The Barren Luna They Regret Losing

Aria’s POV

The sky was this sickly gray-white, so heavy it felt like I couldn’t catch a breath, just like the fog that always hung over the Blackwood Pack.

I gripped the parchment scroll tight in my hand, my knuckles going white from the pressure.

It was the diagnosis report I’d just gotten from the witch doctor.

The remarks were:

Silver poison: Cleared.

Uterine tissue: Fully regenerated.

Chances of conception: Extremely high.

Finally, the Moon Goddess had smiled on me. For five years, I’d carried the shame of being barren, endured the tribe’s scornful stares, and even Lucas’s growing coldness.

But now, a miracle had happened.

I could give him a strong heir!

That didn’t just mean I wouldn’t be treated like an outcast anymore. It meant I finally had the right to stand by his side for real.

Heart pounding with joy, I strode down the tribe’s gloomy hallway toward the alpha’s office. The patrolling guards shot me sneers, but I didn’t give a damn.

Then, just as I was about to push open the heavy oak door, a sickeningly sweet smell hit my nose like a punch.

It was Lucas’s scent, mixed with the cloying smell of a female werewolf.

My feet froze, and my heart felt like a cold hand was squeezing it tight.

The door wasn’t shut all the way. Through the narrow crack, I heard a sweet, lazy, mocking female voice.

“Lucas, do you think that useless bitch would go crazy if she knew what we’re doing?” The voice was Selina’s—my so-called good sister and the tribe’s top contender for luna, if Lucas hadn’t suddenly declared me his mate.

“Go crazy?” Lucas’s voice was low and cold, cruel in a way I’d never heard before. “What right does she have to go crazy? Aria’s nothing but a useless waste without a wolf.”

Useless?

Hearing those words, my shattered heart twisted with bitter irony.

The Sky Shield defense system that kept him safe and sitting pretty in that chair was built by the very waste he spat on. He enjoyed the absolute security I gave him, yet used the cruelest words to stomp on my dignity.

It was... fucking ridiculous.

“Then why are you still keeping her around? I’m about to lose my patience...” Selina whined, sounding all sweet and spoiled.

“Hold on, Selina.” Lucas’s voice softened, the kind of gentleness he only ever showed me, but now it was aimed at another woman. “You know about that accident five years ago. If it weren’t to protect you, to keep you from being thrown into that death trap of a prison, why the hell would I let that loser be my mate?”

Boom!

It felt like a thunderclap exploded in my head.

Five years ago, I was attacked by a pack of rogues. Not only did I lose my wolf, but I was also branded as a traitor, accused of colluding with the enemy. Lucas stood up for me, fought off everyone’s doubts, and even claimed I was his destined mate.

I thought that was salvation. I thought it was love.

Turned out… the truth was something else entirely.

“That loser took the fall for you, carrying that shit on his back for five years. Just wait one more month, until the heat dies down completely.” Lucas chuckled, a cold, calculating sound dripping with scheme. “By then, she’ll be kicked out of the pack, left to die in the wild. And you? You’ll be the luna of the Blackwood Pack.”

“Lucas, you’re so damn cruel, but I love it…”

The teasing laughter inside and that sickly sweet scent churned my stomach like a storm.

I leaned against the cold wall, crushing the parchment scroll in my hand until it crumbled to bits.

So, all that warmth, all that kindness—all were nothing but a lie.

The salvation I clung to as if it were my life was just a carefully crafted con to protect the woman he truly loved.

I was a scapegoat, a tool, trash he could toss aside at any time. But never his mate.

My body trembled, not from fear, but from the rage so fierce it burned through me.

Right then, the faint power that had just started to stir inside me surged wildly, fueled by this emotional storm, throwing my heartbeat off balance.

The teasing laughter inside cut off abruptly.

The next second, a terrifying alpha presence slammed through the crack under the door like a tidal wave, crushing everything in its path. My knees buckled, and I nearly choked.

“Who’s out there?!”

Lucas’s furious, icy roar shattered the silence, followed by the harsh scrape of a chair being shoved back violently. He was here.

Aria’s POV

“Who’s out there?!”

Lucas’s angry shout hit me like a punch, mixed with the sound of a chair scraping across the floor.

My heart nearly stopped.

