The Luna They Used Chapter 04

The Luna They Used Chapter 04

She snapped her fingers. One of her guards stepped forward and started reading from a phone.

[Julian, I still love you. I don’t feel anything for Noah – please, take me back.]

[What does Clara even have? She’s nothing but a homewrecker. Once you’re done with her, you’ll see – I was always your true mate.]

—

Each line hit like a match dropped into gasoline Clara’s face twisted tighter, and Noah’s went white-hot. Seconds later, a set of photos hit every phone in the lobby. Then the entire pack.

The faces were cropped out, but the body in the photos could’ve passed for mine.

Clara shoved the screen in my face, and the denial tore out of me before I could think.

“That’s not me – and I never sent those messages. None of them!”

I opened my mouth to explain – and Clara doubled over, clutching her stomach. Color drained from her face in an instant, and she pitched backward.

Noah caught her before she hit the ground.

Clara sagged against him, her breathing thin and ragged. “The woman in the photos has a crescent moon scar on her collarbone.” Her eyes locked on mine. “You said it wasn’t you, right?”

“Then prove it. Show us.”

I stepped back. “You’re out of your mind – absolutely not.”

Hands grabbed me from behind – Noah’s guards, locking down my arms. I stared at Noah, stunned. “You know my body. You know I don’t have that scar.”

Noah’s gaze was ice. “Ashley. Clara is carrying a pup. She can’t take this kind of stress.”

“Just let her look. If you have nothing to hide, let’s put an end to this before the pack starts questioning your loyalty.”

“Let’s settle it right here. Fair to everyone.”

Something in me snapped, and my Luna aura flared outward – the guards flew back like they’d been hit by a wall. A heartbeat later, Noah’s Alpha command slammed into me.

His Alpha pressure crushed me flat – I couldn’t breathe, couldn’t move. Claws caught the front of my shirt and shredded it like paper. My bra tore with it. In front of everyone in that lobby, in front of Clara’s streaming camera, I was exposed for all to see.

There was nothing on my chest. No crescent moon. No scar. Nothing.

I smiled. There was no warmth in it – only something colder. I locked my eyes on Noah and watched

realization crawl across his face like something dying.

“I” He got one syllable out before Clara’s knees buckled and she collapsed.

Noah scooped Clara off the floor without a second thought. He threw one order over his shoulder – “Get the Luna back to the pack house. I’ll deal with this later” – and was gone.

The guards brought me back to the pack house. The first thing I saw was our wedding photo on the wall

Noah’s smile in it so warm it could burn.

I wasn’t supposed to take the bond-severing potion until I was out of Black Thorn. I didn’t care anymore. I drank it standing right there.

–

Noah burst through the door. Terror flashed across his face, and he ripped the bottle from my hand. “What are you doing?”

He thought I was trying to kill myself. After Julian’s betrayal, I’d spiraled – depression, dark thoughts, the kind that didn’t let go.

Noah was the one who’d pulled me back from the edge. I just hadn’t known he was another cliff waiting under my feet.

I slapped him. Open-palmed, full force, across the face.

The slap echoed off every wall. His head snapped to the side, a red mark already blooming across his cheek.

Something dangerous flared behind his eyes. But he looked at my face – wrecked, red-eyed – and

swallowed it down.

His phone rang. He answered, listened for a heartbeat, and every muscle in his face changed.

“Get in here! Hold her down!” Two guards crashed through the door and slammed me into the sofa, one on

each side.

Ice crawled up my spine. Noah’s face had gone gray. “Clara collapsed again – she won’t wake up. The pup is

in danger.”

“Your Luna vitality is the only thing that can bring her back.”

“You’re going to that hospital, and you’re going to heal her.”

“No!”

I fought them – thrashing, kicking, screaming – but there were too many of them. They dragged me to the

hospital. Strapped me down.

And I felt it start – my inner wolf’s energy being pulled out of me, thread by thread, pouring into Clara like

was nothing but a vessel being drained dry.

The room started to dim at the edges. Sweat ran cold down my temples, and the blood drained from my lips

until they went numb.

“Please” My voice was barely there. “I can’t – is it enough? Please stop.”

The healer stepped forward, face tight with alarm. “Alpha Noah – you’ve drained more than half her life

force. If this doesn’t stop now, she and her wolf will both die.”

Noah didn’t even look up. “Keep going.”

I stopped fighting. There was nothing left to fight with.

My wolf flickered inside me – translucent, barely there

stop.

—

and then everything went black. Only then did they

Noah looked down at what was left of me and, after a long silence, sighed. “Ashley, Clara’s carrying a pup. You could try being a little less difficult.”

“I’m sending you to Crescent Valley for a while. Once she delivers, I’ll come get you.”

“You’ve always wanted a pup, right? When this is all over, we’ll have our own. I promise.”

“Get some rest. I need to get back to her.” He said it over his shoulder. He was already walking away – heading for Clara’s ICU without a single glance back.

The door clicked shut. Whatever had been holding me together finally gave way.

I didn’t resist when the healer lifted me into a wheelchair. There was nothing left in me to resist with.

The hallway tilted. My vision was fading – and then screaming erupted all around me.

Arms caught me –

to her?”

warm, solid, familiar. Adrian’s voice cut through the chaos above my head. “Who did this

“Every single person who touched her is dead. I will burn this pack to the ground.”