The Alpha’s Stolen Luna | Read Free Preview
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Chapter 1
Serelina’s POV
“Ma’am, what happened to you? Your body’s in terrible shape.”
I froze when I heard the doctor.
A month ago, my mate, Emeric, was attacked by a rogue lone wolf. I threw myself in front of him and took the killing blow. The rogue’s claws shredded my shoulder, and wolf poison flooded into me.
I didn’t have a wolf. The pain was so brutal that I blacked out on the spot. When I woke up, my mate told me the poison was gone.
I trusted Emeric. I didn’t question it. But that past week I'd had constant headaches, stomach pain, no strength, and I’d been vomiting blood. Emeric hadn’t been home in a long time, so I came to the hospital alone.
Uneasy, I told the doctor about the wolf poison.
She sighed and asked helplessly, “I ran your tests and saw you don’t have a wolf. Why would you throw yourself in front of a rogue like that?”
Yeah. Why?
I didn't have a wolf, and my partner was a powerful Alpha.
Even so, I used my own body to block the rogue’s claws.
Because I loved him. Because I couldn’t stand seeing him hurt.
I smiled and didn’t answer her question. Instead, I asked calmly as I could, “So… the wolf poison wasn't cleared?”
Her face turned grim. “We found a rare genetic condition in your system. Normally, it stays dormant your whole life. But the wolf poison triggered it.”
A chill crept through me as her words sank in.
“Genetic…? Is it serious?”
The doctor hesitated for a moment.
“I’m very sorry,” she said, full of regret. “With the medical resources we have in Snownight Pack, there’s no cure. You have six months left.”
My eyes widened. My heart dropped into a pit.
The heat blasted through the room, but my hands and feet went ice-cold. It felt like I’d been dumped into a frozen lake.
She shook her head, weighed down by the words she left unsaid. “If it weren’t for the poison…”
She didn’t finish her sentence. She didn’t have to.
There was no point in thinking about what-ifs.
Besides, even if the Moon Goddess gave me another chance, I would've made the same choice.
“Thanks…”
Holding the diagnosis, I stumbled out of the hospital like a ghost.
Wind knifed across my face, carrying snow with it. True to Snownight Pack’s name, snow poured from the dark, heavy sky.
I pulled my coat tighter around myself. The doctor’s words kept echoing in my head.
Six months…
Was I really going to die in six months?
My thoughts drifted for a second—and then a horn blared loudly enough to split my skull.
Before I could react, a car barreled straight toward me.
My mind went blank. My whole body locked up. Just when I thought that was it, the driver yanked the wheel at the last second, and the car skimmed past me.
Brushing against death snapped me out of it. I stumbled back on instinct, too fast and too hard. I lost my balance and went down, slamming onto the ground.
A stabbing pain shot through my ankle. I winced and looked toward the car.
Before I could say a word, the driver rolled down his window and barked, “Fuck! Are you blind? Do you have a death wish?”
His voice cut through the cold air, sharp and furious.
“If you wanna die, do it somewhere else, bitch!”
After venting his rage, he sped off.
I stayed on the ground and let out a crooked little laugh at myself.
Yeah. I really was dying.
The sting in my chest pressed up behind my eyes. I fought the urge to cry and called Emeric.
If I was going to die any second then, my only wish was to hear his voice.
No answer.
I called three times. Still nothing.
I refused to give up. Maybe he was busy. Maybe he was in a meeting.
Thinking that, I carefully typed out a message.
[I’m hurt. Are you coming home tonight?]
Five minutes later, he finally replied.
[Back.]
One word, but it completely flipped my mood. I felt giddy. Even the pain eased a little.
I grabbed a cab back to Ravencrest Manor, where my mate and I lived.
My mate, Emeric, was the Alpha of Snownight Pack.
Three years ago, we bonded. I became his mate.
But because I didn't have a wolf, he never held a Luna ceremony for me.