I ducked behind the shadow of a huge potted plant at the corner of the hallway, holding my breath so hard it felt like my lungs might burst, trying to choke down the wild, restless wolf inside me, stirred up by fear and rage.

Bang!

The office door slammed open.

Lucas’s tall figure filled the doorway, his sharp eyes scanning the empty hallway.

“No one?” He frowned, tugging at his tie with irritation. “Damn it, did I hear things?”

“I told you, you’re just way too tense.” Selina’s sultry voice floated out from inside. “Besides the patrolling guards, who’d dare come near your office? Come on in…”

Lucas shot one last confused look down the hallway, then turned and stomped back inside, slamming the door shut with a heavy thud.

At that moment, I felt like all the strength had been sucked right out of me. I slid down the wall, powerless.

I didn’t know how long I stayed there before I forced myself to stand, leaning against the wall for support. The Wolf Awakening Report I’d planned to surprise him with was now torn to bits in my hands. I ripped it up piece by piece and tossed it into the trash.

Just like my love for him over the past five years—shattered, gone without a trace.

Heavy rain had started pouring as I left the building.

The cold autumn rain stung like needles, soaking through my clothes and biting into my skin.

Around me were streets I knew all too well. Streets I’d run down every alley of just to find Lucas’s favorite pastries.

But now, those memories felt like sharp slaps across my face.

“Aria, you’re pathetic,” I sneered at myself. Rain mixed with tears dripped into my mouth, bitter as hell.

Before I realized it, I’d wandered into the Gray Zone, the borderland between the two clans.

This was where the rogues and the outcasts gathered—chaotic, filthy, and the only place outside Lucas’s control.

I found an abandoned phone booth to hide from the rain and crouched inside, trembling as I pulled out an old, soaked communicator from my pocket.

After hesitating forever, I dialed a long-forgotten number—my mentor’s number, the only person who knew I was the lead defense architect, Cipher.

“Teacher…” My voice cracked the second the call connected.

“Aria? Is that you, kid?” A raspy but surprised voice came from the other end. “You finally decided to reach out? Have you been through hell?”

Hearing that long-lost concern, I broke down and cried.

“Teacher, I want to leave the Blackwood Pack… Also, I want to get back the Cipher key I left with you five years ago.”

There was a clear pause on the other side. “You mean… you want to come back?”

“Yes. I’m gonna show them how fragile their so-called defenses are without Cipher protecting them,” I said, conviction dripping in my voice.

My mentor hummed on the other line. “As long as you’re willing to return, my doors will always be wide open for you! I’ll send someone to pick you up right away…”

I hung up, feeling like a huge weight pressing on my chest had finally shifted a little.

I was done with this fake-ass place. It was time to live my own life.

I wiped my tears and was about to step out of the phone booth when a commotion broke through the rain ahead.

A sleek black luxury car had broken down by the roadside. A pack of stray wolves was smashing the windows with nasty grins. Inside, I could barely make out a little girl crying.

That desperate sobbing hit me like a punch, just like it did five years ago when I was trapped in a dark alley with nowhere to turn.

If it were the old me, I’d have freaked out and run away. But now? Since I’ve decided not to be that scared little Aria anymore…

I took a deep breath, grabbed a rock from the ground, and slammed it hard onto the streetlight switch nearby.

Crack!

Sparks flew, and the streetlight flickered wildly, the electric buzz making those stray wolves jump.

“Who’s there?!”

Taking advantage of their distraction, I shouted into the car, “Lock the doors, now!”

The wolves snapped out of it, furious, and lunged at me.

I spun around to run but slipped, crashing straight into a solid, burning-hot chest.

A wave of warmth wrapped around me instantly.

A long, strong hand locked firmly around my waist, lifting me off the ground and pulling me into a protective embrace.

Time seemed to freeze.

The pounding rain, the wolves’ snarls all vanished.

In that moment, my wolf, asleep for five long years, snapped wide awake!

It roared and leapt inside me, greedily drinking in the scent radiating from the man holding me.

My world narrowed down to one fierce, pure, commanding presence—clean and noble.

I looked up without thinking.

A flash of lightning tore through the night sky, lighting up the man’s face.

