One Ceremony, Two Lunas

After the gathering broke up, Damien drove me home. He didn't bring up what had happened. Not once the entire ride. When we got to my building, he pulled a brown paper envelope from the car. "Oh, by the way—I had someone draft a pre-bonding agreement. Take a look." He flipped to the page where I needed to sign. "Look it over. If everything's fine, go ahead and sign." I scanned down. One line still jumped off the page. [Both parties voluntarily agree to have no pups. After the bonding, neither party shall bear nor adopt any heirs.] I stared at the pen. I didn't take it. Damien tucked the envelope into my arms. "Take it home and read through it. You can sign tomorrow." He'd barely finished speaking when his phone rang. Elena's voice came through. "Damien, my stomach's feeling kind of off." Damien immediately reached over and opened my door. "Get out. I need to go check on her." I sat there without moving. When I didn't speak, he frowned slightly and softened his tone. "She just conceived. Her wolf energy isn't stable yet—this is the most dangerous stage. Don't pick now to throw a tantrum." I took a deep breath, eyes stinging, and got out of the car. The car pulled away almost instantly. He left without looking back. I stood there clutching that agreement, watching his taillights disappear, feeling nothing but a numb ache spreading through my chest. The next afternoon, trying to shake the heaviness sitting at the bottom of my heart, I went to an Italian restaurant in Manhattan. The moment I walked in, I spotted the former Luna sitting by the window—with Elena. "Mom, I really can't eat another bite." I stopped in my tracks. Elena was calling Damien's mother Mom. The former Luna—Mrs. Blackthorn—noticed me and a flicker of discomfort crossed her face. "Serena, what are you doing here?" Elena caught on too and smiled. "Don't mind it, Serena. Mrs. Blackthorn insisted that since Damien and I are already marked, I should address her properly—pack tradition." Mrs. Blackthorn pulled a black-and-gold card from her bag and handed it to Elena. "Here. A hundred thousand dollars. By Blackthorn family custom, it's the welcome gift for the Luna." On our engagement day, Mrs. Blackthorn had held my hand and said: "Once you and Damien register at the Moon Court, I'll give you ten thousand dollars—a gift for the heir's mate." I'd smiled and said that sounded lovely. Now that gift had gone to Elena instead. Ten times what she'd promised me. Mrs. Blackthorn noticed me staring at the card and her tone cooled. "Elena is Damien's registered mate now. Certain courtesies must be observed." "You haven't registered at the Moon Court yet, so we'll hold off on yours." Elena snorted a laugh. "Serena, you're not going to fight me over a welcome gift, are you?" Damien walked in right at that moment. "It's a hundred thousand dollars. Don't make this embarrassing." I stood there quietly, eyes burning red. I didn't end up eating that meal. I couldn't stomach a single bite. I turned to leave, but Mrs. Blackthorn called out from behind me. "Oh, one more thing—I'll be having Elena move into your Moon Nest for the next few months."

I stopped mid-step and turned around in disbelief. Mrs. Blackthorn said it like it was the most natural thing in the world. "It's closer to the healing center. Makes it easier for Damien to take care of her." "You two haven't completed the bonding ceremony yet anyway. The place is just sitting there empty." I looked at Damien. But he was already looking at Elena. "The first trimester is the most dangerous. If I stay there, I can keep an eye on her." My fingers tightened around my bag. That Moon Nest—I'd spent the better part of a year decorating it myself. Choosing every piece of furniture, every detail. I hadn't even spent a single night there. And they'd already arranged it for another woman. Mrs. Blackthorn saw the look on my face and her expression hardened. "She's carrying Blackthorn blood. Damien's heir. You're going to be Damien's Luna someday—can't you show a little generosity over something this small?" I had no right to refuse. Because at eight o'clock that evening, when I arrived at my apartment, a notification popped up on my phone from the Moon Nest security system. [Administrator Damien Blackthorn has granted Moon Nest access to a new member.] [Member name: Elena Ross.] The notification lingered for a few seconds before disappearing. I stared at Elena Ross and went straight to the Moon Nest. The moment I opened the door, the living room was piled with four or five suitcases. Elena padded out of the master bedroom in bare feet. "Serena! You're here?" She pointed at the suitcases on the floor. "Give me a hand, would you? I'm not supposed to lift anything heavy right now." I didn't move. A cleaning maid came out carrying a box and paused when she saw me, then turned to Elena. "Luna, should these prenatal supplies go in the master bathroom?" Elena answered without missing a beat. "Yeah, go ahead." I looked at Damien. He was adjusting the climate control system in the bedroom for her. Not once—not a single time—did he correct anyone for calling her Luna. I walked into the master bedroom. The engagement photo on the nightstand—the one Damien and I had chosen together just last month—was gone. All that remained on the wall were two nail holes. "Where's the photo?" Elena poked her head in from behind. "I had someone put it away. Can you imagine opening your eyes at night and seeing you two staring down at me that big? Creepy." She cracked up at her own joke. Damien only glanced at her and said softly: "Behave." I opened the closet door. The silk robe and bonding ceremony gown that had been hanging inside were shoved to the very back. The other half was already stuffed with Elena's things. Even my toiletries from the bathroom had been packed into a cardboard box and left by the door. Elena pointed at it. "Serena, your perfume and body wash are way too strong. My senses are super heightened right now—one whiff and I feel like throwing up." "You haven't moved in yet anyway, so I just packed it all up for you." Damien picked up right where she left off. "Once she's had the pup, you can put everything back." I looked at him. "Why is she in the master bedroom?" "The master has the best setup. She's carrying a pup—of course she gets the best." Damien frowned like he was answering a question that shouldn't need to be asked. I looked at Elena's stomach, still showing nothing. "And after the bonding ceremony? Where do I sleep?" Elena was unpacking her pillow and didn't even look up. "The guest room, obviously." She laughed. "Serena, you're not going to fight a pregnant wolf over the master bedroom, are you?" Damien didn't laugh. But what he said was worse than anything Elena could have come up with. "It's just a few months. You're perfectly healthy. What difference does it make where you sleep?" I stood there, right beside the bed Damien and I had picked out together, watching everything that belonged to me get carried away, piece by piece. Next month, I would walk toward Damien in a moon-white gown. The ceremony would go on as planned. The guests would all be there. Everyone would call me Luna—but there would be no real marking ritual. No Moon Court registration. Just a ceremony. Everything else belonged to Elena. The one truly marked was Elena. The one officially registered as his mate was Elena. The one living in his master bedroom was Elena. What was even the point? This bonding ceremony was utterly pointless. I lost all interest in fighting. But Elena suddenly seemed to remember something. She dug a jewelry box out of her suitcase. Inside was a pair of Blackthorn family heirloom emerald moon rings. I recognized them. On our engagement day, Mrs. Blackthorn had slipped one onto my finger with a smile. "These were passed down from Damien's grandmother. Once you're officially Luna, they're yours." Elena tried one on. "Mrs. Blackthorn said since I'm carrying the pup, I should wear them for now." And Damien said: "She'll only have them for a few months." "They'll still be yours eventually." I didn't particularly care anymore. When you've truly decided to let go, these details stop mattering. I turned and walked out of the Moon Nest, then called my mother. "Mom—that European North Sea Port Alliance project you mentioned. Has a lead been assigned yet?" "Aren't you about to have your bonding ceremony?" "It's off." My mother let out a delighted laugh. "Good. I'll get you set up."