THE LUNA OF THE TWIN ALPHAS

I drag myself into my room after another exhausting day of work in the pack. My entire body feels like lead, aching from the nonstop chores, the shouted orders, and the endless glares. My fingers sting from scrubbing stone floors until they bled; my arms are sore from carrying heavy buckets of water that weren't even mine to fetch.I was so tired.The moment the door shuts behind me, I finally exhale. But I can't rest yet.I wish I could collapse on the floor and let the darkness swallow me whole, but even that's a luxury I can't afford. Outside the small window, through my small window I can already see the night has fallen, It's almost time for the coronation.The new Alpha of the Woelfeshade Pack will be crowned tonight. Every single member must attend everyone, even the unwanted ones like me. Even the girl everyone whispers about.Even the freak who couldn't shift.My room looks more like a prison cell than living quarters. The walls are a dull, ashen gray, cracked in the corners, and the faint smell of damp earth clings to everything. There's nothing here except a thin sleeping mat, a rickety stool, and a chipped basin in the corner for washing. No curtains, no decorations, not even a mirror. I don't need one to know how I look worn, plain, and tired.I stare at the little basin. "Just get it over with," I mutter to myself. I threw my hair into a messy brown.My reflection in the still water is faint, shadowed by the candle's weak glow. Dark circles ring my eyes, my brown hair tangled and dull.The water is icy, biting into my skin as I splash it over my face and neck. I shiver. When I'm done.I reach for the folded fabric at the end of my mat. My spare clothes.The only other set I own.The tunic is faded and patched in several places. Still, it's better than the tattered one I worked in all day. I slip it on, tugging the sleeves down over my bruised forearms. The fabric scratches, but at least it's clean.I tie my hair back with a thin strip of cloth. No jewelry. No perfume. Not that I had any.What would be the point, anyway? It's not like anyone ever notices me.Not like they would tonight.The entire pack would be there elders, warriors, omegas, and every family of note. People like me existed on the edge of their awareness, only visible when someone needed a scapegoat.Still, I couldn't skip the ceremony. Skipping would only give them more reason to punish me.So I straighten my shoulders and force my tired legs to move.The night air hits me as soon as I step outside. It's cool and sharp, carrying the distant scent of pine and smoke.Everyone looks perfect tonight.Except me.As I walk closer, voices surround me excited, giddy, alive. I hear giggles, whispers, the shuffling of feet. Packs from neighboring territories have come to witness the crowning of Xavier Woelfeshade the youngest Alpha our pack has ever had.My heart twists.Even from a distance, I can see him.Xavier.Tall, broad-shouldered, his black hair neatly styled, and his presence commanding without effort. He stands on the elevated platform at the center of the field, speaking with the elders. A torch burns behind him, throwing gold light across his strong jawline and silver-gray eyes.He looks like he was carved by the moon itself.He's everything I'm not.Perfect. Powerful. Chosen.And me? I'm the forgotten one the omega girl who couldn't even shift, the one whose wolf never came. The one that was broken.I move through the crowd, staying at the back, out of sight. People moved to make space for me, but not out of kindness. They avoid me like a stain they don't want to touch.I don't blame them.Maybe it's easier that way, to be invisible.The crowd's excitement grows as the pack's Elder steps forward. The old man's voice carries with authority, and everyone quiets instantly."Tonight," he begins, his voice echoing through the night air, "we gather under the blessing of the Moon Goddess to crown the next Alpha of this great Pack."The crowd erupts into cheers. My chest tightens."Xavier Woelfeshade," the Elder continues, raising his hands toward the young Alpha. "The Goddess smiles upon you. Lead us with strength and honor."Xavier bows his head as the Elder dips his fingers into a silver bowl, marking Xavier's forehead with sacred moon oil. The air thrums with energy, everyone can feel it. Wolves shift restlessly, sensing power ripple through the field.I swallow hard, clutching my arms tightly.He looks so calm. So composed. So far above me.My chest aches with a mix of pride and longing I have no right to feel. I've admired him from afar for years watched him train, watched him command, watched him rise.But he's not for me.He never was.The Elder's voice rings again. "Now, as the Moon shines, the Alpha may find his destined mate. Let the bond be revealed."A hush falls over the entire field. Even the crickets go silent.I feel my pulse quicken.All around me, women straighten, smoothing their hair, their dresses, hearts beating wildly. The air is thick with anticipation.Xavier steps forward, his expression unreadable as he scans the crowd. His dark gray eyes sweep across faces beautiful, confident, expectant.And then…He freezes.My breath catches.His gaze lands on me.Noo, that can't be right.I take a small step back, heart hammering. Maybe he's looking past me. Maybe at someone behind me. I turn slightly, but there's no one there.When I look back, his eyes are still locked on mine.Time seems to shatter.Everything goes quiet, the laughter, the whispers, even the sound of my own breathing. The world blurs around us until there's nothing left but that impossible, electric connection.Something inside me stirs something ancient and wild, something that's been silent all my life.Mate.The word isn't a thought. It's a pulse in my blood, a voice in my soul.No.No, it can't be.I can't have a mate. I don't even have a wolf.And yet I feel it.The bond. The pull. The magnetic force dragging me toward him.My knees weaken.His jaw tightens as he takes a step forward, then another. The crowd parts automatically, confused whispers rippling through them. All eyes turn toward me.I want to run. I want to hide.But I can't move.He's walking straight toward me.The torches flicker, and the scent of him hits me earthy, powerful, intoxicating. My wolfless body shouldn't be able to sense it, but I do. My entire being recognizes him.And then, in front of everyone, he stops.Right before me.Our eyes lock again. His are burning now, silver bright and intense, like molten steel.He opens his mouth, voice low and deep enough to make my skin tremble."Mate."One word.That single word detonates through my world like thunder.Gasps ripple through the crowd. I hear someone whisper my name in disbelief.Mummurs and gasps around me increase but I can't hear a single word.My head spins. My heart is racing too fast, too loud.This can't be happening.It's a mistake.It has to be.But the bond humming between us says otherwise. It's real. Raw. Irresistible.I feel it pulling at my chest, begging me to step closer, to accept him, to let the connection complete.I can't.I can't breathe."I—" My voice breaks. "You must be mistaken."His brows knit together slightly, confusion flickering in his eyes. "No," he says quietly. "I'm not."If he says it…if he claims me here there will be no undoing it. No hiding from what I am.The girl with no wolf.The Alpha's mate.