When My Mate Crowned His Mistress Luna

The Alpha Suite smelled of him. Pine, rain, and the faint, musky scent of power that used to make my knees weak. Now, as I scrubbed the floorboards until my knuckles turned white, it just smelled like a lie.

Three years. I had been Aiden’s fated mate for three years. The pack called it a long engagement; the whispers behind my back called it a charity case. Because I hadn’t shifted. Because my wolf was silent, buried deep under layers of trauma I couldn’t speak about. But Aiden had promised. He swore the Mating Ceremony would happen this week, that he would finally mark me and make me his Luna in front of the Silver Moon Pack.

My phone buzzed against the hardwood floor. Then again. And again. A relentless, angry vibration that made my stomach twist.

I wiped my soapy hands on my apron and picked it up. It was the pack forum notification. Usually, I ignored it—it was mostly warriors bragging about training or teenagers gossiping—but the headline froze the blood in my veins.

*Future Luna? Looks like the position is already filled.*

My thumb hovered over the screen, shaking. I shouldn’t look. I knew I shouldn’t. But I tapped it anyway.

The photo loaded, high definition and cruel. It was taken in the pack gym. Aiden was sitting on a bench, sweat glistening on his chest, a smirk playing on his lips. And sitting on his lap, her perfectly manicured hand resting possessively on his chest, was Annalise Garcia.

Annalise. The daughter of the neighboring Alpha. The woman who always smelled too strongly of roses, a scent that made my nose itch.

But it wasn’t her position on his lap that stopped my heart. It was the ring on her finger.

It was ancient silver, woven like vines around a central, glowing moonstone. The Luna Ring. My mother’s ring. The one Aiden had taken from my jewelry box 'for safekeeping' just yesterday.

The caption under the photo was posted by Aiden’s official account: *"A harmless bet during training. Looks better on her anyway."*

The air left the room. I couldn’t breathe. It felt like a physical blow to the chest, caving in my ribs. I scrolled down, my vision blurring.

*"Finally, a Luna with actual power,"* one comment read.

*"About time Alpha dumped the defect,"* said another.

*"Look at them. That’s a power couple."*

"No," I whispered, the word scraping out of my throat. "Aiden, no."

I reached for our bond. It was a fragile thing, stretched thin over the years, but it was there. I closed my eyes and pushed my consciousness toward him, desperate for an explanation. *Aiden? Please, tell me this is a joke. Tell me you didn’t give her my mother’s ring.*

I hit a wall.

It wasn’t just silence; it was a deliberate, cold barricade. He had blocked me. He had shut me out of his mind like I was a stranger, a rogue he didn’t want to deal with.

Then, a