Chapter 2
I made it back to our bedroom before Kael returned from whatever lie he was living tonight.
I sat at my vanity, brushing my hair, watching my own reflection with dead eyes. The mating mark on my neck pulsed—a cruel reminder that our bond was still technically alive.
The bedroom door opened. His scent hit me first—pine, iron, and something darker. Power.
"There's my beautiful Luna." His arms wrapped around me from behind, his lips pressing against my mark. A shiver ran through me. Even now, my traitorous body responded to him.
"You're up late," he murmured.
"Couldn't sleep." I met his golden eyes in the mirror. "Thinking about the Lunar Gala tomorrow."
"Ah." He smiled—that devastating smile that had conquered kingdoms. "You'll outshine every female there. I had a gown commissioned. Starweave silk. Only three bolts exist in the world."
I turned to face him, letting him cup my jaw in his massive hand.
"Kael?"
"Mm?"
"Is Vanessa attending?"
Not a flinch. Not a flicker. His control was absolute.
"She's pack, love. She attends all formal events. Why?"
"No reason." I pressed a kiss to his palm. "I just want tomorrow to be perfect."
He carried me to bed that night. Worshipped my body with his tongue, his teeth, his hands. Made me come apart three times before he finally took me.
And when he was buried inside me, his forehead pressed to mine, he whispered, "I would burn this world for you, Serenity."
I almost laughed.
He'd burn the world for me—but wouldn't send a single healer.
---
The next evening, the Lunar Gala transformed the Blackthorne Grand Hall into a cathedral of silver and sapphire.
I descended the staircase on Kael's arm, wearing the starweave gown. It moved like liquid moonlight across my skin. Every head turned.
"Luna Serenity, you look divine—"
"Your Majesty, congratulations on the exhibition hall dedication—"
I smiled. Nodded. Played the role of beloved Luna with mechanical perfection.
Then I saw her.
Vanessa stood near the center of the hall in a gown of deep crimson—blood red against her porcelain skin. And pinned to her breast was a brooch I recognized.
My mother's brooch.
The one Kael said was "lost" during a vault reorganization six months ago. A moonstone heirloom, the only thing I had left of my birth mother.
It sat on Vanessa's chest like a trophy.
She caught my stare and smiled.
"Sister!" She floated toward us. "What a stunning event. Kael, you've really outdone yourself."
She said his name without his title. No one else in this pack would dare.
He didn't correct her.
"Vanessa." His tone was polite. Distant. But I noticed—his body angled slightly toward her, a subconscious protective shift.
"Is that—" I started, my eyes locked on the brooch.
"Oh, this?" Vanessa touched it with delicate fingers. "A gift from an admirer. Beautiful, isn't it? Moonstone. Reminds me of you, actually."
My nails bit into my palms.
Before I could respond, the gala host called me to the stage for the hall dedication speech. This exhibition hall was my project—three years of work bringing supernatural art to the mortal-adjacent world.
I took the podium. The crowd quieted.
"Thank you all for—"
"Wait!" Vanessa's voice rang out. She ascended the stage steps, microphone in hand, smile radiant.
"Forgive the interruption, but I have an announcement." She turned to the crowd, her eyes glistening with rehearsed tears. "As many of you know, my sister and I share a passion for the arts. Tonight, I'm proud to unveil a project I've been working on in secret—"
She pulled a silk cover from a frame behind the stage.
My heart stopped.
It was my design. My architectural blueprint for the exhibition hall—the one I'd kept in my private study. The one only Kael had a key to.
But now, Vanessa's name was printed across the bottom. "Lead Creative Director: Vanessa Ashford."
The crowd erupted in applause.
She'd stolen three years of my work in a single moment.
I turned to Kael. He stood at the base of the stage, jaw tight. He knew. I could see it in the micro-tension around his eyes.
He did nothing.
"Sister," Vanessa whispered, leaning close to my ear as the crowd praised her vision, "you should thank me. I made it better."
My wolf—my dormant, supposedly dead wolf—stirred for the first time in three years. Not with submission.
With rage.
But I swallowed it. Buried it deep.
Instead, I smiled at the crowd. "My sister is truly talented. I'm so proud."
The words were ash in my mouth.
After the gala, in our private chambers, Kael poured me wine. His movements were careful. He knew something was wrong.
"Serenity. About tonight—"
"It's fine."
"It's not. I saw your face." He set the glass down and pulled me close. "I'll talk to Vanessa. She overstepped."
"Will you?"
Something in my tone made him pull back. His golden eyes searched my face.
"What's wrong? And don't say nothing."
I looked at this man—this powerful, ancient Alpha King who could read lies in a heartbeat—and I smiled the most convincing smile of my life.
"Nothing, my love. I'm just tired."
He watched me for a long, terrible moment.
Then he kissed my forehead. "Rest. Tomorrow I have a surprise for your birthday."
My birthday. Tomorrow.
"What kind of surprise?"
"I've commissioned a moonpool bath in the east wing. Pure lunar essence. It will strengthen your body, help with—" he hesitated, "—help if we decide to try again. For a pup."
A moonpool bath.
Pure lunar essence.
The same substance that, according to the healer's notes I'd secretly read, was toxic to half-bloods without a manifested wolf. It would feel like bathing in acid. It could kill me.
Unless it was never meant for me.
Vanessa, with her full Beta wolf, would thrive in it.
"That sounds wonderful," I whispered.
He smiled, relieved. "Happy early birthday, my love."
I waited until he fell asleep. Then I lay in the dark, staring at the ceiling, finalizing my plan.
