Before she left, Lucian’s mother took both my hands in hers. Her palms were warm, but her grip trembled. Sheena Thornfell had always been kind to me. From the first day Lucian brought me before his family, she had treated me as though my place as Luna was already decided, as though I belonged to their pack and always would.
Now there was shame in her eyes—and helplessness too.
“Do not let this sit in your heart, child,” she said quietly. “I will speak to him.”
I lowered my eyes and gave a faint nod.
After they were gone, the silence deepened.
Not long after, the family moonstone began to glow. Silver light spilled across the darkened room. When I touched it, Sheena’s tired voice came through. She said I was the only Luna she had ever acknowledged. She promised Lucian would come to his senses. She said he would apologize.
I listened without expression.
Then I set the moonstone aside.
I had no desire for empty assurances.
I only sent back a brief reply that I was occupied.
After that, I sat alone, listening to the wind brush against the shutters. The Alpha house felt strangely hollow. For years, I had shaped my life around Lucian’s presence. I used to wait for his footsteps, for his scent drifting into the room, for the careless way he would loosen his collar and ask what I had prepared for supper.
That night, I waited for none of it.
When dawn came, I rose before first light.
I washed in cold water, dressed in silence, and braided my hair with steady hands. Then I lit the hearth myself and prepared a simple breakfast I barely touched. My body moved by habit, though my heart no longer followed.
By the time the eastern sky began to pale, I was already on my way to the administrative hall.
The pack territory was only just waking. Warriors changed watch at the gates, their spears catching the gray light. Omegas crossed the courtyard with baskets of bread and bundles of herbs. Young wolves hurried along the stone paths, cloaks pulled tight against the cold.
Everything looked the same.
Only I had changed.
I buried myself in work. Patrol reports from the southern border. Winter supply counts. Ledgers waiting for my seal. I kept my hands busy so my thoughts would remain quiet.
For the most part, they did.
Then, just before midday, a summons came from the High Steward.
I knew why before I even entered.
The post in Drelantia had already been offered to me twice.