A Luna's Dynasty (Celestial Book 1), page 1
Copyright © 2025 by JM Snap
All rights reserved.
No portion of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher or author, except as permitted by U.S. copyright law.
Contents
1. Chapter 1
2. Chapter 2
3. Chapter 3
4. Chapter 4
5. Chapter 5
6. Chapter 6
7. Chapter 7
8. Chapter 8
9. Chapter 9
10. Chapter 10
11. Chapter 11
12. Chapter 12
13. Chapter 13
14. Chapter 14
15. Chapter 15
16. Chapter 16
17. Chapter 17
18. Chapter 18
19. Chapter 19
20. Chapter 20
21. Chapter 21
22. Chapter 22
23. Chapter 23
24. Chapter 24
25. Chapter 25
26. Chapter 26
27. Chapter 27
28. Chapter 28
29. Chapter 29
30. Chapter 30
31. Chapter 31
32. Chapter 32
33. Chapter 33
34. Chapter 34
35. Chapter 35
36. Chapter 36
37. Chapter 37
38. Chapter 38
39. Chapter 39
40. Chapter 40
41. Chapter 41
42. Chapter 42
43. Chapter 43
44. Chapter 44
45. Chapter 45
46. Chapter 46
47. Chapter 47
48. Chapter 48
49. Chapter 49
50. Chapter 50
51. Chapter 51
52. Chapter 52
53. Chapter 53
54. Chapter 54
55. Chapter 55
56. Chapter 56
57. Chapter 57
58. Chapter 58
59. Chapter 59
60. Chapter 60
61. Chapter 61
62. Chapter 62
63. Chapter 63
64. Chapter 64
65. Chapter 65
66. Chapter 66
67. Chapter 67
68. Chapter 68
69. Chapter 69
70. Chapter 70
71. Chapter 71
72. Chapter 72
73. Chapter 73
74. Chapter 74
75. Chapter 75
76. Chapter 76
77. Chapter 77
78. Chapter 78
79. Chapter 79
80. Chapter 80
81. Chapter 81
82. Chapter 82
83. Chapter 83
84. Chapter 84
85. Chapter 85
86. Chapter 86
87. Chapter 87
88. Chapter 88
89. Chapter 89
90. Chapter 90
91. Chapter 91
92. Chapter 92
93. Chapter 93
94. Epilogue
95. Epilogue 2
96. About the Author
This book is for my family, who saw dragons in the clouds with me. For my readers, who walked through fairy kingdoms at my side. For my editor, who wielded her red pen like a sword against the dragon of my first draft. And for you, the dreamers, who know that magic isn't found in spells, but in the spaces between heartbeats.
Chapter 1
“Why am I here?” Lita groaned as she got out of the car.
“You’re the alpha’s daughter. Why wouldn’t you be at the East Hearth Alpha Meeting?” Teo chuckled as he placed his hand on Lita’s head. They called it a meeting, but it was obviously more of a party. It was held in the early morning and meant to last well into the night.
“I’ve never come to these before.” Lita looked up at Teo. He was her brother’s beta and best friend. He was one of the few members of her pack who actually talked with her.
“You were in college, Miss Smarty Pants. What fourteen-year old goes to college? Your brother certainly couldn’t. The brains must have come from your mother.”
“I can hear you.” Drew shoved Teo and put him in a headlock.
“Drew!” The commanding voice of Alpha Nathon couldn’t be missed. “This isn’t the place for horseplay.”
“Dad, it isn’t exactly horseplay. They’re wolves, not centaurs.” Lita giggled as her father smiled at her.
“Are you excited for today’s event?”
“Honestly, no. I usually avoid crowds.” Lita sighed, looking at the brick building ahead. The truth was her own pack rejected her. It was something she rarely talked about with her father. He didn’t use his alpha position to order them or force them to bend to his will. Instead, he wanted members to make their own decisions. Even when it came to his own daughter.
To some, it would be strange that the alpha’s son was loved and accepted but not the daughter. But they had different mothers, and that was what separated them. Lita’s mother was not a wolf, making her a hybrid. A hybrid of what? She wasn’t sure. Her father never told her but she suspected a witch.
When she had her first shift, her wolf turned out to be enormous and black. She was as big if not bigger than alpha wolves. The pack immediately rejected and feared her. In their eyes, hybrid wolves were not to be trusted. They had mixed alliances and could never be part of a pack. She was a bad omen, and they didn’t want any part of her. Even if she was the alpha’s daughter.
That was when Lita decided to become a healer. She'd always had a strong drive to help others and needed a profession that was in high demand, so she dove into her studies and started college. She didn’t have to worry about friends and parties. She wouldn’t waste her time finding a mate who would reject and hurt her. Instead, she focused on her goal.
Now at 22, she was a fully fledged healer. With all her credentials, only her brother and Teo would come to her. Occasionally, she would give a child a shot. Hardly the job for a qualified healer. It was clear to her that her time at her pack was running short. Soon, she would leave and move into the city, where she could hide the fact that she was a hybrid. She could treat supernaturals and humans alike.
