Chapter 2 The Luna Who Lost Her Wolf

Rebecca’s coy little smile had become my nightmare.

Damn it. Even in my dreams, she haunted me.

This time, she came closer.

"My dear Zenobia," she purred, "everything you once had will soon be mine. Well… everything except the child inside you."

With a single touch of her finger against my stomach, a tsunami of agony tore through me.

I could feel something being ripped from me—slowly, painfully.

"No!" I screamed, shoving her away.

"Max… where are you?" I whispered into my hands.

Even now, even after everything, he was still the only person I could think of.

But he wasn’t by my side.

Barefoot, I padded down the dark hallway, following the muffled sounds seeping through the walls. I didn’t stop to think—I just pushed open the door.

And my world shattered.

Maxwell and Rebecca lay tangled in bed, naked.

My mate.

My husband.

My Alpha.

With her.

"Damn it, Zenobia!" Maxwell shouted. "Don't you know how to knock?"

I froze, utterly shocked at the sight before me. My husband's cock was inside the woman on top of him. Rebecca turned, looking at me spitefully. She didn’t stop riding him, didn’t even look scared.

I ran down the stairs with shaky legs. I couldn’t breathe, the sight of Maxwell and Rebecca naked was stuck in my mind. The kitchen felt too small, too hot. I poured myself a glass of water, but could barely hold it steady enough to drink. My mind kept replaying what I'd just seen.

I sank into a dining room chair, trying to make sense of it all. The water did nothing to wash away the bile rising in my throat.

"Maxwell?" I called out at the sound of footsteps on the stairs. But it wasn't my husband who appeared.

Rebecca walked into the kitchen wearing nothing but Maxwell's shirt - the one I'd bought him for his birthday. His scent wafted toward me, and I gripped my glass tighter.

"Sorry if we were too loud," she giggled, not looking sorry at all. Her lips curved into a spiteful smile.

I forced myself to stay seated, to maintain my dignity. "Why are you doing this? Why are you destroying my marriage and disrupting my pack?"

"Oh, Zenobia." Her voice dripped with fake sweetness. "You can't fight nature. Maxwell is my true mate - if the Moon Goddess didn't want us together, I wouldn't be here."

She leaned against the doorframe, making herself at home in my kitchen. "I love him. And don't worry..." Her smile widened. "I'll make sure your husband is very, very happy."

"I'm pregnant." The words tumbled out before I could stop them. I wanted to snatch them back the moment they left my lips.

Rebecca's shock lasted only a second before she threw her head back laughing. "Oh, sweetie. Making up lies won't get your husband back."

"What are my two ladies up to?" Maxwell's voice made my stomach turn. I watched, frozen, as he walked up behind Rebecca and kissed her neck, his hand sliding down to squeeze her ass right in front of me. I felt disgusted.

He looked at me, frowning. "You okay, Zenobia? You're sweating."

"Babe, Zenobia was just telling me she's pregnant." Rebecca giggled. "Can you imagine making up such a lie?"

Maxwell joined in her laughter, shaking his head at me. "Maybe you really are sick, Zenobia. You should get some rest."

Maxwell looked at me, really looked at me. He came closer, holding my shoulders like he was talking to someone stupid.“ Listen, Zeno, we'll always be best friends. I made a promise to your parents to take care of you, and I will." He squeezed my shoulder. "But Rebecca isn't going anywhere. You should try to get closer to her. She could learn from you."

My eyes locked onto the silver necklace around Rebecca's neck. The same one from my dream just minutes ago. Ice spread through my veins as reality hit me - these weren't just dreams. They were premonitions.

"Your necklace," I managed to say.

"Oh, this?" Rebecca touched it lovingly. "Maxwell bought it for me. Isn't it beautiful?" She turned it so the silver caught the light.

I forced my lips into a smile, refusing to show how much I was breaking inside. "Pretty," I said, then turned and walked back upstairs. I left them standing in my kitchen, in my home.

