Chapter 2: My Missing Luna

KANE'S POV

After three long months of war, we finally claimed victory.

I returned to the Blood Moon Pack, the one I valued most among the six packs I now controlled across two states. It was for this reason that, during the war, I entrusted its management to my nephew.

Ethan, my brother's son, grew up under my care after my brother and his wife perished in the conflict. Although I’m only eight years older than him, I raised him as my own. Thankfully, Ethan is a capable and obedient young man, running the Blood Moon Pack with such precision that I never had to worry.

But when I returned to the castle, something felt off. The servants were all strangers to me. Previously, the staff had been selected from Omegas of defeated packs—wolves who had already been at the bottom of their hierarchies. Yet in just four months, they’d all been replaced.

It was then that a sweet scent drifted from the kitchen, so intoxicating that it sent a shiver through my very soul. Drawn by the aroma, I approached.

A small girl emerged from the kitchen, carrying a bowl of steaming soup. She moved quickly, her head down, clearly in a hurry—and didn’t notice me until it was too late.

"Ah!"

The scalding soup spilled, splashing all over her. Her scream pierced the air as pain etched itself across her face. My chest tightened in response, an unfamiliar and unsettling sensation.

"Are you alright?" I asked instinctively.

She looked up, her amber eyes trembling under the light. The moment she saw me, the color drained from her face, leaving her lips pale. She began to tremble, like a prey cornered by its predator.

Bowing quickly, she stammered, "I-I’m sorry, Alpha. I’ll clean everything up. Are you hurt?" Her voice was soft and a little shaky, but there was a quiet defiance in it.

I shook my head, my gaze falling to her hands. Despite the pain, she knelt and started wiping the mess from the floor. Her fingers trembled slightly.

"You need a healer," I said firmly.

"No, that won’t be necessary," she replied quickly, gathering the spilled food before retreating into the kitchen.

Just then, my wolf, Collin, roared inside me. "I can smell her, Kane. There’s something about her scent—I want her!"

He was unusually agitated. I’d never seen him like this before.

But no matter how sweet her scent was, she wasn’t my Luna. She didn’t even have a wolf.

At 28 years old, I was the most powerful Alpha in the region. Yet I was still alone—I hadn’t found my Luna.

My Beta, Robert, often rushed home to his mate after battles, their reunion filled with love and passion. I envied him. For most wolves, the Moon Goddess reveals their mate between the ages of 18 and 20. But I was the exception.

Suddenly, my phone buzzed. It was a message from Robert:

Kane, I have good news. The council has identified your Luna.

Collin growled with excitement. My Luna’s wolf was said to be pure white, with striking violet eyes—a rare and unforgettable appearance. I had asked the council for help in finding her.

"Who is she?" I replied.

"She’s the daughter of the Alpha of the Dark Shadow Pack," Robert wrote back. "But there’s bad news—she disappeared three months ago."

Disappeared?

"Why?"

"I’m not sure yet. I’ll investigate. Or… maybe you should consider someone else?"

His words implied that she might not have survived. But I refused to accept that.

"No," I replied. "If she’s my Luna, I’ll find her no matter what."

I put my phone down and rubbed my temples, tension building in my chest.

My thoughts drifted back to the girl in the kitchen. There was something about her—a pull I couldn’t ignore. But no, she couldn’t be my Luna. She didn’t have a wolf. How could the daughter of an Alpha not have one?

The evening banquet began shortly after.

"Uncle, you’re finally back! I missed you," Ethan exclaimed, throwing his arms around me in a warm hug.

He was just as he’d always been, a bright and cheerful presence.

"It’s good to see you, Ethan," I said, patting his shoulder. His warmth filled the void in my chest for a moment.

"Come, let’s eat," he said, leading me to the table and eagerly introducing the dishes.

As I settled in, my gaze landed on her—the girl from the kitchen. She had changed into clean clothes, but her face was still pale, her body swaying as if she could collapse at any moment. Despite this, she stood tall, her amber eyes burning with stubborn resolve.

Once again, my heart skipped a beat.

"Kane, isn’t she delicious?" Collin growled in my mind, his voice tinged with hunger.

I inhaled deeply, forcing myself to stay composed. "She’s just an Omega," I reminded myself. "Be patient. We’ll find our Luna soon."

Ethan suddenly glanced at the girl and said with a casual smile, "Claire, pour my uncle a drink, please."

Her shoulders flinched, a subtle motion that didn’t escape my notice. Fear flickered in her amber eyes, quickly replaced by determination as she bit her lip and stepped forward.

I shouldn’t have stared, but my gaze was drawn to her lips—soft, full, and as tempting as a blooming rose.

"Kane, she’s hurting," Collin growled, his agitation growing.

"I know," I muttered inwardly. Was it the burns? Was that why she looked so pained?

She poured wine into Ethan’s glass, her hands trembling slightly. Then she moved to me, the sweet scent of her presence growing stronger with every step.

As she poured my wine, I noticed her delicate wrist. Her maid’s uniform covered her entirely, but that small patch of exposed skin gleamed under the light, smooth and fragile, like porcelain.

An unfamiliar urge rose inside me: I wanted to touch her hand.

But I wasn’t a man who indulged in fleeting desires. Women had always surrounded me, eager to please or manipulate their way into my life. I’d ignored them all, focused solely on power and conquest.

Yet Claire was different. She stirred something primal in both me and my wolf.

This was wrong. My Luna was out there, and I’d already vowed to find her.

I forced myself to look away, suppressing the emotions surging within me.

But in the next moment, she stumbled, falling against me.

Her soft body pressed into mine, her chest brushing against me. Her auburn hair slid over my arm, leaving a faint tickle in its wake.

Collin roared, my muscles tensing as heat surged through me.

Damn it.

Instinctively, I wrapped an arm around her waist, holding her close.