn’t meant to be as far as she was concerned, and she was honestly glad of it.

Though during her heats, Parker knotted her every time he came, and she him back, liked the bloody feeling of it as much as he did, and she knew it. She understood that being knotted to one's Mate kind of made you feel whole, that it was part of the mate bond as well.

He had in fact knotted her this morning, had looked right down at her while still knotted to her and sighed softly, contentedly. She knew he liked the feeling of being knotted to her. All wolves did unless they weren’t their Mate.

His blue eyes had looked into her blue ones, and he’d murmured softly as he’d looked down at her, a gentle smile on his face, “An heir would be nice, don’t you think Belladonna.” He hadn’t said it in months, and she’d been a little surprised to hear him bring it once more, she had thought he’d give up on that thought, though the way he said her name softly, almost sounded like he cared at that moment. She knew better though, he never shortened her name like everyone else inside the pack did. He was the only one to call her Belladonna, and she was certain that he did it, to remind himself she was his Chosen Mate.

“I guess it would.” She’d answered him. It was all she ever said on the subject of a pup between them.

She’d only ever actually said ‘no’ once, and it had set him and his beast off into a fit of rage. She’d not really understood that. He didn’t love her, she knew that. But she’d never dared to say it again. Because his anger over her declining to even think it was a good idea, had filtered into the pack.

The pack had been on edge over his foul mood, and she’d seen him stomping around and grating out orders at everyone. He’d been cranky about it for over a week. So now she stated she guessed it would be, instead of telling him no she didn’t want one with him. To save the pack from his temper was all, something he had, but she rarely saw, the pack rarely saw, and she had a feeling he tried not to lose it for no reason at all. The pack did like him, respect him and were happy with him as their Alpha.

Sometimes she wondered what that war with her home pack had been all about. She didn’t recall there being a war, perse, there had been a full threat of one, that much she did know. Though her father and Parker had probably not wanted that war and tried everything to stop it before it got started. She’d not been privy to that and during those two days everyone had been sequestered to their homes. Though she did know there had been a wolfen force at the border of the pack.

She shook off her thoughts, she didn’t need a trip down memory lane, that was a long time ago. She ate her breakfast in the dining room as she always did, smiled at the wolves in here eating as well. Chuckled as a boy of six climbed up onto the seat next to her and tugged on her arm “Luna, mummy’s going to have her baby today.”

“Is she now?” she’d smiled down at him.

“Yes, daddy took her to the hospital just a minute ago.”

Bella smiled at him “Are you excited to meet your little sister Franky?” she asked him.

“Yes.” He smiled big up at her “Aunty Becky is watching me.”

Bella looked up to find Rebekah his aunt walking this way. She was heavily pregnant herself. “Daisy just went into labour, Luna.” Rebekah told her as she walked over to her.

“I just heard; Franky’s excited.” She ruffled his blond hair. “How are you doing today, Becky?”

“Alright, will you be going to the hospital soon?” Becky asked.

“Yes, right after breakfast. Everything will be fine with your sister; I’ve not lost a pup yet and am not about to start today.” She reassured Becky.

Bella had gone into heat six months ago. This was going to be a busy week here inside the pack. Her last heat had been very unexpected. Had come in the middle of the night, out of nowhere and Parker had not been in the pack for it either. That first night had been agony locked in her suite, unable to sate the needs from her heat.

But he’d come back in short order, when he’d been informed she was in heat, and she’d been on him the moment he’d walked into her suite, practically ripped his pants off him and shoved him down all alpha aggression, and she ridden the hell out of him with all she’d had right by the suites' entry door.

He hadn’t cared, had enjoyed it himself, enjoyed all her heats while they lasted. He got to have sx for hours every day and half the nights as well, it was all rough and raw, both their alpha-blooded needs in full swing. They were both very aggressive about getting what they wanted during her heats. It was kind of unavoidable, she thought. Just their bloodlines.

She pulled herself from her thoughts and made her way to the pack’s hospital, pulled on her scrubs. Today she was wearing soft blue scrubs with sloths all over them; she thought they were cute.

The pack hospital had, had a uniform when she’d arrived in this pack, black scrubs, she’d gotten rid of them, thought they were very unfriendly, and some of the pack’s children who’d never been in the hospital before had shied away from the nurses and doctors on their first visit.

Now all the nurses and doctors wore fun scrubs with patterns all over them, some even tailored them to the seasons. It had helped the children relax and be comfortable. They did have a standard uniform for after war or pack attacks, when their wolves were grieving the loss of loved ones. Simple respectful scrubs that were mint green and white.

Despite being brought here as a Chosen Mate and Luna, Parker did expect her to attend all Luna duties, and she did them well. He couldn’t fault her on that. He didn’t have any complaints, and had actually told her she made a good Luna to his pack.

That had been just a few years back. She’d just smiled and nodded, accepted the compliment from him, they were few and far between, had told him in return, “I like the pack members, they’re nice to me.” and they were. "I'll always do my best for them, Parker."

The Lustrous Moon was a much nicer pack to her than her home pack had been.

3 Belladonna

It was a long four days inside the pack. Bella had delivered 17 pups over those days, she had lived inside the pack hospital itself, slept in her office, on the couch in there so she didn’t have to make the trip from the Luna suite to the hospital, which took 20 minutes at a casual stroll, it was closer to the pack's town than the packhouse, and she understood that was because it had been built to cater to the majority of the pack who lived in the town not the packhouse.

Parker was due home today around lunchtime, and she knew that the moment he was finished initiating his new pack members into his pack, and allocating them homes if they needed it, he was going to want to go right to her room and have sx.

He couldn’t go more than two days without sx on any normal given week here inside the pack. With the exception of that one week, he'd been angry. He'd stayed away from her that week; not brought his anger into her bed. But when he had crawled into bed, Goddess she'd never thought he was going to stop eating her out. Gotten multiples from him, several in fact, before she fallen asleep and woke up alone.

This was how it had been for the past eight years. She, however, was actually very tired today, exhausted, she would say, had pulled an all-nighter last night and had yet to get any sleep. Bella had delivered three pups in the past 7 hours, and Annette had delivered two herself.

Bella had received a text from him just as she was sitting down at her desk in her Luna's office, “I’ll be home in a few hours.” It had read. Bella had frowned down at it, a little confused as to why he’d sent it. He’d never done that before.

She shook it off, likely he was just letting her know that he expected them to get naked in her bed when he got home, because he wanted to have sx. It had been four days. Well, it wasn’t going to be like that today. She had many things to do this morning herself and was too tired for sx; he’d have to understand.

She was in all likelihood going to be in the Luna’s office when he crossed the pack border as well, because she had to now sit down and register all of those pups with the pack. Get their parents' files all up to date as well; having to register all 17 pups took time, and she didn’t make mistakes.

It was going to be a long day, and she’d probably sleep like the dead after Parker had his way with her at some point later in the afternoon. She sighed as she sat in her chair, staring at the computer screen in front of her, her eyes kept drooping and she micro napped a few times, was fighting off sleep that she desperately needed and she knew it.

She got up and looked at the time. It was just on 8am. She could sleep for two hours and then pull on her alpha-bloodline after that, to get her through the rest of the day, until she turned in for the night, she would go to bed early and she knew it. She set herself an alarm on her phone and crashed out on the couch in the Luna's office.

Woke up and stretched and got coffee, when her alarm went off, she was still tired but could function at least. Returned to her job of documenting the births of those pups, and the condition of the mothers. She hissed as pain shot through her left arm, almost felt like someone had stabbed her and dragged a knife up her arm. It only lasted a few seconds, and she rubbed her arm and shook it off. It was odd, to say the least. Never felt that happen before.

She finished documenting those pups, attached their baby pictures to the files and smiled at each one of them, she did love babies, they were so cute. All her life she’d been in a pack hospital. Her mother had died in childbirth, and she’d been raised by her grandmother, a nurse in her home pack, she’d never really had any friends, not being that she was her father’s bastard daughter, not even her half siblings liked her.

Bella had learned to stick close to her grandmother, and she herself had worked in the pack hospital from a young age, become a runner for those that worked there, dashing off to get things they needed.

Then she had started working in the hospital at 16, had dropped out of school altogether. It was not fun for her in that school, she got bullied by her half siblings all day long. She’d had one a few months older than she was, and she was in all her classes.

Her father had not cared that she’d dropped out of school at all, he’d also never sent her off to Alpha College, she wasn’t a legitimate heir so didn’t need to go. She’d never asked to go either. She never went into the packhouse for anything, just tried to be invisible to that pack.

Her father may have claimed her as his kin, but she was not part of the Alpha’s family, though she didn’t think Parker knew that. She was in fact hated by all of her siblings; the Luna especially hated her existence. Bella kind of understood that. She’d learned at a young age her conception had seen the packs Luna be in agony with the pains of betrayal.

