The Luna Dinner

By the next evening, Selene had changed completely.

She had spent most of the afternoon preparing for the Luna council dinner, and judging by the number of dresses scattered across her bed, she had considered every possible way she could make an impression.

I stood near the wardrobe while she held two dresses against herself.

“The silver or the blue?”

“The blue.”

She looked at herself in the mirror.

“You’re sure?”

“Very.”

She smiled.

“Good. I trust your opinion more than anyone else’s.”

I smiled back, but something inside me hurt.

She trusted me.

That was exactly why I couldn’t tell her the truth.

Selene placed the other dress aside.

“This dinner is important.”

“I know.”

“It isn’t just a dinner. The council members are going to discuss my Luna responsibilities.”

She sat on the edge of the bed and looked at me.

“I’ve spent years preparing for this.”

“I know.”

“My mother says I have to prove that I’m ready.”

“You don’t have to prove anything to me.”

She smiled.

“You always say that.”

“Because it’s true.”

She reached for my hand.

“When I become Luna, I want you beside me.”

My heart tightened.

“I’ll be there.”

“I mean it, Liana. I don’t want you disappearing just because I’ll have more responsibilities.”

“I won’t.”

She squeezed my fingers.

“Promise?”

I nodded.

“I promise.”

The lie felt heavier than the one I’d told her the night before.

The council dinner was held in the smaller hall overlooking the gardens.

Unlike the celebration, there was no loud music or dancing.

Everything was controlled.

The tables were arranged in a long line, with the senior council members seated closest to Kael. Representatives from several important families had also been invited.

This wasn’t a party.

It was politics.

I understood that the moment I walked in.

People weren’t looking at Selene because she was beautiful tonight.

They were studying her.

Judging how she carried herself.

Listening to how she answered questions.

Waiting to see whether she could actually become Luna.

Selene seemed to understand it too.

She walked into the room with her shoulders straight and a calm smile on her face.

I stayed beside her.

Kael entered a few minutes later.

Everyone stood.

He took his place at the head of the table.

“Please sit.”

The dinner began.

For the first few minutes, everything remained polite.

Then an older councilman named Marcus leaned forward.

“Alpha, before we discuss the wedding arrangements, I believe we should discuss the northern border.”

Kael’s expression became serious.

“Go on.”

“There have been repeated reports of wolves near our territory.”

“We’re investigating.”

Marcus frowned.

“The wedding is less than a month away. We will have visiting packs arriving soon. If there is a threat, we need to know about it before they arrive.”

“I agree.”

Another council member spoke.

“And there is another concern.”

Kael looked at him.

“What concern?”

“The alliance with the Blackridge Pack.”

The room became quieter.

I looked at Selene.

She remained composed, but I noticed her fingers tighten around her glass.

The councilman continued.

“Blackridge has made it clear that the marriage between you and Selene strengthens the agreement between our packs.”

I lowered my eyes.

There it was.

The part no one talked about during celebrations.

This marriage wasn’t only about love.

It was political.

If Kael broke his engagement with Selene, he wasn’t simply hurting my sister.

He could damage an alliance that protected Mooncrest.

Kael leaned back.

“I know what the marriage means.”

“Then you understand why it must proceed without complications.”

Kael’s expression didn’t change.

“It will.”

Selene finally spoke.

“You have nothing to worry about.”

Everyone looked at her.

She smiled calmly.

“I understand what will be expected of me as Luna, and I am prepared.”

The councilman nodded.

“That is good to hear.”

I watched my sister carefully.

She sounded confident.

She looked confident.

But I knew her well enough to see the tension in her shoulders.

She wanted them to accept her.

She needed them to.

Kael looked at her for a moment before turning back to the council.

“Selene has my full support.”

My chest tightened.

I looked down at my plate.

For some reason, hearing him say it hurt.

It shouldn’t have.

This was what I wanted.

This was exactly what I had told myself should happen.

Then why did I feel disappointed?

After dinner, Selene was surrounded by several women from the council who wanted to discuss the Luna ceremony.

I stepped outside.

The garden was quiet compared to the hall.

I breathed in deeply.

For the first time that evening, I felt like I could think.

“You handled yourself well.”

I turned.

Kael stood a few feet behind me.

My body immediately became tense.

“You shouldn’t be here.”

“Neither should you.”

“I came with Selene.”

“So did I.”

I looked away.

“We shouldn’t be alone.”

“I know.”

Neither of us moved.

Then Kael said,

“You were right about the northern village.”

I frowned.

“What?”

“The patrol returned.”

My attention shifted.

“What did they find?”

“Nothing in the forest.”

“Then the medicine—”

“Wasn’t being taken into the forest.”

I looked at him.

“They found an abandoned trail leading toward the eastern border.”

My stomach tightened.

“So whoever was moving the supplies wasn’t going into the forest.”

“No.”

“Where were they going?”

“We don’t know yet.”

I thought for a moment.

“Then check the old hunting path.”

Kael’s brows lifted.

“Why?”

“The trail near the northern village.”

He waited.

“It’s rarely used now because the bridge collapsed last year. But it connects to the eastern border.”

Kael stared at me.

“How do you know that?”

“Selene and I used to go there when we were younger.”

“You remember the route?”

“Yes.”

He nodded slowly.

“I’ll send someone to check it.”

I smiled faintly.

“Good.”

He looked at me for another moment.

Then he said,

“You see things differently.”

I frowned.

“What does that mean?”

“You don’t just listen to what people tell you. You notice what they’re not saying.”

I didn’t know how to respond.

“You barely know me.”

“I know enough.”

My heart skipped.

I immediately looked away.

“Kael…”

“I wasn’t talking about the bond.”

That made me look back at him.

He continued.

“You were useful in that meeting because you weren’t trying to impress anyone.”

His voice was calm.

“You simply noticed something everyone else missed.”

For some reason, that affected me more than it should have.

Nobody had ever praised me for being observant.

Most people simply saw me as Selene’s younger sister.

Kael looked at me like he saw something else.

Something that belonged to me.

Before I could answer, the garden doors opened.

Selene stepped outside.

She looked from Kael to me.

Her expression didn’t change.

But her eyes lingered on us for a moment longer than necessary.

“Liana.”

I straightened.

“Yes?”

“I’ve been looking for you.”

“I’m sorry.”

She walked toward us.

“We should go.”

I nodded.

As I passed Kael, I deliberately avoided looking at him.

Selene linked her arm through mine.

We walked back toward the hall together.

Neither of us spoke.

Then, just before we reached the doors, Selene stopped.

“Do you like him?”

I froze.

“What?”

She looked directly at me.

“Kael.”

My heart began pounding.

“I don’t understand.”

“You’ve been watching him.”

“I haven’t.”

She gave me a small smile.

“You’re a terrible liar when you’re nervous.”

I couldn’t breathe.

Selene stepped closer.

“I know he’s my fiancé, Liana. I’m not asking because I’m angry.”

She paused.

“I’m asking because you’re my sister.”

My mouth went dry.

For the first time, I wondered if she already knew.

Then she said something that made my stomach drop.

“Have you ever looked at Kael and wished he was yours?”