Wolf-less Omega Luna

CHAPTER 42: MORE CHALLENGES

Alana's POV

“Earth to Alana,” Axel snapped his fingers twice before my eyes, temporarily relieving me of my painful thoughts.

Why were bad things always happening to me? We were jumping from one ugly situation to the other without pause. If anything, this only told one thing, —I was cursed—

Because life could have been so much easier. Not like this.

“Alana, you shouldn’t let this bother you,” Axel held the door to the car open for me to get in. His voice was soft and he had a small reassuring smile on his face.

“But why?”

“I’m sure you want the answer to more than one question but I’ll tell you this. It’s common for werewolves to conceive after their heat period but it’s not the case for all. It took my parents twelve years after having me for Emily to come through. So us not getting it right away doesn’t mean something is wrong.”

“But she said my body refused to bond with you. How do we know that that’s to change?” My voice was barely above a whisper and if not for Axel’s perfect hearing, he would struggle to understand.

“She also said you’ve improved more than she would have expected. Your wolf is not far away. I feel it, Princess.” He traced my jawline with his finger and cupped my cheeks in his, giving me a soft long kiss that said “We’re in this together.”

As much as I didn’t believe the latter as much as Axel seemed to, maybe once again, Axel was right.

That made me reflect on the fact that not once since I had come to know Axel had he made me feel small, less of myself, or not enough. Even when there were more than enough reasons for him to not be on my side, he stuck with me.

He made me feel seen, important, and worthy of being loved. Not only did he make me feel these things, but he was also these things to me. He loved me in his own broody way. He saw me —the best in me— and I was important to him.

He was right. It wasn’t the end of the world that my life wasn’t as smooth as butter. It only made it worth living.

As soon as we returned to the pack, I instantly took back all I had thought. Britney doing what she knew how to do best had spread the news with werewolf speed and a crowd had formed in front of our home.

I sighted Kennedy somewhere among the crowd, watching apologetically. Lexi too was there, looking confused but she still gave me a thumbs up meaning that she had my back no matter what.

Towering over Lexi, was Tyler. His large hand sprawled over Lexi’s shoulder. If the mood was not so gloomy and I was not about to face yet another round of criticism from the pack, —from Britney’s minions— I would have jumped for joy and screamed my lungs out for her.

Nevertheless, my face lightened up for her and I gave her a nod in approval.

The crowd had formed a path for Axel and I to go through to get in front of the house which formed a stage for the spectacle.

The heat that emanated from Axel beside me was enough to tell me that he wasn’t going to take it lightly with anyone who wanted to try me or him.

“What is all this about?” Axel cut straight to the chase.

An unidentified person spoke through the crowd. “We’ve heard rumors that the Luna doesn’t have a wolf.”

Let the pains begin.

“And?” Axel’s thick and low voice laced with unbridled anger shook through the crowd.

“She is incapable of producing an heir for the pack.” Britney blurted out, drawing whispers and gasps from the audience.

“Your next words will be considered very carefully.” His commanding voice already had some of the pack members taking back their words and tucking their tails between their legs.

“We are only concerned for the future of our pack,” an elderly male said from behind the crowd.

As the crowd went silent and I now started to hear my heartbeat picking up, Axel started his therapeutic exercise with his hands latched to mine. Running his thumb soothingly over my palm.

As much as I was thankful for Axel standing up for me to the pack, I was still their Luna, and this was still my fight.

“I may be unable to shift right now, but that hasn’t stopped me from doing all that I am supposed to do as Luna for this pack. For you all. I may be unshifted but all your kids have constantly been under my protection for the last month.”

The floodgates had been opened and I wasn’t going to stop now.

“I may be unshifted but it didn’t stop me from showing up for you pack members whenever I had to. The very moment you all find a spot that doesn’t even need your attention you want to throw me away like trash?”

My little defensive speech was now turning into rage on a leash, ready to strike. These people didn’t deserve me. I would give an arm without thinking if it meant the pack would be safe but would they do the same?

Months ago, I would have thought it was because I desperately wanted to want me. But right now, take away the Luna veil and I would still fight to protect what’s mine. I couldn’t do it when I was eight but if I could do it now, I would.

Murmurs of agreement rose from the crowd. Until Jerad spoke.

“That doesn’t mean that when the time comes to fight for the pack, you would be able to.” The crowd went silent again.

They wouldn’t relent, would they?

He continued. “All you do as a Luna without a wolf or the ability to bring a pup to the pack is make him weak! Make us weak!” Even I released the gasp I had been holding in. Axel’s body shook beside me, a vengeful growl filling the entire space. “And Crescent Moon pack is NOT weak. If it means we won’t have a Luna, that’s something we’re willing to do.”

Jerad, having made his point, had a smug smile on his face. This was very much personal and not an act of service to his pack.

“Are you challenging your Luna and Alpha?” Axel took a domineering step toward the crowd. His voice couldn’t be mistaken for anything other than furious. Each word came out with a ferocious growl but Axel’s hand was still protectively clasping mine.

All attention was now on Britney and Jerad. For a good long second, fear was written all over their faces.

As soon as it disappeared, Britney nudged Jerad with her shoulder as though she wanted him to speak.

“Alpha Axel, I challenge you for your Alpha position.”

Time went still. I couldn’t have heard that correctly.

“And Luna Alana,” the ever-present sneer coating the words rolled off her tongue with disgust. “I challenge you for the Luna position.”

This wasn’t how I meant for this to go. We could just have a civil conversation and this would be over. How did a normal day turn into this?

“We are doing it for the pack,” Britney said next, but she couldn’t even mask the lies in her voice.

Whatever Britney did in life was for herself. And that was when I realized that this whole show was her handwork.

She found a loophole to crown herself Luna, she took it, and she was dragging a mourning wolf down the road with her.

As the murmurs grew in intensity and the sound of my heart beating erratically clouded my hearing abilities, I turned to face Axel for the first time, hoping for disappointment or anger to be written somewhere across his face. Content from NôvelDr(a)ma.Org.

Save for a malicious grin that tilted his lips to one side like someone who was about to crush a rat with his bare feet, there was nothing else there.