Tomorrow would be my last day as Luna of the Eastern Dominion.
I sat at my vanity, brushing my hair, watching my own reflection with dead eyes. The mating mark on my neck pulsed—a cruel reminder that our bond was still technically alive.
The bedroom door opened. His scent hit me first—pine, iron, and something darker. Power.
"There's my beautiful Luna." His arms wrapped around me from behind, his lips pressing against my mark. A shiver ran through me. Even now, my traitorous body responded to him.
"You're up late," he murmured.
"Couldn't sleep." I met his golden eyes in the mirror. "Thinking about the Lunar Gala tomorrow."
"Ah." He smiled—that devastating smile that had conquered kingdoms. "You'll outshine every female there. I had a gown commissioned. Starweave silk. Only three bolts exist in the world."
I turned to face him, letting him cup my jaw in his massive hand.
"Kael?"
"Mm?"
"Is Vanessa attending?"
Not a flinch. Not a flicker. His control was absolute.
"She's pack, love. She attends all formal events. Why?"
"No reason." I pressed a kiss to his palm. "I just want tomorrow to be perfect."
He carried me to bed that night. Worshipped my body with his tongue, his teeth, his hands. Made me come apart three times before he finally took me.
And when he was buried inside me, his forehead pressed to mine, he whispered, "I would burn this world for you, Serenity."
I almost laughed.
He'd burn the world for me—but wouldn't send a single healer.
---
The next evening, the Lunar Gala transformed the Blackthorne Grand Hall into a cathedral of silver and sapphire.
I descended the staircase on Kael's arm, wearing the starweave gown. It moved like liquid moonlight across my skin. Every head turned.
"Luna Serenity, you look divine—"
"Your Majesty, congratulations on the exhibition hall dedication—"
I smiled. Nodded. Played the role of beloved Luna with mechanical perfection.
Then I saw her.
Vanessa stood near the center of the hall in a gown of deep crimson—blood red against her porcelain skin. And pinned to her breast was a brooch I recognized.
My mother's brooch.
The one Kael said was "lost" during a vault reorganization six months ago. A moonstone heirloom, the only thing I had left of my birth mother.
It sat on Vanessa's chest like a trophy.
She caught my stare and smiled.
"Sister!" She floated toward us. "What a stunning event. Kael, you've really outdone yourself."
She said his name without his title. No one else in this pack would dare.
He didn't correct her.
"Vanessa." His tone was polite. Distant. But I noticed—his body angled slightly toward her, a subconscious protective shift.
"Is that—" I started, my eyes locked on the brooch.
"Oh, this?" Vanessa touched it with delicate fingers. "A gift from an admirer. Beautiful, isn't it? Moonstone. Reminds me of you, actually."
My nails bit into my palms.
Before I could respond, the gala host called me to the stage for the hall dedication speech. This exhibition hall was my project—three years of work bringing supernatural art to the mortal-adjacent world.
I took the podium. The crowd quieted.
"Thank you all for—"
"Wait!" Vanessa's voice rang out. She ascended the stage steps, microphone in hand, smile radiant.
"Forgive the interruption, but I have an announcement." She turned to the crowd, her eyes glistening with rehearsed tears. "As many of you know, my sister and I share a passion for the arts. Tonight, I'm proud to unveil a project I've been working on in secret—"
She pulled a silk cover from a frame behind the stage.
My heart stopped.
It was my design. My architectural blueprint for the exhibition hall—the one I'd kept in my private study. The one only Kael had a key to.
But now, Vanessa's name was printed across the bottom. "Lead Creative Director: Vanessa Ashford."
The crowd erupted in applause.
She'd stolen three years of my work in a single moment.
I turned to Kael. He stood at the base of the stage, jaw tight. He knew. I could see it in the micro-tension around his eyes.
He did nothing.
"Sister," Vanessa whispered, leaning close to my ear as the crowd praised her vision, "you should thank me. I made it better."
My wolf—my dormant, supposedly dead wolf—stirred for the first time in three years. Not with submission.
With rage.
But I swallowed it. Buried it deep.
Instead, I smiled at the crowd. "My sister is truly talented. I'm so proud."
The words were ash in my mouth.
After the gala, in our private chambers, Kael poured me wine. His movements were careful. He knew something was wrong.
"Serenity. About tonight—"
"It's fine."
"It's not. I saw your face." He set the glass down and pulled me close. "I'll talk to Vanessa. She overstepped."
"Will you?"
Something in my tone made him pull back. His golden eyes searched my face.
"What's wrong? And don't say nothing."
I looked at this man—this powerful, ancient Alpha King who could read lies in a heartbeat—and I smiled the most convincing smile of my life.
"Nothing, my love. I'm just tired."
He watched me for a long, terrible moment.
Then he kissed my forehead. "Rest. Tomorrow I have a surprise for your birthday."
My birthday. Tomorrow.
"What kind of surprise?"
"I've commissioned a moonpool bath in the east wing. Pure lunar essence. It will strengthen your body, help with—" he hesitated, "—help if we decide to try again. For a pup."
A moonpool bath.
Pure lunar essence.
The same substance that, according to the healer's notes I'd secretly read, was toxic to half-bloods without a manifested wolf. It would feel like bathing in acid. It could kill me.
Unless it was never meant for me.
Vanessa, with her full Beta wolf, would thrive in it.
"That sounds wonderful," I whispered.
He smiled, relieved. "Happy early birthday, my love."
I waited until he fell asleep. Then I lay in the dark, staring at the ceiling, finalizing my plan.
Tomorrow would be my last day as Luna of the Eastern Dominion.