He wore a perfectly tailored black trench coat, tall and imposing, with sharp, chiseled features. Rain slid down his high nose bridge, dripping onto his sexy, thin lips.

The thing that shook me the most was those eyes—dark golden pupils that looked like molten lava flowing in the night.

Right now, those eyes were locked onto me, swirling with shock, obsession, and this possessive hunger like he wanted to squeeze me into his very bones.

My heart skipped a beat.

His fingers tightened around my waist, the burning heat seeping through my soaked clothes, making my whole body go weak.

My wild soul was cheering, and deep down, my core clenched instinctively, a shameful twitch sparked by how close he was.

The man lowered his head, his nose almost brushing mine. His voice was rough and low, cutting through the rain with a trembling disbelief.

“Mate…”

Aria’s POV

“Mate…”

The man’s deep, rough voice sounded like some ancient spell, carrying a power I couldn’t fight off. It hit my eardrums like a thunderclap.

Mate?

No way! No fucking way!

I’d lost my wolf for five whole years.

Just half an hour ago, the medical report clearly said only my fertility had recovered. There was no sign of my wolf waking up.

But now…

The moment his chest pressed against mine, the wolf inside me—dead silent for five years—suddenly snapped awake.

It was roaring and trembling like crazy, greedily craving more of this man’s scent.

And this man in front of me? The terrifying pressure radiating off him made my soul shiver. He was definitely alpha level or higher—maybe even… that legendary figure. Something about him felt… familiar.

“Let me go…”

I tried to struggle, but my body went weak on its own.

His big hand covered my flat stomach, the exact spot where I’d been badly hurt five years ago and had just miraculously healed.

His palm was burning hot, pressing right through my soaked clothes, right over my newly reborn womb.

“Don’t move.”

He didn’t let go. Instead, he tightened his grip, his dark golden eyes narrowing sharply.

“N-no... I...” I mumbled as I dug more into my memory, remembering who he was.

“Valen,” he said too quickly as if he’d read what was on my mind. “That’s my name.”

My eyes almost jumped out of their sockets. That name… sounded utterly familiar. I closed my eyes firmly, trying to remember, only to open them wide as the realization hit me.

Valen, the lycan king! I must’ve been so dumb for not recognizing him earlier.

As the lycan king with top-tier senses, he clearly smelled something.

That fresh scent of new flesh mixed with the sweet smell of rain on my skin made the red in his eyes deepen in an instant.

“This place…” he paused for a moment. “...just healed?”

And then our eyes met.

One look…

That was all it took to make my wolf go gaga over him.

“Who did this?”

He asked softly, his tone eerily calm. But I swear, if anyone admitted it right now, he’d tear them to shreds in a heartbeat.

I was terrified. This kind of pressure made me want to run for my life.

I thought he was Lucas’s ally. Because who else would carry such an aura in the Blackwood Pack besides that fake alpha but him?

“Don’t touch me!”

Fear pushed me to fight back one last time.

I suddenly raised my right hand and pulled out the silver hairpin I’d been hiding in my hair—the last weapon I had. Its tip was coated with a strong anesthetic.

I jabbed it hard at his neck.

He caught my hand even before it touched his skin.

He barely used any strength, just a gentle squeeze, and my hand went limp. The hairpin clinked as it dropped onto the puddled street.

I was done for.

I closed my eyes, bracing myself for the punishment to come.

But the pain I expected never showed up.

Suddenly, my body was lifted off the ground, and I couldn’t help but let out a startled shout.

He actually scooped me up in his arms, holding me sideways.

“Looks like the first thing you need to learn is to trust your mate,” he said, looking down at me with a mix of helplessness and fondness.

He strode toward the black heavy-duty SUV parked by the roadside, still holding me.

“My king, this…”

The passenger window rolled down, and a man with a thick beard stared in shock at the scene.

He was Valen’s personal bodyguard, loyal to the lycan king for years, and had never seen his master—known for avoiding women and even called a tyrant—carry a muddy, unknown woman like this.

“Shut up.”

Valen spat out the words coldly, not even glancing at the guard.

He kicked the car door open and gently placed me in the back seat.

It was warm and cozy inside, just like springtime. The leather seats were covered with thick blankets. He laid me down carefully, as if handling a fragile, priceless treasure.

