Chapter 5

Aaira

The Lunar Ball was in full swing when I walked into the banquet hall.

Everything in the hall, from the white rose decorations on the walls to the music played by the orchestra, had been arranged according to my ideas and hard work. They had used all my plans and choices to organize this event, yet I wasn't even allowed to be here.

Ethan stood among the guests, looking proud as he spoke to them while holding his mistress's hand. Rue clung to his arm, acting smugly as if she were his Luna instead of me.

I swallowed my pain and walked ahead. Even though I didn't want to be here, I couldn't let my mother see my pathetic situation. She would be extremely ashamed of me if she discovered that I wasn't even present at my own pack's biggest event.

For now, I planned to welcome her as the rightful Luna of this pack. I could tell her everything later. At least that way, I could preserve my dignity.

Ethan was speaking to a group of guests when he spotted me standing across the hall. His jaw clenched, and he quickly excused himself before marching toward me.

Before I could say anything, he grabbed my wrist and dragged me to a corner of the banquet hall where the guests couldn't see us.

"What are you doing here, Aaira?" Ethan asked, glancing around to check if anyone had noticed us. "I told you not to attend the Ball." He gritted his teeth.

"And why should I listen to you? I'm the Luna of this pack, and I worked hard to make this Ball possible. I have every right to be here," I retorted.

"Don't be stubborn..."

"Ethan?" Vanessa interrupted our conversation. "Everyone is looking for you..." Her voice trailed off when her gaze fell on me, and she gasped. "Why is she here? The security guards shouldn't have let her in!"

She sneered at me as if I were some bug that had crawled into the party.

"But I deserve to be here as much as anyone else," I reminded them. "I'm not leaving until the party is over, and I'll introduce myself as your Luna to everyone."

Ethan sighed. "Aaira, if you're here to apologize and beg me to let you stay by my side during the event, then it's too late." He spoke in an entitled tone. "You should have realized your mistakes earlier."

I was shocked by how delusional he was. This party wouldn't have been possible without my efforts, and the Luna's presence was just as important as the Alpha's.

"Well, she clearly still has no sense. She's not even trying to hide her fat beneath that tight dress," Vanessa said, giving me a dirty look. "If the guests learn that this fatty is your Luna, it'll be humiliating. We can't let her stay."

"Right. She should leave before the Lycan Queen arrives," Ethan agreed, speaking as if I weren't even there. "You should take the back entrance."

He grabbed my wrist again and started dragging me toward the other end of the hallway, as if I were a thief who needed to be thrown out.

I jerked my hand away from him.

"Are you sure you want me to leave, Ethan?" I asked.

He frowned as I looked straight into his eyes.

"The Lycan Queen is attending this event only because I invited her. Otherwise, this Ball isn't prestigious enough for her to attend."

There was no point in hiding my identity anymore. The deal I'd made with my mother no longer held any value because my entire marriage had turned into a joke.

For a moment, Ethan and his mother exchanged glances before bursting into laughter.

"Did you hear her, Ethan?" Vanessa chuckled, looking at me with contempt. "She thinks we'll believe that the Lycan Queen would even speak to a lowly, wolfless omega. A powerful and revered person like her wouldn't even spare Aaira a glance."

She suddenly grabbed my arm, and I hissed as I felt her nails dig into my skin.

"Listen carefully, you brat. The Queen is attending this Ball because of my son's exceptional leadership skills. You did nothing but humiliate us, so leave this place without making a scene."

She released my arm, and I rubbed the spot where her nails had left faint bruises.

Just then, Rue walked over and took Ethan's hand. "Ethan, won't you introduce your Luna to the rest of the guests? I'm so excited to meet the Lycan Queen. I'm sure she'd love to see a strong Luna in this pack, don't you agree, Aaira?"

Her voice dripped with mockery as she gave me a smug look. My stomach dropped as I realized why they didn't want me here. They wanted to present Rue as Ethan's Luna in my place.

I glanced at her outfit. She wore an expensive couture emerald gown, paired with a necklace made of pure Swarovski diamonds and matching shoes. It was exactly what I'd told Ethan I wanted to wear to the Lunar Ball a month ago.

My fists clenched as I retorted, "Yes, and an Alpha needs his true Luna standing beside him, not some fake who's pretending to be one."

Rue's smile faltered at my words.

"That's enough, Aaira." Ethan used his Alpha command on me, making me whimper. "Don't make this any worse."

Despite the strong urge to submit, I stood my ground. "You are not thinking this through, Ethan. You can't bring a random woman here and show her off as your Luna when I'm already standing right in front of you. People will notice."

He smirked. "Of course I can. The guests don't know who you are, and neither does the Queen," he said confidently. "This is the perfect opportunity to present Rue, a strong she-wolf, as my partner. Queen Isadora will be impressed."

"Don't worry, Aaira," Rue said with a smile that was anything but kind. "I'll show the Queen and this pack what a perfect Luna looks like. It's better if you stay hidden. She won't be pleased to meet you because you don't come from a powerful bloodline like I do."

I gritted my teeth.

I was the Queen's daughter, and Rue's family could never compare to my powerful lycan bloodline. But there was no point in telling them the truth when they wouldn't believe me anyway.

"We need to kick her out before it's too late. People are already starting to notice," Ethan said.

Several guests were now looking in our direction, their attention fixed on me.

"Ethan, since she doesn't want to leave, I think we should let her stay," Vanessa suddenly suggested, shocking all of us.

