Eighth-Born Luna (Emily and Nathan) novel Chapter 8

I hadn’t seen Alpha Mareus fi months. As expected, the smug bastard wore his usual lazy, arrogant smirk. His Beta and a few warriors stood nearby. We stood in the large dining hall, making small talk.

The smell of Dorothy’s cooking usually made me hungry. But tonight, it only made me more irritated.

I kept thinking about what Marcus had started to say in my father’s office before the Alpha King interrupted. Garrett had insisted the business wait until after dinner. Every minute here felt unbearable. I wanted answers, and I

wanted them now. But not here. Not in front of the entire pack.

My mother, Luna Meredyth, laughed loudly at one of Marcus’s jokes. He was always charming – a trait I now found leeply irritating. Even my father, Alpha King Garrett, allowed himself a rare, subtle smile, as controlled as ever.

I looked for my brother Liam, spotting him in the far corner, naturally surrounded by young female wolves hanging on his every word.

“Your future Luna looks perfect, Nathan,” Marcus said, raising his glass toward the opposite side of the room.

I glanced at Stella. Deep in conversation with my Beta, Blake, she looked confident and radiant in a bold red dress and matching heels–exactly like a future Luna should.

I turned back to Marcus with a tight, small nod. “She is. More importantly, she’s exactly what this pack needs.”

“I don’t doubt it,” Marcus replied, his eyes shifting from Stella to study my face instead. “Still… choosing duty

over fate. Not everyone can do that.”

“Fate isn’t always right,” I said quietly, the lie burning my throat.

Marcus opened his mouth to respond, but his gaze shifted past my shoulder and froze. His eyes widened in shock ‘Goddess… Nathan… isn’t that the girl from the hallway earlier?”

I didn’t just hear him. I felt her.

I snapped my head toward the stairs so fast my neck almost twisted. And then I saw her.

Emily stood at the top of the grand staircase, small against the brown wood. She looked terrified, one foot sovering over the first step, visibly trembling. Then, she took a step. Jessie stayed close to her side, guiding her gently, holding her arm as if Emily might vanish into thin air if left alone.

This couldn’t be the same girl I’d seen in the hall an hour ago. This one… this one was walking down the stairs like a literal goddess.

Her black dress, simple and soft, hugged her delicate curves. It was unremarkable, but looked perfect on her–like it was made for her. Her white blonde hair fell down her back, catching the golden light with each step. It hit me. The dirt from the dungeon had hidden this beauty all along.

“Nathan… so who is she?” Marcus leaned forward, his eyes locked onto her body like a predator spotting prev.

Marcus’s throat out just for looking at her. she’s new to the pack,” my mother’s voice suddenly cut through the heavy haze, dragging me violently back to reality.

“She had been rejected, as far as I know,” another voice chimed in.

I whipped around. Liam stared, a mocking smirk plastered on his face. He’d just joined us with Blake and Stella.

I gritted my teeth so hard my jaw ached, forcing my claws back down.

“Then the wolf who rejected her is a complete fool. I’ve never seen anyone more beautiful in my entire life.”

Marcus was staring at Emily as if he were already imagining her underneath him.

Asher wanted to rip Marcus’s smirk off his face.

Next to me, Stella grabbed her glass of wine and downed it in one gulp.

Emily approached the table, her steps careful and hesitant, as if terrified someone might drag her back to the cells. Jessie gently guided her into a seat, but Emily sat stiffly, too scared to touch her plate.

Seeing her so broken pissed me off more than it should have. She shouldn’t be afraid. Not here.

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