12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Orion

I paced back and forth in the room, the weight of Luna’s gaze pressing on me. Her green eyes tracked my every move, but I couldn’t bring myself to look at her.

“You are yet to reply to me,” Luna said.

“You can’t, Luna,” I said, finally, my voice hoarse. “You can’t be my mate. You’re a seer. A werewolf has to be my mate, someone of the blood.”

Her face hardened, and I could feel the sting of her disbelief.

“What does that even mean, Orion? Since when does fate care about bloodlines?”

I stopped, turning to face her.

“It’s tradition, Luna. The clan has expectations. They’ve followed these traditions for centuries. It’s not something I can just … break.”

She crossed her arms, her frustration clear. “So, you’re saying that because I’m not a werewolf, I’m not good enough for you?”

“No,” I said quickly, shaking my head. “It’s not about being good enough. It’s about what’s right for the clan. They wouldn’t accept you. You’re a seer, Luna. Your kind is—”

“An outsider?” she interrupted sharply. “You think your clan is going to care more about your so-called traditions than what’s right in front of you?”

I exhaled, running a hand through my hair. “You don’t understand how it works. They won’t see past your abilities. And even if I tried to fight for it, it would tear everything apart.”

Luna took a step closer, her voice lower, but filled with conviction. “What about the prophecy, Orion? The one I found? It said that you and I are fated. We are each other’s mates. You can't deny that."

I clenched my jaw, her words hitting me harder than I wanted to admit. The prophecy had been weighing on me since we found it. But my clan? They wouldn’t accept it. I couldn’t just ignore the years of history, and the responsibilities I had as their alpha.

“You believe in that prophecy more than I do,” I muttered, trying to avoid her piercing gaze.

“You should believe in it," she countered, stepping even closer. "It’s not a coincidence we found it, Orion. It’s not a coincidence that you and I feel this connection. You can’t just dismiss that because you’re afraid of what your clan will say.”

“I’m not dismissing it,” I growled, frustrated with myself as much as with her. “But what do you expect me to do? Go to the clan and tell them that their alpha is breaking every rule because of a prophecy? They’ll revolt.”

Her eyes softened, but she didn’t back down. “So, you’re just going to walk away? Throw all of this away? What about us?”

I sighed heavily, finally meeting her gaze. “I don’t know if the clan can handle this, Luna. I don’t know if I can. Yes, I am the Alpha, but that doesn’t mean I should stir up a revolt I might not be able to handle.”

She reached out, her hand resting on my arm, her touch grounding me in a way that nothing else ever had. “You are the strongest man I know. We’ll face them together. Fate chose us for a reason.”

I stared at her, torn between my duty and the undeniable pull I felt towards her. I wanted to believe her. I wanted to believe that fate wasn’t as cruel as it seemed. But the weight of my responsibilities felt like an iron chain around my neck.

“I just don’t know if it’s that simple,” I said, my voice barely a whisper.

I stared at Luna, her hand still resting on my arm, her eyes searching mine. Slowly, I pulled her into my arms, let myself breathe. Her warmth, her scent—it was like everything else faded away, and for just a moment, it was only us.

She rested her head against my chest, and I could feel her heart beating in time with mine.

“We’ll face it together,” she whispered, her voice soft but unwavering.

I tightened my arms around her, burying my face in her hair. “I hope you’re right.”

We fell asleep in each other’s arms, the weight of the world forgotten for a few precious hours. I held her close, feeling her steady breathing against me, and for once, everything felt right.

The morning light streamed through the windows, casting soft shadows across the room. I woke up with Luna still nestled in my arms, her body warm against mine.

Luna stirred beside me, her eyes fluttering open as she looked up at me. “I should go home and get some clothes,” she said softly, pulling herself out of the blanket.

I frowned, not wanting her to leave just yet. “I can have someone shop for you,” I offered. “It’s no trouble.”

She shook her head, a small smile on her lips. “I appreciate that, but I’d rather grab my own things. I won’t be long.”

“I can have Jake drive you, he’s in front of the door,” I insisted, not liking the idea of her leaving on her own.

But Luna waved it off. “It’s fine, really. I’ll just take a taxi. I won’t be gone long.”

Something about the way she said it didn’t sit right with me. She was being too casual, too insistent. My instincts flared, warning me that something was off, but I didn’t press her. Not yet.

I nodded slowly. “Alright. But be careful.”

She kissed me on the cheek and grabbed her bag, heading out the door. As soon as it closed behind her, I stood there for a moment, my mind racing. Something wasn’t right. I could feel it in my gut.

I walked to the door and called for Jake. “I need you to do something for me,” I said quietly. “Follow Luna. Don’t let her know. And if anything feels off, I want to know about it immediately.”

Jake nodded, sensing the urgency in my voice. “I’ll take care of it, boss.”

As he left, I tried to shake the unease that had settled in my chest. Luna wasn’t telling me everything. I knew her well enough to know when she was holding something back.

Hours passed, and I waited. My phone stayed silent, no word from Luna or Jake. My unease grew, gnawing at me. Finally, Jake called.

“She didn’t go home, boss,” he said, his voice tense.

My heart skipped a beat. “Where is she?”

“She’s at an unfinished building near the outskirts of town. And she’s not alone.”

“Who’s with her?”

“Miranda,” Jake answered, and the name hit me like a punch to the gut.

Miranda? I thought.

I immediately grabbed my keys and headed out. My wolf surged inside me, a growl building in my chest as I sped toward the location Jake had given me. I should’ve known. I should’ve followed my instincts when Luna insisted on going alone.

When I arrived at the building, the scene in front of me sent a wave of fear and anger crashing through my body. I could barely breathe as I saw Luna and Miranda locked in a vicious fight.

