No Longer Your Luna The Alpha’s Belated Regret

In the fifth year Ethan promised I would become his Luna, he forgot my birthday yet again. I didn't throw a fit. I just quietly cooked all my favorite dishes and bought the gourmet cake I could never normally justify splurging on. Yet when I walked out of the bathroom fresh from a shower, ready to savor my evening alone, I found the dinner I’d spent three hours making packed away into thermal containers. The cake on the counter was smashed beyond recognition. Ethan finally noticed me standing there. Without even looking up from packing, he muttered, "Mia twisted her ankle during training today. It’s killing her, so I’m bringing her some food. Don't wait up for me." Once again, he walked out on me for the Omega he’d rescued. And this time, I was walking out on him for good. The second Ethan left, I took a deep breath and reached out through our Mind Link to his mother—the current Luna of the Pack. *Luna, I need to talk to you.* Her response came back warm and steady: *Come to the assembly hall, child.* I changed into a fresh set of clothes, walked down the quiet streets of the Pack territory, and headed inside. Luna was already waiting for me by the window, sipping a cup of tea. I sat down across from her. After a heavy pause, I finally spoke: "Luna, I want to move out of Ethan’s place." She didn't look surprised. She merely watched me with gentle eyes, waiting for me to go on. "Things haven't been right between us for a long time," I said, keeping my voice as steady as I could. "Mia is always his priority. I'm just… exhausted." Luna set her teacup down and looked straight at me. "Are you certain about this? You know that once you move out, there’s no turning back for you and Ethan." "I’m certain," I replied, meeting her gaze without wavering. "Luna, this isn't an impulse. I've thought about it for months." She remained silent for a moment before letting out a soft sigh. "As his mother, I try not to meddle in his personal life. But since you came to me, I know you’ve made up your mind." She gave me a supportive nod. "The Pack will have everything arranged for you." Two days later, a runner delivered a key with a handwritten note: *Cottage Three, East Pack District. It's quiet. Perfect for you.* Holding that key, a bitter sensation pooled in my chest. Five years. For five years, I had made myself invisible in this relationship, only to have his mother be the one who finally gave me a sanctuary. Ethan didn't come home until late that night. When he looked at me, there was a flash of guilt in his eyes. His posture softened. "Lily, I'm sorry," he murmured softly. "I completely spaced on your birthday yesterday. Didn't you say you wanted a used car for your commute? I went out and picked one up for you today. Consider it a late birthday gift." I had mentioned buying a cheap commuter car before. I worked in the neighboring human town, and the commute took an hour each way on foot or bus. Having a car would have saved me so much hassle. Back then, Ethan had flatly turned me down. Before I could say anything, he kept talking: "Mia was actually the one who reminded me yesterday. You should thank her when you see her. She’s the one who picked it out—said you’d definitely love it." So, he hadn't remembered on his own at all. Someone else had to remind him. Even the gift meant for me had been chosen by another woman. And all I was expected to do was smile, say it was fine, and accept whatever scraps they threw my way. Ethan pulled out his phone, scrolling through his gallery to show me the car. "Look, Mia picked pink. She said it was perfect for girls like you..." He swiped through the pictures. When he reached the second photo, my gaze froze. It was a picture of Mia. She was sitting in the driver's seat, sticking her tongue out and throwing up a peace sign at the camera. Ethan caught where I was staring and hastily explained, "Mia loves taking selfies. Her phone died, so she used mine." I didn't say a word. I just kept swiping. There were 323 photos in his camera roll. One hundred and twenty of them were of Mia. Three were of the car. That was when it hit me: Ethan hated taking pictures. He always complained about unnecessary clutter taking up storage on his phone. We didn't have a single photo together. In fact, he didn't even have my number saved in his contacts. It was almost as if I had never existed in his life.I once asked him why he never saved my contact information. He’d said: *Your number is branded into my brain. I could recite it in my sleep. Why would I need to save it?* Yet Mia was saved on his phone. Her contact name: *Lucky Piglet.* In his contacts, on SnapChat, on Instagram—she was pinned to the very top. I silently scrolled through his screen. Ethan didn't stop me. He even chuckled with an arrogant smirk. "What, checking up on me? Go ahead, see if there are any sketchy texts with other girls..." Before he could finish his sentence, a notification from *Lucky Piglet* popped up. *Ethan! You can't be this biased! Bros before hoes, remember? Lily gets a car, so I want one too! Hurry up and get me one right now!* Seeing that message, all desire to keep looking drained away. I handed the phone back to him. Ethan took it without a word. As I got up from the couch, I caught a glimpse of his screen. He’d replied: *Pack funds are a little tight this month. I owe you one, okay?