By admin Abandoned Luna’s Revenge Novel Ch 20
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This week dragged on longer than usual. I was exhausted, mentally and physically, and it wasn’t just the usual alpha duties weighing me down. I didn’t have a Luna so I was burdened by Luna duties as well.
Food orders were getting canceled without warning. Deliveries that used to be prompt now arrived half-full or didn’t come at all. Worse, the Omegas’ schedules I drafted seemed to have been sabotaged and thrown completely out of or- der. Someone had tampered with the system, and I had a strong feeling I knew who it was.
Clarisse. She’s always had this fantasy that she’s meant to be my Luna. Everyone in the pack knows she’s been gun- ning for the position. And with the position technically vacant until I find my mate, it makes sense that she’d see this as her chance to make herself indispensable.
But it was irritating. I didn’t need her messing up pack affairs just to prove how needed she was. I already had enough pressure from the elders and advisors constantly telling me I should pick someone soon.
What they didn’t understand was, I couldn’t just pick someone for the sake of appearances. I needed to find a fated mate. Someone the moongoddess chose specifically for me, she was out there somewhere, I could feel it.
The only bright side today was that I’d finished the bulk of my morning paperwork earlier than usual. I leaned back in my chair, rubbing the bridge of my nose, wondering if I should check in with the Omegas again about the new revised schedule, when the door creaked open.
Talia stepped into the study with her usual dramatic flair.
“Are you ready to take me to the mall or not?” she asked, her hands on her hips.
I blinked at her, then looked at the clock. “I said noon, it’s only…”
“It’s twelve-fifteen,” she cut in with a pointed look. “Besides, you need a new tuxedo too. Don’t act like you weren’t going to show up to the Shadow Blade ball wearing the one from three years ago that doesn’t even fit anymore.”
I groaned under my breath. Her voice always had that whiny undertone, like a child throwing a tantrum over ice cream. She was nineteen. Nineteen. Not nine, I wished she’d grow out of that habit already.
But I stood up anyway. “Fine. Let’s go.”
We stepped into the hallway and I just hoped I would be done with this shopping trip and back in my study so I could get some work done, but that hope died the second I saw Clarisse coming around the corner. Her eyes locked on mine instantly and she smiled and waved, making her way to us.
Talia noticed her too. “Ugh. Here comes Miss ‘I wanna be Luna so bad”” she muttered.
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That tone again. That grating, petulant voice. I turned slightly toward her, keeping my voice low but firm. “You need to stop whining like a spoiled pup. No man wants a whiny mate.”
Her eyes widened, and for a second, I thought she might snap back. But then she glanced past me at Clarisse and in- stantly understood what I’d done. It wasn’t really for her. It was for Clarisse to hear.
Sure enough, Clarisse reached us just as the words settled into the air. She looked from me to Talia, a small smile tug- ging at her lips. She had heard. She was good at hiding her reactions, but I saw the flicker of annoyance on her face.
“Logan,” she said brightly. “Talia. Where are you two headed?”
Talia crossed her arms “Yeah, we’re going to the mall to get ready for the Shadow Blade ball. It’s in two weeks, and I need a dress.”
Clarisse’s eyes lit up instantly. “Oh! The Shadow Blade ball. That sounds absolutely lovely.” She turned toward me, her voice suddenly lighter. “I was just thinking about going myself. It’s been ages since I attended a formal pack event.”
“I wouldn’t mind joining you both to shop. It could be fun, the three of us.” Then she turned to me directly, her smile growing. “Actually… I was wondering if you’d like to go to the ball with me?”
I didn’t hesitate. “No. Talia is going with me.”
Her expression faltered for half a second before she let out a laugh, “You can’t take your sister to a formal ball, Lo- gan. It’s time you stopped avoiding the truth. You need a Luna by your side.”
I clenched my jaw. The nerve she had, acting like it was her right to decide who stood next to me. “I don’t need a cho- sen Luna,” I said firmly. “I’m waiting for my fated mate. You know that.”
She stepped closer, lowering her voice like it would make her words sweeter. “But I’ve always been here, haven’t I? I’ve supported you through everything. The pack loves me. We’d be strong together…”
“No,” I cut her off. “You’ve chased away every she-wolf who dared look at me. You made sure I stayed single just so you could take the position for yourself.”
She blinked quickly, tears welled in her eyes. “But I did it for you. For the good of the pack.”
I folded my arms. “Don’t insult my intelligence. You want the title, the power, not me. You don’t love me. You love the idea of being Luna of the Iron Viper Pack.”
“If you ever bring this up again” I pointed at her “if you so much as hint at wanting to be Luna, I’ll exile you and your entire family. That’s your final warning.”
Clarrisa didn’t know I had figured out she was the one who Tampered with the Omega schedules. That was the last straw, but I didn’t want to deal with that now.