“Drive. Back to the tribe,” Valen ordered.

The bodyguard hesitated. “But, my king, the elders are still waiting for you…”

“I said, back to the tribe,” he snarled.

That was an order—no room for argument.

The car started smoothly, sliding into the rainy night like a black ghost.

I curled up in the corner, eyes sharp and wary, watching him.

Valen sat beside me, his long legs crossed. Even in this cramped space, he radiated an undeniable aura of kingship.

He turned his head, eyes locking onto my tightly covered lower belly, a place marked by an old scar from five years ago when I took the silver poison meant for Lucas.

His pupils shrank to tiny pinpricks.

“That’s a silver wound,” Valen said with certainty, his voice tight like a storm about to break. “If there are signs of wolf revival, why hasn’t it healed yet?”

I bit my lip and looked away, instinctively trying to hide the ugly scar. “No matter what medicine I’ve used these past five years, the wound keeps breaking open again and again. It’s like… like a bottomless pit, constantly sucking away my life.”

Valen’s brow furrowed deeply, a flicker of doubt crossing his eyes.

Suddenly, he reached out his hand. I instinctively tried to pull away, but he pressed firmly on my shoulder.

“Don’t move. Let me see,” he said, his tone leaving no room for refusal.

His palm was big and warm as it gently covered the ugly scar.

The next second, a golden-red warmth flowed steadily from his hand into my body.

That was... pure lycan power!

The old wound that’d been nagging at me suddenly started to heal under this force. Even the wolf inside me, which had been starving, let out a satisfied sigh.

I stared at him, stunned.

Why save me? Why give me such rare lycan power?

Valen looked at my dumbfounded face, and the tight line of his mouth twitched into a faint, almost invisible smile.

He leaned in close, those dark golden eyes reflecting my messed-up face. His low voice carried a strange, hard-to-explain tenderness.

“Remember this, little one. From now on… your wounds, your life, even every breath you take… they all belong to me. Thinking about dying? Not unless I say so.”

Aria’s POV

The first ray of morning sunlight slipped through the heavy velvet curtains and landed right on my face.

I slowly opened my eyes, my mind was still foggy for a moment.

Beneath me was a soft velvet bed. And the air carried a faint, insanely good smell of fir, like the scent of that man from last night.

The memories of last night suddenly flooded back.

Rainy night, running away, those dark golden eyes, and that possessive line… ‘Your life belongs to me.’

I shot up. As I pulled back the covers, I saw the old scar on my lower belly—that one thing that’d tormented me for five years—had turned into soft, pale pink skin.

That legendary lycan king actually used his own power to heal me?

“Awake?”

A deep, husky voice came from the sofa nearby.

Valen, dressed in dark gray silk loungewear, had his legs crossed as he held a cup of coffee. He radiated this lazy kind of royal vibe. Compared to the ruthless king he’d been last night in the rain, he seemed way softer now, but still impossible to ignore.

“Come here.”

He waved me over without standing up, but there was this magnetic pull that made me want to kneel.

I hesitated for a second, then threw back the covers and walked over.

Valen slid a tablet across the table toward me, his tone casual but his eyes cold as ice. “I think there’s something you need to see.”

The morning news from the Blackwood Pack was playing on the screen.

Lucas’s face—the man I’d loved for five whole years—filled the screen. He looked worn out, eyes red-rimmed, like he’d been through hell.

Facing a sea of flashing cameras, Lucas choked out, “My ex-wife Aria not only betrayed our marriage, but last night she stole the pack’s core defense secrets and ran off…”

He held up a so-called wanted poster with my photo on it. Big bold letters were written there.

WANTED ACROSS ALL TERRITORIES: TRAITOR ARIA.

REWARD: 10 MILLION GOLD COINS.

DEAD OR ALIVE!

At that moment, I felt like all the blood in my body rushed straight to my head.

I stared hard at that lying bastard on the screen.

Stealing secrets?

He was the one who kicked me out for some white-haired bitch! He let Selina poison me! If I hadn’t run fast last night, I’d be a corpse right now.

But now, he was standing on some moral high ground, slinging the nastiest insults at me, and even putting a ten-million gold coin bounty on my head!

I was so pissed I laughed, my tears were almost spilling down my cheeks.