* Mia wasn't having it. She sent an endless barrage of whining rolling-on-the-floor emojis. A flicker of hesitation crossed Ethan's face. He looked up at me. "Lily, our place isn't that far from the café. How about we let Mia have this car first, and I’ll buy you another one next time?" Last month, we had plans to see a movie. Right as we reached the theater, Mia called. She wanted him to go swimming with her. He had looked at me with that exact same hesitation before saying: *Lily, let's skip the movie today. I'll take you next time.* Faced with a choice between me and Mia, he always chose her. I hadn't argued back then. After he left, I bought a tub of popcorn and a soda, and walked into the theater alone for the very first time. That was the moment I realized something: Watching a movie alone wasn't hard at all. And letting go of something that was never truly mine was even easier. "Sure, whatever you say," I replied flatly. The tension on Ethan's face instantly dissolved into visible relief. He let out a relaxed sigh. "You're always so mature. Mia is just a brat—she’s impossible to handle sometimes." He made it sound like a complaint, but every syllable dripped with fond indulgence. What he didn't realize was that I wasn't being "mature." I just didn't care anymore. "Oh, by the way," he added, "Mia said a new Mexican spot opened up on South Street. She invited us out to eat." Before I could decline, he gave me a helpless look. "She really wants to go." A little while later, Ethan and I were sitting at a table in the Mexican restaurant. When I dipped my chips in hot salsa, Ethan frowned. "I thought you hated spicy food?" "I've always loved it. You just never noticed." I flipped through the menu and ordered everything I liked, along with a strawberry ice cream dessert. Seeing that, Mia immediately chimed in and ordered a mango shaved ice. Ethan’s brows furrowed in disapproval. He snapped at her in a stern whisper, "Aren't you on your cycle? You know cold food makes your cramps worse." Without waiting for her permission, he crossed the shaved ice off the bill and replaced it with freshly squeezed orange juice. Mia didn't look offended in the slightest. Instead, she flashed him a sweet, beaming smile. "So what if it hurts? I'm not scared of anything when you're around!" I used to have bad cramps, too. Back then, Ethan would boil warm milk for me every month without fail. When I was curled up in agonizing pain, his eyes would turn red with genuine heartache. He would rest his large, warm hand over my freezing stomach, whispering with a slight tremor in his voice: *I wish I could take the pain for you so you wouldn't have to suffer like this.* Back then, I thought just like Mia. I thought with him by my side, I could endure anything. Yet ever since Mia came back to the Pack, his tenderness had completely vanished. Watching them playfully flirt in front of everyone, I felt like a third wheel who didn't belong in the room. Just then, a server walked up and placed a milk tea with two straws down right in front of them. "Happy tenth anniversary to our owners!" the server announced with a bright smile. "To celebrate, every couple dining with us today gets a complimentary drink!"Mia took it happily and took two sips through one of the straws. "Wow, this is so good! Here, try it." She pointed the very straw she had just used straight at Ethan. Without a shred of hesitation or awkwardness, Ethan leaned down and took a sip. "Not bad," he murmured. Watching this sickening display, my fingers dug into my palms. I had imagined how intimate they were when I wasn't around. I thought seeing it in person wouldn't hurt anymore. Yet seeing it right in front of me still felt like a needle stabbing straight into my heart. "Lily, Ethan and I have been like this since we were kids," Mia laughed cheerfully. "We share everything. You don't mind, do you?" Her smile looked wide and innocent, but I caught the clear flicker of provocation in her eyes. "Not at all," I said coolly. "You're just an Omega in the Pack who needs looking after. As the future Alpha, taking care of weaker Omegas is Ethan's duty." The smile on Mia's face instantly froze, turning stiff and awkward. "Yeah, exactly. If Ethan and I had anything going on, he wouldn't even be with you." The first time I ever saw Mia was three years ago. I was walking past the Pack training grounds and saw a group of young wolves causing a scene in the distance. When I walked closer, I saw a frail Omega girl trapped in the center. A few Betas were shoving her around, mocking her because she couldn't even control a basic shift. Just as I was about to step in, Ethan pushed past me. His voice wasn't loud, but it cut through the noise, silencing the entire yard. *As your future Alpha, it is my duty to protect every vulnerable Omega in this Pack. Picking on someone weaker than you—is that what Pack loyalty means to you?* The Betas scattered immediately. The Omega girl looked up, her eyes rimmed with tears as she stared at Ethan. That was Mia. From that day on, Mia became an inescapable shadow in Ethan's life. She always had an excuse to seek him out: She hurt herself during training; the pipes in her dorm burst; she was too scared to walk home in the dark alone... And every single time, Ethan dropped everything and went. I once asked him: *There are dozens of Omegas in this Pack. Why is it always her?* He replied: *Mia had it rough when she first joined. I was the first person who ever stood up for her. As the future Alpha, I can't just stand by and watch an Omega get bullied. If I turn my back on her, who else does she have to lean on in this Pack?