The Rise Of The Forsaken Luna

BRIANA

At the moment I woke, my body ached all over, leaving me sore and a little dizzy. Blinking against the light, I looked around the familiar room, and despite my exhaustion, a smile crept onto my lips. Last night had been one of the most important nights of my life. I had finally turned eighteen. The pack had welcomed me as an adult, and I'd been told my training to become the next beta would begin soon.

I inhaled deeply, drawing in the scent still clinging to the pillow beside me. Drake. His scent-pine mixed with fresh citrus-made my heart race. Drake Summer. My best friend since childhood. My constant sparring partner. My partner in every game and challenge. And now... my mate.

The thought filled me with warmth. Drake and I had always gone toe to toe in training, neither of us ever backing down. He knew my strength, just as I knew his. I trusted him, trusted that even though he was still dating Laura, he would do what was right. He would tell everyone in Moonveil Park that I was his true mate.

A wide grin stretched across my face. Only last year, my life had shattered when my parents died, sacrificing themselves to save Alpha Marcus and Drake from a surprise rogue attack at dawn. I had lost my family that day. But fate had given me another chance. Soon, I would be Luna, the future queen of this pack. In that role, I would finally gain another family-Alpha Marcus as my father-in-law, and David and Linda Bruce as my uncle and aunt.

Thinking about Drake, I turned to the empty side of the bed. My chest tightened when I saw only his t-shirt and boxer briefs left behind, carrying that same intoxicating pine-and-citrus scent. Where had he gone?

Frowning, I reached out to him through our mind link. The connection should have been easy, but something blocked me. My heart thumped hard. I tried again, more desperate this time, but still... nothing. Silence.

Confusion and unease settled over me. Why couldn't I reach him? That shouldn't even be possible. Pushing away my nerves, I decided I'd find him face-to-face and talk through what came next. Pulling on the clothes he'd left for me, I dressed quickly. I was just about to rise from the bed when the door slammed open.

Laura Cross stormed in, flanked by her loyal followers.

"Well, if it isn't the little home-wrecker," she sneered, taking a deliberate step forward.

My muscles tightened as I glared at her, anger flashing hot inside me. If anyone was the home-wrecker, it was her.

"Show some respect for your future Luna," I snapped, my voice sharp. "I am Drake's mate."

Shock flickered across her face, quickly replaced by raw fury. Laura had hated me from the first day she'd arrived in Moonveil Pack. She wasn't born here, she was the daughter of the alpha of Blood Oath, the largest and most feared pack in