The Luna He Didn't Choose

"It's unbelievable that you're back." Despite her attempts to hide it with a grin, my mother's voice was full of passion. I wasn't duped by it.

As I stood at the pack house door of the Crescent Moon Pack, the smell of damp dirt and pine trees swirled around me like a memory from long ago. The house seemed more spacious and well-kept than I had recalled as if it had been renovated while I was away.

"Yes, it has been a long time, hasn't it?" My heart was anything from light, but I forced a light tone as I spoke. I wasn't sure if I was prepared to return to the location that contained so many memories, both happy and sad, because I had been gone for much too long. I was still coming to terms with my father's passing, my mother's tangled past, and the odd feeling that my childhood house no longer felt like home.

Her smile faltered as she remarked, "Your father will be overjoyed to see you." "We've missed you."

A knot of uneasiness clenched in my stomach as I nodded. There was something strange, but I couldn't identify it. Not quite yet.

I followed my mother to the spacious dining room as she turned away. There was more life in the pack house than I could recall. The pack members looked at me and moved with a kind of intensity that I had never seen before. They were speaking to each other.

My mother went on, "Everyone has been talking about your return." "You'll see in due time. We have plans.

Suddenly wary, I swallowed hard. What did "plans" imply to her? I hadn't returned to get entangled in any kind of arrangement. I hadn't come back because I wanted to get caught up in whatever my parents had planned for me, but rather because my father's passing had called me home.

My father was seated at the head of the table when we walked into the dining room. His face was more weathered than I remembered, and his broad shoulders were slumped, yet when his eyes met mine, they softened. Something I couldn't quite make out seemed to have blunted the keen edge that had been in his eyes.

"You're late, Eli," my father remarked angrily as he got to his feet. However, I'm happy you're here.

"I apologize," I whispered. "It's The journey has been lengthy.

My mother went on to say, "You'll need to rest." "We can catch up after our large dinner tonight. We haven't all sat together in years.

I remained silent, feeling more alienated than ever before. It has been a while since I was a member of this pack. I was a girl on the verge of adulthood the last time I visited here, ready to break free from my parents' expectations. However, now... I didn't know my place.

My father and mother exchanged a quick glance that I was unable to decipher. Even though the room was warm, something changed in the air, and I suddenly felt cold.

My father said, "Eli, you look great." And you're stronger than I thought you would be. I'm assuming you've achieved success in life.

Unsure knowing how to react, I nodded slowly. Yes, I had performed well, but I wasn't sure how to tell them why. How could I explain to them the life I'd created away from here, the efforts I'd made to separate myself from this pack that used to feel so confining?

A voice pierced the silence just when it was growing long.

"Look who's back, well, well."

I went cold. A beat skipped in my chest. I knew who it was without having to look up. Logan Roberts. The man I loved before. The man who had silently abandoned me. The man who had never completely relinquished his position in my history.

Logan crossed his arms, leaned idly against the doorframe, and stared at me with an expression I couldn't decipher. He looked older and rougher, yet he was still Logan as I knew him. Time had changed him. It was the same haughtiness, the same charm that always managed to draw me in.

In a humorous tone, he remarked, "I didn't expect the grand return." "I assumed you would be out pursuing a big-city dream."

Though I was positive he saw, I made an effort to suppress the unexpected burst of warmth that washed over my cheeks. "I am present, am I not?"

As Logan pushed off the doorframe and moved toward the table, he said, "Yeah, but I didn't expect it to be like this."

His tone carried a certain quality, akin to a challenge or dare. I couldn't tell if he was making a joke or if there was more to what he was saying. I didn't want to think about it, though. Not right now. Not with so many other things on my mind.

My father muttered, "Sit, Eli," gesturing to the vacant seat beside Logan.

I paused. Things had been... different the previous time Logan and I sat at this table. We had an unresolved issue, an underlying tension, but that was years ago. A lot had changed. Both of us had evolved.

I was about to sit down when I saw Logan staring at me with an unfathomable expression. I couldn't determine whether to ignore the weird draw I still felt whenever he was close or to feel uneasy.

The tension between Logan and myself simmered beneath the surface while the lunch went by in a comparatively quiet manner. We all felt the pressure of my parents' expectations, but my father didn't clear his throat until dessert was delivered, grabbing everyone's attention.

He abruptly became serious as he stated, "There's something we need to discuss."

I looked at my mother, who appeared strangely quiet. There was a problem.

My father went on, his eyes hardening as he concentrated on me, "Eli, you've been gone long enough." And it's time we made a settlement now that you're back. Something significant.

My gut twisted with fear as I sat up taller. "What are you discussing?"

I could sense the weight of my father's words before he ever said them, and his eyes hardened.

"Logan Roberts will be your spouse."

I was sure I hadn't heard him correctly, so I blinked. "What?"

Logan's face didn't change, but I could see that his jaw was tense a little. He was anticipating my response. My mother's eyes moved uneasily between us while my heart raced in my chest.

My father went on to say, "You've been gone too long." "The future of the pack must be secured now. You two are going to get married.

It was unbelievable to me. My head was spinning. A union? With Logan? The man who was my first love but abandoned me, the man who left me broken and alone?

My mouth opened, but nothing came out. My folks were serious. This was no joke. My fate had already been determined by them.

Logan's voice broke the silence before I had a chance to respond. "Eli, we'll discuss it later. You don't know a lot of things.

When I looked into his eyes, I briefly caught a glimpse of something-an apology? A problem? I was unable to tell.

However, I felt certain that this was just the start.