The New Luna Announcement
Marcus's POV
It had been two weeks since I found her and her secret—Camilla.
A lone figure in the forest, drenched in pain and silence. When I carried her to one of my cabins on the outskirts of Silver Pack territory, I didn't know her name, her past, or her burdens. But something in me—something primal—whispered she was mine.
And now I was sure.
She didn't speak much those first days, but her silence was calming, not distant. She was trying to heal. I saw it in her eyes. Haunted, but searching for hope.
The pack didn't knok, that I had kept her existence a secret from them for weeks, not out of shame, but protection.
I knew how wolves could talk, how rumors twisted truths. She needed time, and I wanted to give her that.
But now… now was the time to start unveiling the truth.
I walked into the main hall, where Mira was arranging the morning tea in the corner by the window. She was Camilla's personal maid, the only other person who had direct access to her in the cabin besides the healer and myself.
Loyal, trusted. That's why I chose her.
"Mira," I said, and she turned, bowing slightly.
"Yes, Alpha?"
"It's time."
She blinked, as if unsure what I meant.
"I want to introduce Camilla to the Silver Pack, as my Luna."
Mira's eyes widened for a heartbeat, then she smiled. "Yes, Alpha. I'll tell her right away."
I caught her expression. It was surprise, but not worry. That was good. Camilla was adjusting well then.
Mira wouldn't have smiled if there was hesitation in her heart.
"I want her to be ready in two days. We'll have the Gathering at the Fire Circle. Announce her before the entire pack."
"Yes, Alpha."
As she walked away, a sudden nervousness buzzed in my chest. What if she said no? What if she wasn't ready?
I pushed the thoughts aside. She was mine. I had claimed her the moment I marked her.
Not out of dominance, but necessity. She needed safety, and I had offered it freely. Our bond wasn't traditional, but it was real.
I had waited years to find my mate, I never thought she would come to me broken, scarred, and running. But maybe that's what made her even more perfect.
Later that evening, I stood outside the Alpha's house, watching the moon hang in the sky. I wondered if she could feel the mate bond now. The pull, I had marked her gently, not forcefully. It wasn't completed. She had to return the mark.
But I didn't need the bite to know she belonged here.
She was my Luna.
Camilla's POV
Mira came in that morning with a brightness in her step, but I could tell she was holding something back. She always looked cheerful, but today it felt more purposeful. A practiced calm.
"Good morning," she said, setting my breakfast tray near the window where I liked to sit.
"Morning," I replied.
After a moment of silence, she cleared her throat.
"Alpha Marcus wants to introduce you to the pack… as his Luna."
I froze.
Everything stilled inside me. Even my wolf whimpered.
Luna again? I asked.
I hadn't expected it so soon. It's just few days I had told him I was pregnant and about Michael's betrayal. I just told him anything now quiet long ago.
He had only seen the version of me that was trying to heal. The real me—the disgraced daughter of a warrior, the rejected would-be Luna of Moonlight Pack—remained buried under layers of fear and shame.
He wants to trust me to his Luna?
Another Alpha wants me as his Luna?
When Michael's betrayal still fresh in my memory?
I looked out the window.
Could I really be a Luna again? Was I worthy of such a title?
"You don't have to decide right now," Mira added. "But the Alpha believes in you."
That made something flutter in my chest. Not fear this time but something warmer.
No one had believed in me in a long time.
"I'll speak to him," I said finally.
Marcus's POV
I was in my office, reading over border patrol reports when she knocked.
A soft, hesitant knock.
"Come in," I said, already knowing who it was.
Camilla stepped in, her hands clasped in front of her. She wore one of the gowns Mira picked for her, soft silver that matched her eyes.
Goddess, she was beautiful.
"Camilla," I said, standing.
"You asked Mira to tell me something," she began.
I nodded, stepping around the desk to face her directly.
"I want to present you to the pack. You've been here for weeks, and I know you've been healing, but… you're my mate. My Luna."
She looked away, her throat moving as she swallowed.
"I… I need to tell you something again."
My heart skipped.