His Abandoned Luna, Her Disabled Alpha

CHAPTER 1

The vast courtyard was frozen in time. Scattered leaves, dead branches and an invisible wall of piercing wind stood between her and a potential warm meal.

Maybe if she made it back in time, she'll get to eat a full bowl of porridge instead of dry cornmeal and plain cold water.

Ivy rubbed her frostbitten fingers for some warmth before gripping the broom with determination. Her arms trembled from pain as she limped one sweep at a time.

Each movement ignited the fresh whip marks littered across her body. The chilling wind added to the discomfort.

Her thin servant garments were not meant for the harsh winters of the capital. But replacements came at a price and Ivy hadn't earned a coin for her labour.

A group of servants giggled their way in with buckets of water for the plants. Ivy shrank her neck lower and lower as they came closer.

"Why is she still wearing that old dress? It reflects badly on our palace rep!"

"Look at those stitch marks. I've never seen a worse job."

"Hey, Darcy, wasn't the courtyard your team's task this week?"

"So what? She won't die by sweeping. How pathetic would that be?"

Their whispers turned loud once Ivy was within hearing. Some looked openly, others sneaked mischievous glances.

Suddenly, the bucket in a servant's hand tipped over. Ivy stiffened unnoticeably as the icy water soaked through her shoes and hem.

"Oops, sorry. My hand slipped." Darcy smirked. The others giggled in unison.

Ivy kept her head bowed and lips sealed.

Any response would result in a week of torment.

The servants lost interest and moved away quickly.

As soon as they were out of sight, Ivy let the discomfort show. She wrung the edge of her clothes but the shoes had to stay on to continue the work. Ivy tried to stand only to fall against a tree because her feet lost sensation.

Stopping wasn't an option. Ivy needed a bowl of warmth now more than ever. She couldn't afford to fall sick. That would be hell on earth.

It was hard to believe that such behaviour was already considered generous in Ivy's daily life.

The princess hated Ivy and the servants were quick to pick up on it. Doing things that pleased the beloved Lycan princess made their own lives easier.

Ivy never complained. She kept her head bowed and lips sealed. It meant lesser problems on her already full plate.

Soon, the courtyard was half clean. Small piles of leaves appeared under the tree where Icy paused to catch a breath. She leaned her weight on the broom to prevent her wounded back from touching the tree.

The new injuries took forever to heal. Her healing ability wasn't anything to race about. Each closed wound took a chunk out of life out of her, leaving her weaker than before.

"Ivy."

Her back straightens automatically. Ivy bowed to the omega standing few steps away from her. She was a familiar face around the palace. Ivy received a list of chores from her at dawn.

"The princess has permitted you to leave the palace." The Omega informed.

Ivy didn't respond right away. She was more inclined on believing that her ears were frozen or that her brain was shaken by last night's fever.

"Leave?" She echoed.

"Yes. You may return to your pack." The Omega clarified. "Pack your things and leave before sundown. Your family has been informed already."

The Omega left shortly after delivering the message. Ivy finished rest of the sweeping in a blinded daze. She even forgot about the bowl of porridge, which was probably gone, on her way back to the servant quarters.

Her room was tiny and barely furnished. It used to be a utility closet until Ivy was stuffed in. A creaky bed, lines with sorry excuse of a mattress and threadbare sheets was the only thing that fit inside.

Ivy carefully folded the clothes into a bag. There wasn't much to take. As she caressed the soft material of her old clothes, memories related to them came rushing out of their hiding spot.

She was the daughter of Alpha Victor and Luna Doris of Silver moon pack. Her childhood once basked in the glory of a predestined greatness. Ivy soaked in her family's love and affection for eighteen years. It was the perfect fairytale others were envious of.

Until Emma arrived.

The girl showed up in ragged clothes and determination. A truth that had been buried for eighteen years was dug up and laid bare in front of them.

Ivy was not their daughter. Emma was.

In fact, Ivy didn't need any papers to see the resemblance. Emma had the same electric blue eyes as Alpha Victor and her voice laced with softness unique to Luna Doris.

Ivy's status changed overnight. She was allowed to stay with them for the sake of lingering affection but each day Ivy was reminded of her place. The family was biased towards Emma, who was timid and cried easily. If Emma did something wrong, it was forgiven. If Ivy did the same, they tolerated it much less.

The true turning point in her life came three years ago. During a banquet at the palace, Emma slipped into a room and accidentally broke a crown meant as a gift for the princess. Somehow, she shifted the blame on Ivy.

Clinging to Luna Doris, she cried out in horror and pointed at her in front of everyone. "It was her. I saw her touching it."

Her cries echoed on the wall, right into the ears of every royal present in the room. Whispers pricked like thorns in her skin.

"No..." Ivy murmured, turning to her family for support. "Mom, dad...I didn't do it. It was Emma! It was already like this when she brought me here!"

