Alpha's search for his Luna

Chapter : The Weight of Waiting

Priyal's POV:

I lay on the bed, staring up at the intricately designed ceiling that felt so foreign yet oddly comforting. It had been an entire day since Tanishq last visited, and I couldn't shake off the restlessness gnawing at me. I tugged absentmindedly at the thread wrapped around my wrist, its shimmering surface reflecting the light in the room. No matter how many times I tried to twist it off, it only tightened its grip, reminding me of my situation—trapped, yet oddly protected.

Just then, the door creaked open, and in walked Misha and Kaya, arms laden with colorful clothes. They looked at me with a mix of sympathy and determination.

"You’ve been here for more than two days now," Misha said, placing a tray filled with snacks on the bedside table. “Can you at least tell me what you want to eat?”

Kaya began to sift through the clothes, making room for what they had brought. "We can be friends and trust each other," she suggested, her voice warm.

I snorted. "Like you trust me by keeping me locked here?" I retorted, crossing my arms. I couldn't help but feel the weight of their intentions; they were trying to protect me, but it felt more like a cage.

"And you don’t need to trouble yourself. I’m not staying here for long," I insisted, pointing toward Kaya, who was adjusting the clothes in the cupboard.

Misha smiled gently. "Four of the unranked mated females have already started their heat cycles since you came to your rightful place."

"This packhouse," Kaya completed, looking over her shoulder at me.

Their words struck me like a physical blow. I felt a mix of disbelief and panic. Heat cycles? I had only felt a vague pull toward Tanishq, but never the overwhelming bond they described as a mate bond. Was it even possible that I was their Luna? The thought sent a shiver down my spine.

"You are indeed our Luna," Misha said, her eyes sparkling with hope. "Which means you’re going to be here forever."

Kaya leaned closer, her expression serious. "The council of elders will force Tanishq to mate his Luna," she added, as if the idea was both exciting and terrifying.

"Don’t make this hard for him," Misha chimed in. "Try to connect with him. Meditate, maybe?"

"Or let us help you," Kaya offered, but I felt tension rising within me. I shook my head, refusing to give in to their suggestions.

"Okay, fine," Kaya said, raising her hands in surrender. "No need to panic, Priyal."

I shifted uncomfortably on the bed. “Tanishq won’t be here until tomorrow?” I asked, trying to suppress the anxiety swelling in my chest.

Misha nodded. "He’s meeting the Rinnay pack Alpha," she replied.

My heart skipped a beat. "Uncle is coming here?"

"Yes," both replied, their voices mingling in the air.

“Where are Daksh, Vyom, and the others?” I inquired, suddenly concerned for their safety.

After a brief pause, Kaya said, “I’ll be honest, they are locked up.”

“But they’re all safe,” Misha added, attempting to reassure me.

I sat on the bed, processing everything they had just told me. My thoughts were a chaotic whirl of confusion and dread. How could I be a Luna when I couldn’t even feel the mate bond? Was I truly destined to be here, in a place that felt simultaneously welcoming and suffocating?

Before leaving, Kaya turned to me one last time. “You are here to stay, as Dun's Luna.”

“And we are sorry we met under these circumstances,” Misha added softly.

As they left, locking the door behind them, I felt a deep sense of isolation wash over me. The silence in the room echoed my turmoil. I was trapped—not just by the physical constraints of the thread on my wrist, but by the weight of expectations, the pull of a bond I couldn't yet understand, and the looming presence of Tanishq.

All I could do now was wait, and that thought felt more like a prison sentence than a promise of belonging.