My Husband Tried to Kill Me for His Chosen Luna

Pain exploded through my shoulder as another rogue's teeth sank deeper into my flesh. Blood matted my silver fur, making it slick and difficult to grip. I thrashed wildly, trying to dislodge the attacker, but more weight pressed down on me from all sides.

"Hold her still!" a gruff voice commanded.

I caught a glimpse of movement—one of the rogues raising something to his mouth. A small metallic object glinted in the sunlight.

A tranquilizer dart.

I tried to dodge, but there were too many of them. The dart pierced my flank, sinking deep into my muscle. At first, there was just a sting, then a spreading coldness that raced through my veins.

"No," I growled through our pack bond to Sasha. "No, no, no..."

The wolfsbane hit me like a tidal wave. My vision blurred at the edges as my body began to convulse. The shift reversed itself without my permission—bones cracking back into human form, fur retracting painfully into my skin.

I screamed as I returned to human shape, naked and bleeding on the stone path. The rogues didn't hesitate—they pinned my arms behind my back, their claws digging into my wrists.

"Got her," one of them muttered, his breath hot against my ear.

Through the haze of pain and wolfsbane, I saw Sasha. She was struggling to her knees, her face streaked with tears as another rogue grabbed her by the hair.

"Anastasia!" she sobbed, reaching toward me. "Don't hurt her! Please!"

The rogue yanked her head back, forcing her to look up at him. "Shut up, cripple."

I fought against the restraints, but the wolfsbane made my limbs heavy and unresponsive. Blood trickled down my side from multiple wounds, pooling on the stone beneath me.

"Enough of this," Demi's voice cut through my fading consciousness. She had recovered her composure, standing over us with cold calculation in her eyes.

She circled us slowly, her fingers tracing the Moon Goddess's Tear at her throat. "This is quite the mess you've made, Luna." The title dripped with mockery. "I can't exactly let you leave now, can I?"

Fear crystallized in my chest as I realized what she was implying.

"You see," she continued, addressing the rogues, "we have a problem. The Luna here witnessed me wearing pack artifacts that don't belong to me. And this one—" she nudged Sasha with her toe, "—she knows too much about my security arrangements."

The lead rogue nodded. "What are your orders, ma'am?"

Demi's smile was terrible to behold. "Well, it's tragic really. The depressed Luna, overwhelmed by her failing mate bond, took her own life by jumping from the cliffs." She gestured toward the ocean-side precipice visible in the distance. "And her poor sister-in-law tried to save her but... well, heroic efforts sometimes fail."

My blood ran cold as I understood her plan. "You wouldn't dare," I whispered.

"Oh, but I would." Demi leaned down, her face inches from mine. "And no one will question it. August is too ashamed of you to investigate, and by the time anyone else starts asking questions, I'll be the new Luna with a very supportive Alpha mate."

She straightened and nodded to the rogues. "Take them to the cliffs. Make it look convincing."

Rough hands grabbed me by my arms, dragging me across the stone path. Another rogue hauled Sasha to her feet, gripping her arm so tightly she cried out in pain.

"Please," Sasha begged, her eyes wide with terror. "You don't have to do this."

"Shut up," the rogue snarled, shoving her forward.

We were marched across the resort grounds, past terrified staff members who averted their eyes. No one dared intervene—not against the woman wearing the Moon Goddess's Tear, not with five massive rogues serving as her enforcers.

The path grew steeper as we approached the cliffs. I could hear the crash of waves against the rocks hundreds of feet below. The wind whipped my hair across my face as we reached the edge.

"Perfect spot," Demi said, surveying the area with satisfaction. "Tragic but believable."

I summoned what little strength remained in my wolfsbane-weakened body and lunged toward Sasha. The rogues were momentarily surprised by my burst of energy, and I managed to wrap my body around hers, shielding her from the cliff edge.

"If we're going to die," I whispered to her, "I'll die protecting you."

The lead rogue grabbed a fistful of my hair, yanking my head back. "Enough dramatics," he growled, positioning himself to shove us over the edge.

I closed my eyes, holding Sasha tightly against me. The wind howled around us, and waves crashed below. This was it—the end of everything.

Then, suddenly, the wind died.

The birds stopped singing.

An eerie silence fell over the cliffside, broken only by the distant crash of waves far below.

Something had changed in the air—a shift in power that made even the rogues hesitate.