"Luna!" I shouted, but she didn’t look up, her focus locked on Miranda.

Miranda’s eyes were wild, almost unrecognizable, and she growled, baring her teeth. "You should have stayed away, seer," she spat, circling Luna.

Luna, her breathing heavy but steady, wiped a streak of blood from her cheek. "I’m not leaving without you, Miranda. This isn’t you. Marcosias—he’s manipulating you."

Miranda let out a harsh, humorless laugh. "Don’t you dare talk to me about manipulation! You’re the one worming your way into my father’s life. You don’t belong here."

I stepped forward, my voice rough with barely contained anger. "Miranda, stop! This has gone too far. Luna isn’t your enemy."

Miranda’s gaze flicked to me, full of betrayal. "You. You chose her over your own daughter. Over your blood!"

I clenched my fists, trying to control the storm building inside me. "This isn’t about choice. Luna is trying to help you!"

"Help me?" Miranda’s voice dripped with venom. "She’s trying to take everything from me. The pack, you—everything that should be mine!"

Luna staggered slightly, her energy faltering, but her eyes never left Miranda. "I don’t want to take anything from you. I just want to save you before it’s too late."

Miranda lunged, claws outstretched. Luna barely dodged, her breath ragged, as she spun to face Miranda again. "I don’t need saving!" Miranda snarled.

"Enough!" I roared, stepping between them. "This ends now!"

But Miranda’s fury was uncontrollable. "Get out of my way, Father! She doesn’t deserve you!" She clawed at me, but I blocked her, my heart shattering as I saw the hatred in her eyes.

I met Miranda’s eyes, my heart breaking, as I said, "You’re my daughter, but this fight is madness. Marcosias has poisoned your mind, and I won’t let him destroy us."

Miranda let out another growl, more animal than human, but this time, there was something else behind it—hurt. "You already have," she whispered, before launching herself at Luna again.

Miranda landed a blow, and Luna staggered back, blood spilling from a wound on her side. My vision blurred with red, and I lunged, throwing Miranda off her. I pinned her to the ground, my claws digging into her shoulders, but she snarled up at me, feral and unrecognizable.

“Get off me!” Miranda spat, struggling beneath my weight.

“Enough, Miranda!” I growled, barely holding back the urge to tear into her.

I glanced back at Luna, who was leaning against the wall, breathing heavily, her hand pressed to her wound. Rage and panic warred inside me. I had to get her out of here.

I released Miranda, turning my back on her as I rushed to Luna’s side. “We need to go,” I said, my voice rough.

Luna looked up at me, pain etched across her face, but she nodded. I wrapped my arm around her, supporting her weight, as we made our way out of the building. Behind us, Miranda’s eyes burned with betrayal.

When we got back to my condo, I barely made it through the door before I called for the doctor. Luna was limping, her face pale, and blood soaked through her shirt from the wound Miranda had inflicted.

“Sit down,” I said, my voice rough, guiding her gently to the couch. “You’ve lost too much blood. The doctor will be here soon.”

“I’m fine, Orion,” she muttered, wincing as she tried to wave me off. “It’s just a scratch.”

“Don’t lie to me, Luna,” I growled. “You’re not fine. Not after what just happened.”

As soon as the doctor arrived, Luna opened her mouth to argue, but I cut her off.

“Don’t,” I warned, my voice sharp. “You need this.”

She gave me a hard look, but the doctor had already set to work. His movements were quick and precise, but my heart raced the entire time.

Every wince, every flinch from Luna, made my blood boil. I stood there, helpless, watching him clean and bandage the wound.

When the doctor finally left, the silence was deafening. I turned away from her, staring out into the night. My fists were clenched, my jaw tight. I was trying—failing—to keep my rage in check.

When I finally turned back to her, she was sitting quietly on the couch, her eyes distant.

“Why did you go, Luna?” I asked, my voice low but laced with anger. “Why did you meet up with Miranda?”

She looked at me, her expression unreadable, but there was no guilt, no regret. Just a quiet determination. “I reached out to her.”

My heart skipped a beat. “You what?”

“I thought … I thought if I could talk to her, face to face, without you or anyone else in the way, I could get through to her.” She sighed, running a hand through her hair. “I thought she’d listen to me.”

“Luna,” I said, my voice rising. “She’s not in her right mind. She’s under Marcosias’ control, and you …” I stopped, swallowing the anger that was building. “You shouldn’t have gone alone.”

Her gaze hardened. “I didn’t go to fight her, Orion. I went to reason with her, to try and stop this from getting worse.”

“And look where that got you!” I snapped, pointing to the bandage on her side. “You’re lucky you didn’t end up worse off, or worse—dead.”

She stood up, the defiance in her eyes making my pulse quicken. “You think I don’t know that? Orion, I tried. I tried to talk to her, but things got … heated. She didn’t want to hear anything I had to say. She attacked me, and I had no choice but to defend myself.”

I clenched my jaw, my heart pounding in my chest. “So, this is what it’s come to? My daughter being violent? How am I supposed to fix this, Luna?”

Luna shook her head, her voice softening.

“You can’t control this, Orion. Not everything can be solved with brute force or authority. Miranda is hurt, she feels abandoned, and Marcosias is feeding on that. We have to find a way to break through to her before it’s too late.”

“I don’t know if we can,” I said, running a hand through my hair, the weight of the situation crashing down on me. “She’s gone too far, Luna. I don’t even recognize her anymore.”

“We have to try,” she whispered, stepping closer, her hand resting lightly on my arm.

Just as I was about to respond, my phone buzzed in my pocket. I pulled it out, my blood running cold at the sight of the message on the screen.

It’s not over, Alpha. Luna is next. She’ll be mine soon enough.