Her wolf Mira paced anxiously in her mind, which was not like her. Mira, what is it?
I don’t know. Something is making me feel uneasy. Mira, her wolf, was a gift from the Moon Goddess. She was part of her, and they could communicate with each other mentally. It was like having another consciousness in your mind, which really helped her out in college, since it was really lonely at times. One thing she knew about Mira was that she was never shy or timid. For her to act anxious was unheard of.
Do you sense something dangerous? Lita looked at the building and surrounding area. It was a meeting for the Eastern pack alphas and their children. Future pack officers were also permitted to attend. Most packs had three high-ranking officers below their alpha and luna. Their beta, who was second in command, their gamma, who was third, and their delta, who was fourth. A complete hierarchy system.
The idea of this was to secure lasting alliances for the next generation of leaders. These leaders would go on to host mating parties to try to encourage fated mates for their pack members. It was common knowledge that fated mates produced stronger pups. Most packs wanted to be stronger, so finding your mate was ideal.
“You belong here, and it's important for you to make an appearance. Speaking of appearance, Drew, where is your future luna?” It wasn’t hard to miss the irritation in Dad's voice.
“She’s coming. She had to finish primping.”
“Not an admirable quality for your luna … being late.” Nathon took in a calming breath, then looked ahead. “We can’t wait for her out here. She will have to come find you when she arrives.” Lita’s brother’s mate, Kennedy, was your typical princess of the pack. It was no shock when Drew announced she was his fated mate. The pack was over-the-moon excited for them. She tolerated Lita’s presence, but only for Drew’s sake. He was waiting for the next full moon to take her as his official mate. Once he did, Lita knew she wouldn’t feel as welcome in her own home. She needed to start looking for a new place. Her father would object, and this was why she had to keep her plans secret until the day she left.
Her father and Drew walked ahead while Lita dragged her feet. If her father didn’t sense danger, then there wasn’t any. Still, Mira was certain something was wrong. “What is it, Lita?” Teo asked as he fixed his hair, which her brother had messed up.
“I don’t know … Mira is anxious.”
“You two have avoided large gatherings and pack life. It’s only natural that this would make her apprehensive. You can feel the powerful auras radiating out of the building.”
“I wonder if Grayson and Luke will be here from the Cedar Pack,” she murmured out loud. They were twin alpha wolves who she had spent the summer with when she was a teenager. She used to talk with Grayson all the time but lost contact with him when she started college. It was unfortunate, because he was one of the few friends she'd ever had.
“I don’t think they’ll be here. They’re more of the Middle conference. We haven’t seen the Cedar Pack for a few years ourselves.” Teo wrapped his arm around Lita’s shoulders, leaning his head down so that his hot breath tickled her ear. “Don’t worry. I’ll protect you.” To him, Lita was a wonderful person. He hated how the pack reacted to her. They never took the chance to know how amazin
“I guess no one here knows me, so you won’t be risking social suicide.” Lita chuckled as his brows furrowed.
“The pack are morons. They just don’t know you, and they don’t give you a chance. But I do, Little Lita. I know you, and you know I care about you … more than you realize.” He trailed off quietly, his gaze lingering on her face.
“I know, Teo, and I appreciate you. You’re really the only one in Red Grove Pack, besides my brother and father, who talk to me as if they won’t catch the plague.”
Suddenly, he turned her to his chest. “If you had the plague, then I would gladly catch it just to be close to you.”
She giggled and looked up at him. “You want to die a martyr?”
He let out a sigh as he stared into her naïve eyes. Her fresh-faced innocence only added to her charm, though it pained him that she seemed oblivious to his true feelings. She had a way of brightening his day with just a simple smile, and his thoughts were constantly consumed by her. Being near her brought him a sense of peace and contentment that he couldn’t find anywhere else.
She didn’t look at him that way. To her, he was just a friend, like an older brother. The pack’s tradition held strong—find your fated mate, not a chosen one. The idea of being bound to someone by fate was exhilarating. To find that special person who would make you stronger and who you would produce stronger pups with. This type of love was not simply a choice, but a divine gift bestowed upon those who were meant to be together. Because of this, most kept things casual or had friends with benefits. They attended mating parties regularly to allow everyone the chance to find their mates. Lita never went to the parties because she said she didn’t care to find her mate. And he was getting tired of waiting for his fated mate, especially when everything he wanted was right in front of him. So maybe … maybe she would consider him.
“This is nice … having you all to myself for a few moments.” Teo rubbed her shoulders as he stared into her beautiful emerald eyes.
“It’s nice like this,” Lita said with a content smile. “It’s peaceful … I wish it could be like this all the time.”
Teo wrapped his arm lightly around her. “Why can’t it be?” he asked, his breath stirring her hair.
Lita shook her head, unable to meet his gaze. “You know why,” she said, fighting to keep her voice steady. “Drew’s going to claim his mate soon, and then you’ll—” She broke off, swallowing hard against the lump in her throat.
“I’ll what?” Teo prompted gently.
“You’ll both move on. Find your mates, start your own families. And I’ll be … well, who knows what the future holds,” she said quietly.
