When the Luna Falls Asleep Chapter 01

When the Luna Falls Asleep Chapter 01

I had developed narcolepsy.

At first, it was nothing more than brief lapses of consciousness—a few accidental naps here and there. But as time passed, the episodes grew longer and longer.

I missed job interviews.

I missed my engagement ceremony.

I even missed the Luna Coronation with my Alpha mate, Jonathan.

With no other choice, he had asked my best friend, Chloe, to step in at the last minute.

Afterward, they both apologized to me.

I didn’t blame them. After all, I was the one whose body had failed me.

When I woke up again, Jonathan was sitting beside my bed, holding a baby in his arms.

The moment he saw my eyes open, his reddened eyes filled with emotion.

“Allison,” he said hoarsely, “you slept for eight months this time. You’re finally awake.”

Guilt washed over me.

I offered him an apologetic smile and glanced curiously at the baby.

“Jonathan, is this your nephew?”

Instead of answering, he looked away.

He couldn’t meet my eyes.

“Allison,” he said quietly, “this is my son with Chloe.”

“The future heir of the pack.”

My mind, still sluggish from months of sleep, couldn’t process his words.

What did he mean?

His son… with Chloe?

Had I been asleep for too long?

Was this some kind of joke?

I pouted instinctively, the way I always did whenever he teased me.

“Jonathan, are you still mad that I slept for so long? Is this your way of getting back at me?” I forced a laugh. “I’m sorry, okay?”

“It’s true.”

Jonathan cut me off gently.

“His name is Austin Fletcher.”

“He’s already three months old.”

The world seemed to stop.

My eyes drifted mechanically toward the baby in his arms.

He had Jonathan’s blue eyes.

And Chloe’s golden curls.

“You… you two…”

My throat tightened. Not a single coherent word came out.

Only then did I notice my surroundings.

This wasn’t the master bedroom I shared with Jonathan.

It wasn’t even a room in the pack hospital.

It looked more like a storage room.

Children’s toys were piled everywhere, cluttering the corners.

Questions crashed into me all at once, making it difficult to breathe.

The door suddenly opened.

Chloe walked in.

The moment she saw me awake, her eyes lit up.

“Allison!” She hurried toward me, “Why did you sleep for so long this time? Jonathan and I were terrified. We thought you might never wake up.”

When I didn’t respond, she instinctively looked toward Jonathan.

Then realization flashed across her face.

“Allison…”

“You know now?”

I stared at her panic-stricken expression and forced out a single question.

“Why?”

Why?

Jonathan was MY fated mate.

For me, he had gone against his Alpha parents.

He had endured punishment before the entire pack rather than reject our bond, reject me.

Chloe was my best friend.

She had stayed by my side through everything.

How could the two of them have ended up with a child together?

Chloe’s eyes instantly turned red. A bitter smile appeared on her face.

“Now that you’re awake…” she whispered, “I’ll give Jonathan back to you.”

Suddenly, Jonathan stood up.

He moved in front of her protectively.

“Give him back?” His voice rose sharply. “What are you talking about?”

“You are my Luna.”

“The name on the bond-sealing deal was yours.”

“The bride at the Luna Coronation was you.”

“You gave birth to my child. You gave this pack an heir. You’ve suffered enough already.”

“I won’t let you suffer any more.”

The words struck me like a slap.

I forced the corner of my lips upward, “So, Jonathan… What exactly are we now?”

He closed his eyes briefly.

When he opened them again, his expression looked as though he had finally made up his mind.

“Allison… I’m exhausted.”

His voice was low.

“For you, I had to fight the entire world. I worried about hurting my parents. I worried about the pack gossiping.”

“And most of all, I was terrified that one day you’d fall asleep and never wake up again.”

“Every single day, I lived with that fear.”

His eyes lowered.

“So when someone offered me comfort… I couldn’t help falling for it.”

He laughed bitterly.

“Do you know how painful it is to wait for someone who may never wake up?”

“Every day, I’d finish handling pack affairs and return to the packhouse… And all that greeted me was darkness.”

“A cold, empty home. It felt like a black hole. Like it was slowly swallowing me whole.”

He looked at me again.

His voice softened, “As long as you don’t make a scene, we can still live the way we used to.”

“I’ll continue taking care of you.”

“I always will.”