This was the guy I loved. I nearly died for him. And now, in his mouth, I was some traitor who stole secrets.

I slammed the tablet down on the table, my knuckles going white from the force.

“Mad, huh?”

Warm hands covered the back of mine.

Valen had somehow slipped up beside me. He wrapped my trembling hand in his palm, his voice low and steady.

“Good. You should be mad. Tears are for the weak, but right now, anger’s your best fuel.”

I looked up at him, my eyes red-rimmed. “He’s slandering me... saying I stole the Blackwood Pack’s secrets...”

“Then let him pay for it.” Valen bent down and gently wiped the tears leaking from my eyes. “But I gotta ask—what kind of secret is worth a ten million bounty? Must be pretty damn important to him, huh?”

“Hell yeah, it’s important!” I spat, full of hate. “It’s the core of Blackwood Pack’s defense system, their lifeline!”

My voice rose without me realizing it. “And it was me who spent three whole years designing it!”

The air went still for a moment.

Valen stared at me, and for the first time, those usually casual dark gold eyes flashed with real surprise and something like admiration.

Valen hummed. “So, that’s how it is.”

He chuckled low, a teasing, appreciative edge in his voice as his fingers lightly traced my cheek. “Didn’t expect my partner to be such a hidden master.”

Valen brought his finger to the tip of my chin. “Since you built the cage yourself, you must know... how to break it.”

He leaned in close, his voice dropping to a devilish whisper that could tempt anyone. “If he says you stole it, then screw it… destroy it.”

His words hit me like a spark, lighting a wild fire in my mind.

“I’m gonna make him regret this.” I took a deep breath, every word burning with fury. “I’ll turn his precious pack into ashes right in front of him.”

Valen watched the fire of hatred flare up in my eyes with a satisfied smirk tugging at his lips.

“Good,” he muttered contentedly.

He pulled me into his arms, his tone dripping with affection.

Still smiling, he said, “Do whatever the hell you want. Rip the sky open. I’ll patch it up for you.”

Valen slowly pulled away. “But first, eat breakfast. My queen, revenge takes energy.”

He took my hand and led me to the table, loaded with fancy food.

Staring at Lucas’s face, still babbling away on the screen, was the last bit of my attachment to the past snapped completely.

Lucas, if you want a war, then fine… I’ll give you one.

Aria’s POV

Valen sat across from me, holding the freshly printed architectural blueprints between his fingers. He wore a half-smirk, his eyes locked on my face like he was savoring some private joke.

“The Blackwood Pack’s pride and joy, the Skyshield defense system, was designed by you.”

His voice was low and smooth, with that kind of confidence that didn’t ask for permission. “Still planning to keep it a secret from me? The lead defense architect codenamed Cipher.”

My grip tightened around the cup like a vice when I heard him mention it.

That codename had been buried deep for five years. I thought it was long forgotten.

I set the cup down and slowly lifted my head.

“Yeah, that’s me.” I straightened my back without even thinking, my eyes blazing with confidence and cold pride.

“So, you’re trying to use this as leverage against me?” I stared him down.

“Leverage? Nah, I don’t stoop to cheap tricks.” Valen’s lips curled into a teasing grin as he handed me the blueprints.

“My defense network is solid, sure, but some of the core logic is outdated. I need someone who can turn it into an impenetrable fortress.”

He paused, eyes burning straight into mine.

“And you—are the only one in the entire territory who can pull that off. Cipher’s design style is one of a kind. That perfect blend of defense and offense? No one else can copy it.”

I took the blueprints, and just a few glances were enough to spot several logic flaws.

“I can help you,” he volunteered.

I looked up and slammed the blueprints down on the coffee table. “But I have one condition.”

“Name it.” Valen looked at me, his gaze lacking the usual mighty arrogance. Instead, there was a hint of something softer—almost indulgent.

“I want revenge on Lucas. I want the whole Blackwood Pack to pay.”

Just saying his name froze the warmth in my eyes into ice, my voice dripping with bitter cold.

Lucas didn’t just betray our marriage. He stole years of my hard work for that so-called white moonlight, Selina, even going so far as to call me a thief.

That grudge? I wasn’t about to swallow it.

