BROKEN LUNA

Chapter 1: The Forgotten Dinner

Luna

The grandfather clock that was in the dining room struck seven. Ollie sat at the table, his small fingers busy with tracing the patterns on the tablecloth as he stared at the empty chair across from him.

His father's chair. Again.

"Is Daddy coming home for dinner?" he asked, his voice sounding so pained that it nearly broke me.

I forced a smile on my face, it was a smile that I had perfected after five years of being married to Xenois Blackwood-Alpha King of the Silver Moon Pack, CEO of Blackwood Enterprises, and the city's most beloved mayor.

Also known as my mate. The man who had been absent for most of our son's life.

"He texted that he's running late, sweetheart. Let's start without him."

Ollie's shoulders slumped down in disappointment, but he nodded his head, used to the fact that this has become a normal occurrence for him.

I placed his plate in front of him, it was a dinosaur-shaped chicken nuggets, which happened to be his favorite and ruffled his dark hair.

He looked so much like Xen it hurt sometimes. They shared the same blue eyes, and looks, even at his tender age.

As I sat down as well, my phone buzzed with a message. Xenois.

Can't make it. Sophia called. Riley is having a rough night and needs me. Don't wait up.

My fingers tightened around the phone. Sophia. Again. His ex-girlfriend who had reappeared in our lives a year ago with her son Riley with her.

Riley, who was the same age as Ollie. Riley, who got more of Xenois attention than his own biological son.

"Mommy, is something wrong?"

I looked up to find Ollie watching me carefully with concern in his eyes.

At almost five years old, he was already observant than usual, and he was used to reading my facial expressions to check for signs of distress.

"Everything's fine," I lied, as I dropped my phone aside on the table and gave him a small smile.

"Daddy just has to work late again."

"With Riley's mom?"

The innocent question felt like a slap to me..was it that obvious now. Even Ollie knew. Everyone knew.

Here I was, the Luna of the Silver Moon Pack, who got married to her true mate in an arranged marriage that never turned into a marriage of love and was forced to watch as my mate devoted himself to another woman and her child.

"Eat your dinner, sweetheart. Then we can watch that new dinosaur movie you've been asking about." I deflected as he nodded his head and focused on eating.

Later, after putting Ollie to bed and kissing his forehead, I sat alone in our bedroom-well it was my bedroom now as Xenois barely spent time here.

Our bond that we shared with each other felt pulled to the limits due to the distance. I could feel him across the city, his emotions filled with concern and affection for someone else. Emotions that weren't directed at me or our son.

I opened my laptop and resumed my research, scrolling through medical journals and pages on the internet.

Ollie had been sick for months now, ever since Sophia and Riley arrived. The doctors were confused at the sickness-his symptoms weren't matching any known werewolf or human illness.

He had fatigue, fever that came and went, occasional dizzy spells.