The Alpha's Shadow Luna

Chapter 7

I knew I had to let my brother know what was going on. After all, he took Shane as his beta because I had insisted. It was only right that I explain I messed up. I let my feelings get in the way. Anton had every right to be angry with me. I knew how I would find him. At his desk, avoiding the festivities, his caramel-colored hair draped over his forehead slightly with his head bent down as he concentrated on his work.

My brother lost his fated mate in an accident a couple of years ago. Since then, I’ve done my best to be there and support him as much as I could. He hasn’t been the same since he lost Emelia, but I didn’t know of any wolf who would have returned to normal.

Fated mates were not the things you read about in story books. There wasn’t this instant feeling, this moment where your wolf cries out mate! Instead, it was something that started gradually. Your wolves learned about each other and discovered they were mates. It took time, and the fated mate connection was rare … so rare that most wolves dated and found their own mates. Part of the reason it was rare was because you could miss your fated mate if you weren’t looking for it. Honestly, most wolves weren’t looking for it. They just wanted a partner who would stay loyally by their side.

I found my brother, Anton, in his study at midnight. He was talking to a tall, imposing figure with black hair and a deep voice. I couldn’t see his eyes from this angle. I didn’t want to interrupt, so I turned to leave when they both noticed me. The stranger’s piercing silver eyes landed on me and held my gaze.

“I’m sorry … I’ll come back later—”

“Leah?” Anton studied me, then looked at the stranger. “Darien, this is my sister, Leah—"

“I’ll return in the morning.” Darien walked toward me, his eyes staying on mine. For a moment, he stopped and stared. It looked like he wanted to say something to me or like he was assessing me before he walked out.

“Who was that?” I asked, but my brother ignored me.

“What’s wrong?”

Nothing. Everything. My mouth wouldn’t work. Instead, I moved to the chair opposite him. I sat and dropped my hands in my lap, twisting my fingers until my knuckles went white. I stared at the desktop, where his latest stack of letters formed a barricade between us.

He studied me for a long moment. “You’ve been crying,” he said quietly.

I wanted to lie, to pretend I’d just come in for tea, or to ask him about the Northwind negotiations, or some trivial s**t we could both ignore. But I was spent. Hollowed out. There was nothing left for lies.

“I misjudged him, Anton,” I whispered. “Shane. I—” My throat locked. I had to swallow twice before the words would come. “I thought he was different. I’m sorry.”

He sat back in his chair, like the words had physically shoved him. “What did he do?” he asked, jaw already tightening.

I shook my head. “It doesn’t matter. It’s over.”

“Leah.” His voice had an edge. “Tell me.”

I focused on the mess of his desk instead of his face. “He used me, Anton. All the dates, the training, the nice words … he just wanted to be Beta. He wanted to get close to you, and he always wanted Mary, and I was just someone he could use to get what he wanted.”

Anton made a strangled sound in the back of his throat, somewhere between a growl and a sigh. He rubbed his eyes, then swept his hair back with both hands. “f**k. I should have seen it. I should’ve—”

“No,” I said, suddenly fierce. “Don’t do that. Don’t act like it’s your fault when it’s mine! I’m so easy to manipulate.”

“It is my fault. I trusted him with you. I should have paid more attention to what was happening right under my nose.”

I wanted to laugh. “You’ve got enough to deal with, Anton. Northwind’s a nightmare, and you have Mary to look after, too.”

He winced at Mary’s name. “Don’t lump her in with this. She’s got her own issues, but she used to be so sweet … never cruel.”

I flinched, remembering the way Mary’s smile had cut me to ribbons, the way she’d taken everything without ever having to ask. “I don’t think she likes me. Why would she—” I stopped. He didn’t know everything, but maybe he needed to.

“I’ll handle Shane myself.”

I jerked upright, panic sparking in my chest. “No. Don’t.”

He looked at me like I was crazy. “He’s done. There’s no way I can keep him as Beta after this. He can go crawl back to whatever hole he came from.”

I shook my head, the words coming out in a rush. “It’s not worth it. Don’t escalate it. I don’t want some blood feud or pack drama just because I was an idiot.” I could feel the desperation clinging to my voice. “Just let him go. Let him have Mary. I’m fine, Anton. I swear.”

He stared at me for a long, unblinking moment. I could see the war on his face. He wanted to protect me, to rip out Shane’s throat, but he also wanted to honor my wishes.

“What happened exactly? What did he say?” Anton asked, voice soft and dangerous.

I bit my lip, forcing the words out. “He told Mary he loved her. He said he only dated me to get to you. That if he played along long enough, maybe he’d finally earn your trust. It was all an act.”

Anton’s hands curled into fists. For a moment, I thought he’d actually punch the desk. “I can’t believe I let this happen,” he said.

I laughed, the sound hollow. “You trusted me. This is on me.”

He shook his head, hair falling into his eyes. “You don’t get to make this your fault, Leah. It’s my job as the alpha—”

“No, it's Shane and Mary’s fault. I don’t know which one upsets me the most … my fiancé cheating on me, or my sister betraying me.” I was so tired, I could feel the weight of it in my bones.

He let the silence stretch between us. When he finally spoke, it was gentle, almost a whisper. “You deserved better. I should have seen it.”

There was nothing left to say. We just sat, him with his fury and me with my shame, both of us orbiting the crater left by the blow of their betrayal.

He broke first, rising from his chair and pacing in front of the dim fireplace. Every few steps, he’d stop and mutter to himself, or grind his palms into his temples like he could rub the memory out of his skull.

“I’m ending things with him,” I said, voice barely more than a ghost.

He turned on his heel, fixing me with a look I hadn’t seen since we were kids and he’d once caught a neighbor’s son menacing me in the street. “He’s lucky you’re the one breaking it off. If it were up to me, I’d bury him.”

I almost smiled at that. Almost. “You don’t need the extra drama, Anton. The pack has enough on its plate.”

He exhaled hard. “Maybe so, but there’s still right and wrong.” He let that hang in the air, and for a second, I wondered if he was disappointed in me, too.

But when he looked at me again, his eyes were just sad. “You okay?” he asked.

I nodded, but it felt like a lie. “I will be,” I said, which was at least partly true.

Anton took a step toward me, stopped himself, then crossed the distance and pulled me into a fierce, awkward hug. He held on longer than he needed to, and I didn’t push him away.

When he let go, he kept his hands on my shoulders, as if steadying me for what came next. “I’m here if you need me,” he said. “No matter what.”

I managed a small, cracked smile. “Thanks, Anton.”

He squeezed once, then stepped back, anger and helplessness still simmering behind his eyes.

And just like that, I knew I’d done the right thing. Even if it didn’t fix anything. Even if it left a scar.