NORA'S POV

CHAPTER 1

Nora's POV

“Moon goddess, help me.” I whispered, my voice strained in between gasps for air. My mind was getting foggy from all the pain and my heart thumped and twitched uncontrollably. I bit my lip, holding back a scream that threatened to escape my throat as the throbbing pain in my chest persisted.

I held on to my chest and crawled slowly out of bed. I was drenched in my own sweat from trying to cover the distance between my bed and the window. Every step felt like a marathon.

“Nel…Nelson.” I cried out, my voice desperate and pleading. “Please..”

Where was he when I needed him the most? He was out again, with the rest of his friends, partying, or attending to pack business like he claims.

I stumbled, my legs trembling as I made my way to the window. It was a full moon, a bittersweet reminder of the night I bonded with Nel. I leaned against the windowsill and sighed in relief, tears dripping down my eyes in torrents as I absorbed the moonlight. It was the only thing that could temporarily alleviate this curse from me.

Ever since my marriage to my mate and Alpha, Nelson, this pain had been a companion. It started on the night after the consummation of my wedding with Nelson. It was abrupt, a sharp stabbing pain that tore through my very being.

Nelson had rushed in minutes after the pain had subsided, tears in his eyes, apologizing profusely. But he never explained what was happening to me, or why. All I knew was that his presence seemed to calm the pain, and the moonlight was my only solace when he was away.

At the minutes ticked by, the pain slowly receded leaving behind a deep sadness.

I had grown up always been told I was a weakling, learning to live with the feeling of inadequacy, but I held on to the hope that everything would be fine when I met my mate.

I had always imagined what it would be like to finally meet my mate, I would spend hours fantasizing about how in love we would be and how many pups we would give birth to. But the reality seemed different, my bond with Nelson only seemed to be growing distant by the day.

I remembered our first night together like it was yesterday. It was filled with love and passion as he marked me, his teeth sinking into my skin. It was the one time he looked at me as though I was his. Now, he barely looked at me or simply treated me like a stranger.

With tears pricking at the corner of my eyes, I cried myself to sleep, alone in the darkness.

I woke up to the sound of Nelson's footsteps, his presence a stark contrast to the emptiness I'd felt the night before. I got up from the bed feeling like a bag of bones and made my way to the dining room, where he was already seated, a cup of coffee in hand.

He spared me a passive glance before returning to piercing a piece of bacon with a fork and bringing it to his lips.

“Good morning.” I greeted, my voice hoarse from all the crying last night.

“Morning.” He merely responded. I waited, expecting him to ask how I managed through the night or if I had slept well. But he kept on munching on his food, leaving me standing there awkwardly.

I walked off silently, to clean up. I came downstairs excited that he had returned, forgetting to do my morning routine.

When I returned downstairs, a breakfast table was set with a spread of pastries, eggs, and bacon.

He was done eating and just sat there waiting for me to finish. I ate in awkward silence, not knowing what to say to him, the only sound was the clinking of utensils on plates.

After a long stretch of silence, Nelson finally cleared his throat, filling his glass cup with water. "I have another pack meeting to attend," he said, his voice formal. "The neighboring alphas are gathering to discuss trade agreements."

I sighed, feeling a familiar sense of disappointment. Another meeting, another day and night to be alone. It's not I could stop him from going, so instead I decided to make a request.

"Nelson," I interrupted, my voice barely above a whisper. "Can I ask something of you?"

He raised an eyebrow, his expression wary and surprised. "What is it?" He brought the glass to his lips.

I took a deep breath and licked my lips nervously, my heart racing. "I would like to go out with you."

He choked on the water he was drinking, his eyes watering as he coughed violently. I nervously stood up and reached out to pat him on the back. His coughing reduced and he waved me off. I headed back to my seat and looked at him in concern and worry.

“Go out with me?" he asked, his voice incredulous.

I know I was not enough for him, but I wanted to try. I could help him at the pack meetings in other ways. I was still Luna of the pack.

"What's wrong?" I asked, my brow furrowed in concern. “Don't you want me to come over?”

Nelson's face turned red as he struggled to compose himself. He stumbled over his words.

"Nothing, nothing's wrong," he said, his voice still hoarse from coughing. "I just... didn't expect you to ask that, that's all." Nelson's eyes darted around the room, avoiding mine.

I felt ashamed, knowing very well why he didn't want me to come. I was just going to go there and embarrass him. What the hell was I thinking?

“Don't worry about what I said, it was just a stupid request—” I started to say.

“No it isn't.” He said almost too quickly, cutting short my words. Then his expression changed, and he nodded slowly. "Fine, you can come with me."

I felt a surge of joy and relief. "Really? Thank you so much Nelson!" I said, grabbing his hand. It was a chance to finally prove myself. I had been seen as a figure head and a useless Luna by the pack members. A good for nothing sho hasn't even been able to birth an heir. I had to prove myself to them somehow.

Nelson smiled, a small, tight smile as he released his hand from my hold. "It's okay. I'll make the arrangements."

I beamed at him, feeling a sense of gratitude. "Thank you, I really appreciate it."

Nelson pushed back his chair and stood up. "I have to go, I have some pack business to attend to."

I nodded, still feeling happy about his agreement . "Okay, I'll see you later."

As he walked away from the dining table, I caught a glimpse of him grinning to himself. It was a fleeting moment, but it gave me a sense of unease. What was he smiling about? I pushed the thought aside, not wanting to ruin the good mood I was in.

I suddenly felt nervous about facing the pack members after so long. After all these years of passing through pain, I had learnt to stay away from others and keep to myself. I didn't want to hear whispers or rumours about my sickness when I walked.

But I think it only made things worse. I had to go out there and show them that I could do something besides being a trophy wife.