Claiming His Luna

Emilia’s POV

“It has been a month, Emilia, and there are still no signs of the Crescents,” Melanie uttered.

“Isn’t that supposed to be good news?” I asked.

“It’s not. Remus wouldn’t simply let you go like that,” she voiced her opinion. I looked at her. She puffed on her cigarette. She was right. I had spent countless years in that mansion, never out of Remus’ sight, not even for a second.

“Either you’re exceptionally skilled at hiding, or they’re plunging at searching,” she finished her cigarette.

After years of planning my escape, I had thought this through thoroughly. I knew Remus would assume that I would run as far as possible when I fled. He would search for me in distant lands while I remained a mere three towns away from the mansion. Moreover, he had no knowledge of my sister’s existence-Melanie, who resided in namelessness, having married into another pack.

“He’ll search for Cercei,” Melanie added, extinguishing her cigarette in the ashtray.

“I won’t allow him to take her away from me,” I clenched my fist. He had already taken enough from me-my life, my love-but not my daughter.

“After all, she is his daughter, his firstborn,” Melanie reminded me.

“Cercei is a mixed half-blood,” I said. She regarded me with disdain as if that had changed anything. She was right. Cercei was the daughter of an alpha, regardless of her bloodline.

According to our laws, she possessed the right to inherit the throne. I couldn’t allow that to happen; I would protect her from the knowledge of her entitlements. Besides, Cercei had never been one to crave power.

Cercei mustn’t learn about her true origin-it is far too dangerous. If Vienna were to discover the truth, she would use every means at her disposal to eliminate Cercei.

Cercei’s mere presence had always threatened Vienna, yet Cercei remained oblivious to the truth of her birth.

“However, it’s still peculiar,” Melanie suddenly remarked, shattering the silence.

“I mean, they have men scattered across the globe, and yet they can’t find you,” she poured wine into a glass and handed it to me.

“I expected more of a challenge, you know. I thought we would have to flee to the ends of the Earth,” I joked. She chuckled.

“Perhaps someone is blocking their efforts,” Melanie conjectured.

“But who could be assisting us?” I questioned. I knew no one, and I relied solely on my sister. She was the only family I had left, and as much as I loathed to admit it, I had no friends to help me. Henrì had connections to powerful friends who were supposed to assist us, but I had never met them or had any contact. His death shattered my life and extinguished my hope, leaving Cercei as the sole driving force that kept me going.

“I don’t know, maybe,” she shrugged.

It was indeed peculiar. I was acutely aware of the lengths to which Remus’ desperation could drive him. He would stop at nothing to obtain what he desired.

“We will continue to do as we always have, hope for the best, and prepare for the worst,” Melanie smiled at me. I returned a sad smile.

“I apologise for dragging you into this mess,” I said apologetically.

“You’re my sister, Emilia, and this is more than just a mess-it’s pure hell,” she attempted to lighten the mood.

Melanie, my younger sister, had always been the strong and fierce one as we grew up. I was meant to be the protector, but now I found myself hiding in her shadow, putting her life at risk. She had managed to build a comfortable life for herself. Her husband’s untimely death had shattered her, but she had managed to rebuild and recover.

“I’m incredibly proud of everything you’ve accomplished, Mimi. Papà and Mamà would have been so proud of you,” I acknowledged her achievements. She walked over to me and embraced me tightly, and I returned the hug. Tears welled up in my eyes.

“I’m so sorry for everything you’ve been through,” she gently patted my back.

“Yeah, me too,” I sniffled.

“It won’t be long until they find you,” she reminded me once again.

“Then we’ll run,” I replied. We were skilled at running; we had been doing it our whole lives.ConTEent bel0ngs to Nôv(e)lD/rama(.)Org .

“We can’t keep running forever, Emilia. Sooner or later, they will catch us up,” she stared at me intensely, and I met her gaze with equal intensity.

“There is no winning or losing, Melanie. This isn’t a war,” I said, mustering my resolve. This was far from a war; we couldn’t stand a chance, not even the slightest. It was like an ant trying to challenge an elephant.

“No, but when the time comes, it will be,” she hinted at Cercei.

“Cercei will come of age, and when the time for the passing of the crown arrives, all your secrets will be exposed,” she added. I clenched my teeth in frustration.

“Please, Emilia. I only want what’s best for us,” she held my hand and pleaded. I glanced at her hands, eyes filled with worries.

“What do you propose we do?” Panic surged through me as I asked the question.

“Return to our pack,” she suggested. I shook my head vehemently.

“You can’t be serious,” I widened my eyes, feeling irritated by her audacious proposition.

“It’s time for us to go back,” Melanie insisted, her gaze filled with sadness. Henrì’s pack was Moonstone, and I had become a part of it when I married him, but our original pack was Lunar, located in Spain. That was where our family belonged. The Moonstone and Lunar packs were not on the best of terms. When I married Henrì, our alpha was furious, and my entire family shared in the anger. They forbade me from marrying Henrì, and so I left.

And now Melanie wants us to knock on their doorstep, begging for protection. But I know all too well that they would sooner kill us than let Remus get his hands on us.

“It’s been a long time, sister. I’m sure they have forgiven you by now,” Melanie tried to persuade me once again.

“Don Mariano isn’t exactly known for his forgiveness, you know that,” I emphasised. Don Mariano was our alpha, a dangerous and rigid figure.

“No, but he loves his people,” she countered.

“I am no longer one of his people,” I laughed bitterly.

“Regardless of how far we’ve come, Emilia, we will always remain a Luna,” Melanie recalled enthusiastically. The status of being a Luna held significant weight and influence.

“Trust me, I desire help just as much as you do. But who’s to say they would even want to help us? It would be suicide to provoke a conflict with the Moonstone pack,” I averted my gaze. The Moonstone pack was one of the most powerful and influential packs in the Western region. While they may not be friendly towards our pack, they were not our enemies either.

“Do you truly wish to drag them into a battle we cannot win?” I locked eyes with Melanie as I posed the question. It left her speechless and silenced. She knew deep down that I was right. Our old pack stood no chance against the might of the Moonstone pack-they possessed wealth, power, and resources far beyond our reach.

I’m afraid we’ll have to face this alone, as we always have.