Though her grandmother had told her once, it wasn’t as it seemed, and not to believe that her mother was a mistress, she’d not been, hadn’t wanted to be bedded by her father, the alpha of that pack. She’d hadn’t had a choice about it, but then in the next breath she’d stated don’t blame your father either, he didn’t really want to bed your mother. It had confused her a lot. If neither had wanted it, how had it happened?

Bella pulled herself from her thoughts as her tummy rumbled, and she got up to go and have lunch. It was midday and Parker wasn’t back yet, though she didn’t think it would be far off at all. He’d text her at 7am, a few hours. She shrugged, likely they’d all stopped for food somewhere.

She was just returning to her office when she felt him come back into the pack, and he mind-linked to her near instantly, “Belladonna, meet me in the foyer.” He stated and cut the link before she could even reply to him.

She was actually in the foyer now, so took up a seat with some of the pack’s kids and watched them play a board game. They all smiled up at her, and she smiled back at them, helped that youngest one out a bit.

She looked up as Parker walked into the packhouse, and there was a woman walking next to him, quite tall, almost as tall as he was, though Bella noted she was wearing stilettos, they clicked loudly on the tiled floor as she strode along next to Parker. She looked more than annoyed to Bella.

Bella stood as was expected of her to greet him when he came home, and watched as the woman looked right at her now as well, then there was just anger in those eyes of hers. Bella saw her take a full step closer to Parker and try to reach out and curl her hand around his forearm. Parker frowned down at her and brushed it away. “I’ve explained this to you Carina,” he stated flatly “No touching at this time.”

There was more anger welling off the she-wolf now, and Bella understood right away, Parker had found his Goddess-Gifted Mate at that mating ball and though he would want to claim her for himself. He couldn’t, not until he’d rejected Bella. It was part of their mating alliance.

“Axel, please take Carina to get some lunch.” Parker addressed his Delta, and motioned for them to move on passed him. His eyes moved back to her after Axel walked Carina off, “Belladonna, my office please.” He stated casually, and turned and walked that way himself.

“Yes, Parker.” She answered him simply, she knew what this was all about, it was time for him to reject her, so he could go and claim his actual mate.

4 Belladonna

She wondered just how much he was struggling right this minute, not being able to claim his Goddess-Gifted. How much had he struggled on the full moon when scenting her out and then coming face to face with her?

Scenting her out knowing he couldn’t claim her, having that she-wolf see that he was already marked and mated by another, Bella bet that woman, Carina, she’d heard her name was, had been very confused by that. Likely been very angry about it, from what she’d just seen, clearly she hadn’t liked it at all.

Ah! That stabbing pain in her arm earlier in the day, it was likely Carina had touched Parker, and as brief as it had been, she’d felt it, that had been pains of betrayal.

That full moon night wouldn’t have been fun for her, and then the overnight stay in a hotel, and the long drive here to the pack. That she-wolf was more than ticked off about not being able to claim what was hers, but Parker, she knew, was a stickler for the rules.

Which was a good thing for her, otherwise he could have treated her terribly over the years, and he could have marked and mated that she-wolf on the full moon, if he wasn’t a man of his word; something that she knew he actually was, and she was thankful for, because it would likely have killed her if he’d done that.

She excused herself from the children and headed into his office, followed his Beta and Gamma. She heard the door being closed by Kane, the pack Beta. “Congratulations, Parker.” She smiled, genuinely happy for him. “I see you found your Goddess-Gifted Mate.”

He nodded to her, “I have.” He stated as he sat down behind his desk “so we need to talk, you and I.” He looked right at her now.

“Why?” she asked right back “I know what this is, I was chosen, just to be rejected by you.” she knew that was the truth, wondered if her old Luna wanted her to know that and feel it. Punish her for being born by doing this to her. “Just reject me Parker, I’ll accept it.” she told him simply.

She had basically been sold to the Alpha sitting before her, she didn’t love him, her wolf didn’t love his either, their bond had never grown and flourished like all others did. It never would, or she didn’t believe that it would. The only time they spent together was in her bed, when he wanted to have sx, or she was in heat.

Never did they ever go out for a meal, never had they celebrated their mate bond with each other, she’d not even gotten a Luna Ceremony. She had been announced to the pack the morning after he’d marked and mated her and that was it. She was not his Goddess-Gifted, and only that woman would get all of him, all the things that came with being his true Luna.

Parker was frowning at her now, almost with disapproval in those blue eyes of his. He was still sitting there just staring at her, did so for a full minute as though he expected some sort of outburst from her, she thought. She wasn’t going to do that, wasn’t about to pitch a fit or kick up any kind of fuss over this.

She stood there and stared right back at him, didn’t really understand why he didn’t just issue that rejection instantly, it was why he’d called her into his office, and she knew it, because he’d brought his Goddess-Gifted home with him. Bella finally raised an eyebrow at him, when he just sat there and continued to stare at her and say nothing. She shook her head a little, “I’ll do it then.” She stated simply, “I Luna Belladonna Harrington, reject you Alpha Parker Hartly as my Mate.” She stated, he’d never given her his name, again something reserved for his Goddess-Gifted Mate only, as was the Alpha Suite.

She’d been here eight long years, and the entire time she’d resided in the Luna Suite, again a clause in the mating alliance; put in by Parker himself, she thought. To make sure she understood her place inside this pack, she supposed.

She was his Luna and f*k buddy, not the love of his life. She doubted that he had any feelings at all where she was concerned, had wondered at times if he even liked her as a person. They didn’t talk often, so she wouldn’t know.

Bella felt the severing of the bond begin on her end and gritted her teeth against it, stood staring at his widened eyes at her sudden rejecting of him. Almost like he couldn’t believe she’d issued it at all, “Accept it.” she gasped out after 30 seconds of him just staring at her “It, hurts Parker. Get it over with, please.”

Again, there was that frown on his face, though now it was deepened, then he just stood up and nodded at her, “I Alpha Parker Hartly, accept your rejection Belladonna Harrington, you are no longer my Mate and Luna.”

Bella gasped as their bond severed completely, clutched at her chest as she felt him being ripped away from her. Freya's snarl echoed inside her mind at the pain she was feeling. Then there was a pair of hands on her shoulders as she started to buckle under the weight of the pain.

She could feel Shannon, the pack’s Gamma, rolling his charm over her to help ease her pain, and she was actually glad that he was there right this very minute. It hurt like a b**h, more than she had thought it would, considering their bond was nothing more than just really good sx. There was no emotional attachment between them, so she'd not expected it to hurt so much.

She sank down onto her knees and had to breathe through the feeling of Parkers Mark burning off her neck. It took several long agonizing minutes, and even Shannon's Charm wasn't really helping with the pain of it, though she could feel it being rolled over her the whole time. Her hand reached up to touch her neck instinctively when the mark was gone, no more was the filigree that had adorned her neck for the past eight years, there were just two puncture marks where his fangs had buried into her that first night he’d brought her here to his pack and claimed her.

It was no longer sensitive to the touch either, she felt nothing as she touched it where once it had brought desire. Even when she touched it herself, nothing remained right this minute.

Her eyes lifted to him, he had a hand tightly gripped onto the edge of his desk, and a fist pressed hard against his chest. He looked to be in as much pain as she was. His eyes were on hers, never left hers at all, not even when she stood herself up and gently removed Shannon’s hands from her, stating softly “I’ll be alright, Shannon. Thank you.” and she knew she would be.

“Parker, you should go and claim your Goddess-Gifted, it will resolve your pain quickly.”

“And you?” he asked, and it almost sounded to her that he was concerned about her.

“I’ll be fine. I understand our mating alliance, and I will follow it to the letter. Kane and I can sort that out. You should go and be with your Mate. She’ll be happy we’re over, and you can claim her, she can finally claim what is hers rightfully by the Goddess.”

He was frowning at her now, didn’t appear to understand her reaction to all of this. But she was finally free, released from the contract that had made her just one of his belongings. It’s all she was to him, something he owned. Now she wasn’t his anymore or wouldn’t be in 24 hours; that’s how long she had to leave this pack.

She turned to Kane, the pack’s Beta. “If you could meet me in the foyer in say an hour, we’ll finish it off properly, while Parker is marking and mating his Goddess-Gifted Mate.”

“Yes Lu… Bella.” He nodded, had almost called her Luna, like he had done so many times before, over the past eight years.

5 Parker

For eight years they had been mated to each other, and not once had Belladonna turned loving eyes on him. Not once had she even looked at the Alpha Suite as though she wanted to be in there with him; never had he even seen her glance at it. She just walked on past it like it didn’t exist for her.

