His Abandoned Luna, Her Disabled Alpha

CHAPTER 2

Jaxon was the last person Ivy expected to see. The Alpha of Moonfall pack got out of the car gracefully. He was exactly as she remembered; calm, well dressed and a presence that demanded respect.

"What a coincidence." He broke the suffocating silence first. "I just finished a meeting with the Lycan king. I'm heading back to Moonfall."

Ivy stuck her gaze to the floor. Her neck bowed in submission that used to never come so easily before now. She didn't respond.

"I heard you're returning." He continued as if nothing changed between them. "You shouldn't be standing out here. I can take you back to the Silver Moon pack."

The suggestion landed neatly, words chosen carefully. He had always spoken like that, even before Emma's arrival. Ivy was simply blind to his true nature.

Jaxon Holt, the Alpha of the Moonfall pack, was once her fiancé. The engagement was a matter of course as they grew up with each other. Their relationship reinforced the old alliance between the two packs.

Ivy was living the dream of a perfect life until it shattered right into her palm. In the mess of her revealed identity, Jaxon was one of the first ones to abandon Ivy. The engagement broke quietly.

The cold heartbreak hadn't even settled when Ivy heard about the joyous engagement between Jaxon and Emma. The betrayal was still fresh in her mind. What she thought was love turned out to be rotten green behind that perfect smile.

"I don't need it." She spoke hoarsely.

Jaxon studied her, his expression pulled tight. "You can barely stand."

Ivy moved to prove that she could. Her barely intact ankle didn't help her case. Pain flared through her but she didn't let it show on her face.

The other car flashed it's headlight. Ivy noticed it before, not expecting it to stay in place for this long. The warm engine groaned quietly, waiting for something.

Jaxon glanced back once, then returned his attention to her. His voice was tinted with warning, "Don't make it difficult, Ivy."

He said something similar three years ago. When their engagement broke, the next day Emma showed up with her ring on her hand. Jaxon had spoken the words with cold detachment.

"I am not." She said.

Just then, the driver's side window rolled down just enough for her to catch a glimpse of the face inside. Seeing that face, recognition flashed in her dull green eyes.

Leon.

A well known figure in the palace.

The beta who followed Kael around like his second shadow. Unpleasant memories flooded in without notice. Her first encounter with them was in a rather unfortunate setting.

Ivy, in her most desperate state, had fallen victim to the luring words of a warrior. He offered her protection from others at the cost of being his mistress.

Perhaps Ivy wasn't that desperate. The thought of tainting herself in such a way never crossed her mind. She refused his offer, going as far as to throw Alpha Victor and Jaxon's name to his face to scare him. Unfortunately, the walls within the place didn't fear them. The warrior tried to force himself on her. It was the first time Ivy faced such horror.

Driven to the corner, she bit his ear off and ran off while he howled and bled. In the quiet corner echoing his roars, Ivy saw Kael for the first time.

The quiet member of royalty was bound to a wheelchair. Leon was standing next to him, arms bound behind his back and a solemn alertness on his face.

"You're not thinking about getting into a stranger's car, are you, Ivy?" Jaxon noticed her gaze and asked.

"What if I am?" Ivy stepped away from his outstretched hand. She gathered every bit of strength left in her body to reach Leon's car. She settled in the front seat and buckled up.

"I know it's rude of me and perhaps inappropriate to ask, but can you give me a ride to the Silver Moon pack, please?" Ivy pointed her thumb at Jaxon standing not far away. "I'm a bit desperate to get away."

Leon responded by letting his engine roar. The heat increased considerably in the car, warranting a shuddering breath out of Ivy.

Jaxon strode towards the car before it could move. He knocked on the window, loud and aggressive, "Get out, Ivy. This isn't funny."

Ivy saw a c***k in his perfect demeanor right before they departed.

Leon drove steadily. Ivy curled up against the door, clutching her growling stomach. It's been three days since she has had proper rest. The heavily emotional encounter with Luke and Jaxon didn't help with her fatigue. Before she knew it, the warmth of the car lulled her into a deep sleep.

The capital was in the north, while the Silver Moon Pack was located in the heart of the continent. It took over ten hours by the normal route to get from one place to the other. Ivy expected a long journey ahead, but Leon unexpectedly took the highway and shortened it by over six hours.

The skyline of Silver moon pack appeared in front of her within four hours.

The capital dealt with various packs around it. In order to facilitate travelling, they built connecting highways all over the place. Not everyone was permitted to use those roads. Even Alpha Victor needed a formal application ahead of time if he ever needed to use it.

