The Alpha Made Me Lose Everything

The Great Hall glittered with hundreds of candles, their flames dancing across polished silver goblets and platters laden with roasted meats. Nobles and warriors from every corner of Silver Fang territory had gathered for the feast—officially to celebrate the new Luna, but I already knew better.

I stood at the entrance, my hands smoothing down the formal Luna gown I'd spent hours preparing. The silver embroidery caught the light, tiny moons and healing symbols woven into the fabric. I'd hoped it might please Kael, might make him see me differently than he had on our wedding night.

A fool's hope.

The crowd parted as I entered, their curious eyes following my every move. Some bowed respectfully—mostly the older pack members and healers who valued my rare abilities. Others barely acknowledged me, their loyalty clearly lying elsewhere.

"Luna Leah," Elder Theron greeted me with a warm smile, one of the few genuine ones I'd received since the ceremony. "You look radiant tonight."

"Thank you, Elder," I replied, grateful for his kindness.

My eyes drifted to the high table at the front of the hall. Kael sat in his ornate chair, regal and imposing in his formal attire. But it wasn't his presence that made my heart sink—it was the woman seated beside him in what should have been my place.

Helena.

She'd arrived the day after our ceremony, just as Kael had predicted. Beautiful, poised, with honey-gold hair cascading down her back and a smile that never quite reached her eyes. The supposed savior of our Alpha King's life.

My savior, she'd stolen. My story, she'd claimed. My rightful place, she now occupied.

I approached the high table, my chin held high despite the whispers that followed me. Protocol demanded I greet my Alpha before taking my seat.

"My King," I said, offering a formal curtsy. "I hope the evening finds you well."

Kael's eyes flicked to me briefly before returning to Helena. "Luna," he acknowledged curtly, nothing more.

Helena's smile widened, triumph glittering in her eyes. "Oh, Luna Leah! How lovely to see you. Your gown is... quaint."

The subtle insult hung in the air, but I refused to rise to her bait. "Thank you for your kind words, Helena. I'm pleased you could join us tonight."

A server appeared at my elbow, directing me not to the high table but to a side table several paces away. The message couldn't have been clearer if Kael had shouted it: I was Luna in name only.

The feast progressed in a blur of humiliation. From my isolated position, I watched as Helena leaned close to Kael, her hand occasionally brushing his arm, her laughter ringing out at his every word. The pack members noticed—how could they not?—and the whispers grew louder.

"She's so devoted to him..."

"They say she saved his life when they were children..."

"Such loyalty deserves to be rewarded..."

"The Luna seems so... cold in comparison..."

Each word was a knife, twisting deeper. I forced myself to eat small bites of the rich food, though it tasted like ash in my mouth. When Kael stood to offer a toast, the hall fell silent.

"To Silver Fang," he declared, raising his goblet. "And to those whose loyalty never wavers."

His eyes fell on Helena as he spoke the last words, and she beamed up at him adoringly. The crowd erupted in cheers, oblivious or indifferent to the subtle slight against me.

I raised my goblet with the rest, my face a careful mask. The torchlight caught the tears I refused to shed, transforming them into momentary diamonds that I blinked away before anyone could notice.

---

The warriors' quarters were quiet in the pre-dawn hours. I slipped through the stone corridors, my white healer's robe ghostly in the dim light. Sleep had eluded me after the feast, and I knew where I was needed most.

A patrol had returned late in the night, ambushed by rogues at the northern border. The pack's regular healers had done what they could, but some wounds went beyond conventional treatment.

The infirmary was warm and smelled of herbs and blood. Five warriors lay on cots, their breathing labored, bandages already soaked through.

"Luna," the night healer whispered, surprise and relief in her voice. "We weren't expecting you until morning."

"I couldn't sleep," I admitted, already rolling up my sleeves. "Which one is worst?"

She led me to a young warrior whose face had gone gray with blood loss. A deep gash ran from his shoulder to his ribs, the flesh torn and angry despite the stitches.

"Marcus," I murmured, recognizing him from training sessions. "I'm here to help."

His eyes fluttered open, recognition dawning through the haze of pain. "Luna Leah..."

"Save your strength," I instructed gently, placing my hands over his wound.

Closing my eyes, I reached for the healing energy that had always lived inside me. It responded eagerly, flowing through my fingers in a warm, golden current. I directed it into Marcus's torn flesh, feeling the damaged tissue knit together, the infection recede, the blood vessels seal.

The process drained me quickly. Sweat beaded on my forehead as I poured more of my own life force into him. His breathing steadied, color returning to his face as the worst of the damage healed.

When I finally pulled away, my legs trembled with exhaustion, but Marcus was sleeping peacefully, his wound now a faint pink line.

"Thank you, Luna," the night healer whispered, steadying me. "You've saved him."

I moved to the next warrior, and the next, giving what I could to each. By the time I reached the fifth bed, dawn light was filtering through the high windows, and my hands shook with fatigue.

As I finished healing the last warrior, the infirmary door opened. I expected another healer coming to relieve the night shift. Instead, Kael entered, Helena gliding in behind him like a shadow.

"Alpha King," the healers murmured, bowing deeply.

I straightened, wiping my damp hands on my robe. "My King. I was just—"

"I can see what you were doing," he interrupted, his expression unreadable as he surveyed the warriors I'd healed.