Belladonna, his mate of eight years, stood before him and still felt nothing for him. She was today wearing a clean set of scrubs. Though they looked a little on the rumpled side to him, as though she’d had a nap in them. It wouldn’t surprise him at all, if she had. She was often up late in the hospital. Slept there some nights when there were a lot of babies to be delivered.

Even now standing in his office, he had expected some sort of reaction from her; to him bringing home his Goddess-Gifted Mate. But she’d not even so much as frowned at seeing Carina walk into the packhouse with him or standing there next to him, or Carina trying to touch him in a possessive manner, right there in the packhouse foyer for all to see.

Knowing what she was to him, and Belladonna did know it, he’d never walked anywhere with a woman next to him like that before unless it was herself attending a mating ball with him, and Carina, she was all dolled up, to look her best when arriving at the pack. It had taken nearly an hour and a half to get ready in the hotel room this morning, which annoyed him greatly, having to wait for her like that. He had things to do and places to be.

Belladonna had said nothing at all about seeing her with him, hadn’t even said anything when he’d sent Carina off with his Delta, and requested Belladonna to come into his office. No, she just politely excused herself from the children she’d been sitting with; likely playing a game with them, he’d seen her do that before on many occasions.

He’d never treated her badly, respected her and craved that damned woman’s body more than he’d allowed himself to have her. Had held himself back from her because she didn’t have any feelings for him at all. She didn’t want a pup with him, hearing that had bloody hurt, and he’d been angry about it for a week.

They’d been together for five years when he’d bitten the bullet and finally brought it up. He had thought five years of him treating her nicely. Respectfully, and acknowledging her as his Luna would have shown her, they worked well together. Clearly not, and he had not liked the response he’d gotten at all.

Even now, he could see after eight years together, that he meant absolutely nothing to her. He couldn’t understand why her side of the mate bond didn’t grow and flourish at all. He didn’t want to issue this rejection, she was an amazing Luna, intelligent, strong and beautiful, had long wavy chestnut brown hair, that right this minute was pulled up in messy bun on top of her head. Because she’d been working in the pack hospital, but it didn’t detract from her beauty at all.

Normally she would wear it out, and it fell around her shoulders or down her back in a lovely wavy cascade. She had brilliant blue eyes that could sparkle like the ocean at times and a very kissable mouth.

The whole pack liked her, she’d learned everything about all of them over the years, attended to all the Luna’s duties, she was not only his Luna, but was a brilliant pack doctor as well. The woman loved babies, they made her light up from the inside out, and that smiled when she looked down at them; pure joy in her blue eyes. It was infectious the way she smiled.

She always had a smile for the little ones. He couldn’t understand why they’d not had pups. She would make a great mother, and he knew it. Their children would be loved and adored by her. He’d not once in the past eight years seen her even raise her voice to a little one, not even a teenager.

She’d looked a little exasperated at times, when she got those repeat offenders to her Luna’s office, to be admonished by their Luna for getting into fights, but never did she yell at them. She was a kind soul to everyone.

She’d not even argued about being mated off to him, had stood there in her father’s office at just 19 years old, untouched by anyone inside her home pack, he’d taken her virginity, she’d not even known how to kiss. Very unusual for an alpha-blooded female of 19 years of age.

She had just stood there in her father’s office and said nothing at all. Not one single word to anyone in that room, as they’d discussed that Mating Alliance, what clauses he wanted, what her father had wanted for her as well. She’d said nothing in his car on the way to this very pack, had sat and stared out the window the entire time.

Nothing until he’d initiated her into his pack, until he’d cut his palm and then hers, and pressed their palms together, asked, as her new Alpha, to pledge loyalty to him and his pack. She’d not even really looked at him until that very moment either, just once in her father’s office only. He recalled her that day here in his office, she'd looked at their hands, taken in a long breath and then had just accepted him as her new Alpha.

It had been the first time he’d heard her voice. Soft to his own ears even then, he’d put that down to her being unhappy about the Mating Alliance, and he knew she was unhappy. Shannon had told him via the mind-link ‘She’s unhappy, but resigned to it, not going to argue or fight you about Marking and Mating her.’ And she hadn’t.

He’d also known she had never been with anyone. Her own father had told him as much, and Shannon had confirmed that, for him, she was nervous about not knowing what to do in the bedroom. He’d been more than experienced, so it wasn’t really an issue, and he’d not Mated her until they’d both marked each other. It would lessen the pain for her and he knew it. He’d also not rushed the job, taken his time and tried to take care of her, bring about pleasure for her, and show her he wasn’t going to be a brute of a Mate, and that he wasn't out to hurt her.

Now to hear her congratulate him, it felt very odd to him, and Vex’s ears, which had flattened back against his head and annoyance rolled right off his beast at her words, she actually meant it, it was there in her tone. She was genuinely happy for him, it appeared. Their own Mate confused them to no end. If she’d walked into this packhouse trailing a Goddess-Gifted Mate, he’d likely have tried to take that man's head clean off. Would have been very angry to see another that was getting to touch what was his.

But no, she just smiled right at him, the perfectly happy smile she had when she looked at babies, real happiness there on the surface not only for him to see, but to know it was actually for him, she really was happy for him right this very minute; That he had found his Goddess-Gifted Mate.

Vex wanted to snarl at her for seeing her so happy about him being gifted to another, but turned and stalked off away to the back of his mind, ‘I’m not voicing it.’ he snarled at Parker and lay down inside his mind to watch her from back there. She’d been mated by his wolf in human form as often as she had been by Parker himself. They were both attached to her and both wanted her.

His wolf was annoyed as much as Parker was right this very minute that she could be so bloody happy for them, it was not what he wanted to see from her; not at all. She and Carina were two very different people from what he’d seen so far. Belladonna was the better of the two of them, and he knew it.

6 Parker

He had brought Belladonna into his office because he actually wanted to talk to her, because he wasn’t 100% sold on his Goddess-Gifted Mate. He didn’t know what he should do. Chosen verses Gifted it was a dilemma. They also had a very specific mating alliance as well, which defined the two Mates.

Carina, he had seen strutting about at that mating ball flirting with all the highly ranked members. She’d not so much as paid attention to anyone that was below Delta Rank. He had also not been attracted to her at all. Yes, she had a pretty face, but her attitude turned him off and left a lot to be desired.

She’d glanced at him only briefly, her eyes had landed on his filigree, and she turned her eyes to his unit, all of whom were also mated, had looked annoyed about it and turned and clicked away in her heels to look at other Alphas and their units. She'd found a few that weren’t claimed and hung about them.

Was he knew looking to get herself a ranked member, likely an Alpha, with the way she’d looked at him before his unit even. He’d also seen her rap out orders to the omegas and get angry at them when they didn’t do as she told them to fast enough.

He’d seen several of them back away and cringe when she walked their way, tried to hide from her he’d thought, so had his unit. She appeared to be a very entitled young lady. Was only 20 and enjoyed lording herself over others, was beta-blooded and used that to push those beneath her around.

He’d not actually agreed to take her as his mate at this time either. He had only agreed to sign a basic agreement, that would see her be brought here to his pack, to get to know her, seeing as he already had a Mate and Luna.

He understood one’s Goddess-Gifted Mate made you stronger, and was good for the pack, though he also knew that only occurred if the Alpha and Luna’s bond worked, and they fell in love, and with every day their bond grew stronger and flourished. Because they would make each other a better person.

But he had a Luna that was good at her job, well liked and never lorded herself over anyone. Treated the omegas here just like all the others in this pack, with kindness and respect. His pack with Belladonna here was healthy and prosperous, his pack members were happy and so was he 90% of the time.

Carina was, from all appearances, going to be the complete opposite to Belladonna, in every way, including he thought, the way she was going to treat the pack members, and that actually bothered him greatly.

He knew why he’d really brought Carina here to his pack, it was not just so that Belladonna could see her and know he was going to reject her on the spot. No, he was trying to elicit an angry or jealous response from Belladonna herself.

To have her show him, that deep down inside of her, that she did care about being bonded to him, and wanted to be here, to be his Luna. But he was not getting that at all, not even anything close to it. A part of him was more than annoyed with her for that, but mostly he was just disappointed that she felt nothing.

He’d hoped that there were some sort of feelings to be had with his current Mate and Luna. Anything at all would do; annoyance, anger, jealousy or sadness. Anything but happiness at him finding his Goddess-Gifted Mate, and her being replaced by that woman, but there was just nothing that he could see; nothing at all.

He couldn’t read Freya, had never been able to. She was closed off to everyone inside this pack. He nor Vex had ever laid eyes on Freya, not even when they went into heat, he didn’t even know what colour eyes that wolf had. She never surfaced, not even when Belladonna was knotted to him.

