The Fake Luna: Marked By The Alpha King

Author’s POV

The drive back felt suffocating. Victor’s brow remained furrowed the entire way, a deep crease etched between his eyes that refused to smooth out no matter how hard he tried to relax.

He had reasons—plenty of them—to justify what he’d done. Sylvia hadn’t exactly spelled out her plans. He wasn’t technically an accomplice. He could claim ignorance if it came down to it.

But then he’d remember the look in Aria’s eyes when she’d left.

That raw, unguarded trust she’d placed in him. And his chest would tighten all over again, a suffocating pressure that made it hard to breathe.

Damn it.

He pulled into the estate just as twilight settled over Crescent Moon Pack territory. The mansion loomed ahead, its windows glowing warmly against the darkening sky—a picture of domestic tranquility that felt like a mockery right now.

Victor had barely stepped through the front door when his phone buzzed in his pocket.

He glanced at the screen. Sylvia. Of course.

He raised a hand sharply, dismissing the butler and the hovering staff with a curt gesture.

They scattered immediately, well-trained enough not to question their Alpha when his expression looked like that.

Victor stood alone in the grand foyer, shadows pooling around him as he answered the call.

"Aria’s gone," he said flatly, his voice echoing off the marble floors. "She left the second she heard. Didn’t even pack a bag."

Sylvia’s laugh came through the speaker, light and pleased. "Perfect. Thank you, Victor. I knew I could count on you."

Victor’s jaw clenched. He said nothing.

There was a pause, and when Sylvia spoke again, her tone had shifted—smoother now, almost honeyed. "Actually, there’s one more small favor I need from you. It’s about V&A Group’s pharmaceutical launch. You’re overseeing it now, aren’t you? I just need you to make sure a few... adjustments are made to the final documentation before it goes live. Nothing major—"

"No." Victor’s voice was iron. "I agreed to help you once, Sylvia. That’s it. We’re done."

Silence.

Then Sylvia’s voice came back, colder now. Almost amused.

"Oh? Are we?" She let the question hang for a beat. "Tell me, Victor... where is Lucas right now?"

Victor froze. His entire body went rigid, the phone suddenly feeling like ice against his ear.

"Lucas isn’t in Crescent Moon territory anymore, is he?" Sylvia’s voice was silk over steel. "No Pack protection. No Alpha watching over him. Just a lone wolf, wandering around out there in the world.

You know, it’s remarkable how easy it is for wolves without a Pack to just... disappear. No one asks questions. No one investigates. They’re ghosts."

"Sylvia—"

"I’m sure you understand what I’m saying, Victor." Her voice sharpened, all pretense of politeness dropping away. "So let’s not pretend you have a choice here."

Something inside Victor snapped.

"Are you threatening me?" His voice came out low and dangerous, the Alpha in him surging to the surface. "You think you can blackmail me, Sylvia? Vincent is dead, but that doesn’t mean the Smith family is toothless. You don’t want to push me on this. Trust me."

And then, before she could say another word, he ended the call.

Victor stood there in the echoing silence of the foyer, breathing hard, fury and frustration warring inside him.

He’d been played. Again.

Sylvia had seemed so different when she’d married Vincent all those years ago—graceful, demure, the perfect high-society Beta with impeccable manners and a soft smile.

She’d deferred to Vincent in everything, never pushed, never demanded.

But Victor had always known better. A woman who could claw her way into the Smith family without birthing an heir, who could maintain her position through sheer will and cunning alone—that wasn’t someone to underestimate.

And now she was showing her true colors.

Damn it all.

"...Alpha Victor?"

The voice came from behind him, quiet and hesitant.

Victor spun around, his wolf instincts flaring.

Emily Crane stood a few feet away, half-hidden in the shadows near the hallway entrance, arms wrapped around herself, her pale face almost ghostly in the dim light.

"Emily—what the hell are you doing here?" His voice came out sharper than he’d intended.

Emily flinched but didn’t retreat. "I’m sorry. I came to see Lucas, but he wasn’t here, and the staff said you’d be back soon, so I waited—"

"How long have you been standing there?" Victor’s voice was tight now, his mind racing.

Had she heard? How much had she heard?

Emily’s gaze dropped to the floor. "I didn’t mean to eavesdrop. But when you came in, you were on the phone, and I heard Lucas’s name, and I—" She trailed off, her voice cracking slightly.

Victor felt a headache building behind his eyes.

Of all the people to overhear that conversation, it had to be her—the overlooked adopted daughter of Riverside Pack’s Alpha, unwanted, invisible to everyone in her own pack, yet Lucas was absolutely infatuated with her in a way that bordered on obsession.

"Is it true?" Emily’s voice was small now. "Did Lucas really leave Crescent Moon Pack? Is he—is he in danger?"

"I don’t know what you think you heard—"

"I heard everything," Emily interrupted, her voice gaining strength. "That woman—Sylvia—she threatened you. She threatened Lucas. She’s going to hurt him, isn’t she?"

Victor’s silence was answer enough.

Emily’s hands clenched into fists at her sides, her expression shifting from fear to something harder.

"I can help," she said suddenly.

Victor almost laughed. "You? What exactly do you think you can do, Emily?"

It came out harsher than he’d meant, but honestly—what could she do? She was the forgotten adopted daughter no one in Riverside Pack would ever stand up for.

No rank, no allies, no one at her back. The idea of her going up against someone like Sylvia was absurd.

But Emily didn’t back down.

"I know you don’t think much of me," she said quietly, her voice trembling slightly.

"But Lucas is—he’s the only person who’s ever treated me like I mattered. Not because of my father’s rank or my family’s connections. Just... me."

Her voice cracked on the last word, and Victor saw her blink rapidly, fighting back tears.

"I’m not going to let someone hurt him," Emily said, her jaw setting with determination. "I don’t care what it takes."

"You have no idea what you’re talking about," Victor said, gentler now. "Sylvia isn’t someone you can just—"

"I know." Emily cut him off. "But I’ll find a way to protect him. With or without your help." She straightened her shoulders.

"But first, I need you to promise me that you won’t let Sylvia manipulate you into hurting Aria. Everyone knows she’s trying to destroy her. And if you’re being blackmailed..."

She trailed off, her meaning clear.