Ch. I Refuse to Be Your Luna 18 I Refuse to Be Your Luna 18

Alpha Harold’s POV

M

Finished

I stood in the hallway long after Flourish’s car disappeared from the villa grounds. I realized she left after I came back from helping Phina at the market.

I should have told the guards not to let her leave again.

The argument replayed itself in my mind over and over again, each time leaving behind the same feeling of irritation. I couldn’t understand why she was making this so difficult. Every conversation we had somehow circled back to Phina, and no matter how many times I explained myself, she refused to listen.

I ran a hand through my hair and exhaled heavily.

The Luna Rite was less than twenty–four hours away.

It was supposed to be one of the happiest moments of our lives.

Instead, Flourish was acting like she wanted nothing to do with me.

My wolf paced restlessly beneath my skin, clearly disturbed by the tension between us. The bond wasn’t complete yet, but after six years of courting and preparing for this moment, I had gotten used to her presence. Used to knowing she was there.

Now it felt like she was deliberately pulling away.

“Alpha Harold?”

I looked up to find Mira standing a few feet away.

“What is it?” 

She hesitated.

For some reason she looked uncomfortable.

“Lady Flourish took all of her belongings.”

I frowned.

“All of them?” 

“Yes, Alpha.”

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My brows drew together.

That was dramatic, even for Flourish. Still, I wasn’t overly concerned.

She was angry. Furious, actually, but emotions passed.

They always did.

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The Luna Rite would happen tomorrow, we’d finally complete the bond, and eventually she’d realize that none of this was worth throwing our future away over.

Flourish had invested six years into us.

Six years.

Nobody walked away from that overnight.

“She’ll cool down,” I said finally.

Mira lowered her gaze. “If you say so, Alpha.”

I dismissed her and headed toward my office.

Before I could even sit down, my phone rang.

The moment I saw Phina’s name on the screen, I answered.

“Phina?”

Her voice came through shaky and uncertain.

“Alpha Harold…”

Immediately, I sat upright.

“What happened?”

The last few months had been difficult for her. Ever since Rowan died, she had struggled to find her footing in the territory again. People were polite to her face, but wolves talked. They always talked.

And unfortunately, most of them seemed determined to blame her for things she couldn’t control.

“It’s nothing,” she said softly.

I sighed.

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“Phina.”

There was a pause, then she finally admitted, “I got into another disagreement at the market.”

My jaw tightened instantly.

Again.

The territory had become increasingly hostile towards her over the last year, especially as preparations for the Luna Rite became more public. Every time she appeared somewhere, somebody had an opinion.

It annoyed me more than I cared to admit. Phina had already lost enough.

Why couldn’t people leave her alone?

“Where are you?” I asked.

“Outside the healer’s clinic.”

“I’ll be there soon.”

“Harold, you don’t need to-”

“I’ll be there.”

I ended the call before she could argue further.

The drive into town gave me time to think.

If I was being honest, I couldn’t entirely blame Flourish for feeling neglected. I understood why she was upset. What I didn’t understand was why she couldn’t understand me.

Rowan had been my Beta.

Not just my Beta, but my closest friend, my brother in everything except blood.

When he died, I had promised myself that I would look after his mate.

How was I supposed to abandon that promise now?

Whenever Flourish demanded that I cut Phina off completely, it felt unfair.

Cruel, even.

She knew what Rowan meant to me.

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Chapter 18 Another Misunderstanding

She knew exactly why I stayed involved.

Yet every conversation became an ultimatum.

Her or Phina.

As though there was no room in my life for both.

As though helping a grieving widow somehow meant I cared for Flourish less.

I pulled into town and spotted Phina immediately.

She was sitting outside the clinic with her hands folded in her lap, looking exhausted.

When she noticed me approaching, she smiled faintly.

“Goddess, you came quickly.”

“Of course I did.”

I sat beside her.

“What happened?”

The story turned out to be exactly what I expected.

Another misunderstanding, another argument.

Another group of wolves deciding she was an easy target.

By the time she finished speaking, I was already irritated on her behalf.

She looked down at her hands.

“I feel guilty.”

I frowned.

“For what?” 

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“Lady Flourish.”

The answer surprised me.

Phina looked genuinely distressed. “She hates me now and I don’t know how to make her not to.”

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I immediately shook my head. “No, she doesn’t hate

you,

Phina.”

“Harold.”

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“She doesn’t.” At least, I didn’t think she did. Flourish was stubborn, possessive and proud. She deserved all she had, but hateful?

No.

That wasn’t who she was.

The problem was that she saw everything in absolutes. If someone hurt her, they were wrong. If someone disappointed her, they had failed.

There was never any middle ground.

No room for mistakes. No room for complicated situations.

I leaned back against the bench. “She’s angry right now. That’s all.”

Phina looked unconvinced. “What if she doesn’t forgive you?”

I couldn’t help laughing. The idea sounded ridiculous. Flourish? Not forgive me? It sounded very absurd. Tomorrow was the Rite, and it changed everything.

The bond would finally be completed.

All this tension would disappear.

She would stop feeling insecure.

I would stop being pulled in ten different directions.

And we’d finally move forward.

“She’ll forgive me,” I said confidently.

The certainty felt natural.

After everything we’d built together, how could she not?

The rest of the night slipped away far quicker than I intended.

Phina’s moon sickness symptoms flared up again, so I accompanied her to the healers. Afterwards she insisted she was fine, but I stayed anyway.

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Then one conversation became another. Dinner turned into several hours. Before I realized it, dawn was beginning to rise over the horizon.

The realization made me curse under my breath.

The preparation ceremony. I had completely forgotten.

I raced back to the villa, half expecting a dozen messages from Flourish, or even Alpha Magnus. But my phone was blank, and there were no messages waiting for me in the mind link.

Had everyone forgotten too?