Eight years inside this pack, and Freya only ever emerged when he and Vex were off pack territory. The minute they set foot back into it, she relinquished control to Belladonna. Freya only ever wandered the pack during the night, and out in the depths of the deepest woods away from everyone, she didn’t want to be seen, and he knew it, so did Vex.

Vex had tried to call her wolf out, but the stubborn creature wouldn’t be called out. They were marked and mated by him, and he was her Alpha, but Freya, it seemed, was not one to be told what to do.

Belladonna had stood and stared up at Vex on the surface of his human body when he’d tried to call Freya out to no avail, even with full annoyance and trying to force her wolf to surface, nothing had happened. He couldn’t do it in human or wolfen form. She'd never even attended pack run.

Belladonna had stood before him and shrugged it off uncaringly, she’d not even bowed down to him, had felt it, frowned at his beast, but that had been it, and then she’d sighed at him and his snort of annoyance and stated simply to his beast “She doesn’t want to. I can’t make her.”

He and his unit had come to the conclusion that her wolf wasn’t exactly normal, it must have some distinctive feature that would see her as a Wolf of Destiny, and there were some; Cobalt Wolves, Blood Wolves. He'd read a few tails about them, and maybe if they saw her, they’d never let her leave due to being one of those. That was the conclusion.

He’d not even been able to get a description from Belladonna, she’d simply shaken her head and stated “Freya doesn’t want you to know.” There was no pack photo of her wolf, and no description either, not even so much as her colour.

The moment those words were out of Belladonna's mouth, as she stared at him in his office almost expectantly, “I was chosen, just to be rejected by you.” he understood her finally, after all these years. This was the day she was waiting for; to be rejected by him.

That’s why her side of the bond never grew. That was why Freya wouldn’t show herself to him or Vex, or be mated by her wolfen Mate. They were nothing to him and his beast in her mind, just something to be held onto, until he was tired of it, and discarded when he found his Goddess-Gifted Mate.

Something that had actually been his intention eight years ago. But she’d changed him, gotten under his skin, and he hated being away from her, away from the pack, because she had never left it, not once in eight years, not even to go shopping. She did everything online from her office or her suite, had never been to his head office in the human world.

He'd always get up and leave her in the Luna’s suite because she had no feelings for him at all. It hurt to know, that although she enjoyed the sx as much as he did. That he could make her gasp and moan, beg for more, and scream his name at times. That was it, there was nothing more. She never rolled towards him, or asked him to spend the night.

Never once in all their time together had she asked him to come to her room, told him she wanted him outside of a heat. She would mind-link to him when she was in heat, but that was a different thing and didn’t count, in wanting him. She simply had to have him at that time, a compulsion was all, and it was the only time he recalled she ever put hands on him first.

Now to hear her issue that rejection, before he could, and barely a minute had passed inside his office. She wanted out of their Mate Bond, and with that mating alliance they had, she could issue it now, of her own free will. He had to release her from it as well, now that he’d found his Goddess-Gifted Mate.

It hurt to hear those words come from her, hurt to watch his filigree burn off her neck, and he felt Vex howl in pain inside his mind when he heard Parker accept her rejection of them. He had to let her go. It was in their mating alliance, and it was obviously what she wanted.

Parker watched his Gamma touch her and roll that charm over her to help ease her pain at being severed from him. It took only a few minutes before she stood up and thanked Shannon for helping her.

Then she just looked at him and told him to go and mark and mate his Goddess-Gifted, because it would help ease his pain, and once again he didn’t understand her. Then told him she’d be fine, that Kane would complete the necessary paperwork to have their mate bond null and voided officially.

Kane had nodded and agreed to her request, and the three of them watched her turn and walk out of his office. He had no idea how she could just walk away like that, after eight years together.

7 Belladonna

She walked upstairs to the Luna Suite and stepped inside it, she leaned on that door and looked around at the rooms that had been her home for the past eight years. Knowing that today would be the last day she was in here; she was going to leave this pack today, once everything had been sorted out.

There would be no sleeping in this room one more time, no. She’d call a cab to the pack gate and have it take her into the city. She’d not set a single foot outside the pack in eight long years, and now today… She smiled, and bit her lower lip just a little, she was going to get to. There was just a little bit of excitement building inside of her.

As she looked about the suite it was, as it had been the day she’d been shown into it by Parker, Bella hadn’t changed anything about this room. It still had all the furniture from when she’d moved into it. She’d never really seen a point in making it her own. Parker could well have found his Goddess-Gifted the full moon after he’d marked and mated, any full moon after the previous one, her for all she knew, and so she would be moved out of it.

So, this room, although it was hers, she’d not bothered to personalise it, and it was nicely decorated anyway, in soft sage green and cream with a few white accents, the furnishings were plush and comfortable. The room was nicer than where she had lived previously. There was nothing to complain about with the Luna Suite, as far as she was concerned. Even the living area was nicely decorated and had big French doors that opened out onto a balcony with a view of the forest to the south of the packhouse.

The bed was big and comfortable, there was a lovely soaker tub in the ensuite, all the things a Luna could want; she knew that. But nothing in here represented who she was, not even the clothes she wore. Well, not many of them anyway, there were a few items she’d purchased herself; but she only wore them when Parker was out of the pack.

She stuck to the clothes he’d sent to her; when he was there, it was she knew how he wanted her to dress, as his Luna. So she’d dressed as was expected of her. She was to be his Luna until their bond was severed. She had to do as he pleased, attend to all his wants and needs. That was in her mating alliance, she just presumed that also meant wearing the clothes provided for her as well.

Bella stepped into her walk-in, it was large and everything in there was neatly lined up and folded by the omega that tended to her room, Merideth. She had many lovely suits and dresses in this wardrobe, and nice shoes to match the outfits, though some of the clothes still had tags on them. She often wore scrubs and was in the hospital some days, all day every day.

She had never worn some of the dresses in there, and wasn’t going to take them with her either. She would only take what she came with, and the clothes that she had purchased for herself. Would leave everything Parker had sent up to her, have it taken to the donation bins downstairs; they could be worn by other pack members and put to good use.

She pulled out her suitcase and opened it. Her copy of their mating alliance was in there; it’d been a long time since she’d looked at it. She knew Parker liked to follow all the rules of an agreement, so she needed to make sure that was what she did for her leaving this pack as well.

Bella sat on her bed and looked through it once more, turned to the page that had all the clauses both she and Parker were bound to by, and read over it once more.

1. Belladonna Harrington will be Marked and Mated by Parker Hartly and then hold the title of Luna within the Lustrous Moon Pack.

2. Belladonna Harrington is to perform all duties of a Luna within the Lustrous Moon Pack; including stating the Alpha’s needs and wants. For the entire time, they are bound to each other.

3. All children born between Belladonna Harrington and Parker Hartly during their Mate Bond will remain with Alpha Parker Hartly; after any rejection has been issued, they will be seen and known as the heirs to the Lustrous Moon Pack.

4. Belladonna Harrington, as a Chosen Mate, will reside within the Luna Suite the entire time she is bound to Alpha Parker Hartly. Due to the fact that he could at any given time find his Goddess-Gifted Mate. Only his Goddess-Gifted Mate is entitled to live with him inside the Alpha Suite, and reside in the Alpha’s actual bed.

5. Alpha Parker Hartly is only required to keep Belladonna Harrington as his Chosen Mate until the day he finds his Goddess-Gifted Mate, at which time a rejection and acceptance between Belladonna Harrington and Parker Hartly will be issued.

6. Belladonna Harrington is allowed to continue to study medicine within the Lustrous Moon Pack, so that once she has been rejected and is no longer a Luna-ranked wolf, she has a job to fall back upon. Can find work within another pack of her choosing after the rejection has taken place.

7. There will be no betraying of the mate bond under penalty of death for either party.

8. Once the rejection has been issued and accepted, Belladonna Harrington will return her pack card and pack phone, both of which will be handed directly to a member of the Alpha Unit and signed back into the packs log books. To prevent accusations of unauthorised use of pack funds.

9. Belladonna will receive a monetary sum for her role as the Alpha’s Mate and performing her Luna duties both in and out of the bedroom, a minimum of $12,000 per year.

10. Belladonna will receive, for each child produced if there are any, a one-off payment per child of $25,000 when she relinquishes her claim on them.

11. Alpha Parker Hartly will not Mark or Mate his Goddess-Gifted once he finds her, prior to rejecting his Chosen Mate, Belladonna Harrington. He will wait, regardless of if he is in another pack, off in the wolfen kingdom, and is a day or week away from his pack.

