When My Mate Crowned His Mistress Luna

The burn of the moonshine settled deep in my gut, a hot, liquid courage that didn't quite numb the ache in my chest, but it dulled the edges. The room was spinning slightly, the faces of the pack members blurring into a sea of judgment and cruel amusement. They were waiting for me to leave. To run away crying like the broken Omega they all believed I was.

But I didn't run.

Instead, I walked over to the rack of pool cues on the wall. My hand closed around the smooth wood of a heavy, maple stick. It felt familiar, grounding. In the dark, lonely nights while Aiden was out 'politicking'—drinking and flirting—I had spent hours down here with old Gamma Marcus. He had taught me angles, force, and the art of the hustle. But tonight, I needed them to see only what they expected.

I stumbled slightly as I turned back to the crowd, catching myself on the edge of the table. A ripple of laughter went through the room.

"Hey," I slurred, pointing the cue at a burly Delta named Jax. He was one of Aiden's favorites, a brute with more muscle than brains. "Ten bucks says I can sink the eight ball before you."

Jax scoffed, looking at Aiden for permission. Aiden didn't even look up from his drink, just waved a dismissive hand. "Take her money, Jax. Maybe she can buy herself a clue with the change."

Jax grinned, stepping up to the table. He threw a crumpled ten-dollar bill onto the green felt. I dug into my pocket, pulling out a wadded bill and tossing it next to his.

I racked the balls with clumsy, shaking hands. When I broke, the cue ball barely grazed the pack, sending them scattering weakly. I missed my first shot by a mile, the cue tip slipping off the ball with a loud *clack*.

"Whoops," I giggled darkly, swaying on my feet.

Jax cleared half the table in one turn. When it was my turn again, I lined up an easy shot into the corner pocket. I breathed out, focusing—and then jerked my arm at the last second. The ball bounced off the rail and stopped dead.

"Pathetic," Aiden’s voice cut through the noise. He was watching now, his arm draped around Annalise, who was toying with my mother’s moonstone necklace. "She can't even hold a stick, let alone a pack. Look at her. It’s embarrassing."

"She's drunk, Alpha," Annalise chimed in, her voice dripping with fake concern that barely masked her glee. "Maybe we should have her escorted out? It's ruining the mood."

I missed another shot, scratching the cue ball into the side pocket. The room erupted in laughter. Jax scooped up the money, shaking his head. "Too easy, Willa. You're barely worth the chalk."

I leaned against the table, letting my head hang low. I needed them to think I was defeated. I needed them to think I was nothing. Because when you’re nothing, nobody watches you closely.

But I made a mistake. I looked up.

My eyes locked with Annalise’s. For a split second, I didn't mask the hatred. I didn't hide the absolute loathing I felt for the woman wearing my mother's legacy. I glared at her, raw and unfiltered.

Annalise’s smile faltered. She saw it. She saw that I wasn't just a broken doll.

She marched over to me, her heels clicking sharply on the hardwood. Before I could react, her hand lashed out.

*Crack.*

The slap echoed through the sudden silence of the Recreation Hall. My head snapped to the side, my cheek stinging with a sharp, blossoming heat. The taste of copper filled my mouth where my tooth had cut my lip.

"Don't you dare look at your future Luna like that," Annalise hissed, her chest heaving. "You insolent little bitch."

The room held its breath. Aiden didn't move to stop her. He just watched, a bored expression on his face, as if this was perfectly normal entertainment.

I touched my cheek. It throbbed.

And then, it happened.

It wasn't a whimper this time. It wasn't sadness. Deep in the marrow of my bones, something *snapped*. It felt like a match struck in a room full of gasoline. A heat, far more intense than the moonshine, surged through my veins. It started in my chest and roared outward, scorching every nerve ending.

My heart hammered a rhythm that wasn't human. *Thump-thump. Thump-thump.* Heavy. Ancient.

I looked up. The room seemed to tilt. Colors became sharper. I could smell the fear radiating off Jax. I could hear the rapid, nervous heartbeat of Beta Connor across the room.

For a fraction of a second, my vision shifted. The world turned a washed-out grey, except for Annalise. She glowed with a sickly, yellow aura.

From the corner of my eye, in the shadows near the back exit, I saw old Gamma Marcus stiffen. He saw it. He saw my eyes flash—not the dull brown of a human, but a liquid, predator gold.

The heat receded as quickly as it came, leaving me breathless and trembling, but the change had happened. The lock on my dormant wolf had been shattered.

"Get her out of here," Annalise screeched, stepping back as if she had been burned, though I hadn't touched her. She clutched Aiden’s arm. "Aiden, I want her gone. Not just from the party. From the Pack House."

Aiden finally pushed off the wall, walking over to stand beside her. He looked down at me, his eyes devoid of the love that used to be there. He looked at me like I was a stain on his floor.

"She's right," Aiden said, his voice flat. "You're a disruption, Willa. You have nothing left to offer this pack. Nothing left to offer me."

He gestured to the door. "Get your things. You're moving to the Omega quarters tonight. The slave barracks. That's where you belong until I officially reject you at the ceremony."

The words should have destroyed me. Yesterday, they would have. But as I stood there, tasting blood and feeling the phantom heat still simmering under my skin, I didn't feel like crying.

I gripped the pool cue tighter. The wood groaned under the pressure of my hand.

"Nothing left to offer?" I whispered, my voice rough.

I looked at the table. I looked at the balls scattered in a chaotic mess. And then I looked at Aiden.

"Are you sure about that, Alpha?"