The Cursed Alpha's Fifth Luna

Nina waited until the door clicked shut behind Moreen before she spoke.

"Who are you?"

The woman looked at her for a moment, a faint smile touching her lips. Instead of answering, she carried the tray to the table and set it down. "I think you already know the answer to that question, Annalise," she said.

Nina stared at her, then glanced at the untouched bowl. Without drinking from it, she placed it on the side table. A humorless smile tugged at the corner of her mouth.

"It seems no one in the three realms has learned how to answer a question directly," she said, sarcasm slipping into her voice.

The woman’s mouth arched slightly, an amused hum rising from the back of her throat, before she turned to the bed. "My name is Freya," she said at last. "I’ve been asked to guide you to the Three Realms."

Nina looked at her carefully. "So you’re the one I’ll be meeting by the oak tree tomorrow."

Freya inclined her head. "Yes." She paused, studying Nina for a brief moment before adding, "Thankfully, you woke before the appointed time."

Nina did not respond. Her eyes locked onto the woman’s. "How are you here?" she asked, her brows drawing together. "And Emory? How are all of you here?" Her gaze sharpened, searching Freya’s face for the slightest crack in her composure. "Is the pack house filled with witches?"

A quiet chuckle escaped Freya. "You truly believe we have spent twenty years waiting for your return without making preparations?"

Freya folded her hands in her lap, her expression calm enough to be unsettling. "Everything you see around you... every step that has brought you here... everything you have encountered..." She held Nina’s gaze without blinking. "It has all been accounted for."

Nina’s heartbeat slowed for a fraction of a second before quickening again. "What are you talking about?"

"Your coming here, becoming the Luna, is all our design."

Nina’s blood ran cold. "That is a lie..." she said. "My sister was chosen."

Freya didn’t look surprised. "Yes, she was."

Nina blinked. "Then what are you saying?"

"I’m saying that if she had entered the pack house..." Freya’s voice remained steady. "...she would have died. She was destined to switch places with you. Everything was already written."

The room seemed to grow unnaturally still. Even the sound of birds outside the window faded beneath the pounding of her heart.

"What..." she whispered.

Her lips parted again, but the words came out uneven. "What do you mean?"

Freya smiled. "It means you are the Alpha’s fated mate. Every Luna before you had to die until you came."

Nina’s face paled as realization struck her. "The creature... the witches brought the creature here to kill the Lunas?" A coldness spread from the pit of her stomach until it settled deep in her bones as she stared at the woman in front of her.

Freya did not respond immediately. Instead, a slow smile stretched her lips. "How else could we ensure you entered the pack house?" she asked, her tone patient, almost gentle, as though she were explaining something painfully obvious. "You, an illegitimate child—how else would the Alpha have married you?"

Nina shook her head slowly as tears clouded the edges of her vision. "No..."

She stared at her in horror. "You killed those innocent women just because of a book?" she asked, her voice trembling despite herself.

"The Vault of Forbidden Spells is not just a book, Annalise," Freya said. Her eyes were fixed on Nina, her expression entirely serious now. "It is the key to life and death. It has the power to end generations and restore them. Every realm seeks it, Annalise. It must be returned to us if this world is to remain safe."

Nina let out a hollow laugh. "Safe?"

She looked at Freya in disbelief. "By eradicating an entire race of Lycans? Is that how this world becomes a better place?"

"There is no safe future for humans with that cursed breed. They must be removed from the surface of the earth. Every single one of them."

Dread coiled through Nina until she could almost taste bile. "I would do no such thing," she said. "Whatever this is, I will not be a part of it."

Her body trembled with anger as she spoke, and she immediately regretted it when she saw the look in Freya’s eyes.

*She shouldn’t have said that.* What if Freya refused to take her to the Three Realms? Nina’s fingers dug into the sheets as she stared at her.

Without a word, Freya stood. "You need to regain your memories if you want to understand the full picture, Annalise. And it seems I haven’t mentioned..."

She paused, turning to look back at her. "...you do not have a choice."

Nina’s face paled with dread, her heart thudding against her ribcage.

Freya didn’t say anything else. Instead, she walked toward the wooden box resting on the table, lifted its lid, and reached inside before turning back toward Nina. "I have a gift for you."

