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, nodded whenever someone congratulated Selene, and even laughed when one of her friends teased her about finally becoming Luna.

But my mind was still in that corridor with Kael.

My mate.

I hated how often the word appeared in my thoughts. I hated even more that some part of me wanted to believe it.

Selene squeezed my hand.

“You’re unusually quiet tonight.”

I forced a smile.

“I’m just tired.”

“You were fine earlier.”

“I haven’t eaten much today.”

It was the first excuse I could think of.

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, and for a moment, 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 defended me whenever other wolves mocked my quiet wolf. The person who had always made me feel like I belonged.

How could I betray her?

I pulled away before the tears gathering in my eyes could fall.

“I’m okay.”

“Good, because I need you.”

I looked at her. “For what?”

“My Luna preparations.”

She laughed when she saw my surprised expression.

“Don’t look at me like that. There’s so much to do. Council dinners, ceremony arrangements, meetings with neighboring packs, Luna training, charity programs…”

She continued listing responsibilities while I listened.

It made me realize that Selene wasn’t simply preparing for a wedding.

She had been preparing for the role of Luna her entire life.

It wasn’t just a crown she would wear. It was a responsibility that would affect the entire pack, and everyone expected her to succeed.

“You’re going to be amazing,” I told her.

She smiled. “You really think so?”

“I know so.”

She leaned closer.

“And you’ll help me, right?”

My throat tightened.

“Of course.”

I hugged her again, 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, Mooncrest was already busy with wedding preparations.

I woke to the sound of people moving through the corridors. By breakfast, servants were carrying boxes of decorations through the pack house while council members arrived for an early meeting.

Selene was nowhere to be seen. She had been called away to meet the women organizing the Luna ceremony.

I was halfway through breakfast when a guard approached my table.

“Liana, 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 what had happened the night before.

“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. Perhaps he needed information about Selene or had decided the previous night was something we could simply ignore.

I stopped outside the chamber when voices reached me through the door.

“…the northern border has become a problem.”

Another voice answered, “Three patrols have reported unfamiliar scents.”

“If another pack is 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, and for one uncomfortable second, I forgot how to breathe.

Then he looked away.

“Liana. Come in.”

I took the empty chair near the end of the table.

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 our territory to ignore.”

Kael nodded before looking at me.

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

I hadn’t expected the question.

I thought for a moment.

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

“Why?”

“I don’t know. 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 attention sharpened.

“What were they carrying?”

“Medicine.”

Silence settled over the room.

“Medicine?” one of the council members repeated.

I nodded.

“They were taking it toward the old forest.”

Kael immediately looked toward the head guard.

“Did your patrols search the forest?”

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

“Search it.”

The guard stood.

“Yes, Alpha.”

The meeting continued for nearly an hour. I remained quiet unless someone asked for my opinion, but I found myself watching Kael.

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

There was no confusion in his expression now. He listened carefully, considered every piece of information, and made decisions without hesitation.

I understood something I hadn’t considered before.

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

It meant being connected to an Alpha whose choices affected thousands of people.

And if he chose me over Selene, those choices could affect them too.

When the meeting ended, I stood immediately.

I wanted to leave before Kael could stop me.

“Liana.”

I froze.

One by one, the council members left until only the two of us remained.

I kept my back to him.

“Why did you ask me here?”

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

“I only told you what I saw.”

“And that matters.”

His voice was calm.

“You notice things other people overlook.”

I didn’t know how to respond.

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.

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

My relief disappeared.

“Kael…”

“I know what you want. You want everything to return to the way it was.”

I looked away.

“Yes.”

“And you think it can.”

“I have to.”

He was quiet for a moment.

Then he said, “I don’t know if I can give you that.”

My chest tightened.

“You have to.”

Before he could answer, the door opened.

Selene stepped inside with a bright smile.

“There you are.”

I immediately moved farther away from Kael.

Selene looked between us.

“Why were you both here?”

Kael answered before I could.

“I asked Liana about the northern border.”

Her expression relaxed.

“Oh.”

She walked over and slipped her arm through mine.

“I’ve been looking for you.”

“Why?”

She smiled.

“I need your help with 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.

I followed her, but before leaving, I glanced back.

Kael was still watching me.

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