The Unclaimed Luna

A price of power

(Lauren's POV)

As I walked out of Darius’s office, I was thinking about our conversation. I’d said what needed to be said, but it wasn’t enough.

Darius was still confused, still torn between his duty and his feelings for Emma. I could see it in his eyes—the doubt, the conflict, the way he kept holding on to someone who wasn’t right for him.

He was so caught up in her, so determined to make it work, that he couldn’t see the truth. Emma didn’t deserve him. She was weak, too scared to be the Luna he needed. And yet, here he was, holding on to the idea that she would change. She wouldn’t. She couldn’t.

I could already feel the fire in me rising. The jealousy, the bitterness, everything that had been building up for years since I first laid eyes on Darius. When I had seen him, really seen him, something shifted inside of me. It wasn’t about the power or the position he held as alpha—it was about him. Darius was the one I wanted. I didn’t care what it took. I didn’t care about anyone else standing in my way.

And Emma? She was in the way. She was the one who had to go. I couldn’t believe that we had once been best friends. I couldn’t believe I had spent so much time with her, confiding in her, laughing with her.

All of that had meant nothing when I realized how deep my feelings for Darius went. It was almost laughable now. I had tried to keep it together, tried to pretend I wasn’t angry every time I saw her with him, every time she laughed or smiled like she was his. But I couldn’t pretend anymore. Not when the mark he gave her was the last straw.

It was supposed to be me. I was supposed to be his Luna, standing by his side. But Emma had come into the picture, and everything had changed. She wasn’t strong enough, wasn’t fit to lead beside him. And I couldn’t believe she was still hanging on, still trying to act like she was in control of everything. She was pathetic, and I was done letting her think she had a place in Darius’s life.

I could feel the anger bubbling up inside me as I walked through the halls. How could she have done this? How could she be so stupid, so unaware of what she was throwing away? It wasn’t just about being Darius’s mate, about sharing his life and leading the pack. It was about what he needed, and she couldn’t give it to him.

She didn’t even understand him the way I did. I’d spent enough time with him to know what he wanted, what he needed to feel whole. And she was too weak to give him that. She didn’t know how to be strong, how to fight for what mattered.

But I did.

I wasn’t going to just sit back and watch her ruin everything. I wasn’t going to let her destroy my future with Darius. If I had to play dirty to get what I wanted, then so be it. I’d done worse in the past. I could do it again. Emma wouldn’t stand in my way.

I could already picture it—the look on Darius’s face when he realized what I was doing. When he saw how strong I was, how much I could give him. It wasn’t going to be an easy road, but I didn’t care. I had time.

I would wait for the right moment, the right opportunity to make my move. I wasn’t going to rush it, wasn’t going to force it. But I was going to make sure Emma was out of the picture for good. And once she was, Darius would have no choice but to turn to me.

I gritted my teeth as I thought about her—how she still thought she could push Darius away, how she still thought she could control him. She couldn’t. I would make sure of it. She didn’t belong with him. I did.

The more I thought about it, the more I realized how much I despised her. She was weak, unsure of herself. She didn’t deserve to stand beside him. I had seen the way Darius looked at her—like she was everything he ever wanted. But it wasn’t real.

He was just too blinded by his emotions to see what was right in front of him. He needed someone who could be strong when he needed them to be. Someone who could help him lead, someone who wasn’t afraid to stand beside him no matter what.

I could give him that.

I could be everything he needed.

But Emma? She wasn’t cut out for it. She was going to crumble under the pressure. And once she did, once she realized she couldn’t handle being with Darius, I would be there to pick up the pieces.

I would be the one to step into the role she was too afraid to take. I would show Darius just how strong I was and how much I could do for him. He wouldn’t be able to resist. He wouldn’t be able to turn me away.

I could already feel the satisfaction of watching Emma fall apart. She had been so confident, so sure of herself, but now she was just a scared little girl who couldn’t handle the life she’d been given. She didn’t belong here, and I was going to make sure she knew it.

I let out a breath as I reached my room. Plotting out every move I would make. I couldn’t let this drag on any longer. I couldn’t let Darius stay trapped in this fantasy with Emma. It was time for him to wake up, to see the truth.

I didn’t care how much it hurt him. I didn’t care if he hated me for it. I had to do this. I had to take what was rightfully mine. And if that meant tearing Emma down, then so be it.

I was done being a good friend. I was done pretending I was okay with watching Emma and Darius together. I was done pretending that this wasn’t all a game to me. I had played nice for too long. Now it was time to get serious.

I was going to break them apart, no matter what it took. I would do whatever it took to get Darius to see that I was the one who deserved him. I was the one who would be there for him, the one who would fight for him.

And Emma? She was nothing more than a stepping stone on my way to the top. She was going to regret ever thinking she could take him from me.

As I closed the door to my room and leaned against it, a wicked smile spread across my lips. Emma didn’t stand a chance against me—not when I had the one thing she’d never possess.

I stepped to the mirror and ran my fingers over the small amulet hanging around my neck, its dark gem pulsing faintly with power. The fire in my veins flared brighter, fed by the ancient magic coursing through me.

After all, Emma might have the mark, but I had something far more powerful.

I was a witch. And soon, she would learn what that meant.