"Mother, what are you saying? She might go around telling everyone she's the Luna!" Ethan complained, frowning at her.

But Vanessa's lips curled into a smirk. "Oh, she won't. We need more omega maids to serve the guests, and who could do that better than our little omega, Aaira?"

Her eyes glinted with malice as she smiled at me, sending a shiver down my spine.

Ethan's expression shifted from shock to satisfaction. "You're right, Mother." He turned toward me with a boastful smile. "Since you're already here, you might as well help us by serving the guests."

"Ethan, are you sure you want to do this?" I asked, clenching my jaw. "Are you sure you want to treat me, your wife, like a maid while Rue acts as your Luna?"

"Yes. You should be grateful that I'm letting you stay. This is a golden opportunity for you to witness your successful Alpha being acknowledged by the Queen. So be obedient and serve everyone well."

I panicked. How far was he willing to go to destroy my pride? He was actually prepared to humiliate me in front of everyone.

I'd made a terrible mistake by loving him.

I didn't even get the chance to protest before Vanessa called the guards. They grabbed me and dragged me into the kitchen.

When I turned around, I saw Vanessa's cruel smirk. "Make haste, Aaira. You have plenty of guests to serve. Put on one of the maid outfits, though I wonder if they'll even have one in your size."

She mocked me before closing the door behind her.

The other omegas in the kitchen, who had worked under me for three years, now looked at me as if I were beneath them.

"Looks like Luna has finally returned to her rightful place," one of them joked.

"If the Alpha really wanted an omega, he could have chosen me. I'm prettier than her," a petite girl commented.

They all burst into laughter as they forcibly undressed me and made me put on a maid's uniform.

A few moments later, I was shoved out of the kitchen with a tray of soup in my hands. I felt so insulted and humiliated that I wanted to run away and hide.

My eyes fell on the center stage, where Ethan was dancing with Rue. Their steps moved in perfect sync with the classical orchestral music, and they looked completely content as everyone admired them as a couple.

Meanwhile, I was expected to smile and serve the guests like a good servant. My fingers tightened around the edges of the tray, and my body trembled with embarrassment.

Could things get any worse?

I'd wanted to show my mother that I was still the Luna of this pack before I left everything behind. But now, she would see another woman standing in Ethan's place as his Luna while I stood there in a maid's uniform.

I was a fool to have sacrificed so much for a man who never respected or appreciated me. I'd believed I was the love of his life, but in reality, I'd been nothing more than a maid to him, serving him blindly for three years.

My chest ached with sadness.

I wasn't watching where I was going when my foot caught on something, causing me to stumble and accidentally spill the soup on a guest. My face turned pale when I realized who it was.

Elder Cruz.

His eyes met mine, and his jaw clenched. "You insolent woman! How dare you ruin my shirt?!" His outburst drew the attention of everyone nearby.

Fear gripped me as he glared at me, his shirt soaked with soup. Ethan rushed to the Elder's side. "What's the matter, Elder Cruz?"

The Elder pointed an accusing finger at me. "Aaira spilled this steaming-hot soup all over me! She can't even do a simple omega's job, much less fulfill her duties as a Luna."

Ethan looked at me questioningly while I stood frozen in place. A sensible part of me knew that nothing I said would get me out of this situation, yet I still wanted to defend myself.

"It was a mistake," I said, my voice lacking confidence. "I didn't mean to do it..."

"Enough!" Ethan snapped, making me stiffen. "I was generous enough to let you stay and witness your Alpha's glory. Yet this is how you repay me?"

I blinked at him, stunned by his narcissism. He genuinely believed he was doing me a favor when, in reality, he had degraded me beyond measure.

"I can't allow you to make a fool of us in front of Queen Isadora," he declared before turning toward the guards. "Take her to the storeroom and keep her locked up until the party is over."

My heart pounded in my ears. "Wait, no! You can't do this!" I yelled as the guards stepped forward.

I struggled against them, thrashing my arms, but they were too strong. I glared at Ethan.

"You'd lock your own Luna away over a small mistake?!" I shouted.

Elder Cruz sneered at me. "A pathetic woman like you isn't worthy of calling herself our Luna." He glanced at Ethan. "She's not capable of standing by your side, Alpha. You should reject her and make Rue your Luna instead."

My blood ran cold at his words.

Ethan looked at me as if he were seriously considering the Elder's suggestion. I shook my head in disbelief. He wouldn't reject me and end our three-year relationship over one incident, would he?

"I agree with you, Elder Cruz. No matter how hard I try, she's nowhere near as good as Rue," he said, making my stomach drop. "The Queen will be disappointed if she sees her, so it's best to end things. An incompetent Luna like her deserves to be rejected."

My hopes shattered. I had truly meant nothing to him. I tried to step away, but the guards tightened their grip on my arms, forcing me to remain in place.

Then, a powerful growl echoed through the banquet hall.

Everyone fell silent and turned toward the entrance. The guests quickly moved aside, creating a path for the person who had just arrived. My face paled as I recognized the regal figure walking toward us.

The Lycan Queen Isadora. My mother.

Her gaze swept across the room before settling on me, dressed in a maid's uniform and held captive by the guards.

Her expression darkened as she took in my disheveled appearance.

Then her eyes shifted to Ethan.

"I believe I heard someone say that the Luna needs to be rejected," she said, her voice dangerously cold. "Would you care to explain why that is, Alpha Ethan?"