The Alpha's Borrowed Luna (Abigail Hayes) novel Chapter 25

The Alpha’s Borrowed Luna

Scars That Speak–1

I straightened, forcing myself to meet his gaze despite every instinct screaming at me to look away. His eyes–the same amber as Kaius’s but harder, colder–studied me with clinical detachment.

“You are my son’s mate?” he asked, his tone making it clear he found the idea absurd. “This slip of a girl?”

I swallowed hard, fighting the urge to retreat. “Yes, I am.”

His nostrils flared as he scented the air around me. “Why you? Of all the females in all the packs, why would fate choose someone so… inconsequential?”

Humiliation burned through me, but I kept my voice steady. “I do not understand your question, Alpha King.”

He began to circle me, like a predator sizing up prey. “You smell of weakness, I can tell. Your scent carries the mark of submission, not power. How could you possibly be mated to my son? What could you offer the bloodline?

I searched for an answer that wouldn’t sound pathetic. “I don’t know fate, maybe. The Moon Goddess makes choices we cannot always understand.”

A cruel laugh escaped him. “Fate, maybe? The Moon Goddess? What are you, an Omega hiding behind mysticism because you have no strength of your own?”

From the corner of my eye, I noticed movement. A figure draped in flowing fabrics and veils stood silently near a window–a woman, though I could see nothing of her features. Her posture was eerily submissive, head bowed, hands clasped before her. The Luna Queen, I realized with a jolt. Kaius’s mother.

The Alpha King’s voice pulled my attention back to him. “How am I sure you are his true mate? My son has never shown interest in weakness. Perhaps this is some… arrangement I’m not privy to.”

His words hit too close to the truth. I felt my pulse quicken and prayed he couldn’t hear the pounding of my heart. I thought of the contract, of the six months I’d agreed to, of my mother’s freedom. I thought of Kaius’s warning to be “convincing.

Drawing myself up to my full height, I met the Alpha King’s gaze directly. “I am Alpha Kaius’s mate and the future Luna. This I am sure of. Whether you accept it or not changes nothing.”

His eyes widened briefly–caught off guard by my defiance. His gaze shifted to his son, who had remained silent throughout this exchange. The tension between them was palpable, thick enough to choke on.

“Excuse me,” Alaric said abruptly, waving a dismissive hand in my direction. “I want to speak to my son. Alone.” He turned to the veiled figure by the window. “Leave us.”

Without a word, the Luna Queen moved toward the door. As she passed me, her fingers brushed against my arm–so light I might have imagined it, yet deliberate enough to feel like a message.

I followed her from the room, the heavy doors closing behind us with an ominous thud. The guards resumed their posts, expressions

blank, as if I didn’t exist.

The Luna Queen moved down the corridor, her steps whisper–soft against the stone. After a moment’s hesitation, I followed. She led me through a maze of hallways until we reached a small, private sitting room.

“Why are we here?” I asked, wariness creeping into my voice. “What do you want?”

She turned to face me, reaching up with trembling hands. “I want to talk to you. There are few who will tell you the truth. There are things you need to know about being the Alpha’s mate–things they don’t write in stories.”

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Scars That Speak–1