Moonbound: Caught Between Mafia and Mate

Chapter 1: The Proposal

Luna had always known she was different. It wasn't just because she had been adopted—her parents had never let her feel like she didn't belong. Still, there was something inside her, an unsettling restlessness, a dull ache that would creep into her chest late at night. She didn't talk about it, and she definitely didn't ask about it.

But now, sitting at the dining table with her adoptive parents, she had the sinking feeling that all the unanswered questions she had been avoiding were about to become painfully clear.

"Why does it have to be me?" Luna asked, her voice barely steady as she stared at the letter in front of her. Her name was inked in bold at the top, followed by the name Lorenzo De Luca. The De Luca family was notorious—criminals who ruled the city's underworld with an iron fist. And apparently, she was supposed to marry their leader.

Her father, a strong man who had always been her pillar of strength, looked older tonight. His shoulders slumped under the weight of the truth he had just shared. "It's not just about you, Luna. This has been planned for years, long before you even knew who you were."

Her mother, sitting across from her, reached out as if to comfort her, but Luna pulled her hands away. "We didn't want this for you, sweetheart," her mother said softly. "We've fought against it. But this is bigger than us."

Luna clenched her fists, her nails biting into her palms. "An arranged marriage to a mafia boss isn't something you just... accept." Her voice cracked at the absurdity of it all. "And I don't understand why I have to be the one involved."

Her father's expression darkened. "Luna, we owe the De Luca family a great debt. But it's more than that. This has to do with who you are. What you are."

Luna's heart skipped a beat. "What I am?"

Her father's hesitation only deepened her unease. For as long as she could remember, her parents had been vague about her adoption. They'd always told her she was abandoned at a hospital, left with no name and no clue as to where she came from. She had never pressed them too hard for details—it wasn't like her parents were keeping secrets from her... or so she had thought.

Her mother's voice trembled. "You were abandoned at the hospital when you were a baby, Luna, and we adopted you because we wanted to give you a home. We thought we were helping a child in need. But soon, we realized... there was more to you than we could have imagined."

Luna's heart raced as she took in her mother's words. "More to me? What are you talking about?"

Her father sat forward, his gaze steady but heavy with regret. "You're not like other people, Luna. When you were just a baby, we started noticing... changes."

"Changes?" Luna echoed, the word foreign in her mouth.

"When you were two years old," her father continued, "you'd have strange reactions. Especially during a full moon. Your body would tense up, your eyes would take on this... wildness. We didn't know what was happening at first. But as you got older, it became clear."

Luna swallowed hard, her hands trembling slightly. "What... became clear?"

Her father took a deep breath, preparing for what he was about to say. "You're a werewolf, Luna. And you've been hidden from your kind for your entire life."

The word struck her like a physical blow. Werewolf. The idea was ludicrous. She had grown up in the city, gone to normal schools, had normal friends. She had never felt like anything other than a regular girl.

"That's impossible," Luna whispered. "I'm not a werewolf. I would've... known. Right?"

Her mother shook her head, tears welling in her eyes. "It's been dormant, Luna. We've done everything we could to protect you, to keep you from realizing what you are."

"Protect me from what?" Luna demanded, standing up from her chair in a rush. Her heart raced in her chest, each thump feeling louder than the last. "Why wouldn't you tell me?"

Her father's expression hardened. "Because the moment you knew, the moment others knew, you'd become a target. Werewolves don't just live among us—they have packs, they have rules. And you were abandoned because you're different, Luna. You don't belong to any pack."

The room felt colder now, the air heavy with secrets that had been buried for too long. Luna sank back into her chair, her mind spinning. "So... all this time, you knew? You knew I wasn't human?"

Her father reached out to take her hand, but Luna recoiled. "We didn't know at first," he said. "But over time, we saw the signs. We thought we could keep you safe by hiding you from the world. But now... things are changing."

Luna's stomach churned. "Changing how?"

Her mother took a shaky breath. "Lorenzo De Luca isn't just a mafia boss, Luna. He's part of a world you don't know about. His family is tied to the supernatural—the werewolves, vampires, witches, all of it. And he's known about you for a long time."

Luna's blood turned to ice. "He's known about me? How?"

Her father's face twisted with guilt. "We tried to keep you off their radar, but the De Luca family has connections everywhere. They knew about you almost from the beginning. And now... Lorenzo wants you."

"Wants me?" Luna repeated, her voice a hollow echo of itself. "Why?"

Her mother's hand shook as she placed it on the table. "Because you're a werewolf, Luna. And because you're unmated. He wants to claim you—through marriage, through power. It's a way for him to secure his dominance, to expand his empire."

Luna's breath caught in her throat, her pulse pounding in her ears. Werewolf. Mafia. Marriage. It was too much. "I don't even know him," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

"And he doesn't know you," her father said softly. "Not really. But in his world, that doesn't matter."

Luna closed her eyes, trying to steady her breathing. This wasn't just about an arranged marriage anymore. This was about a world she didn't understand—a world she had unknowingly been part of her entire life.

Her father stood up, coming around the table to stand beside her. "Luna, I'm sorry. I wish there was another way. But this is the only way to keep you safe."

"Safe from what?" she demanded, looking up at him through a haze of confusion and fear.

"From those who would take you by force," he said quietly. "Lorenzo is powerful, yes, but he's also the best chance you have at surviving what's coming."

Luna's stomach twisted. "What's coming?"

Her mother's face paled. "Lorenzo isn't the only one who knows about you, Luna. There's another... a man named Matteo Romano. He's Lorenzo's greatest rival, and he's after you, too."

Luna's heart skipped a beat. "Why would he want me?"

Her father's jaw clenched. "Because in the werewolf world, mates are sacred. Matteo believes you're his fated mate. And if he finds you before Lorenzo can secure the marriage..."

He didn't need to finish the sentence. Luna could already feel the weight of the danger pressing down on her. She was a pawn in a much larger game, a game of power, territory, and ancient laws she didn't even know existed.

"I can't believe this," she whispered, staring at the letter again. "This is insane. I'm not marrying anyone. I won't."

Her father's expression was pained. "You might not have a choice, Luna."

The room felt like it was closing in on her, the walls too tight, the air too thick. Luna stood abruptly, pushing her chair back. "I need to think," she said, her voice shaky. "I need to... figure this out."

Without waiting for a response, Luna turned and rushed out of the dining room, her footsteps echoing down the hall as she fled into the night.

The cool air hit her face as she stepped outside, but it did nothing to calm the storm raging inside her. Her mind raced with a thousand questions, a thousand fears. Werewolf. Mafia. Mate. The words felt foreign and terrifying.

Staring up at the moonlit sky, Luna felt more lost than ever. Whatever life she had known was gone. And in its place was a dark, dangerous world that was closing in on her fast.