The Life She Was Promised

Selene kept hold of my hand as she led me toward the center of the hall.

I tried to act normal.

I smiled when people looked at me. I nodded when someone congratulated Selene. I even laughed when one of her friends teased her about finally becoming Luna.

But my mind wasn’t in the hall anymore.

It was still in that corridor.

With Kael.

My mate.

I hated the way the word kept appearing in my thoughts.

I hated even more that a part of me wanted to believe it.

Selene squeezed my hand.

“You’re unusually quiet tonight.”

I forced a smile.

“I’m just tired.”

“Tired?”

She looked at me carefully.

“You were fine earlier.”

“I’ve barely eaten today.”

It was the first excuse that came to mind.

Selene frowned.

“You should have told me.”

“I didn’t want to spoil your night.”

Her expression softened.

“You could never spoil my night.”

She pulled me into a quick hug.

For a second, I closed my eyes.

This was my sister.

The girl who had held my hand when I was afraid of my first shifting.

The girl who had defended me when other pack members mocked my quiet wolf.

The girl who had always made me feel like I belonged.

How could I possibly betray her?

I pulled away before my eyes could fill with tears.

“I’m okay.”

She smiled.

“Good. Because I need you.”

“For what?”

She lowered her voice.

“My Luna preparations.”

I blinked.

“You’re starting already?”

“Of course.”

She laughed.

“Do you know how much work there is?”

I shook my head.

She began counting on her fingers.

“The council dinner, the ceremony arrangements, meeting the neighboring packs, the Luna training, the charity program…”

She kept going.

I listened quietly.

Until one thing became clear.

Selene wasn’t simply getting married.

She had been preparing for this position her entire life.

Becoming Luna wasn’t a title she would wear on her head.

It would become her responsibility.

And everyone expected her to succeed.

“You’re going to be amazing,” I said.

She smiled.

“You really think so?”

“I know so.”

She leaned closer.

“And you’ll help me, right?”

My throat tightened.

“Of course.”

She hugged me again.

I held her tightly, fighting the guilt rising inside me.

I would help her.

Whatever it took.

Even if it meant giving up the one person my wolf had chosen.

The following morning, the atmosphere in Mooncrest changed.

The celebration was over, but the wedding preparations had already begun.

I woke to the sound of people moving through the corridors outside my room.

By breakfast, the pack house was already busy.

Servants carried boxes of decorations through the halls while members of the council arrived for an early meeting.

Selene was nowhere to be seen.

She had been called to meet with the women responsible for organizing the Luna ceremony.

I was halfway through breakfast when one of the guards approached me.

“Liana.”

I looked up.

“Yes?”

“Alpha Kael has requested that you attend the council meeting.”

My hand stopped around my spoon.

“Me?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

The guard hesitated.

“He didn’t say.”

My stomach tightened.

The last person I wanted to be alone with was Kael.

Especially after last night.

“I don’t think I should—”

“He specifically asked for you.”

There was no easy way to refuse without making people suspicious.

I stood.

“Fine.”

As I walked toward the council chamber, I tried to convince myself that Kael had a reasonable reason for calling me.

Maybe it had nothing to do with the bond.

Maybe he needed information about Selene.

Maybe—

I stopped outside the chamber.

The voices inside were loud enough to hear through the door.

“…the northern border has become a problem.”

I frowned.

A man’s voice answered.

“Three patrols reported unfamiliar scents.”

Another voice followed.

“If it’s another pack testing our borders, we need to respond before the wedding.”

I pushed the door open.

The conversation stopped.

Several council members turned toward me.

Kael stood at the head of the long table.

His expression remained unreadable when our eyes met.

For a second, I forgot how to breathe.

Then he looked away.

“Liana. Come in.”

I stepped inside.

There was an empty chair near the end of the table.

I sat down.

Kael continued.

“We’ve had three reports of unfamiliar wolves near the northern border in the past week.”

One of the council members shook his head.

“It’s too close to the pack territory to ignore.”

Kael nodded.

“I agree.”

He looked toward me.

“Liana, you’ve spent more time near the northern villages than most people here. Have you noticed anything unusual?”

I blinked.

That wasn’t what I expected.

I thought about it.

“There have been fewer hunters around the northern trail.”

The council members looked at me.

Kael waited.

“Why?”

“I don’t know.”

I placed my hands on the table.

“But yesterday, I saw two men carrying supplies away from the village instead of toward it.”

“Could they have been leaving the pack?” someone asked.

“Maybe. But they weren’t carrying enough for a family to relocate.”

Kael’s eyes narrowed slightly.

“What were they carrying?”

“Medicine.”

Silence settled over the room.

One of the council members leaned forward.

“Medicine?”

I nodded.

“They were taking it toward the old forest.”

Kael looked at the head guard.

“Did your patrols search the forest?”

“No, Alpha. We assumed the strangers were coming from there.”

Kael’s expression hardened.

“Search it.”

The guard immediately stood.

“Yes, Alpha.”

Kael turned back to the council.

“If someone is moving medicine into the forest, we need to know why.”

The meeting continued for another hour.

I stayed quiet unless someone asked for my opinion.

But I couldn’t stop watching Kael.

This was different from the man I had seen in the corridor.

There was no confusion in his expression now.

No uncertainty.

He listened to everyone before making a decision, and when he finally spoke, nobody interrupted him.

I understood something I hadn’t considered before.

Being Kael’s mate wouldn’t only mean being the woman beside him.

It would mean being connected to an Alpha whose decisions affected thousands of people.

And if he chose me over Selene, those people would feel the consequences too.

When the meeting ended, everyone began leaving.

I stood immediately.

I wanted to leave before Kael could speak to me.

“Liana.”

I stopped.

The room emptied.

Kael remained behind.

I didn’t turn around.

“Why did you ask me here?”

“Because you knew something the council didn’t.”

I finally looked at him.

“I only told you what I saw.”

“And that matters.”

His voice was calm.

“You notice things other people overlook.”

I didn’t know what to say to that.

Nobody had ever described me that way.

Selene was usually the one people noticed.

Not me.

Kael walked around the table but stopped several feet away.

“I didn’t bring you here to talk about last night.”

Relief passed through me.

“Good.”

His jaw tightened slightly.

“But we can’t pretend it didn’t happen.”

My relief disappeared.

“Kael…”

“I know what you want.”

“Do you?”

“You want everything to return to the way it was.”

I looked away.

“Yes.”

“And you think it can.”

“I have to.”

He was silent for a moment.

Then he said,

“I don’t know if I can give you that.”

My chest tightened.

I forced myself to meet his eyes.

“You have to.”

Before he could answer, the door opened.

Selene stepped inside.

She smiled when she saw both of us.

“There you are.”

I immediately stepped away from Kael.

Selene looked between us.

“Why were you both here?”

I opened my mouth.

Kael answered first.

“I asked Liana about the northern border.”

Selene’s smile returned.

“Oh.”

She walked toward me and slipped her arm through mine.

“I was looking for you.”

“Why?”

“I need your help.”

“With what?”

She smiled brightly.

“My first Luna council dinner.”

My stomach sank.

“When?”

“Tomorrow night.”

She squeezed my arm.

“And you’ll be there with me.”

I forced a smile.

“Of course.”

Selene pulled me toward the door.

Behind us, Kael said nothing.

But when I glanced back, he was watching me.

And for the first time, I wondered whether protecting my sister would be as simple as walking away from him.