My Marked Luna (Apphia and Nicholas) novel Chapter 65

**In Fragile Moments We Discover Strength Hidden In Stillness by Tao Cole**

**Rynn 65**

**Brooklyn POV**

From my vantage point in the garden, I observed the scene unfolding before me. There they were, my prince Nicholas, utterly captivated by that insufferable little witch. What kind of spell had she cast on him? My best friend, Mavie, stood by my side, blissfully unaware of the storm brewing within me.

“They look good together, don’t you think? The new Luna has this ethereal charm about her. Everyone keeps saying that,” she remarked, her tone light and carefree, as if my simmering frustration didn’t exist. She was always like this, blissfully ignorant of my inner turmoil. I shot her an irritated glance, my eyes narrowing in annoyance, prompting a frown to form on her face.

“What?” she questioned, her voice laced with confusion.

“Mavie, can’t you see that I’m practically boiling over? Nicholas introduced that woman as his Luna in front of everyone, and I wasn’t even mentioned!” I spat, my voice laced with bitterness.

She chuckled lightly, “Well, of course, she’s his mate.”

Her nonchalance was infuriating. If she weren’t my closest friend, I might have slapped that stupid grin off her face.

“But I want him! I deserve to be his Luna. That girl is unworthy of him,” I hissed, my gaze fixed on the couple as they embraced, oblivious to my seething rage.

“Brook, you two weren’t even serious. You dated, sure, but that was three years ago. You can’t expect him to wait forever,” she replied, her voice softening, yet still lacking the urgency I felt.

“But I told you! I’ve been devising a plan to win him back,” I insisted, my determination flaring. No one, especially not a girl as pathetic as her, could take him from me. I was a high-ranking member of the pack, thanks to my father’s status. Meanwhile, Apphia—if that’s even her real name—was nothing more than a rogue, rumored to have been found beaten and half-dead at the border.

Mavie sighed, her gaze drifting back to the couple. “I really don’t think your plan will work anymore,” she said, shrugging, her smile irritating me further. No! I needed a strategy. I had to reclaim Nicholas. That woman had to leave this pack, and she had to do it quickly. He was mine, and I wouldn’t let anyone take him away from me.

We returned to the party, my heart heavy with bitterness, and I took a long sip of champagne, hoping it would dull my frustration. I needed a plan, a way to get Nicholas back. But how could I possibly strategize when I knew so little about my rival?

Yet, my spirits lifted when I spotted Prince Lionel. The boy was infatuated with me, and I could easily extract information from him.

“What are you plotting?” Mavie asked, her curiosity piqued.

“Getting my man back,” I replied, a sly smile creeping onto my lips as I approached the young prince. He frowned at me, his expression a mix of confusion and wariness.

‘He’s kinda hot,’ my lycan chimed in, her playful tone making me smirk. She wasn’t wrong; the little prince did have a certain charm.

**Duncan POV**

“Brother, you’re my favorite person in the whole wide world,” a memory of five-year-old Apphia flashed in my mind. I could see her cradling my head, her smile radiant. Our mother, seated across from us, watched our interaction with warmth and adoration in her eyes.

In that moment, I felt a sharp pang in my chest. The bond I shared with my sister, my only sister, had been severed from the Ivory Moon pack, and as the new alpha, it weighed heavily on me. It hurt more than I could express. It had been two long months since she vanished, and despite my relentless efforts to find her, it felt like searching for a needle in a haystack—the royal city was just too vast. Gavin was struggling too, consumed by regret. The moment he felt the bond connecting Apphia to the pack break, it nearly drove him to madness. My father, the old bastard, pretended not to care, but I could see the flicker of concern in his eyes. The reasons for severed pack links were few—death or joining another pack. I prayed every waking moment that it was the latter.

My fingers brushed against the locket chain around my neck, a precious gift from Apphia on my eighteenth birthday. She had come to my room, shy and adorable, presenting it to me with a beaming smile. But I had been cruel that day, taking out my anger on her simply because others had said she was the reason our mother had died. After Mom’s passing, Apphia was left alone; she needed me, and I had abandoned her. Guilt gnawed at my insides for how I had treated her. I had done the bare minimum for her, just to ease my conscience. I glanced at her picture, tucked away in my office drawer, before shutting it with a heavy heart.

Since taking over the pack from my father, my responsibilities had multiplied. We were also facing frequent rogue attacks, the cause of which remained a mystery.

Finally, after a long night of work, I returned to my room, only to be greeted by the sight of a naked woman sprawled across my bed.

“I don’t want a whore,” I sighed, shedding my clothes to hop into the shower. A few minutes later, I emerged, only to find an omega woman—whose name I couldn’t recall—rising boldly, a seductive smile gracing her lips. I recognized her now; she had been eyeing me for quite some time.