“What does that mean?” Teo slowly began to play with her hair.
“Just some things I’ve been thinking about. My place in this world … Dad will travel the world, and … with you and Drew having families, my little world will vanish. I don’t know if there’s a place for me here.”
“Lita!”
“Teo, I’ll be alone. Let’s face it. Your mate won’t want you to talk to me anymore and you know it.”
“Who says I’ll find my fated mate?” he said softly, his fingers absently tracing patterns on her arm.
Lita’s brow furrowed, her green eyes searching his face. “What do you mean? Everyone has a fated mate, don’t they?”
A wry smile played at the corners of Teo’s mouth. “Maybe. But what if … what if I’ve already found someone I care about? Someone who isn’t my fated mate?”
“Wow, really? Who is it? Do you think they like you too? But what about your fated mate? And her fated mate? I don’t know, Teo … you know how the pack feels about that. And you don’t want to rob her of finding her fated mate, either.”
Teo let out a quiet laugh. How did she not understand his feelings? “You’re missing the point, Lita.” He stared into her green eyes. Teo’s expression softened, and he leaned in slightly, his voice dropping to a near-whisper. “What if she doesn’t want her fated mate and avoids trying to find him? Do you think I should tell her how I feel then?” He hoped that, with this puzzle piece, she would finally put it together and see that she was the person he cared about.
Chapter 2
“Lita!” Nathon’s voice rang out by the door. “I can’t introduce you if you aren’t in here.”
Lita jumped and quickly turned to head inside. She glanced over her shoulder at Teo as he followed her. She wondered who he was talking about. She would make sure he spilled it to her later.
As she approached the door, Nathon gently tucked her arm over his and led her inside. “This is my daughter, Lita. Isn’t she beautiful?” This was what her father said on repeat as he guided her through the many rooms of the building. “Ladies, gentlemen, you must meet my daughter, Lita.”
Nathon beamed. “She’s a healer, you know. Youngest in pack history.”
Lita was grateful when Kennedy finally arrived because Nathon had to leave to introduce her brother Drew and his future luna. The ones who would be taking over the pack. He was saving their introductions so he could introduce them both together. Lita used this moment to escape to the side kitchen, though on her way out, she overheard someone talking about her father’s mental strength after having lost two mates.
Her father lost his first mate, Drew’s mother, in a fight against rogues. And his second mate, her mother, was killed by wolves during a thunderstorm. She took in a shaky breath as she pushed the memories away. She was there the day her mother died. It was one of the reasons she had panic attacks during storms.
As she rounded the corner, Teo was waiting there, a glass of something dark in each hand. He didn't speak, just handed her one and offered a wry little smile. “Survive the gauntlet?”
“Didn’t even cry.” Lita grinned and quickly gulped down the contents, shifting her thoughts to today. It was strange for her to be at a party like this. Everyone was being so nice to her. If they knew about her secret, though, none of them would want her there. Just like the other members in her home pack.
“You ready to go back in?” Teo asked, draining his glass.
“Not yet.” Lita felt Mira pacing frantically in her mind.
“Your brother is summoning me. Guess it’s my turn to be paraded around. But if your brother doesn’t call me beautiful, then I’m rioting.” Teo chuckled as he prodded Lita’s nose. “Be good and wait here for me.”
Lita snorted with a smile. She didn’t have any intentions of leaving the kitchen, until Mira made her head start throbbing. She looked for the nearest door and quickly went through it, running outside to the trees.
Why are you so worked up, Mira?
Do you smell that? That scent … Her tail wagged in Lita’s mind as she bounced around.
Lita smelled the air and realized that what she’d been smelling wasn’t some dessert from inside. The smell was also out here, and getting closer. That was when she heard it. A soft footstep from behind. It was careful, calculated, not a deer but something bigger. She spun around, her eyes scanning the darkness.
“Who’s there?!” she demanded, squaring her shoulder back confidently. There was no fear, only the willingness to fight if she had to.
Silence. Then another step, closer now. A shadow formed behind a tree. Tall, broad shoulders, moving with the grace of a wolf. She could feel Mira pressing against the inside of her ribs, desperate to get closer, to touch him, to understand.
For a moment, he stood there, then slowly stepped into the light. His hair was black and thick, and his handsome face was accented by his silver eyes. Suddenly, Mira let out a loud howl in her mind. A howl of pure need … a howl of recognition.
Mate.
The word slammed Lita in the gut. Mira was beyond reason, yipping and tumbling, already in love.
“So you do feel it too?” An amused smirk spread over his lips while his stormy eyes stayed locked onto hers. “I was beginning to wonder, because you didn’t look my way once inside.”
Lita looked at him in confusion. “You were watching me?”
“My wolf, Bo, demanded it.” He took a step closer and she took one back.
“I’m not going to hurt you.” His eyes suddenly looked wounded.
“I … I don’t know you.”
“Give me a chance.” He gave her a sweet smile as he took another step closer. “I’ve been looking for you. I’m Asher … Alpha Asher Chain of the Black Ice Pack. And I’ve been waiting for my mate to show up. What’s your name?”