* Back then, I thought his words made sense. Looking back now, his "protection" had crossed the line long ago. The second memory that was burned into my mind happened during a violent storm late one night. The Pack's perimeter alarm went off in the howling wind. I woke up terrified, instinctively curling toward Ethan’s chest. Instead of holding me, he was already sitting up, his phone glowing in the dark with a message from Mia: *Ethan, I'm so scared being all alone. Can you come over?* I grabbed the hem of his shirt. *It's pouring out there. Please, just stay tonight.* He looked down at me, his voice firm and cold. *Mia is timid, and she's a frail Omega. What if something happens to her? Lily, you're going to be the Luna one day. You, of all people, should understand my duty to this Pack.* With that, he pulled on his jacket and vanished into the night. I lay in bed alone, listening to the rain lashing against the glass, unable to close my eyes. Later, I heard from others that Mia's dorm hadn't lost power at all that night, nor had there been any leaks. She was just "scared." And Ethan had stayed by her bedside all night long. The third time was when Mia supposedly sprained her ankle during drills. She claimed she couldn't walk and demanded Ethan pick her up. When his phone rang, I had been in the middle of talking to him about our weekend getaway plans. The moment he hung up, he grabbed his coat. *Where are you going? We're not done talking—* *Mia needs me. We’ll talk when I get back.* And out the door he went. I stood frozen in the hallway, watching the door slam shut. That was when I noticed: he hadn't even bothered to say, *Wait for me.* Later, I found out he hadn't just picked her up—he had quietly scratched her name off the Pack chore rotation for the entire month, claiming she needed time to heal. Yet I had seen her in the Pack mess hall, lifting heavy crates and running errands without missing a beat. When I finally confronted him, saying, *Is Mia your real girlfriend? You care about her more than you care about me,* Ethan lost his temper. Furious, he snapped: *What kind of nonsense is that?! Mia is Pack! I am the future Alpha! Taking care of our members is my duty! Lily, you’re supposed to be our future Luna—how could you say something so petty?* Sitting at the restaurant table, Ethan didn't utter a word of defense against Mia's sly comments. He merely reached over and quietly picked the spicy peppers out of her dipping sauce. I couldn't taste a single bite of that meal. Mia, on the other hand, ate to her heart's content under his doting care. The cottage in the East Pack District was ready. While Ethan was away, I packed up my belongings. I didn't bother hiring movers. I didn't have much. After five years, all I had amounted to a few modest boxes. I left the key on the entryway console. I took one final look at the place where I had lived for five years. Then, I shut the door behind me and never looked back.That home had held so many of our brightest memories. It had witnessed all the sweetness of our five years together. It had seen every season we shared. It had carried all our laughter and tears. Ethan had once wanted our future to stay rooted there forever. He had talked about petitioning Luna to hold our official mate ceremony in the Pack assembly hall, so we could finally cement our bond as one. Back when he used to talk about it, my heart was full of hope for what was to come. Now, my chest was as still as stagnant water. I didn't reply to any of his texts. Once I reached my new cottage, I cleaned the place up myself. Then I went to the market, bought fresh groceries, and cooked a spread of all the meals I loved. I even got the ice cream cake I never got to taste on my birthday. Taking a bite of the cake, the cold, sweet cream melted across my tongue. A small smile touched my lips. So this was what it tasted like. No wonder Ethan had packed up all the fruit and frosting to take to Mia that night. After a moment's thought, I snapped a picture and posted it to my Instagram feed. The caption read: *Happy birthday to me. To a new chapter, to peace, and to freedom.* Within minutes, friends, family, and coworkers began liking and commenting, filling the replies with warm birthday wishes. I replied to them one by one to thank them. Then, my finger froze on a painfully familiar profile picture. It was the very first time Ethan had ever left a comment on one of my posts. *Lily, what kind of tantrum is this? Where are you? I'm coming over so we can talk face-to-face.* His comment stuck out like a glaring stain among all the well-wishes. With a flick of my thumb, I deleted it. Failing to get a response, Ethan sent a voice memo. *Lily, could you stop being so childish? If you have an issue, say it to my face. Stop pulling these disappearing acts.* *If you don't reply right now, I'm going to get pissed.* Hearing his harsh voice, I nearly laughed out loud. I had brought up our problems countless times. I told him I wanted his unconditional devotion. I told him I wanted to be his first choice. I told him to draw boundaries with Mia. Yet he never honored a single boundary I asked for. Or rather, he had never taken my words seriously in the first place. I still didn't respond. Instead, I systematically deleted his number, purged him from my socials, and blocked him everywhere. Just then, a text popped up from my mom. *Wasn't your birthday three days ago? Why are you only posting now?* *And Ethan wasn't in any of the pictures... Did you two break up?*