Which meant that, to the pack, their Alpha was still single.
I didn’t care about the title or the ceremony. As long as he looked at me a little more, that was enough.
I went to the bedroom and decided to put away my medical report.
Emeric was finally coming home. I didn’t want bad news poisoning our time together.
I opened the closet, rose onto my toes, and slid the report into the top drawer. That was when my gaze caught on something.
Emeric’s suit jacket hung there. From the suit pocket, a strip of red lace peeked out like a slap to the face.
I went rigid. A bad feeling crawled up my spine. Hands shaking, I tugged the lace free.
A pair of red lace panties.
I went blank. It felt like all the blood in my body rushed backward. My chest hurt so badly that I couldn’t breathe.
Emeric… cheated?
I didn’t want to believe it, but the evidence was right in front of me.
For three years, I’d done everything a mate should do. I kept the house in order. I obeyed him. I took care of him.
I thought that if I did it all just right, he’d be satisfied. He’d come home more often. He might even grow to like me a little.
Reality slapped me hard across the face.
Three years of devotion. I even risked my life for him. And what did I get in return? Betrayal.
Nausea surged through me. I dropped the panties, staggered into the bathroom, and collapsed over the toilet.
What came up was blood. Bright, horrifying red.
Looks like the doctor was right. I really didn't have much time left.
I slumped against the wall. My vision pulsed black at the edges. I was trying to stand when I heard footsteps outside the door.
My heart jumped. I flushed the toilet in panic. In the bowl, faint streaks of blood hadn’t fully swirled away. My pulse thundered.
The next second, the bathroom door slammed open.
Chapter 2
Serelina’s POV
Emeric stood in the doorway. Sharp features. Eyes blue as the ocean. A black suit that made him look elegant and untouchable. He was so handsome that it felt unreal, and his height gave him a cold, superior presence.
He glanced down at me, open disgust etched on his face. “Go clean yourself up.”
I stared at him, disbelief and bitterness tightening my voice. “What’s that supposed to mean? You were gone for a whole month, and you came back just to have sex?”
Emeric’s eyes were cold. “People who like each other make love. You and I? That’s just sex.”
As he spoke, he slowly tugged off his tie and unbuttoned his shirt, one button at a time, revealing a hard, muscular chest.
“Besides, today’s your ovulation day. You begged me to come back. Isn’t this why?”
I got it. He did not come back because I was hurt. He only came back because he just wanted me to give him a child as soon as possible.
He didn’t love me. He thought I was a useless, wolfless nobody, unworthy of carrying his child. But he still needed a child—Grandma’s orders.
He never loved me, not even a little. He didn’t even touch me on our wedding night.
It took Grandma laying down the law to force his hand. And even then, Emeric found his own way to fight this loveless marriage.
He only came home during my ovulation window. Only then would he sleep with me—and every time, it was rough, fast, and empty.
Bitterness flooded me. That red lace thong flashed in my mind again, and my stomach turned.
I looked up at him, heart gone cold. “These years must’ve been really hard on you.”
Emeric frowned but said nothing, already impatient.
I let out a bitter laugh. “Keeping a mistress outside while dealing with the mate at home, doesn’t that wear you out?”
His face flickered, then smoothed over. “Since you already know, don’t waste this chance. Every extra second I look at you makes me sick.”
He strode over, grabbed my shoulders, and turned me toward the sink.
The sudden move startled me. I struggled on instinct. “What are you doing? Let me go!”
My voice broke as panic surged through me.
“Fuck you.”
He gave a cold laugh. His hand yanked up my skirt, and his fingers hooked my underwear, pulling it down.
The cold air hit my skin, and I shivered violently. Tears fell one after another, splashing onto the counter. “Don’t… Emeric, don’t do this to me…”
My voice cracked as I tried to pull away.
“At a time like this, the only thing I want to hear is you moaning. Keep your mouth shut otherwise.”