12. Alpha Parker Hartly will not claim his Goddess-Gifted Mate until Belladonna has left the Lustrous Moon Pack, set foot outside the pack's border.

13. Belladonna Harrington will be given 24hours to pack up and move out of the Lustrous Moon Pack.

14. If Belladonna Harrington grants permission to Alpha Parker, he may Mark and Mate his Goddess-Gifted before she leaves the pack. Within the privacy of the Alpha Suite.

15. The new Luna is not allowed to harm the former Luna of the pack, she must allow Belladonna Harrington time to leave the pack according to this mating alliance agreement.

16. Belladona Harrington will sign a separation agreement, rescinding all her rights to the Lustrous Moon Pack and any claims she may feel she has on Alpha Parker Hartly. All the above-mentioned items that are to be returned will be documented in this agreement.

17. Belladonna Harrington will leave Alpha Parker Hartly and the Lustrous Moon Pack without causing a scene. She will not start any fights with the new Luna taking her place. She will not cause any trouble for Alpha Parker Hartly and his new Mate. She will leave quietly and willingly.

Things Belladonna will retain, or be given to her, that is not mentioned in the above clauses.

I. Any clothing she has purchased directly.

II. Any clothing that has been provided for her.

III. Any gifts given to her by any pack members or Alpha Parker Hartly himself, including jewellery, regardless of the cost.

IV. The Luna’s car. If no car was ever given; then she will be given a pack car of the Alpha’s choosing to leave the pack in and keep for herself. Its registration will be fully signed over to Belladonna, and it will no longer be considered a pack car.

V. All things related to her medical degree, books/equipment, etc.

VI. A brand-new phone, still in its box and unwrapped and untampered with.

At the bottom of that was her father and Parker’s signatures. She had not been required to sign it or even agree to it. It was a mating alliance to stop a war. Whoever the two warring Alphas saw fit to be attached to that agreement was all that mattered. Because both had to agree on the same she-wolf.

8 Belladonna

She stood once more and looked at all of her clothes, in that walk-in, and her one suitcase. She’d never needed anymore suitcases, hadn’t ever set foot outside this pack. That one suitcase she knew wasn’t going to fit everything in there; as she now realised that she was entitled to take it all with her.

Everything in that walk-in, regardless of if she’d bought it or Parker had sent it up to her, she wouldn’t however, there were many things in there that still had tags on them, so she didn’t consider them as hers because she’d never worn them.

She also didn’t really want to take them, she had gained her freedom finally, and standing here she knew that she didn’t want to be walking about in clothes that Parker had wanted her to wear. That would just remind her of being here all the time, they would have memories attached to them. Some of those dresses she’d worn for the pack's Mating Balls when she’d stood or sat next to Parker danced a single dance with him, as was the pack's tradition at the opening of the mating ball; was there to watch over them with him, as was the Luna's duty.

Though she had to admit some of them were more than nice, beautiful and elegant, she could see he’d not really cared about the price of some of those dresses; they were very expensive. She knew so were the suits and blouses he’d bought for her to wear; money didn’t really mean anything to him, she didn’t think. His pack was large and wealthy.

She mind-linked to her personal Omega, Merideth. To please bring her some packing boxes and packing tape. Merideth had responded with a ‘Yes Luna,’ but had sounded a bit confused about it at the same time.

Bella had nearly stated “I’m not the Luna anymore.” But she guessed technically she was, even though rejected, until that separation agreement was signed, and she was actually gone from the pack. But Merideth had also cut that link pretty quickly, and she’d not had time to get it out either. Likely attending duties elsewhere.

She wasn’t one to be fussed on if someone of lesser rank cut a mind-link, though she did understand many ranked members found it to be disrespectful. She herself in her home-pack had been considered only that of Omega Rank; by her own family. Bar her grandmother.

If anyone had linked to her back then, she wasn’t allowed to be the first to sever it, had to wait until they did, or could see herself bullied by them the next time they saw her. She didn’t really get mad about things like that, saw no point in it.

When Merideth walked into the suite she called out and Bella called her to the bedroom. She was carrying four collapsed boxes and a taping gun. Stated “You didn’t say…” her words trailed off and Merideth stopped walking and stared at Bella as she was placing neatly folded clothes into her suitcase on the bed.

“How many… Luna?...” her eyes moved from what Bella was doing to Bella’s neck, and she took a deep breath in, and the boxes fell from her hands as she realised that her Luna no longer scented of her Alpha, nor bore his Mark; that she’d smelled differently.

“Bella, what happened?” she questioned right away, walking over to her and putting a hand on her arm.

“I’m certain Parker will tell you all tomorrow. Best you hear it from your Alpha.” She smiled gently at Merideth. “Everything is as it should be, now.”

“Your leaving then?” Merideth asked. She was not so dumb, seeing Bella no longer bore her Alpha’s mark, could only mean that he had finally rejected her. This whole pack knew she was a Chosen Mate, and not his Goddess-Gifted, that had been voiced in his announcement of her being his Luna, his Chosen Luna. So, they all knew that he could reject her anytime he liked. It was common knowledge, not a secret.

“Yes, by this time tomorrow, I have 24 hours to leave the pack.” she answered her.

“I’ll help you pack Bella.” Merideth huffed, she didn’t look or sound happy about it at all, but what could she do? Go downstairs and demand an explanation from her Alpha.

Merideth was omega-ranked and had no right to do that. It would only see herself come under Parkers full scrutiny, and likely be dished out punishment for showing disrespect to her Alpha. So that wasn’t going to happen.

All she could do was tape up the boxes and help her to pack them, so Bella could be gone from the pack within the allocated time frame.

“Bella, what about all the pups that are to be born?” Merideth asked as they were boxing up books and other clothing she was taking with her.

“Annette will deliver them safely, I’m certain.” Bella stated simply, “Everything will be fine, Merideth.”

“I’ll get more boxes.” Merideth sighed and stood up. “There aren’t enough.” And she’d walked from the room, and taken nearly 10 minutes to come back, and still didn’t look too happy.

She told Merideth she’d rather make sure all her books were packed up in those boxes and that she could just take the rest of those clothes that were in the walk-in and didn’t fit into her suitcase, down to the donation bin.

Asked her politely, as her former Luna, if she could clean the suite properly once she was gone, to do a full spring clean, change all the linen and air the room, so that no traces of her were left in here to be seen. That if they’d missed packing anything at all, regardless of what it was, for her to just throw it out. She didn’t at this time have a place for her to send it to.

Merideth had stood staring at “You don’t even know where you’re going?” she’d asked “How can you leave if you have no place to go? Shouldn’t you stay here until you at least find another pack to go to? Can’t Parker have the decency to send you to an affiliated pack where you’ll be safe?”

“It’s not up to him where I choose to go, Merideth. I’ll make that decision on my own. I’ll find a pack that needs a doctor and go there.” She shrugged “It won’t be that hard to find another to affiliate with.”

“That doesn’t mean you’ll be safe.” Merideth had muttered as she’d walked out the door of the suite Bella was holding open for her. Her arms were full of the clothes she was to take to the donation bin.

Though she heard her mutter something about Alpha Parker wouldn’t like seeing others in the clothes he’d provided for her, regardless of how old they were, or if she’d never gotten around to wearing them, as she’d walked down the Alpha’s hallway towards the omega stairwell.

Bella shook her head. Parker wouldn’t even notice, he very rarely even looked at her at all, only when in her bed, and there were no clothes on her when that happened. Just her necklace, it was the only jewellery she owned. It had been her mother's. It was a fine gold chain, with a single star above a crescent moon, with a galaxy pendant that rotated on a spinner. She often turned it when thinking about things.

Freya’s eyes matched that galaxy pendant, were the deepest darkest blue and had bright sparkles like the stars were in them. Her mother's wolf had been the same, apparently. Her grandmother had told her not to ever shift and let others see Freya. It wasn’t a good idea.

She’d not really understood that but had done as she was told, her eyes were not those of a wolf's eyes that was a given. There was something very different about Freya but even her wolf was tight-lipped on it.

She’d never even shifted for her father; she had told him she had a wolf, but it couldn’t emerge was stuck inside of her. He’d just stared at her and didn't believe her. So, had Alpha Ordered her to shift, rolling all he had at her, and she still hadn’t been able to, he'd nodded and dismissed her, never brought it up again.

She left the Luna Suite and headed downstairs, she could see Kane waiting for her in the Foyer, she was carrying her mating alliance he would need to mark it as void when all this was done. Though she was certain he knew what was in it. all copies of it would be pulled from the pack files and voided by him by the end of the day.

9 Parker

He wanted to go out there and shake that Belladonna silly, demand that she yell and scream at him, pitch a hell of a fit. Destroy furniture or toss things around the foyer for all to see, toss them at him even; over her losing her position here within his pack, as his Mate and Luna.

