He Wanted Me As His Second Mate But I’m The Alpha King’s Luna Chapter 02
The Wooden Hairpin
That same year, the Alpha King held a mate-selection ceremony at the Moon Palace. Every unmated highborn she-wolf of age was invited. I went.
But when the ceremony began, the Alpha King walked straight toward me.
The entire hall went silent.
He stopped in front of me, his eyes fixed on mine.
“She’s mine.”
“The Moon Goddess has chosen my mate.”
Now, back to the present.
“Come on now,” Damon says from the wall, “I know you never wrote me back these two years. But that’s just my girl throwing a tantrum. I get it.”
He reaches down and snaps a wild rose off the branch by the wall, sniffing it.
“I planted this bush with my own paws. The year you came of age. Remember?”
“If you really meant to cut me out, you’d have torched it. Look at it, Fern. Healthiest damn bush in the whole courtyard.”
Please. I left in such a rush for the mate-selection ceremony that I never got around to it.
Came home last week, saw it in full bloom, and figured—why hold a grudge against a bush?
He reads my silence as a confession and smiles like he’s already won.
“You love me too much to let go. You’ve been waiting for me every night. Now I’m here, and you’re happy—you’re just too proud to say it.”
“Three days, sweetheart. I’m gonna bring you home in style.”
I grab a rock off the ground and chuck it at his head.
“Damon Ashford—get the hell off my land!”
He catches it midair, laughing, and drops down off the wall in one clean move.
“Same old Fern! Told you your heart’s still mine!”
“I swear by the Moon Goddess—I’ll never let you down. You and Vera, both of you, are the most important she-wolves in my life.”
At that, my calm finally cracks. I roll my eyes so hard it hurts.
“Rue. Inventory every crate in that courtyard. Then send the whole load straight to the pack war chest.”
“Note it as a generous donation from Damon Ashford — proof of his loyalty to the Alpha King.”
I pause.
“And if he ever has the guts to come asking about it — remind him that coveting the Alpha King’s Luna is treason. Ask him what the sentence is.”
I toss Damon out of my head the second the gates close. I figure I’ll never lay eyes on him again in this lifetime.
That evening, I head to the Copper Tavern for honey cakes.
I’ve barely stepped through the door when a laugh drifts down from the upper landing.
Damon’s slouched against the railing, wearing that same I-knew-it smirk.
“Why the hell did you follow me?”
He pauses on purpose. Voice all indulgent.
“You don’t have to shadow me everywhere, sweetheart. I said three days. Damon Ashford keeps his word.”
I turn my face away, disgusted, and head for the private room I reserved.
He flashes across my path.
“Fern, quit acting up.”
“Your daddy stepped down as Pack Alpha years ago.”
“A private room here runs a hundred silvers a night — that’s a month’s coin for the whole pack house.
” Burning your family’s savings just to spite me? You’ll break your mother’s heart.”
My father is frugal. But the Alpha King has showered our family with gifts for two years. We’re not hurting.
And Elian slipped ten thousand silvers into my traveling pouch before I left the Moon Court, from his private vault.
I suck in a breath. Grind my teeth.
“You bored or something?”
He looks mildly annoyed.
“Weren’t you looking for me? Now you finally spot me, and suddenly you’re playing shy?”
“Come to my table. Vera’s here — you two should meet. You’ll be living under the same roof soon enough.”
Right on cue, Vera comes sashaying over, all swaying hips and soft eyes, draping herself against his shoulder.
“Alpha, this must be the Fern you mentioned?”
She looks me up and down. Something ugly flickers behind her lashes.
“You’re pretty, little sis. No wonder my Alpha couldn’t get you out of his head all these years.”
“But looks don’t hold a mate, sweetie. And that mouth of yours? Big sis is gonna have to smooth out those rough edges.”
I narrow my eyes.
“Little sis?”
“Aw, don’t be shy,” she coos. “Three days, and you’ll be part of the pack. We’re gonna be sisters soon enough—might as well start now.”
I turn to my maid.
“Rue. Slap her.”
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