Ivy was still muddle headed from her nap so none of it registered in time. She was already staring at the border by the time her mind cleared. She gathered her bag between her arms, turning to Leon to express her gratitude.

"Thank you for helping me. I'm sorry you had to make such a long trip because of me." Ivy took a deep breath, bowed her head, and said, "I'm ashamed to say this, but I have no way to repay you for this favour."

Ivy didn't hear from him for a long time. Just when she thought he wouldn't say anything, Leon asked, "How long are you going to bow? Doesn't your neck hurt?"

She straightened up. Her forehead was dotted with sweat from her spine being stretched that long. Leon assessed the discomfort on her face but ultimately chose to remain silent.

Ivy bowed to him once more before he left. She then entered the border alone. A new guard was stationed there, who asked for Ivy's identity card. She handed him an old card issued five years ago.

Each pack issued identity cards for their members. It prevented any rogues from infiltrating into the pack. Ivy was a well-known figure within the Silver Moon pack, so her old ID was never renewed.

The image of her younger self looked so innocent. It was hard to believe that the young woman in thin clothes and hollow eyes was the same person.

"Um, the photo is a bit old -" The new guard was cut off midway by an older guard.

"She's a member. Don't bother checking the ID. Let her through."

Ivy got her ID back, stuffed it in her bag and stepped inside. She waited at the pick up location for over an hour but no one came to take her home. Usually, the guard station informed the pack house whenever a family member returned from outside. Someone or the driver would go to the pick up station to drive them home.

When nobody came for over an hour, Ivy decided to walk ten kilometres. The sun was about to set. She couldn't wait any longer. Clutching her bag against her chest, she started with small steps.

Ivy made it to the pack house way after sun down. What was supposed to be an hour long walk turned into a two hour hike for her. Her back injuries had ripped open at some point. Every step was like walking on open electric wires, shooting was waves of pain up her body.

Ivy managed to press the bell before her body caved under pressure. She leaned against the porch fence, breathing heavily.

The door swung open a few seconds later.

Luna Doris was in her early forties but she maintained herself with such grace she looked not a day over thirty. Ivy was raised under her care for eighteen years, it was impossible not to feel something when she saw that motherly face after three long years.

Ivy was about to reach for help, but her words died when Emma appeared behind Luna Doris.

Just like Luke, Emma had gone through changes in terms of appearances. Her hair was shinier, face brighter and smile brilliant. Her smaller frame remained the same, but the clothes fitted well into her features.

This Emma was the closest thing to old Ivy and a striking contrast to her current self. Ivy suppressed the unnecessary feelings that sprouted for Luna Doris.

The woman in front of her was not 'mom' but Luna Doris.

However, the Luna herself couldn't do the same. Her eyes went wide in shock. She scanned Ivy; her matted hair, hollow cheeks and collar bones, her ragsack clothes and the hole ridden shoes. Even the bag she was holding had dirt stains and evidence of being sewed.

"Oh, Ivy." She cried heartbroken. "What happened to you dear."

Ivy knew she was the perfect picture of pity, but she didn't need it. At least not from the ones who made her this way.

Enduring the pain, Ivy straightened her back. Her display felt cold to Luna Doris, who expected the girl to crash into her arms and spill her grievances. The act of being strong was a slap to a mother's face.

"Welcome home, Ivy." Luna Doris forced a smile, reaching for her hand. Ivy didn't meant to move away. It was a reflex to avoid touch after years of torment.

Luna Doris's eyes misted over. Ivy knew she had crossed the line. She wanted to apologise when suddenly a loud stomp interrupted them.

"What's wrong with you?" Luke appeared at the doorway too. He was upset about Ivy's behaviour from the beginning, and seeing her behave like this towards his mother only ignited his fury further. "How dare you show that kind of face to mom? Get your s**t together or go back to the hole you crawled out of! You -"

"Luke!" Luna Doris exclaimed, glaring at her eldest son. "Watch your words. Ivy is your sister. She is the daughter we raised for eighteen years. Speak to her properly."

Luke rolled his eyes but didn't refute her.

Emma's gaze wandered over the people, then slowly she leaned in and whispered to her mother, "Mom, should we tell her about Grandma now or later?"

"Grandma?" Ivy heard that word clearly. "Grandma Norma? What happened to her?"

Luna Doris smiled sadly, “Your Grandma fell sick some time ago. You should take a shower first. I'll take you to see her.”