Luna’s Retribution

CHAPTER FIVE

As the chanting reached its peak, a sharp pain seared through her chest, causing her to stumble forward. She gasped, clutching her heart, as the bond snapped, the severance complete. The world around her seemed to dim for a moment, the connection that had once linked her to Aiden now gone, leaving behind only a hollow emptiness.

It was done.

Tara straightened, taking a deep breath to steady herself. The pack was silent, the weight of what had just happened hanging heavy in the air. Aiden didn’t look at her, didn’t acknowledge the pain she had just endured. Instead, he turned and walked away, his focus already shifting back to Ember and the future he had chosen.

Tara stood alone in the center of the clearing, her heart aching, but her spirit unbroken.

She had severed the bond, but she wasn’t defeated.

As the sun dipped low in the sky, casting long shadows over the pack, Tara knew one thing with certainty: she was leaving the Silvermoon Pack, but she wasn’t leaving quietly.

The air in the Crescent Shadows pack buzzed with a rare kind of excitement, the air thick with the scent of roasting meats and the sweet tang of the berry wine Crescent Shadows was known for. Tara stood near the edge of the clearing, watching as pack members moved about, setting up long wooden tables and decorating them with wildflowers, all in preparation for the celebration.

Her father, the former Alpha, had insisted on throwing a party in her honor. When she had protested, telling him that there was nothing to celebrate, he had merely smiled and said, “Your return is enough cause for joy, Tara. Crescent Shadows has missed you.”

She appreciated his sentiment, but she couldn’t shake the unease that clung to her. The pack hadn’t fully accepted her back, and though her father’s word still carried weight, it wasn’t enough to erase the years she had been gone. But there was no denying that her father’s enthusiasm had stirred something within her—perhaps a hope that she could truly find her place here again.

The Alpha himself, Tara’s father, stood in the center of the preparations, his voice booming with laughter as he oversaw the arrangements. His presence was as commanding as ever, his broad shoulders and silver-streaked hair a testament to his years of leadership. Though Kaden had taken over the mantle as Alpha of Crescent Shadows, their father still held a revered place in the pack’s heart, his influence strong even after his retirement.

Tara’s heart swelled with emotion as she watched him. She had missed him so much, and the regret of abandoning her family for a life that had fallen apart gnawed at her.

As the final touches were added to the tables, pack members began to gather, their curiosity about the celebration evident. The mood was light, the air filled with laughter and conversation. It was the first time since her return that Tara had seen the pack relaxed, and for a moment, she allowed herself to believe that maybe, just maybe, things could be different.

But beneath the surface, she knew not everyone shared her father’s joy about her return.

From the corner of her eye, Tara spotted Kaden near the fire pit, deep in conversation with a few of the warriors. His expression was serious, though he would occasionally glance in her direction. Since their conversation days ago, he had kept his distance, busy with pack duties and the preparations for the celebration. He hadn’t explicitly told her how he felt about the party, but Tara knew he wasn’t fully on board with their father’s decision to make such a public display of her return.

“Trying to blend into the shadows, sister?” Her father’s deep voice pulled her from her thoughts, and she turned to find him standing beside her, his blue eyes twinkling with affection.

Tara smiled softly. “I don’t know if I deserve all this attention, Father.”

“Nonsense,” he said, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. “You’ve been gone too long. It’s time we remind the pack of who you are.”

“I’m not sure they’ve forgotten,” she muttered, glancing around at the pack members who eyed her with a mix of curiosity and wariness.

Her father’s expression softened. “Give it time, Tara. They’ll come around. Crescent Shadows has always been a family, and you are still a part of that.”

“I hope you’re right,” she said, though doubt still lingered.

Just as she was about to say more, a sudden shift in the atmosphere caught her attention. The mood of the gathering shifted as several heads turned toward the forest’s edge, where the dark shapes of approaching wolves began to materialize. Tara’s heart skipped a beat, her wolf stirring in recognition before her eyes confirmed what her senses already knew.

Aiden had arrived.

He had found out that Tara was the daughter of the alpha of the Crescent shadows pack, news about the party had spread like wildfire.

Flanked by several Silvermoon warriors, Aiden strode into the clearing as if he owned the place, his dark hair tousled and his sharp features hardened by arrogance. He wore the markings of an Alpha—strong, commanding, and undeniably powerful—but to Tara, he was nothing more than a ghost from a life she had left behind. The sight of him stirred a mixture of emotions—rage, hurt, and something far darker that pulsed at the edges of her mind.

Kaden’s reaction was immediate. His eyes locked onto Aiden with a cold fury, and he moved toward the edge of the gathering, intercepting the Silvermoon Alpha before he could get too close to Tara.

“Aiden,” Kaden said, his voice low and dangerous. “You’ve got a lot of nerve showing up here.”

Aiden didn’t falter, his expression one of smug indifference. “I came to see Tara,” he said, his gaze briefly shifting to her before returning to Kaden. “I heard there was a celebration.”

Kaden stepped closer, his body radiating tension. “You’re not welcome here. This is Crescent Shadows territory. You should leave.”

Aiden smiled, the expression dripping with condescension. “Tara is still my mate—”

“She’s not your mate anymore,” Kaden growled, his fists clenching at his sides.

The crowd around them had begun to take notice, whispers spreading through the pack as the confrontation unfolded. Tara’s heart raced as she watched the scene, torn between stepping forward and staying back. She knew Kaden well enough to know that he was on the verge of losing control, but Aiden had never been one to back down easily.

Her father stepped forward, his deep voice cutting through the tension. “Aiden, this is not the time or place. Leave now before you make a mistake you can’t undo.”

But Aiden ignored him, his attention fixed on Kaden. “I’m not here to cause trouble,” he said, though the tone of his voice betrayed him. “I’m simply here to speak with my former mate.”

Kaden’s eyes flared with fury at the mention of Tara. “You lost that right the moment you betrayed her, Aiden. You’re not Alpha here. You don’t get to make demands.”

Aiden sneered, his confidence unshaken. “I’m still an Alpha, Kaden. Maybe you should learn some respect.”

And that was all it took.

Kaden lunged at Aiden with a growl that shook everyone. The two Alphas collided with a force that sent a shockwave through the clearing, their fists flying as they grappled for dominance. The crowd gasped in shock, warriors stepping forward to pull them apart, but neither Kaden nor Aiden seemed willing to back down.

Tara’s breath caught in her throat as she watched her friend and her former mate locked in battle, their bodies a blur of fists and snarls. She knew she had to do something, but before she could move, her father raised his hand, signaling the warriors to hold back.

“Let them settle this,” he said, his voice calm but firm.

Tara’s eyes widened in disbelief. “Father, no—”

But her father shook his head, his gaze fixed on the two Alphas. “They need to settle it. This fight has been brewing for a long time.”

The battle raged on, neither Aiden nor Kaden willing to yield. Kaden’s strikes were fueled by years of pent-up anger, his wolf pushing him to protect his pack and his sister from the man who had betrayed them. But Aiden was equally formidable, his movements calculated and precise, every blow meant to remind Kaden of his power.

Finally, with a roar, Kaden managed to pin Aiden to the ground, his hand around Aiden’s throat. “You don’t belong here,” Kaden snarled, his voice thick with fury. “This is my pack, and you will never lay a hand on Tara again.”

Aiden’s eyes flickered with rage, but he remained still, his chest heaving beneath Kaden’s weight. “She was mine, Kaden. You can’t change that.”

Kaden’s grip tightened, his teeth bared. “Not anymore.”

There was a long, tense silence, and for a moment, Tara feared Kaden would go too far. But then, her father’s voice broke through the stillness.