Heading back to bed, I struggled to sleep yet again. My life has changed now, and not for the better.

…

The next day

I headed out of our pack and into the forest where we went for runs. All I wanted was to shift to my wolf and have a moment to myself. I stood at the edge of Wolf's Cliff, preparing to shift.

"Luna?" I called to my wolf. My beautiful wolf, my other half, who'd been with me since I was thirteen. "Luna, please. I need you."

Silence.

"Luna?" My voice cracked. "Where are you?"

Nothing. No familiar presence, no comforting warmth. Just emptiness where my wolf should be.

I fell to my knees. "Please, Luna. Don't leave me too. I can't lose you—"

Suddenly, I feel a footstep behind me. Before I could turn, someone pushed me. I barely had time to fight back before I was falling off the cliff edge.

…

Pain. Excruciating pain shot through every inch of my body. Someone was carrying me. I opened my eyes to see a muscular bearded man holding me in his arms while he walked through the forest. Every part of my body hurts.

"What's happening?" I managed to whisper. My head throbbed with each word.

"Shh," the strange man whispered. "You're lucky to be alive after that fall. I need to get you to the nearest pack for help."

"No," I tried to shake my head but regretted it immediately. "I'm the Alpha of Silver Moon Pack. Take me home."

"You're bleeding heavily," he said, his voice etched with concern. "You need immediate medical attention."

Bleeding? I looked down at my legs and my heart stopped. Blood. So much blood. The world started spinning again, I felt dizzy. The last thing I heard was the stranger's voice calling out to someone before everything went black.

I woke to the sharp smell of antiseptic. The infirmary ceiling came into focus, along with Maxwell's worried face hovering above me. Rebecca stood behind him, and his Beta Luis lingered near the door.

"What happened?" My throat felt like sandpaper.

Maxwell's shoulders sagged with relief. "Thank the Moon Goddess you're alive. A stranger dropped you at our gates – you were unconscious and..." he trailed off, his eyes troubled.

The door opened and Dr. Evans stepped in, his usual warm smile replaced by a serious expression. "Alpha Zenobia, I need to speak with you privately."

"Whatever you need to say—" Maxwell started, but Dr. Evans cut him off.

"Maxwell, its fine.’’ I interrupted.

Maxwell hesitated, then nodded. "I'll be right outside." He ushered Rebecca and Luis out, closing the door behind them.

Dr. Evans pulled up a chair beside my bed. His weathered face held years of delivering both good and bad news, but something in his eyes made my heart race.

"Alpha Zenobia," he began softly, "I'm so sorry..."

The world seemed to slow down as he spoke the words that would haunt me forever. A miscarriage. My baby – my tiny, precious secret – was gone.

"No," I whispered, my hands instinctively going to my stomach. "No, please..."

"The fall caused severe trauma. There was nothing we could do."

My baby. The little one I'd only known about for a day. The one whose existence I'd celebrated alone, whose future I'd already started dreaming about. Gone.

Tears rolled down my cheeks as the magnitude of my loss crashed over me. I thought of the pregnancy test hidden under my pillow, of all the plans I'd made, of the joy I'd felt just yesterday.

"Does Maxwell know?" I asked, my voice breaking.

Dr. Evans shook his head. "No. Patient confidentiality. It's your choice whether to tell him."

My choice. Like everything else being ripped away from me, piece by piece. First my husband, then my wolf, and now my baby.

"Alpha Zenobia," Dr. Evans touched my hand gently. "Do you remember what happened at Wolf's Cliff? How you fell?"

I closed my eyes, trying to remember. Someone behind me. Hands pushing. The terrifying sensation of falling.

"I need to rest," I said instead. Dr. Evans nodded, understanding in his eyes.

"I'll tell them you need time alone."

As the door closed behind him, I curled onto my side, one hand still pressed against my empty womb. In the quiet of the infirmary, I finally let myself break down, mourning the loss of a life that never got the chance to begin.

The nightmare’s curse had seeped into my reality.

What was next?