Marcus struggled to sit up, respect and gratitude in his eyes. "Alpha, the Luna saved my life. Her healing gift is unlike anything I've seen."

Other warriors murmured their agreement, some attempting to bow from their beds. Their genuine appreciation warmed something in my chest that had been cold since the wedding night.

Helena stepped forward, her hand resting lightly on Kael's arm. "How... convenient that you were here so early, Luna Leah," she said, her voice dripping with honey-coated venom. "Almost as if you knew these brave warriors would need special attention."

I frowned, not understanding her implication. "I couldn't sleep, so I came to help."

She leaned closer to Kael, her lips nearly touching his ear as she whispered, "Perhaps she seeks to build loyalty among your warriors? To create a faction that favors her?"

Though she spoke softly, in a room full of werewolves with enhanced hearing, she might as well have shouted. The grateful expressions of the warriors shifted to uncertainty.

Kael's jaw tightened. "Luna, your healing abilities are appreciated, but in the future, coordinate with the head healer before interfering with established protocols."

"Interfering?" I echoed, disbelief coloring my voice. "I was saving lives."

"And building quite a devoted following while doing so," Helena added with a sweet smile. "How clever."

The implication hung in the air like poison. I looked to the warriors I'd just healed, but they averted their eyes, suddenly unsure where their loyalty should lie.

Kael turned to leave, Helena at his side. "Report to the council chamber at midday," he instructed over his shoulder. "There are pack matters to discuss."

As they disappeared through the doorway, I caught Helena's triumphant backward glance. Even my act of service, my gift of healing, had somehow been twisted into something sinister.

I looked down at my hands, still faintly glowing with residual healing energy, and wondered how something so pure could be made to seem so corrupt.

---

The council chamber was imposing—a circular room with high stone walls carved with the history of Silver Fang. Twelve seats surrounded a massive table of polished oak, with Kael's throne-like chair at the head.

I entered precisely at midday, dressed in formal Luna attire. The council members—elders, military leaders, and pack officials—were already seated. Helena sat in a place of honor near Kael, though she held no official position.

"Luna Leah," Kael acknowledged my arrival without warmth. "Take your seat."

I nodded and moved to the Luna's traditional place, opposite Kael. The meeting began with reports on territory, resources, and recent rogue wolf activities. I listened carefully, noting areas where my healing abilities might be needed.

When discussion turned to neighboring packs, Kael addressed me directly for the first time. "Luna, you've studied pack alliances. What is your assessment of the Red Claw's recent border movements?"

Surprised at being consulted, I gathered my thoughts quickly. "The Red Claw's behavior suggests defensive positioning rather than aggression. Their Alpha lost a son last winter, and their numbers have dwindled. I believe they seek alliance, not conflict."

I unfolded a map I'd prepared, pointing to key areas. "Here and here, they've withdrawn patrols. And they've sent three diplomatic envoys in as many months. I recommend peaceful negotiation—perhaps offering healing assistance for their sick in exchange for hunting rights in the shared forest."

Several council members nodded thoughtfully. Elder Theron stroked his beard, approval in his eyes. "A wise assessment, Luna."

Before Kael could respond, Helena leaned forward, her expression concerned. "Oh, but isn't that precisely what they want us to think?"

All eyes turned to her, though she held no council position.

"The Red Claw are known for their cunning," she continued. "This apparent weakness could be a ploy to lure us into complacency. Their withdrawn patrols might be regrouping for a coordinated attack."

She stood, moving to the map with graceful confidence. "Rather than extending aid to potential enemies, we should strengthen our position here and here." She indicated our borders with sharp gestures. "Show strength, not compassion. Compassion is how packs fall."

I stared at her in disbelief. "The Red Claw have been our allies for generations. Aggressive posturing now would only push them toward true enmity."

Helena smiled, the expression not reaching her eyes. "Perhaps Luna Leah's... gentle nature... makes her unsuited to matters of pack security. Healing is her domain, after all, not strategy."

The chamber fell silent, all eyes moving to Kael. He studied the map for a long moment before speaking.

"Helena's assessment aligns with my own observations," he declared. "We will reinforce the borders as suggested and delay any diplomatic overtures to the Red Claw."

The council members murmured their agreement, some casting sympathetic glances my way, others studiously avoiding my gaze.

"But—" I began.

"The matter is decided," Kael cut me off, his tone brooking no argument. "Luna Leah, perhaps you should focus your attention on the upcoming Moon Festival preparations, as befits your position."

The dismissal was clear and cutting. I had been publicly overruled, my counsel disregarded in favor of Helena's warmongering. Worse, I had been relegated to planning festivities—a task traditionally given to junior pack members, not the Luna.

As the meeting concluded, I gathered my maps with trembling hands. Helena brushed past me, her voice pitched for my ears alone.

"Don't worry, dear Luna. I'm sure the decorations for the festival will be lovely under your... supervision."

I watched her glide to Kael's side, her hand finding its familiar place on his arm. The council members filed out, leaving me alone with my humiliation and the growing certainty that this was only the beginning of Helena's campaign to undermine me.

Outside the chamber windows, dark clouds gathered on the horizon, mirroring the storm brewing within Silver Fang's walls—a storm with me at its center, whether I wished to be or not.