Nina frowned as she watched her approach. Freya placed a small hourglass on the bedside stool. Golden sand trickled steadily from the upper chamber into the lower one.

Nina’s brows knitted together. "What is this?" she asked, irritation flashing across her face.

Freya looked down at the hourglass before meeting Nina’s eyes. "This is how much time you have left."

Nina froze, a lump forming in her throat.

"If you fail to retrieve the Vothraki and regain your powers..." Freya’s voice remained frighteningly composed. "...you will die."

The room fell silent. Nina lowered her eyes to the hourglass. The sand was dripping quickly into the lower compartment, grain by grain. Her throat tightened as she watched it. Dread curled through her.

Something was wrong. She couldn’t place it, but her heart ached just staring at the hourglass. She didn’t know why she couldn’t bring herself to trust these people. Yes, she was Annalise, but then... why was she so reluctant to curse them? Was she really as evil as the rumors said? Why, then, was she so different now?

A strange sadness settled deep inside her chest, wrapping itself around her ribs until breathing became difficult. A tear threatened to slip from her eye, but Nina blinked it away.

She needed answers. If making them think she was going to go along with it was the only way, then she would do it.

"You did not need to bring me a reminder. I already know how much time I have left," she ground out.

"You’re hesitating because of him."

Nina’s head snapped up.

"I saw the way he looked at you," Freya said. "He’s in love with you."

Nina’s hands froze against the bedsheets.

Freya gave a soft laugh before turning toward the window. She drew the curtain aside slightly and looked outside. "That is a good thing."

She glanced over her shoulder. "The downfall of the Alpha will be his love for a woman."

Nina’s grip tightened until her knuckles turned white. Every muscle in her jaw locked.

"You have to use his love to your advantage and find the Vothraki quickly," Freya said.

A long quiet stretched between them. When Nina didn’t reply, a slow frown formed on Freya’s brow. She turned around completely. "Unless..."

Understanding slowly settled across her face. "Unless you have grown to love him too."

Nina’s eyes lifted instantly and her lips parted to answer, but before she could utter a word, the door burst open.

Rodrigo stormed inside, stopping only for the briefest moment as his eyes found her. Nina drew a shaky breath as her wet eyes landed on him. His dark hair was disheveled, as though he’d run his hands through it countless times. Shadows sat heavily beneath his eyes, and exhaustion had drained the usual sharpness from his handsome features. It looked as though sleep had abandoned him completely.

"Nina..."

The relief in his voice was almost painful. He crossed the room in long strides before pulling her into his arms. His embrace was firm enough to steal the breath from her lungs. "I was so worried," he murmured, holding her as though letting go wasn’t an option. "What happened?"

Over Rodrigo’s shoulder, Nina looked toward Freya. The older woman simply smiled.

Rodrigo pulled back briefly and turned to the healer. "How is she? Is she okay?" he asked, worry etched into his brow.

"Yes, Alpha," Freya replied smoothly. "She simply needs food and proper rest. She’s been under a great deal of stress these past few weeks."

Nina blinked once before forcing herself to smile. "I’m fine," she said, dragging her gaze away from Freya. "I think it was the cold. I stayed out for too long."

Rodrigo searched her face. His fingers gently brushed the loose strands of hair away from her forehead before he pressed a lingering kiss there, followed by another against her cheek and a soft kiss on her lips. He pulled back to look at her again, making sure she was truly okay.

Freya dipped into a respectful bow. "If you’ll excuse me, Alpha," she said, glancing at Nina one last time before she quietly left the room.

Only then did Nina realize she’d been holding her breath.

"You scared me," Rodrigo whispered as he wrapped his arms around her once more.

A small laugh escaped Nina. "I’m okay," she said shakily, cupping his face between her hands. "You look like you’re the one who collapsed."

Her thumbs brushed beneath his tired eyes. "Have you slept at all?"

Rodrigo closed his eyes for a brief moment, leaning into her touch. When he opened them again, the tension in his gaze had softened. "I think I can sleep now," he said quietly. "Now that I know you’re safe."

He turned toward the door. "Guards."

The door opened almost immediately. "Alpha."

"Instruct the kitchen to bring my lunch... and the Luna’s... here."

"At once, Alpha."