Luna Walking Away: Defying the Alpha’s Cruelty

The grand autumn pack gathering was always the most important event of the year.

I used to spend weeks preparing for it, ensuring every detail was perfect—from the decorations to the ceremonial wine selection. This year, I stood in the shadows of the same great hall, watching as another woman took my place beside Eden.

My hands trembled slightly as I smoothed down the simple navy dress I'd chosen. Once, I would have worn something befitting a Luna—something that complemented Eden's formal Alpha attire.

Now I was just... Sloane. Not Luna Sloane. Just Sloane.

The hall buzzed with excitement, pack members dressed in their finest, mingling and casting furtive glances my way. I caught snippets of whispered conversations.

"Poor thing, doesn't know when to leave..."

"Why is she even here?"

"The Alpha must pity her..."

I kept my chin up, refusing to give them the satisfaction of seeing me break.

The marble floor felt cold beneath my feet, matching the ice that had formed around my heart over the past months as Eden's treatment of me had grown increasingly cruel.

The ceremonial drums began, signaling the start of the formal proceedings.

Eden appeared at the top of the grand staircase, resplendent in his ceremonial Alpha robes. My breath caught—not from love, but from the sheer force of memory.

Once, he had looked at me the way he now gazed at Victoria, who emerged to stand beside him, draped in a crimson gown that seemed to mock me with its bold declaration of passion.

"Brothers and sisters of the Carr Pack," Eden's voice boomed across the hall, commanding immediate silence. "Today marks a new chapter in our history."

His eyes swept the room, deliberately avoiding the corner where I stood. I felt Marcus, our Beta, shift uncomfortably beside me.

"It is my honor to present to you the woman who will lead our pack forward as Luna." Eden's voice carried no hint of remorse as he continued, "Victoria Blackwood has proven herself worthy of standing by my side and guiding our pack into a prosperous future."

The crowd erupted in applause. Victoria beamed, her perfectly manicured hand clutching Eden's arm possessively. I remained still, feeling dozens of eyes darting between her triumphant smile and my carefully composed expression.

"A toast," Eden declared as servants began distributing crystal glasses filled with deep red wine. "To new beginnings."

My stomach clenched as a server approached me with a tray.

I started to shake my head—everyone in the pack knew of my severe allergy to alcohol.

It had been documented since I became Luna; Eden himself had always ensured non-alcoholic alternatives were available at every gathering.

But before I could decline, Eden was suddenly before me, taking a glass from the tray himself. His eyes, once warm amber pools I could drown in, were now cold and distant as he extended the wine toward me.

"Surely our former Luna will join us in celebrating this momentous occasion," he said, loud enough for nearby pack members to hear. His emphasis on "former" cut through me like a blade.

"Eden," I whispered, my voice barely audible even to werewolf ears. "You know I can't—"

"Drink," he commanded, his Alpha tone washing over me like a physical force. "Honor our new Luna."

Victoria appeared at his shoulder, her smile venomous as she watched me take the glass with trembling fingers.

"Yes, Sloane," she purred. "Show us all how gracefully you can step aside."

The pack had fallen silent, all eyes on our exchange. I looked into the glass, the wine's aroma already making my throat tighten in warning. I knew what would happen if I drank it. Eden knew too.

"Eden, please," I tried once more, my voice breaking. "My allergy—"

"Drink," he repeated, harder this time, the Alpha command impossible to resist completely.

I raised the glass to my lips, tears blurring my vision. The first sip burned like fire down my throat. Immediately, I felt my airways begin to constrict.

"To new beginnings," Victoria echoed mockingly as my glass slipped from my fingers, shattering on the marble floor.

The room began to spin. I clutched at my throat, gasping for air that wouldn't come. My knees buckled beneath me as the first convulsion hit, my body rejecting the poison Eden had forced upon me.

As darkness crept into the edges of my vision, I saw Victoria's hand on Eden's arm, holding him back as he watched me collapse.

"Don't disrupt the ceremony," I heard her say. "The healer can attend to her after we finish."

The last thing I saw before consciousness left me was Eden turning away, raising his glass to the crowd as my body continued to convulse on the cold marble floor.