Luna Rejects Her Alpha

The morning light filtered through the curtains as I knelt before the hearth, carefully arranging the kindling for the special oak fire needed to slow-roast the venison. My fingers trembled slightly—not from the chill in the air, but from the excitement of what today meant. Fifty years old. Half a century of life, three decades of which I'd spent as Luna of the Silvermoon Pack.

"Perfect," I whispered, watching the flames catch and dance. The kitchen was still silent, the pack house eerily quiet for such an important day.

I'd risen before dawn to begin preparations. The traditional birthday feast required hours of careful work—herbs gathered at sunrise for their peak potency, meats marinated in secret family recipes passed down through generations of Lunas. My mother had taught me these rituals before I'd ever met Frederick.

"Something special for someone special," she'd say, though we both knew I was just an omega then, unlikely to ever hold a position of honor in any pack.

The irony wasn't lost on me as I arranged autumn flowers in crystal vases—the same vases Frederick had given me on our tenth anniversary, before Alina left for Europe. Before everything changed.

I hummed softly as I worked, my wolf Aria stirring inside me. *They'll remember today,* she whispered in my mind. *They must.*

But as the sun climbed higher, the pack house remained silent. No footsteps in the hallway. No excited whispers about surprises. Just the crackling fire and my own breathing.

By midday, the main hall was transformed. Golden leaves and crimson berries created a path from the entrance to the head table. Candles—fifty of them, one for each year—waited to be lit. The scent of roasting meats and sweet breads filled the air.

"Frederick will be pleased," I told myself, smoothing down my dress—the silver one he'd once said brought out the color of my eyes.

Then I heard it—the heavy footsteps of my mate, the Alpha of Silvermoon Pack.

"Frederick!" I called, hurrying to meet him in the entrance hall.

He barely glanced at me, his eyes scanning the space behind me. "Maci. Good, you're here. Alina was asking about the territory boundaries. I need you to show her the eastern quadrant after lunch."

"Today?" I asked, my voice small. "But I've prepared—"

"The pack needs this, Maci." His tone held that edge—not quite an alpha command, but close enough to make Aria bristle inside me. "Alina's healing abilities will strengthen us all."

He brushed past me, his scent mingled with hers—vanilla and something floral that made my stomach twist.

Hours later, as the evening meal approached, pack members began filing into the main hall. I stood nervously at the entrance, watching Frederick greet each wolf with warmth and pride.

"Alpha, what's the occasion?" one of the elder females asked, eyeing the decorations.

Before I could step forward, Frederick's voice boomed across the hall: "No special occasion tonight. Just a reminder that all wolves in Silvermoon are family."

My heart sank as