I also suspected she had found her fated mate last summer. A quiet, soft-spoken wolf without a title. She rejected him. Threw him away because he didn’t fit the Luna image she’d built up in her mind. That kind of heartless ambition was exactly why she’d never sit on the throne beside me.
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Talia and I left Clarrisa in the hall and left the pack house. We arrived at the mall a few minutes later. The mall was buzzing with people when we arrived, but I barely noticed them. Talia chattered excitedly about the dress she was go- ing to get. I was completely out of it and would much rather be anywhere else, but I had promised her this outing, and she had been looking forward to it all week.
We were barely inside when an intoxicating scent hit me, it was soft and rich, like blooming hyacinths after a storm.
My steps slowed. Talia kept walking, but I froze in place. That scent. It wasn’t just pleasant, it was magnetic. My blood surged and my heart rate rose. That was the scent of my mate. I was sure of it.
I scanned the crowd, my eyes sharp, my senses sharper. Somewhere in this mall, right now, was the one I had been waiting for. My fated mate.
Talia tugged my sleeve. “Hey, I saw a dress store just up ahead. Stop stalling behind, I need you to help me pick.”
I followed her silently, my mind spinning. As soon as we stepped into the boutique, she dove into the racks, pulling out one sequined gown after another, holding them against her body, twirling in front of mirrors. But I barely noticed.
After Talia finally settled on a dress, we moved on to another store where she wanted to buy some new underwear. I waited outside, leaning against a glass wall, trying not to roll my eyes as she disappeared into the store with an excit- ed bounce in her step.
A breeze drifted past me as the store doors to the lingerie store opened, and I froze. It was the same scent again. My mate. She had been here… just moments ago. The scent was strongest near the entrance of the lingerie store, and that sent a wave of jealousy through me so fast I nearly growled aloud.
What was she doing here? Who had she been with? I hadn’t even seen her face yet, and already I was acting posses- sive.
Before I could trail the scent, my phone buzzed in my pocket. I pulled it out and frowned when I saw the name on the screen, Glen. My pack’s Gamma. Clarisse’s father.
I sighed heavily, knowing exactly why he was calling. But I picked it up anyway. “Glen.”
His voice came sharp, filled with indignation. “Logan, did you really threaten my daughter? Just because she ex- pressed her feelings?”
I clenched my jaw. “Yes. And I meant every word. I’ve told you both before, repeatedly, I will never accept Clarisse as my mate.”
“She’s only trying to do what’s best for the pack,” he argued, his voice rising.
“No. She’s doing what’s best for herself. And if she keeps acting like she owns me, I will exile her. And your entire family too.”
There was stunned silence on the line. I continued, voice calm but final, “I’ve already caught the scent of my fated mate. And when I bring her home, I will not allow Clarisse to even look at her the wrong way. This is no longer a warning. This is an order.”
Glen’s tone shifted. “Logan, I didn’t know it had gone that far…”
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“It has. And you’d do well to talk to your daughter before I return. She gets one last chance. That’s all.”
“… Understood,” he said after a long pause.
I ended the call and let out a breath. My wolf was pacing inside me now, energized by the lingering scent of our mate.
And then I caught it again. Across the mall, in the glass display of a shoe store, I saw her. She was breathtaking. Long dark hair cascaded down her back, her skin radiant even under the harsh mall lighting. She looked like royalty stand- ing between two older men. Alpha Kieran and Beta Miles. That’s when it clicked.
She was Alpha Kieran’s daughter. The one he was planning to introduce at the ball. I felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude toward the Moon Goddess at that moment. Of all the possible matches, I had been given her. My heart thud- ded as I watched her talk and laugh softly with her father, clearly unaware that I was just a few feet away.
I quickly pulled my phone out again and held it to my ear, pretending to be deep in conversation so I wouldn’t look like a stalker just standing there. I don’t know how long I stood there, soaking in every movement, every expression. on her face. My heart was a mess of pride, wonder, and nerves.
Then Talia’s voice snapped me out of my trance. “Ugh, finally done. You wouldn’t believe how long it took to find the right size.”
I pocketed my phone and forced a casual tone. “Want to grab some food before we head back?”
She brightened. “Sure, I’m starving.”
We walked toward the food court, and I subtly steered us to a spot where I saw my mate and her family take a seat. “Go grab whatever you want,” I told Talia. “I’ll find us a seat.”
She shrugged and headed for one of the stalls, and I chose a table with the best view of my mate. She was still with her father and the rest of her family. Every now and then, she’d smile and I’d feel my heart ache.
I needed to speak to Alpha Kieran, maybe sometimes that week. I had to tell him that I believed I was his daughter’s fated mate. I wanted him to know I would protect her with everything I had.
I could tell how much they cared for her. I respected that. And I was confident that if I came to him with honesty and good intentions, he would respect me in return.
The ball next week would be the perfect opportunity and once I’ve spoken with Alpha Kieran I’d tell my pack, my family, everyone, to be ready to welcome her.