Alpha Jacob Barduff led the Night Wind Pack to prosperity through a firm yet fair rule while providing his people with safety. Through firm leadership he maintained justice for his people and provided them with security. Amid dense pine forests the Barduff Castle rose as a massive monument linking power and permanence. The family's love bloomed within the stone walls along with the pleasant heat emanating from roaring fireplaces.
Vivian served as Jacob's Luna at the heart of the Barduff Castle. Jacob exhibited power but Vivian possessed smart guidance. Her compassion worked as a shield just as his sword protected those beneath him. The life of their ten-year-old daughter Serafina, represented the perfect blending between her mother's discerning gaze and her father's steely resolve.
And then, there was Leah Odwolf.
An omega by rank, but far more than a mere servant. Vivian selected Leah years ago to take care of her newborn daughter Serafina. The initial assignment of Leah was to provide caregiving services while staying invisible in the grand corridors by fulfilling Serafina's every care requirement. Through the years Leah evolved from a caretaker into a maternal figure who reassured Serafina during her most frightening moments.
Leah understood the social hierarchy since birth. At the bottom of the social hierarchy Leah served as a servant omega who denied herself dreams beyond eccentric living conditions. Leah maintained her humility next to Serafina the way she did around Luna Vivian despite how much she was both cared for and fully trusted with family secrets.
A momentous night brought an abrupt shift to her life.
The Night of the Storm
Strong thunder rolled through the mountain ranges while it caused the castle walls to vibrate intensely. A mixture of pine scents washed over the air because the pack wolves continued to scout their border territory. The castle corridors reflected shifting shadows while a cold breeze sneaked between its broken walls from the candle light.
Since the storm started aggravating around midday no one predicted it would transform into such intense turbulence that quickly.
Leah rushed through the palace halls by holding tightly to her cloak. Something felt wrong. A helpless sensation settled deep in her stomach throughout the entire evening which refused any rationale to vanish.
When panicked cries broke out she walked toward Serafina's chamber.
"The Luna! The Luna has plunged into the river according to reports.
Her breath caught. A momentary pause occurred before an intense pace took over her heart.
Leah didn't think. She ran.
Other servants hurried by her while their terrified expressions matched their indiscernible words about the storm and dangerous river waters. It was rumored that no living being could escape the dangerous depths of the river.
No. Not Vivian.
Without hesitation she outran the great hall to reach outside where sheets of rain came down upon her. She struggled in the unwavering rain under the fierce gusts which attacked her body as she fell toward the river bank.
And then she saw them.
Jacob. Jacob knelt in the muddy riverbank while his clothes became saturated by water and he pounded the earth with his clenched hands. Beta Paul Lyall followed behind Jacob while holding his shoulder forcefully to stop him from collapsing.
And then there was Vivian.
Lying still on the wet grass, her golden hair spread around her like a shattered halo. Her dress clung to her body, heavy with water, her lips tinged blue from the cold.
Leah's breath hitched as she staggered forward. She had seen Luna Vivian in every state—laughing in the sunlit gardens, fierce in moments of leadership, tender as she kissed Serafina's brow.
Never like this. Never lifeless.
"No…" Leah whispered, her hands trembling as she fell beside Jacob.
He didn't move. He didn't even acknowledge her. His gaze was fixed on his mate, the woman he had loved beyond reason, the mother of his child.
"She—she fell," Paul murmured. "The bridge—slippery from the rain. She was—" He stopped, his throat tightening. "We tried to reach her."
Leah's fingers curled into the fabric of her dress as a sob built in her chest.
No. This wasn't right. Vivian was warmth and life, a force of nature that couldn't simply be extinguished by something as simple as a storm.
Jacob finally moved. His hand reached out, brushing damp strands of hair from his mate's face. A broken sound tore from his throat. It was not the cry of an alpha, but of a man who had lost his soul.
Leah knew grief. She had seen it before, but never like this. Never from him.
Lightning split the sky, illuminating the agony carved into Jacob's features. He lifted his face toward the heavens, his eyes dark with fury, with devastation. And then, he threw back his head and howled.
A raw, earth-shattering howl that sent the entire Night Wind Pack into silence.
The distant pack members howled in mourning for their Alpha as they sounded their grief notes through the storm's harsh weather.
The rain streamed onto Leah's face as she kept her eyes shut to let her tears and rainfall mix together.
The pack's Luna was gone. Everything transformed permanently after this moment.
The Aftermath
The castle fell into mourning. Every hallway in the castle felt heavy with grief as grief encompassed both spaces and minds.
Serafina denied all food and refused to step beyond her mother's chamber. Every night Serafina spent her cries of grief in Leah's protective embrace while holding tightly to prevent herself from fading into the night.
And Jacob?
Jacob became a ghost.
He was still the Alpha. He still led the pack. The laughing and loving and mate-loving person inside him ceased to exist after his mate's death.
The council elders began whispering. Without a Luna the Night Wind Pack would lose its direction. The Alpha could not be alone. The immense pain he experienced would eventually release its hold on his spirit.
The pack needed stability. The alpha needed a new mate.
Leah ignored the whispers at first until she caught Serafina looking at her with understanding eyes when the little girl whispered that she wanted Leah to become her new mother.
The little girl expressed her wish for Leah to become her new "mother."
Leah's heart stopped.
She shook her head. "Oh, sweet girl, I—"
Serafina spoke softly as she held onto Leah's sleeve with her tiny hand. "You've always been here. You love my papa, too."
Leah's breath hitched.
Jacob.
Thinking about him in those terms never crossed her mind before. She never allowed herself to hope.
A hush-filled whisper came from Serafina as she moved toward Leah's side.
"Please."
A storm was brewing deep within Leah's chest.
The Luna was gone. The castle was broken. The Alpha was lost.
Fate possesses the power to craft fresh narratives from the remnants of shattered lives.
Leah hadn't figured out yet but she was staring down at a life-altering role