The Luna Who was Spoiled Chapter 06

The Luna Who was Spoiled Chapter 06

Caleb was the first to snap out of it. He spun around and sprinted toward the edge of the territory, with Liam and Finn hot on his heels.

They burst through the gates and onto the path leading away from the wolf pack’s lands. The wind howled, as if punishing them for what they’d done.

Finn ran the fastest, his body teetering on the brink of shifting into his wolf form, until he stumbled and was forced to revert to human, his legs buckling beneath him. He crumpled to the ground, knees hitting the dirt, and tears splashed onto the soil.

Caleb skidded to a halt beside him, his hands trembling as he stared down the winding path that vanished into the heart of the forest. “It’s too late. She’s been gone all night. We’ll never catch up to her.”

Liam slammed his fist into the trunk of a nearby tree. Bark split open, and blood stained his knuckles red. “Why…” he choked out, “we only wanted her to… we only wanted to…”

They’d only wanted their coddled little Luna to cherish what she had. To grow stronger, more independent, to value them as they valued her. To make her see how much she meant to them, how unbearable it would be to lose them. All they had wanted… was just a bit more love from her.

They’d forgotten that they were the ones who’d made her this way. Who’d showered her with every bit of their affection and favor, making her think the whole world revolved around her. Then they’d cruelly torn it all away, saying, “You’re wrong. You’re broken. We don’t want you like this.”

Three years later.

“Want some water?” I tilt the waterskin, letting a stream of clear water trickle over my son’s russet tail. The tiny merman squirms, letting out a soft whimper.

“I’ve had to stop so many times because you two insisted on coming with me,” I chide gently.

Az, the little pup, nuzzles my leg. “Mommy… don’t wanna leave Mommy… tail hurts…”

I run a hand through his silver-blue fur. Three years away from the wolf pack had softened me through motherhood, deepening my patience.

Strong arms wrap around me from behind, carrying a faint scent of sea salt. My mate, Nereus, presses his cheek to mine, his tone laced with a playful pout. “I haven’t forgotten. You still have three mates waiting for you in the North.”

I never hid my past from him. Merfolk are infamously possessive, yet I never thought he’d insist on coming with me to the waterless northern territory, especially with our cub in tow. I turn and melt into his embrace, my fingers brushing his dry cheeks dusted with tiny, iridescent scales.

I put on a mock pout “This is all your fault. I would’ve been back at the pack days ago if I didn’t have to look after you two the entire time.”

Nereus laces his fingers through mine and presses a soft kiss to my knuckles, his powerful tail coiling around our wiggly son to still him. “It’s all my fault,” he concedes, “but Zoe… waiting for you alone on the island… I would’ve gone mad.”

A flush creeps up my cheeks. Beside us, Oscar tugs curiously at a lock of his father’s raven-black curls. The carriage rocks gently beneath us. We’re almost there.

Nereus and Oscar can’t stay out of the water for long, so I find a clear stream just outside the wolf pack’s borders and settle my anxious family there. Then I set off alone for the gates of Silver Mane Territory.

A young gamma eyes my clothes suspiciously, but an older gamma pokes his head out, his eyes widening in shock. “E… Zoe? You’re back?!”

His exclamation caught the attention of several nearby pack members, and whispers trailed behind me.

“It’s really her…”

“She’s back? I thought she’d gone to the merfolk’s island forever…”

“She looks… different.”

I nod politely and continue toward my father’s cottage. He must have heard the commotion, because he’s waiting for me at the door, his eyes glistening with tears the second he sees me. “Zoe? Is it really my Zoe?”

I swallow back tears as I wrap my arms around his stooped shoulders. He holds me close for a long moment before drawing back to cradle my face in his hands, studying me carefully. “…Did the merfolk… treat you well?”

I take his hand and lead him inside. “I have a mate. His name is Nereus, the leader of the merfolk. And we have a son, a beautiful little mer-cub.”

My father’s eyes light up like starlight. “A cub?! Where is he? Bring him to me at once!”

“They’re not in the territory,” I explain. “Nereus and Oscar grow weak if they’re away from water for too long.” I glance around the familiar room, my voice softening. “Father, how have you been? Are you well, living alone?”

His smile fades slowly. “I’m fine, all things considered. But after you left… those three fools… they’ve been like ghosts. Caleb and Liam keep taking on dangerous missions, never home. And Finn…” He shakes his head, his voice heavy. “I think a part of him… broke.”

The sound of their familiar names stirs no strong emotion in me, just a faint flicker of surprise. Hadn’t they all found happiness with the females they’d chosen? Why had things turned out like this? Before I can ask, a roar echoes from outside.

“Alpha! Word is Zoe’s been spotted! Is it true?!”

It’s Liam’s voice. They’re here. And they know I’ve returned.