The Luna Who was Spoiled Chapter 05

The Luna Who was Spoiled Chapter 05

Nothing had changed since last night. Lying most conspicuously on the floor was the rabbit-fur vest, discarded and covered in dust. The fireplace was cold. The bucket was full. Nothing was out of place, yet it felt utterly empty.

Finn’s gaze fell on the basket of holly berries on the wooden table. Maggots squirmed all over the berries. Through the rotting skins, he saw tiny bite marks on every single one.

His heart gave a violent lurch. He strode forward and overturned the basket in one sharp movement. A putrid stench of decay hit them full in the face.

What tore at them most was that each berry had been nibbled twice, as if the one who’d eaten them was caught between despair and helplessness.

Suddenly, an iron grip closed around his shoulder. Caleb, always so calm and composed, was now livid, his face contorted with rage.

“I’ve been wanting to ask this since we walked in… The wood shed is empty! The larder is empty too! You left her here? Stranded in this freezing hut, making her eat this rotten filth?!”

Finn’s lips trembled, speechless. He’d assumed Zoe would seek refuge with her father, even lacking food and fire.

Never had he fathomed that his most cherished mate would end up gnawing on rotten fruit.

Caleb squeezed his eyes shut tight, wracked with remorse. “If I’d known it would come to this… I should have stayed! I should have been the last one!

He shoved Finn hard, sending him stumbling backward to crash to the ground. Finn could not even feel the pain; he just stared blankly, his face ashen, as Caleb rampaged through the hut like a madman.

The cold stone bed, the pitifully thin furs, a single drop of water falling from the leaking roof and splattering right in front of Caleb’s feet.

The veins on Caleb’s temples bulged, and he looked as if he might collapse at any moment.

Liam, usually the most hot-tempered of them all, was silent now, his eyes fixed on the half-nibbled, rotting berries on the floor, filled with utter despair.

A low, mournful horn blast cut through the morning air from outside. The drawing was about to begin.

The square was already packed with wolves. The unmated she-wolves huddled together nervously, surrounded by their families and friends. The three werewolves pushed their way through the crowd, frantically searching for a familiar face. Once, twice… nothing. She was not there.

A cold sweat broke out on Finn’s brow. He grabbed the arm of a female he knew. “Have you seen Zoe?”

She shook her head in confusion. “Zoe? Didn’t she have the three of you? Why would she be here?”

The words hit him like a punch to the chest. He released her arm in shame. Another female nearby leaned in and whispered, “Don’t you remember? Zoe has no mate anymore! Her three mates all…” She trailed off, shooting Finn a meaningful glance.

Caleb pushed his way to the front, stepping before the pack’s Alpha.
“Alpha! Where is Zoe? Have you seen her?”

The Alpha stared at the three of them coldly. “Zoe is not here.”

The words drained the blood from their faces.

Liam stammered, “Th-then where is she?”

The Alpha ignored him. He looked out at the gathered pack.

“My fellow wolves, I have called you here to announce something.
Regarding the mating alliance with the mermen…” He paused, his expression weary. “The drawing is cancelled.”

A murmur rippled through the crowd.

“Because,” he continued, his voice heavy, “a she-wolf has already volunteered to go.”

“What?”

“Who volunteered?”

“Who would be foolish enough to mate with the mermen?”

The murmurs swelled into a buzz of speculation. The answer was crystal clear, yet the three males still refused to believe it. “Who?” Liam barked, his voice raw and hoarse.

The Alpha’s disappointed gaze fell on the three dejected males. “My daughter. Zoe.”