<h4>Chapter 52: Chapter 52: LUNA SERENA</h4>


    <strong>SERENA’S POV</strong>


    I watched Ivan and Maeve’s boy walking side by side.


    They were both wearing identical aviation jackets, decorated with shy stickers that caught the sunlight. It appeared they had gotten close recently.


    Ivan was smiling, gripping the boy’s small hand in his. He looked protective. Happy.


    In turn, the boy was gazing up at him like he hung the fucking moon, pausing their walk every so often to bounce excitedly on his feet.


    I watched it all from the rooftop, sipping a cocktail even though it was still morning—far too early for alcohol. But this was what I had been reduced to.


    I had always been a drinker, but my love for alcohol had doubled ever since Maeve showed up with her son.


    Five years ago, I had taken everything away from her. And how could I not? It was never hers to begin with.


    As the daughter of Vance Montrose—one of the noble houses that dated back to the earliest days of Ash Creek—my father had contributed much of his wealth in loyalty to the Cross family.


    He had earned the favor of thete king, and even though Ivan and I never crossed paths then, it was obvious to everyone that I was destined to be the next Luna of Ash Creek by virtue of family ties.


    But then Maeve Oakes came along—sniveling, pathetic, irritating omega. You know, when I met her at first, I actually liked her.


    She was a people-pleasing, desperate little thing that tagged after me like a cute pup, always seeking my validation.


    But I could never forgive her for stealing my ce—for letting the Goddess mark our lifelong rivalry by mating her to Ivan.


    He was always supposed to be mine. It was my family’s right to be seated on that throne alongside the Alpha.


    Granted, I loved Ivan—how could I not? He was the strongest, most handsome wolf in this pack, and as per my status, I deserved only the best. And he happened to be that.


    But what mattered more to me than his stone-cut abs was that throne.


    I’d sold my soul and my humanity the day I decided to kill Maeve’s child. I wish I could say it was a single moment of madness, but the truth is, the months of her pregnancy built up to it.


    I poisoned her slowly, slipping it into her herbal drinks, into our shared lunches, even when I "rmended" medicinal brews to her. I killed her slowly.


    And the n had always been for Maeve to die alongside that gremlin growing inside her. But somehow, that bitch survived, and I had to put myself through the trouble of staging her miscarriage instead.


    It’s wonderful what you can do when you’re a noble with the right amount of money to pay off anyone and the power to keep them quiet.


    I had put too much on the line, nned my part down to thest detail, scripted the entire thing—only to be forced to watch it all go down the drain now.


    The best day of my life was the night Maeve left.


    If only she knew I’d sent the best of my father’s men to hunt her down and bring her heart back to me, she might worry about just how far I’d go to get rid of her.


    But now she prances around my castle, with my mate, like she’s untouchable. Oh, darling—she fell the first time.


    Why does she believe it will be any different now? Because she managed to pass off a bastard as Ivan’s son? I almost chuckled.


    I’d send them both to hell and stomp on their graves.


    That first year after Ivan and I signed our agreement, we tried everything to produce an heir. To my utter dismay, nothing happened. The next year was the same story. And the year after that.


    Now, five yearster, he barely touched me anymore. It was as if he had given up entirely. As a result, a distance had grown between us—one that threatened to tear us apart.


    I had always known I was agreeing to be his breeder—it was contractual. But I also knew enough about packws to understand that birthing the Alpha’s heir would cement my ce on the throne.


    Unfortunately, I’d since learned that conceiving would be nearly impossible unless a bond existed between us. That was why I kept pushing for the wedding.


    I had convinced myself that an official mating ceremony could be the missing piece, the one form that would make his wolf ept me—and finally, the breeding would work.


    I threw all my time and energy into nning it, and of course, Ivan indulged my every extravagant wish, sparing no expense.


    It gave me a renewed sense of hope—for us, for our future together. I was especially optimistic that after the mating ceremony, I would finally be able to birth Ivan’s heirs and secure my ce in Ash Creek as the future Luna.


    But of course, Maeve’s presence never allowed us to test that theory. She just had to show up in a slutty red dress and ruin everything. Fucking pain in the ass, that woman!


    And pretend all she might, she could have everything else eating out of her palm, but I knew Maeve—I knew that bitch like the back of my hand.


    Somewhere inside her was still the same sniveling, pathetic little thing she had always been. I knew she wanted the throne. I knew she wanted to take Ivan back.


    That was why she’d been so eager to unt herself naked in front of him, to catch his gaze—and he’d fallen for it, almost fucking her just yesterday. That was why she’d made sure the rejection failed.


    It was painfully obvious he was smitten with her. Anyone with eyes could see it.


    And now, watching my husband bond so openly with that young pup, I knew, deep down, it was only a matter of time before I lost him for good.


    With Asha in the picture, he had no use for a breeder anymore—much less any interest in pursuing a wedding.


    Though packws still demanded he needed a Luna to truly be Alpha, would he choose Maeve this time? And let me guess, they’d all be one big, happy fucking family.


    I could already picture the portraits lining the great hall—Maeve, Ivan, and Maeve’s bastard smiling like the model family.


    Over my dead body.


    I gripped the stem of my cocktail tightly, feeling my anger rise. I had to act fast before I ended up wherever the hell Maeve had been for the past five years. I’de too far to let her win.


    I looked down at the father-son bonding scene unfolding right beneath my nose.


    Ivan and the boy were climbing into one of his cars—his favorite sports car, the shiny ck one that was easily one of the most expensive vehicles he owned.


    A momentter, the engine roared to life, and the car tore out of the front yard.


    I mmed my cocktail ss against the railing and jerked to my feet. Enough of this. I’d had enough of Maeve’s endless schemes and Ivan’s neglect.


    I needed to move fast. I still believed I could birth heirs—real heirs for Ivan. All I had to do was get rid of Maeve and make him look in my direction again.


    Then we could finally have our wedding and conceive our pups.


    And then I’d be the Luna.


    Luna Serena Montrose.


    Sounds fitting, really—don’t you think?


    To make sure my ns seeded as quickly as I intended, I needed Lydia.


    She had helped me get rid of Maeve once, five years ago, and based on everything I’d heard recently, I knew she’d be more than d to do it again.