Because it appeared, from where he stood that Belladonna was just going to leave this pack as quietly as she arrived. Hadn’t even thought of fighting or arguing with him about it. Nope, she just issued her rejection, had him accept it and was now leaving without so much as even a goodbye.

A part of him knew that she was following their mating alliance to the very letter. It stated she had to leave quietly and willingly, but he didn’t want her to do that. He watched Shannon close the door on her retreating back, she'd strolled away from his office like any other time she’d walked out of it. Shannon sighed as he turned and looked at Parker.

“What did you get from her; what does she feel, Shannon?” Parked asked him. It was clear to him that his Gamma, her Gamma, understood her right this minute. That was why the slight shake of his head, and he kind of looked a bit dismayed right now.

“Not much, pain from the severing which is to be expected.” Shannon shrugged that off.

Even Parker had seen her pain as she voiced that rejection, and he knew it had hurt her as much as it had him. It had bloody burned like his skin was actually on fire, as that filigree she’d adorned on him with her marking of him, had removed itself from his neck.

“Then there was relief, as she got up off the floor. I’m not certain if that was because the pain was finally starting to leave her or if she was happy to be rejected.” Shannon sighed, “Confused even me on that one, maybe a bit of both, there was still pain as well and that distracts me, I’m sorry.”

It could have been both, he supposed, but he was hoping it was only relief that the pain of their bond being severed was leaving her. He didn’t really like the idea of her being relieved that they were over. Though it was very clear to him that she had come into his office without any issues about that rejection, knew it was coming and, because he hadn’t said it right away she had done so, rejected him in just a bloody minute, so who the hell knew what that relief was for.

“Then there was sadness about leaving the pack, but…”

“But?” Parker rapped out. If she was sad about them being over, even just the tiniest bit, he was going out there to bring her back into this room. He would find a way to convince her to stay, to let them try and work it out, and come back together, and he knew it. He’d send Carina home today, right this bloody minute, if Belladonna would stay here with him and wanted to be his Luna.

Shannon looked at him and shook his head. “It’s not related to you Parker, I’m sorry…she likes being here inside the pack, is sad to be leaving, that is all, thinks it’s a nice place to live. Always has done, better than her home.”

“So she hates me in other words,” he muttered. “For how we were mated to each other.”

“It’s not hate, Parker.” Shannon shook his head, “It’s indifference towards you, that is all, and yes, it stems from how the two of you were bonded to each other. That mating alliance she had no say in.” Shannon nodded.

It wasn’t the first time he’d heard it either. “Right,” he muttered.

So, there was no point in going after her, she wasn’t going to willingly come back to him, no matter what he said to her, no matter if he went out there and grabbed a hold of her and told her that he wanted her to stay, she wasn’t going to, that is what Shannon was telling him in a roundabout way.

Parker took himself out to the dining room to sit himself at the table where Axel sat watching Carina, ‘She tried twice to get up and go to your office. Did not appreciate me stopping her.’

He frowned ‘Did you have to forcibly stop her?’ Parker murmured.

‘A hand on her arm each time and told her to sit. The second time I informed her you would come out here when things were settled with Bella.’

‘And?’

‘She slashed my hand off her arm and told me not to touch her. She was the Luna.’

Parker frowned at that and turned his eyes on Carina. She wasn’t the Luna, he’d not Claimed her or Marked and Mated her, she shouldn’t throw that word around, he’d also not announced Belladonna’s leaving yet, or that they’d rejected each other.

He was looking at his Goddess-Gifted Mate, not more than three feet from him and right, this minute, he didn’t feel like he wanted to Mark and Mate her, even if Belladonna had told him to do so. He was still in pain from being severed from Belladonna.

Vex had receded to the back of his mind, unhappy and in pain himself. He may have never been allowed to mate Freya, but he had Belladonna. It was something they had both enjoyed doing for the past eight years; now that was no more.

Their new Mate, Goddess-Gifted even, looked nothing like Belladonna, didn’t dress like her or speak as softly as her, her words were clipped and angry, she showed all her impatience for what he’d explained properly, and needed to happen with his current Luna. Her eyes, had looked at him with anger and annoyance more in the two days he’d known her than Belladonna had ever done in the past eight years.

These two women had nothing in common at all. Carina’s eyes moved right to his neck, “About bloody time, you got rid of her.” She grated out.

He looked at his watch; it had been all of nine minutes since he’d gone into his office, and that was too long for this girl, for him to end a mate bond of eight years. He didn’t think that it was too long, actually thought it was way too short a time, to end something he didn’t want to end at all.

But that had been Belladonna’s doing, barely a minute had passed before she'd issued that rejection. Three minutes for her to pick herself up off the floor and five minutes for him to need a distraction from his own pain, and come out here.

He could well have taken a whole day to make his mind up, or just not decided to accept it all. She couldn’t leave this pack until it was accepted, and their bond was officially over. He’d only voiced the actual words of acceptance, because she’d told him it was hurting her, and not only could he see that it was, he didn’t want to see her in that much pain.

Otherwise, he’d likely not have voiced it right back, would have sat on it for the rest of the day, maybe even all day tomorrow. To see if she would argue with him over it, he really wanted to fight with her about just one thing. Yell and scream at each other like a real couple did.

It either wasn’t in her to do that, or she just didn’t care to argue with him at all, not even over this; him choosing someone else to take her seat as his Luna.

“When are you going to announce me?” Carina interrupted his thoughts. “You should do that right away, so the pack knows who I am.” She told him.

“After Belladonna has left the pack. I’ve explained this to you, my mating alliance with Belladonna, and the rules around her and I rejecting each other.”

“I don’t care about those rules, and you’ve rejected her now. I’m your priority. Or should be.” She was glaring at him expectantly.

10 Parker

Parker sat there at that table staring right at his Goddess-Gifted. He knew he should be all over her, or wanting to be. He could smell her, and he knew touching her would give off those mate bond sparks as well, which would help to create a wanton need in him.

But he was actually unhappy with her attitude right that minute, the very words she had just stated, ‘I don’t care about those rules.’ That bothered him greatly. He was one to follow all the rules, doing so, kept the peace. Kept him and his packs out of trouble, and doing so could even prevent wars from happening.

This she-wolf who was his Goddess-Gifted Mate, he now knew, didn’t seem to have the same values that he did; that could be a very big problem. He could see that they were going to fight over it at some point. Hell, they were practically fighting right this very minute, here in the pack dining room in front of his pack members who were there having lunch, likely listening to everything that was said.

He could see them all looking at him and now her, because she was being very vocal about who she was to him, and was completely uncaring of the rules, of his exit clauses to his mating alliance with his former Luna. She was uncaring of how he might be feeling even though she knew he had just suffered through a rejection.

She, right this very minute, was showing him that only her feelings seemed to matter. Where was the compassion for one's Mate, she didn’t look to have any at all, and he understood it must be difficult for her to know he had a Luna. But she was also wolfen and should understand that Alphas do taken Chosen Mates at times, to prevent wars; which is what he’d told her. His and Belladonna’s mate bond was a pack deal to prevent a war between him and another pack.

Parker thought she was ticked off because when she had scented him out, he already had a Mate, and she hadn’t understood how that was possible, because she was his Goddess-Gifted, so in her mind he should still be unattached. It hadn’t gone down so well in that pack of hers.

Not with her or her father for that matter, they had both demanded to know what the hell was going on. He’d stated simply "I have a Mate by a mating alliance," it had been the truth of the matter. When he’d asked for that basic, I’ll get to know her agreement, not a mating alliance with Carina that, had not gone down so well either.

Though he’d been honest as to why, stated point blankly that from what he’d seen of Carina at that mating ball. She didn’t appear to have the Luna qualities that he was looking for. Her father had snarled at him and Carina had looked at him incredulously, and yelled right at him “You don’t know me.”

To which he’d just nodded and then stated, “Hence the getting to know you, agreement.” It was a basic deal where she would live within the pack for one month, to see if they could get along, to see if she was going to make a good Luna, he’d worded it though “If she’ll treat all my pack members with respect, including the omegas.”

He had to be cautious. He was an Alpha to a wolf pack conglomerate, not just one pack, but many under his rule spread out over the state, and most knew of him and how wealthy he was. So, patience and watching were key for him.

Those very words which he’d chosen with full purpose had made Carina glare at him. He was highly doubtful but was willing to give her the benefit of the doubt at the same time, seeing as she was his Goddess-Gifted, and an Alpha shouldn’t reject one without due cause.

Her father and stated after seeing her out of the office “Alpha Parker, I admit that I spoiled my little girl rotten, probably way too much. She’s my only daughter. She is a good girl, just raised by me. Her mother died when she was very little.