Her voice grew louder, wishing to drown the stares with the sound of it. However, the response she wanted from them did not come.

"What are you talking about..?" Emma sniffled. "Mom, I didn't -"

"Ivy, that's enough." Alpha Victor grunted without even looking at her. "Emma is ignorant. Don't pin the blame on her just because she's new to this. People make mistakes. What matters is that you own up to them and learn."

Take the blame.

Emma was ignorant.

She won't survive it.

Ivy turned to her mother, eyes drowning in pure desperation, "Mom..."

Luna Doris didn't meet her eyes. Luke stood motionless, lips pressed together, showing no signs of defending her.

They knew Ivy better than Emma. The girl they raised wouldn't have made such a silly mistake even in her dreams. They knew it. They understood her.

Yet, Luna Doris shielded her blood rather than revealing the truth. Nobody took a second to rethink. The princess did not care who to blame, as long as the culprit who broke her gift was given to her.

What followed was a punishment that quickly became routine. Ivy expected to serve at the palace for a few months at most. However, the months turned into years. Each time the princess wore her crown, Ivy received lashes on every part of her body as a reminder of that day.

Just like yesterday. Ivy was dragged back to her room after being whipped. She developed a high fever from untreated injuries and exposure to cold.

Three years later, even the princess was tired of tormenting her.

Ivy finished packing within minutes. She sneaked in a couple of bites of stale bread to prepare for the long journey before leaving the room.

Soon, her tiny figure stood against the gigantic doors that separated the palace from the rest of the world. It's golden hinges creaked in protest of her so-called freedom.

She looked back once. The glamour of hell deceivingly glistened in her eyes. That look contained everything Ivy wanted to convey in the three years. Pain, longing, hurt and probably hate for every wall that once contained.

In the split second, Ivy left behind all the weight in her heart at the threshold of the prison she spent three years in.

Ivy spotted a car across the gate. A tall man she recognised stood beside it. Her brother, Luke, looked different from the way he did three years ago. Taller, broader, a bit restrained. Ivy could see a shadow of Alpha Victor in him.

Luke noticed her too. His deep blue eyes lingered on the hollows contours of her face, moving down to scan her clean yet thin garment. The caution in her green eyes landed heavily on his chest.

An unfamiliar sensation crawled from the deepest pits of his stomach. Guilt? It tugged on his skin.

Ivy didn't notice the subtle shifts in his demeanor. Almost gently, he opened the back door of the car and said, "Get in. It's cold outside."

She paused for a moment. Looking at herself, she decided that the back seat was not meant for someone of a low status like her. Ivy rounded up and sat in the front seat next to the driver.

Her actions shocked both the driver and Luke.

The air shifted immediately. Luke held the door before it closed, pulling it open as if he wanted to rip it from the hinges. His fierce gaze dropped on her.

"What's wrong with you? Sit in the back." He reached for her arm as he said it.

Ivy moved away quickly, her movements reflexive out of defense. "My clothes smell of smoke and grease. I'll sit here. You can put up the divider."

Ivy simply lost herself in the status of a servant. She didn't tell him that, knowing he was born with less patience than the average person, the last thing she wanted was to test the limits of it.

Luke, however, didn't appreciate her consideration. He sneered, "Are you doing this on purpose, aren't you, Ivy?"

Her name rolled off with such casual ease that it made her stomach drop. Ivy was not given a chance to explain. Pain shot up her arm as Luke dragged her out of the warm seat.

"You've really learnt to be difficult!" Luke snapped, blinded by fury. "Fine, if you wanna act like this, you might as well shift and run back to Silver Moon by yourself!"

His words hit the hollowest part of her heart. Ivy's wolf Nora had gone dormant as early as two years ago. Not being able to shift was one of the scars that never truly healed with time.

Luke hit right where it hurt.

He didn't bother waiting for a response. She watched, mouth slightly hung open, as Luke barked at the driver to get going. The car disappeared down the road leading away from the palace.

Ivy felt a sense of Deja vu from the day Luke left her at the palace gate three years ago. He could call her name with ease now, but Ivy couldn't bring herself to run into his arms like she used to.

Was she disappointed? Perhaps a little. It wasn't the best feeling in the world to be abandoned but sometimes, the same things happen again and again, and the soul grows numb to it.

It wasn't the first time, not the last. Ivy had to be an i***t to think otherwise.

As Ivy was considering how to return, an overlapping sound of roaring engines tore through the silence on the road.

Two distinct cars approach at the same time. One was white, bright, and unmistakable in the gloomy gray. The other blended in the shadows and stayed at the back.

Ivy glanced at both, feeling incredulous. The road was isolated from the outside. They had to be coming from the palace itself. The driver's seat of the white car swung open to reveal a familiar face. Ivy stumbled back in surprise.