Chapter three

The next morning, Aunt Zaria entered Leora's room to find her pacing about restlessly.

“Child…are you okay? What is the problem?” She asked, concerned.

Leora was immediately pulled out of her thoughts, she turned to face her aunt, who stared at her with a curious look .

“Look at your face” she said noticing the dark circles under Leora's eyes. “…did you get get any sleep at all?”

Leora wanted to but she couldn't bring herself to tell her aunt about what she had heard last night. She was afraid Aunt Zaria would think we were going crazy.

Leora sat down on the edge of the bed, her fingers knotting together as she let out a long sigh. “This whole thing about finding a mate. Why is that so important? Why can’t I just… I don’t know, unlock my wolf abilities on my own?”

Her aunt joined her, sitting beside her with a quiet grace, . “Leora, you are not like the others. If you had been born of two wolves, your abilities would have awakened at birth. You would have shifted by now, and the bond of the moon would already flow through you.” She paused, her eyes softening. “But your father is human. Your blood carries both human and wolf, and because of that, your wolf side remains dormant. It can only awaken when bound with the essence of a true wolf, your mate.”

Leora’s brows furrowed. “So… I’m incomplete until I find someone else? Fabulous,add that to the growing list of new ways my life suddenly sucks.

“Not incomplete dear,” her aunt corrected gently. “Unique and blessed. Do not mistake this as weakness. Unlike other wolves, who are bound by the moon’s will and have no choice in whom they mate, lunas and alphas hold a rare freedom. You may choose. The mate you accept is the one who will unlock your strength, and together, you will rule. That is the gift and burden…of leadership.”

Leora looked down, thoughtful. “So the first step to even being considered for the crown… is finding a mate.”

“Yes,” her aunt confirmed quietly.

 “Don’t trouble yourself about finding your mate. Everything will come in its own time. If Crestwood has waited for twenty years for your return, it can wait a few months more.”

“Why couldn't dad come with me? I miss him already” Leora pouted.

Zaria chuckled “ Humans aren't allowed in Crestwood. After your mother's death, they tried to claim the wolf kingdom so the elders banned them from coming in totally”.

Leora swallowed hard, staring at her hands. “But… Aunt, are you sure I can really do this? I don’t know anything about ruling a kingdom. Dad never told me much about this place. Anytime I asked about Mom, he’d just grow quiet, and eventually I stopped asking. I don’t feel like the one they need. Can’t they just choose someone else?”

Zaria gave her a light smirk “What's that on your neck?”

Leora’s gaze dropped to the silver moon pendant resting against her chest. She rubbed it absently between her fingers before lifting her eyes again. “This? My father made me swear never to take it off. He said it was important, but… I never understood why. What does it have to do with the throne?”

Her aunt’s expression grew serious. “Leora, that pendant is not just jewelry. It is the Moon pendant , the mark of succession. The throne of Crestwood is not inherited by blood alone. It is passed on willingly. When a reigning lunar or an alpha chooses to pass on the throne, they must do so willingly. The pendant is given to the next heir by hand, as a blessing and as a seal. Only then does the throne truly belong to them.”

Leora’s eyes widened. “So Father… gave this to me, knowing…?”

Zaria interrupts, her voice steady but tender. “It wasn’t your father, child. It was your mother. She gave you the pendant when you were barely four months old. She bled for it, and with that act, she entrusted both her crown and her kingdom to you.”

Leora’s throat tightened, and tears stung her eyes. She looks down at the pendant as though seeing it for the first time, realizing it’s more than a keepsake. It’s her mother’s final gift.

Leora’s fingers tightened protectively around the pendant, a chill running down her spine. “So if I lose it… or if someone takes it—”

“Then Crestwood loses you,” her aunt said, her voice low and urgent. 

“Remember, child. The pendant is your claim. The mate is your key, only with both will you stand as Luna. Whatever you do, Leora, never give it to anyone. The moment it leaves your hands willingly, the throne leaves with it. That pendant belongs to you alone, and with it, Crestwood’s future.”

Leora grips the pendant so tightly her knuckles turn white, the weight of her responsibilities settling in her chest like stone. She could hear the warning ringing in her head “...the sword that killed your mother may one day find you”

Her aunt frowned, then stood up and walked to the open balcony.“Not everyone is happy that you are back because your presence threatens others’ claims to power. Some wolves may feel you are too “human” to rule, and some elders may secretly hope you fail. Survival is the goal, the palace is the battlefield and the throne is the prize”.