“Please do give her a chance. She’s strong and beautiful, and will make you a good Luna, I’m certain of it. Just…” the man had sighed a little and had shrugged, “Needs to be made to submit to you, I’d say, is very dominant and, due to my spoiling her, she is very used to getting everything she wants. That is on me.”

He’d seen just about everything in life when it came to unruly spoiled ranked members, male and female, he’d even seen that a Goddess-Gifted could turn their whole lives around. So, it was possible that Carina could very well change, once she was Marked and Mated by him.

It was likely that some of this attitude he was getting now, and had been getting since they’d scented each other out, was due to the fact that he was already claimed by another, and she was simply very unhappy about it. She was also probably going to have this attitude up until Belladonna was out of the pack altogether.

Only then would she be able to truly relax. It’s very likely she’d taken one look at Belladonna and seen her as a threat to her status as his Mate; and she was right to. He’d not once said anything bad or demeaning about Belladonna, the entire time they’d been coming home. Carina had snapped at him twice on the way here “Do you love her?” and been very angry when asking him that question.

He’d looked at her and said nothing at all; by way of answering the question, he had stated calmly “I don’t like your attitude. I won’t take being yelled at either Carina. I’ve explained the situation to you.” and he had. She just refused to accept it, or didn’t want to believe him, he supposed. He wondered if she thought he had lied about it.

“Show me around.” Carina stated and stood up.

“How about you ask me nicely, I am the Alpha Carina. You don’t get to make demands of me.”

“I’m your mate and equal. I can tell you…” she was grating out at him.

Parker cut her off by standing up abruptly himself, his chair tipping over and clattering to the floor. “You are not my equal unless I claim you, and so far, I’m not seeing anything in you that wants to make me claim you. You’re no different to how you were at the mating ball.

“I’ll not claim and mark you, make you my Luna to this pack if I don’t think you’ll be nice to my pack members.” He stated. “You might want to check your attitude.” And then he had left her there, walked away from her, he couldn’t deal with her right this minute.

All he really wanted was to be alone, and he knew it, she was not in any way helping to ease his pain, as a mate's presence should be able to do. She was only showing him that he should have rejected his Goddess-Gifted and never told Belladonna about finding her. If he’d done that, Belladonna would still be his Mate and Luna right this minute. Hell, they’d be up there in her suite completely naked, and he would be blissfully happy, making love to the woman he actually loved.

He had to shake it off, there would be no more of that, Belladonna was no longer his to have. She was free to be with whoever she wanted to be with from now on, she was going to be leaving this pack in 24 hours, and he couldn’t even ask her where she was going. Didn’t even know if she knew where she was going.

Did she have a plan or was she just going to leave and return to her home pack? He thought about that. Their alliance stated he was to never return to that pack, and that they wouldn’t ever come here. That Belladonna would find another pack to go to after the rejection was issued. Not to return home to her father. That was odd, he’d not thought about it back then. Only did it now because he wanted to know that she would be safe.

11 Belladonna

It was a long afternoon for both Bella and Kane, as she was systematically removed from the pack's protocols as the Luna. Bit by bit, she was stripped of everything that had been hers for the past eight years. She sat at her Luna’s desk and reset all the passwords to the different systems and files she had access to.

Including the Luna’s Library. She’d liked being there. It was quiet and there were many interesting things to read. She changed all the passwords to NewLuna@1. Something easy to remember, she wrote it down on a sticky note and handed it to Kane. Even though he documented himself on the clipboard he was carrying around with them.

It didn’t really shock her that it was the pack’s Beta exiting her life from the pack. She and Parker didn't spend time together unless it was to do with Luna Duties. The Alpha would be spending time with his new Mate. She’d told him to go and Mark and Mate her. She supposed that he would do so, could well be walking her all over the pack showing her around for all Bella knew. She wasn’t keeping track of him; never had.

She printed out the list of all the pups that had been born while Parker had been out of the pack, meeting his Goddess-Gifted at that mating ball. It was something she would have done anyway, just waited until tomorrow after he’d initiated all the new wolves into his pack. She would have strolled into his office and place it in his in tray for him to get to when he was ready.

She then printed out the list of upcoming due dates for pregnant she-wolves, highlighting those that were, she suspected, going to be difficult labours, due to their past history, of losing pups prior to her arrival within this pack, and had continued to have difficult labours under her care.

Though Bella was certain that Annette would also know this information, she still did it herself, so that Parker would be aware of when the Gamma was needed to stay within the pack. If they were expected to be off pack territory, Shannon could be left behind to help ease distress with the pregnant she-wolves of his pack; he, along with Annette, should be able to do what she did and make sure no lives were lost, pup or she-wolf.

Before she had been brought here to the Lustrous Moon, there was a record of one death in every seven or eight deliveries, whether it be the pup or the she-wolf. She thought that was quite a high rate, she'd not seen many in her home back and none she'd assisted with even as a first year.

Though Annette had come from another pack, one that Parker had gone in and taken over, absorbed into this pack, apparently for the better. Annette had told her where she had come from, the death rate had been practically non-existent when she was growing up and then their Luna had vanished from the pack and the death rate had gone from nothing, to one in every ten deliveries saw the death of a pup or a she-wolf, and it never got any better.

Bella had her hand print removed from the packhouse’s lockdown mode after all her access to the pack's files was removed. And she and Kane walked to the hospital and had her fingerprint removed from the hospital system’s medication rooms access. He even helped her to box up her things in her Dr’s office.

He stood looking at all the boxes of her books and study materials, medical journals, “You read a lot.” He commented. “I’ll go and bring the Luna’s car around, put it all in there so we don’t have to lug all those boxes up to the packhouse. You go do a round with your patients. I know you want to.” He’d smiled at her. "I'll meet you back at the Packhouse for the last few things, Parker will likely want to do that himself."

Bella frowned right at him, “Kane, I don’t have a car.” She stated, and she didn’t to her knowledge.

“You do actually, you’ve always had one. You just never used it. It was also upgraded and replaced when we all got new cars two years ago as well,” he told her.

Her frown deepened “I never knew that.” She stated more than a little confused.

“Mm, Parker was waiting for you to ask him about getting you one, so he could give it to you himself. I don’t believe you ever did ask. So, it sits there unused but maintained.”

Bella shook it off as Kane left her office. She’d never once asked for anything from Parker, he’d given her a pack card to use, and she’d bought only things that were needed with it. Study aids, medical books, the hospital staff's new scrubs and hospital equipment, when something needed updating or the hospital didn’t have something, but then they needed it.

All the invoices for things she had purchased for the pack had been given to Parker, so he could see she wasn’t spending pack money on things for herself, only for the pack. She had advised him only once; about the other hospitals probably needed these upgrades as well. He'd looked at her, nodded and told her he'd see to it. She'd received emails of thanks for the equipment for the other hospitals in his conglomerate. Apparently, Parker had bought them and sent them care of the Luna.

Although she liked it here in this pack, she knew she didn’t actually belong here, so she didn't or hadn’t gone about spending Parker’s money. It was not hers to be used on herself, as far as she was concerned. Only bought bare essentials for herself with his money.

She’d asked Shannon once, not long after she’d gotten here, if she could purchase new shoes and a pair of jeans. He’d just stared at her for a moment and shaken his head and walked off, and she’d taken that as a no, she was not allowed to, hadn’t realised at that time it was disbelief at her question.

She had taken herself down to the laundry and found the donation bin to hunt clothes others didn’t want and would fit her, no different to what her and her grandmother had done in the old pack. Clothes that weren’t so tattered as the ones she’d come with.

Kane had seen her coming from the laundry with the clothes she’d found and frowned deeply at her, asked her what she was doing. Then he had huffed at her response and stated “Bella, you are the Luna, buy what you need, that is what the pack card is for, it has unlimited funds on it. Don’t wear second-hand clothing. Parker will not like it. Fill your wardrobe with new clothes.”

She'd not done that, but had brought what she needed and a few days later a personal shopper for the pack had turned up at her suite and measured her up, then clothes had arrived for her to wear, she’d been told ‘the Alpha would prefer you to wear these from now on.’ and so she had worn what he’d had sent to her.

Bella headed up to the packhouse after checking in on all the pups and the she-wovles that were still in the hospital. Only five of the 17, all the rest were healed up by their wolves and had been discharged by Annette. It was standard protocol around here.

Bella saw a white Mercedes-Benz SUV parked outside the front of the hospital. She’d never seen that before, walked along the side of it and looked at it out of curiosity, it was very nice, had tinted windows and a little silver plaque that read Edition 1, just behind the front wheel near the front doors. Had seen it out there and not recognised it, had stepped out to look at it, it looked brand new,

from what she could tell. Looking in the front window, it had a leather interior and was kitted out with what she supposed was the best technology of its time. She’d never asked for a car, just walked everywhere, or ran at full wolfen speed if there was an emergency.