After that warning, he undid his belt in a couple of quick motions and forced himself on me from behind, doing it to humiliate me, ignoring my struggle.
Pain swallowed everything, and despair followed. “Emeric, I hate you!”
He froze for a beat, face darkening. He clamped a hand over my mouth and wrenched my head up, forcing me to look at the mirror—at myself, at what he was doing to me.
“Hate me? Look at you. Do you even know if you love me or hate me?”
His movements turned rougher as he spoke.
Even though this only happened during my ovulation window, even though it was always cold and transactional, three years had passed.
In three years, our bodies learned each other too well.
Shame burned through me when, under the pain and humiliation, a sliver of pleasure crept in. My muffled sobs leaked through his fingers and twisted into something uglier, a humiliating moan.
I hated myself for it, but all I could do was squeeze my eyes shut and let the tears run wild.
With my eyes closed, my sense of smell sharpened. I caught a faint green-tea scent on him, not the cologne he usually wore.
When I tried to focus on it, it was gone.
Maybe I was imagining things.
But then a wave of sensation crashed over me like a tide, dragging me up and out. White light burst behind my eyes.
I climaxed.
Emeric kept going. By the time that he was finally finished and let go, we’d moved from the bathroom to the bed.
I lay there covered in marks he had left behind—red and purple, like brands he’d burned into my skin, marking me as his.
But now, I was done orbiting around Emeric.
With what little time I had left, I wanted to live as myself.
I lifted my head and looked at Emeric who was already put back together, suit neat, every inch was a gentleman, and I spoke firmly.
“Emeric, I want to end our mate bond. I, Serelina, refuse you—”
My fingers tightened around the blanket as I forced the words out.
“Give it up, Serelina. I won’t accept your refusal.” He cut me off with a cold laugh. He stood at the foot of the bed, looking down on me. “Back then, you pulled every dirty trick in the book just to become my mate. And now, you’re willing to end it?”
A bitter ache rose in my throat, but I forced myself to meet his gaze.
“I never meant for things to happen the way they did. Believe it or not, I mean it now.” I tugged the blanket up to cover my naked body.
He retied his tie with steady, elegant hands, his voice ice-cold. “You mean it?”
His question made my chest tighten, but I didn’t look away.
“Yeah. I’ll set you free. You don’t want to be with me anyway.” I met his eyes, more serious than I had ever been.
He let out a mocking laugh. “Are you setting me free, or setting yourself free?”
I frowned. “What are you getting at?”
He didn’t answer. He grabbed his coat and turned to leave.
Staring at his back, fighting through the ache in my chest, I called out, “Emeric, if you hate me this much, why won’t you end it with me?”
He paused for a second. He didn’t look back. Then, he walked out.
Chapter 3
Serelina’s POV
By dawn, the snow had stopped. It had fallen all night, burying the courtyard and cutting through everything like ice.
I drove to the Snownight Pack’s TV station.
Snownight Pack was one of the oldest in the Northern Dominion.
Summer there was a blink. Winter dragged on forever. The brutal weather had forged a pack that was tough and warlike.
For a long stretch of history, Snownight had torn itself apart. Factions everywhere, constant turf and resource fights. Peace never lasted.
Until Emeric took over.
He crushed the infighting, pulled power into one chain of command, and gave the pack its first long run of stability.
Then, he focused on the economy. He modernized everything fast. Now, Snownight led the Northern Dominion in pretty much everything.
That also pissed off other packs. Plenty of wolves were gunning for Emeric. The rogue attack a while back proved that.
TV only really took off in the last decade. After I graduated from the Wolf Academy, I became an anchor on the news channel.
By day, I was out on the front lines. At night, I juggled housework. I had turned my life into a pressure-cooker schedule.
If not for that, I probably would've lived a few years longer.
I let out a bitter laugh, and before getting out, I popped a birth control pill.
I had bought it on my way in. Emeric hadn’t worn a condom last night. I couldn’t risk it.