I grabbed a red pen and drew a fierce circle around the core area on the Blackwood Pack’s territory map.

“Lucas thinks the Skyshield system is his lucky charm, his bragging rights. But he forgot one thing. Every line of code in this system was hammered out by me.”

I paused for a moment, then looked up at Valen with a cruel, satisfied smirk. “With just one command, the defense system flips instantly. The energy shield that normally pushes outward will collapse inward, turning into a high-pressure prison that lets nothing out. When that happens, whether it’s Lucas or Selina, they’re trapped with no way to escape.”

After saying that, I traced a circle lightly on his chest, like I was showing him how the formation worked.

I slowly lifted my head to meet Valen’s gaze.

He didn’t say a word, just stared at me quietly.

“If you think I’m too ruthless…” I pretended to stay calm.

Valen suddenly chuckled softly and stepped closer.

“Ruthless?”

He came right up to me, gently lifting my chin, his eyes openly full of admiration.

“Aria, do you know how damn captivating you looked just now?” he drawled.

He bent down and nuzzled my nose affectionately, his voice low and husky. “You’re like a white rose covered in thorns. And me? I’m exactly the kind of guy who loves getting pricked.”

“What am I supposed to do?” His thumb brushed over my lips softly, sending shivers running up and down my spine. “You, with your cold, calculating ways that cut to the bone… you’re driving me crazy with how obsessed I am.”

He lowered his head, our breaths mingling.

“Deal. You lock the cage tight, and I’ll… finish the job for you.”

God, the warmth of his breath was really something, igniting something deep within me.

“Pleasure doing business with you, my… Queen.”

I hesitated for a second, then wrapped my fingers around his.

But the moment our hands touched, it felt like a jolt of electricity shot through me, racing wildly all over my body.

My legs gave out, and I stumbled backward, completely out of control. Valen was quick enough; he caught me around the waist in one smooth move.

Shit.

This wasn’t just an electric shock.

It was…

My womb, silent for five years, was screaming to life, waking up like a beast.

It was contracting, trembling, desperate to be filled.

My body instinctively craved release, craved… the comfort of this powerful lycan king standing right in front of me.

Valen’s body instantly stiffened, hard as iron.

“Aria…”

His voice changed—raw, feral, barely held back. The hand gripping my waist tightened suddenly, like a vice.

That deadly pull wiped my mind clean.

“Valen…”

His Adam’s apple bobbed violently as he dropped his head, lips nearly brushing my skin.

“Damn it!”

He cursed under his breath and shoved me away hard.

“Stay away from me!”

He spun around and rushed to the glass liquor cabinet in the corner, fumbling frantically until he pulled out a blue syringe. Without hesitation, he snapped off the cap and plunged the thick needle deep into his own arm.

The blue medicine slid into his vein. Valen let out a low grunt, one hand bracing against the cabinet as he gasped for air.

It took him a full minute to catch his breath.

He walked over and dropped to one knee in front of me.

“Don’t be afraid,” he said under his breath.

His jaw clenched. “Aria, I’m not after your body’s submission. I want your heart.”

“Until you nod willingly, I won’t touch you. That’s my respect for you,” he said, looking at me intently.

No sooner had he spoken than urgent knocking came from outside the door.

“Boss, bad news!”

The guard’s voice was thick with anger. “Alpha Lucas from the Blackwood Pack is blocking the territory gate with his men! He says if you don’t hand over… his wife, he’s breaking in!”

Lucas.

The man who called me a traitor on the wanted posters and addressed me as his wife at the gate, but never once gave me an ounce of respect in the past five years.

“Wife?” I sneered. “I thought those five years of pathetic atonement were settled. Guess he still can’t let me go.”

Valen slowly stood up.

The smile curling on his lips was bloodthirsty enough to freeze someone’s soul.

“Breaking in? He’s got some nerve.”

Valen turned to me and reached out his hand.

This time, it wasn’t a test. It was an invitation.

“Let’s go. Since the prey just walked right into our trap…” The smile on Valen’s lips deepened as he took my hand, his voice dripping with cruelty: “Let’s see how he looks when the shield he’s so proud of turns into a cage.”

I took a deep breath, pressing my hand firmly into his palm, fingers intertwining.

“Alright. Let’s settle this once and for all.”