She returned to her office to find a set of keys on her desk. The logo was Mercedes-Benz. She supposed that car out there was her Luna’s car. Though why she needed one she didn’t know.

She had not left the pack’s borders in the entire time she’d been here because she didn’t actually know if she was allowed to or not. Being that she had been sold to Parker, so to speak. Parker had also never once taken her outside of the pack, so she just presumed she wasn’t allowed to leave it, so had not.

12 Belladonna

Bella stepped into the packhouse and saw Parker standing next to Kane. The last time she’d seen him he’d been in his office initiating wolves from that mating ball into his pack. She’d seen it when they'd just been passing by, while she’d walked about with Kane.

Walking about all over the pack to remove her permissions from different sections of the pack as per the protocols, he’d not looked at her, she’d happen to glance into his office. The door had been open, and she’d seen a dozen wolves in there, and could hear what was going on.

He was back to working, like he always was. Get up, train, work until late at night, retire to his room or have sx with her and then retire to his room. That was pretty much all she thought he did. She’d never really seen him sit and just laze about or muck around with his unit or pack members, he was very busy all the time like she was.

Unlike some others she’d seen when growing up, she’d been a bit more than jealous of her siblings and hated her father sometimes when she saw them all so happy and having fun. It had really hurt when she saw him play with the pack's children. He’d never done that with her, to her knowledge, claimed her as his kin, but hated her at the same time.

She’d learned to turn a blind eye to most everything, otherwise she'd always be in pain and suffering watching her father love and play with his other children, the other pack children all the time. Kind of just made herself not care, become immune to things that would cause her emotional pain. Thought of it as being switched off; it was how she'd lived her whole life.

Her thoughts were interrupted when Parker’s eyes met hers now, he was looking right at her, and she saw his jaw tighten, and then he just strode away from Kane in long strides, he looked angry to her. That wasn’t going to be good for the pack. She wondered if she should tell them to stay out of his way. Give them a heads-up, so to speak.

Bella’s eyes followed him, though only briefly, as she thought about the pack needing to get out of his way. He likely just wanted her gone from his pack, so he could claim Carina. She’d seen he hadn’t yet. There was no filigree on his neck at this time to denote that. She also knew it would be more than an hour or two of sx, go all night; she recalled being marked and mated by him.

He was, it seemed, going to be a stickler for the rules of their Mating alliance, which stated he couldn’t Mark and Mate his Goddess-Gifted until she had set foot outside the pack itself. He should just go and do it. She’d given permission for him to, again, something she could do.

She let it go, he was who he was, she walked over to Kane, “I am sorting this out as quickly as possible Kane, you, yourself know this, please tell him that, and that I’m not holding anything up. I will leave as quickly as I can.”

Kane raised an eyebrow at her and they both heard a door bang open and shut somewhere off in the distance, the very same direction Parker had gone himself. She watched Kane turn and look that way. Then just sigh a little.

“I’ll be signing the separation agreement, not Parker, he’s…” Kane stated, and she watched him shake his head. “Unhappy with things at the moment.”

Bella didn’t say anything. What could she say? Kane motioned for her to walk into the Alpha’s Office. He stepped over and held the door for her, and she walked passed him, and she heard the door close behind them, and then he walked across the room with her, “Please sit down.”

He waved her to the Alpha’s actual seat, not somewhere she had ever sat. That wasn’t her place, regardless she was Alpha-blooded. When she didn’t go and sit, he pushed her gently around the desk and into Parkers' actual chair, before pulling up a chair next to her.

So, he could access Parker's computer, and print out two copies of that separation agreement, before retrieving Parker’s copy of their mating alliance. Which he placed on the desk right next to the one she had given him earlier; her copy. Both copies she knew had to be null and voided or cancelled.

Though why Parker wasn’t here to do it himself, she didn’t understand that, Bella thought he’d be in here happy to see her gone from him, or at least not care about doing it at all.

She handed over her pack card and signed and dated the place on the agreement to stated she had done so, as did Kane. Who then photographed the card, printed that, and they both signed it as well. Bella pulled out her pack phone and held it out to him, and he scrolled through it. There were a few games she played on it but nothing else. She watched as he frowned at her now.

“What?” she asked.

“There are no personal photos on here. It’s odd. They’re all pack related pictures from the hospital. Or Luna Duties.”

“That’s not odd, it’s a pack phone.” She stated simply.

“Bella, that is very odd. People photograph their lives, for keepsakes. It’s odd that you have nothing like that on here.” he was still frowning at her.

“Why? I wouldn’t have anyone to send them to anyway, so there is no need for that.”

“Your father? Grandmother?” he questioned instantly.

Bella sighed heavily now, as she looked at him, why did he not get it? She didn’t understand but explained that to him, she shouldn’t bloody have to, he’d been there that day. “Father sold me to Parker. The Luna told me not to return ever, and father severed his kin bond with me a week later. My grandmother died a few years back. I felt her sever from me. It’s just me now, seeing as my mother died in childbirth.”

She had pictures of her grandmother in her packed suitcase, in frames, she was the only person in all her life to ever love her, and she was now gone from this world as well. It was just Bella now, she had no one.

She was an orphan with no family, not that she had ever considered her father or half sibling's, family. Had never been a part of that household. It hadn’t even surprised her that he’d done it, only that it had taken him so long to do it was all. She’d been expecting it all her life. She had blinked at feeling it suddenly be gone from her, then had sighed just once and moved on with her life.

“Bella,” he gasped, sounding shocked, “why didn’t you say anything to anyone?” his hand touched her arm gently, a comforting gesture she supposed.

She shrugged it off, thinking that would be obvious to him as well.

“Bella, if you want to stay here, Parker would like that.” Kane murmured.

Her eyes met Kane’s now, and she raised an eyebrow at him, that was not what she’d gotten from Parker at all today. “And just how do you think his new Luna will feel about that?” she questioned right back “It’s not at all appropriate.” Bella stated simply “That also doesn’t align to the mating alliance which clearly states, I’m to leave this pack within 24 hours of that rejection being accepted.”

“I think Parker would make an exception to that rule for you, Bella.” Kane sighed.

“He doesn’t need to Kane, and he shouldn’t either. I was chosen, just to be rejected. That has now come to pass, and he can’t claim his Goddess-Gifted Mate until I’m gone. Though I did give him my permission to.” She looked at him questioningly “why hasn’t he gone off to do that? He should be itching to get that girl into his bed.” And she knew he had to be. He liked sx, a lot of it, and could barely go two days without having it. It had been four now.

“Out of respect for you still being here. Parker will not Mark or Mate Carina while you are still here inside his pack. It is wrong to do so, in his eyes. Only after you officially leave him, will he do that.”

She shook her head now, “I did give him permission. He should just go and do it. Likely stop him from looking at me like just now, with anger.”

Again, Kane was frowning at her.

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The shower steam clung to my skin as I stepped out, wrapping myself in a towel. Four days. That’s how long Parker would be gone—off to some mating ball, chasing alliances while I played the dutiful Luna in silence. Eight years of this. Eight years of being touched, claimed, and discarded the moment my heat faded. I didn’t mind. It was better than my old pack, where I was nothing but a bastard daughter, a stain on the Alpha’s honor.

I dressed slowly, the soft blue scrubs with sloths printed across them a small rebellion. Here, I was respected. Loved, even. The pack didn’t care that I was Chosen, not Gifted. They came to me for advice, for healing. I’d delivered seventeen pups in the last week alone—another miracle no one understood. Annette joked it was me, that my heat carried blessings. I laughed it off. Coincidence. Just coincidence.

But then I felt it—a sharp stab in my arm, like a blade dragged up my flesh. Gone in seconds. I rubbed the spot, confused. Then my phone buzzed. Parker. “I’ll be home in a few hours.”

Odd. He’d never texted me before.

I walked downstairs, greeted the kids in the foyer, helped little Franky with his game. Then I saw him—Parker—striding in with a tall woman beside him, stilettos clicking like daggers on tile. Her hand reached for his arm. He brushed it away. “No touching,” he said flatly.

My breath caught. Carina. His Goddess-Gifted Mate.

She glared at me, pure venom in her eyes. Of course. She saw me as the obstacle. The placeholder.

Parker’s gaze locked onto mine. “Belladonna. My office.”

I nodded. No goodbye. No warmth. Just duty.

As I followed him, Freya stirred inside me for the first time in years. Not fear. Recognition.

And then the thought came, unbidden:

He’s not your mate. But she’s not his either.