We had been bonded for three years. I had wanted so badly to have his child. Three years and nothing. Maybe that was the proof that we were never meant to be.
But since I had decided to end the bond, I had to kill even the tiniest chance.
I had forgotten to buy water. I swallowed it dry. The pill scraped my throat and burned all the way into my gut. It stung like hell.
I leaned back against the seat and took a few deep breaths. After a minute, I slipped on my heels and got out.
I hadn’t even made it to my desk when Aren rushed out, grabbed me, and hauled me into his office. “Serelina, what the hell is going on with you?”
I frowned. “What?”
He was rattled. “The Hawthorne Group ad contract—right before signing, they suddenly said things have changed and they need to ‘reconsider.’ That’s basically them bailing on renewal! You handled this yourself. What the hell happened?”
I went quiet for a beat.
Aren got more frantic. “Did you piss off someone in their C-suite? Our whole quarter’s revenue hangs on that ad. If they walk just like that, next year, this station’s gonna be dead broke!”
Hawthorne Group was Snownight’s biggest conglomerate. Emeric had built that empire from scratch.
I had brought up ending our bond last night—and today, the contract suddenly hit a wall.
I didn’t need to guess. It was Emeric’s handiwork.
I just didn’t think he would be shameless enough to drag personal crap into my job.
Aren snapped, impatient. “Say something, princess! New Year’s right around the corner. If this blows up now, nobody’s having a good time.”
“I’ll handle it,” I said through my teeth.
…..
A little after seven, I wrapped the day’s broadcast. Exhausted, I dragged myself back to Ravencrest Manor. I had barely stepped into the yard when a pair of headlights flashed.
A familiar Maybach.
The rear window rolled down a third. Emeric was buried against a woman, and it looked like they were making out.
I froze on the spot. Stared. I couldn’t believe it, but it was right there.
If I still had my wolf, she and I would’ve been dying from the mate-bond breaking.
I thought of that red lace panty. Thought of Emeric’s three years of cold indifference. Thought of the hit I had taken from a rogue for him.
All of that had already cost me half my life. And still, none of it hurt as much as seeing this with my own eyes.
If I had any guts, I would've dragged them apart. If I were weaker, I would've run off crying.
Instead, I just stood there, letting it stab me. Like if I watched long enough, I’d love Emeric a little less.
Then, the woman shoved him off and stepped out of the car.
That was when I saw her face. Long golden waves, a knockout chest, full hips, bold features—beauty with bite.
That red lace panty fit her vibe perfectly.
She was Emeric’s secretary. Tamsin. One of the rare female Alphas.
In the back seat, Emeric wore a black suit, jacket rumpled, alcohol staining his face. His hand rested easy on Tamsin’s waist. The two of them were way too cozy.
“Alpha, easy,” Tamsin cooed against his ear as she helped him out. “I know you feel bad for me, but you didn’t have to drink that much for me.”
I stood in the courtyard, silent and cold, watching them.
I’d known about Tamsin for a long time. Not just his secretary, she was a Pack-sponsored student who had started working by his side right after she graduated.
But seeing the two of them now…
I just felt sick.
As she helped Emeric out, Tamsin met my eyes.
There was no shame. She even looked smug as she brought him right up to me.
“Alpha drank way too much for me tonight. He’s blacked out.” She shoved a jacket into my hands, the fabric stained red with wine. “This one’s custom, handmade. Do him a favor and hand-wash it, yeah?”
I couldn’t help the bite in my voice. “Is that how you talk to your Luna?”
Most people didn’t know about Emeric and me. But Tamsin did, she was his personal secretary.
She blinked, then flashed a sugary smile. “What’s wrong with that? You don’t expect me to wash it, do you? I still have to take care of Alpha. Not really convenient.”
I took the jacket, then dropped it on the ground. “Then, toss it. Alpha never runs out of clothes.”
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