The Unclaimed Luna

Hidden threat

(Darius)

My mind was filled with frustration and confusion. Every time I tried to get close to Emma, she pushed me away. And now, with the mark I’d given her, the pregnancy she was carrying—everything was a mess. I had no idea what to do.

A knock on the door interrupted my thoughts, and I didn’t need to look up to know who it was. Lauren. She always seemed to know when I was at my breaking point, and I hated that. I hated that I was letting her see me like this. But I couldn’t escape it. Not now.

“Can I come in?” Her voice was soft, almost too gentle.

“Yeah,” I muttered, not wanting to say more.

She entered the room, closing the door behind her. I didn’t look at her right away. Instead, I stared down at my hands, trying to make sense of everything.

“Are you okay?” She asked, and I could hear the concern in it, though I wasn’t sure if it was for me or the pack.

“I’m fine,” I said. I wasn’t fine, and we both knew it.

She didn’t say anything, just stepped closer, her presence heavy in the air. I felt her gaze on me, but I refused to meet her eyes. I didn’t want her pity or her advice. I knew what she was going to say.

“You’re not fine,” Lauren finally said. “Darius, talk to me. What’s going on?”

I exhaled loudly and ran a hand through my hair. “It’s Emma. She’s... she’s fighting me. Every chance she gets. I marked her when we... when we were together. I thought it was the right thing, but now she doesn’t want me. Doesn’t want anything to do with me.”

Lauren was quiet for a moment like she was thinking about what I said. She always seemed to know how to listen, how to dig deeper.

“She’s not rejecting you because of the mark,” Lauren said, her voice low, like she was trying to calm me down. “She’s rejecting you because she doesn’t want this life. She doesn’t want the pack, the responsibility. And you know it. You’ve seen how she acts around them. She doesn’t fit in.”

I looked at her, my jaw clenched. “You don’t know her, Lauren. She’s not like you. She doesn’t just want to fit in. She’s trying to figure things out. And it’s hard when everyone looks at her like she’s nothing.”

Lauren’s eyes narrowed, but she didn’t back down. “You’re right. But you know what else is true? She’s not cut out to be the Luna. She doesn’t have what it takes to lead. And the pack—well, they see that. They see how weak she is, how she can’t keep control. It’s only going to cause more problems.”

I stood up, pushing my chair back with a loud scrape. “You don’t know what you’re talking about,” I snapped. “You think I don’t see how she’s struggling? I can feel it, Lauren. She’s hurting. I can see it in her eyes, in the way she pulls away. She’s scared. And I don’t know how to fix it.”

Lauren didn’t flinch. She didn’t back down like most people would. Instead, she stepped closer. “She doesn’t want to be fixed, Darius. She’s not interested in this life. She doesn’t want to be with you, not like this. You’ve marked her, sure, but that doesn’t mean she’s ready to take on the pack, to take on the responsibilities of being Luna. You’re wasting your time.”

I gritted my teeth, angry at her words but unable to deny the truth in them. She was right about one thing: Emma didn’t seem to want this life. But it wasn’t because she couldn’t handle it. It was because she was scared. She didn’t trust me, didn’t trust the pack, and every time I tried to get close, she pushed me away.

“But she’s pregnant,” I said, my voice softer now. “She’s carrying my pup, Lauren. I can’t just walk away from her. I can’t abandon her, not now.”

Lauren’s expression hardened, but she didn’t look surprised. “So what? Do you think a pup is going to change things? Do you think that’s enough to make her suddenly accept this life? It won’t. She’s already shown you who she is. She’s not what you need.”

Her words hit hard, but I wasn’t sure if it was because I knew deep down she was right. Emma wasn’t ready to be Luna. And I was dragging her through something she didn’t want.

“Maybe I don’t care what she wants,” I said, my voice low and dangerous. “Maybe I don’t care that she’s pushing me away. I’m not letting her go, Lauren. I’m not just going to give up on her.”

Lauren’s lips curled into a small, almost sad smile. “You’re not giving up on her, Darius. You’re just facing reality. You can’t keep holding on to something that isn’t going to work. You’re suffocating her, and you’re suffocating yourself.”

Her words cut deeper than I wanted to admit. “I don’t know what you want me to do. She’s my mate. My Luna. I’m not just going to throw that away.”

Lauren moved closer, her hand reaching out to gently touch my arm. “You’re not throwing it away. You’re doing what’s best for both of you. She’s only holding you back. And honestly, you deserve more. You deserve someone who understands you and who wants this life as much as you do. Someone who will be there for you, not push you away at every turn.”

I pulled my arm away from her touch. “You think I don’t know that?” I hissed. “I can feel it, too. But I’m not going to walk away from her. I’m not going to let her go, especially when she’s carrying my pup.”

Lauren didn’t flinch at my outburst. Instead, she stepped closer, her voice calm but firm. “You’re not doing her any favors by staying with her, Darius. She doesn’t want you, not really. She’s pushing you away because she’s scared. She’s not strong enough to be the Luna you need. And you’re only going to keep hurting yourself, trying to make it work.”

I shook my head, a mixture of anger and confusion within me. “I can’t just reject her. I can’t betray her like that.”

Lauren’s voice dropped lower like she was telling me something I needed to hear. “Maybe you’re not rejecting her. Maybe you’re finally letting go. Letting her go so she can find her way, and so you can find someone who will be there for you. Someone who will stand by you, who will support you. Someone who deserves to be your Luna.”

I wanted to scream, to argue, but I couldn’t. Her words made too much sense. I knew Lauren had always been there for me, always ready to support me. And part of me—maybe the part that had been struggling with Emma for so long—wanted to believe Lauren could be the answer.

But I couldn’t just turn my back on Emma. Not like this.

“I need time,” I said. “I can’t make this decision right now.”

Lauren nodded, her expression unreadable. “Take all the time you need, Darius. I’ll be here when you’re ready. And when you’re ready to move on, I’ll be waiting.”

I didn’t respond. I just watched her leave. I wasn’t sure what I was going to do. All I knew was that I couldn’t keep fighting this battle alone. The pack, Emma, my desires—they were all tangled up in a way I didn’t know how to untangle.

But I was an alpha. And I would make the decision that was best for everyone. Even if that meant walking away from everything I thought I knew.