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 the right impression.

I stood near the wardrobe while she held two dresses against herself and studied her reflection.

“The silver or the blue?”

“The blue,” I said without hesitation.

She turned slightly, examining the dress from another angle before looking at me through the mirror.

“You’re sure?”

“Very.”

A pleased smile appeared on her face as she placed the silver dress aside. “Good. I trust your opinion more than anyone else’s.”

I managed to smile back, but something inside me tightened.

She trusted me.

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

Selene sat on the edge of her bed and smoothed the blue dress across her lap. “This dinner is important. The council members are going to discuss my responsibilities as Luna, and I need them to know that I’m ready.”

“I know you are.”

“I’ve spent years preparing for this.” She looked down at her hands before continuing. “My mother says I still have to prove that I can handle everything that comes with the position.”

“You don’t have to prove anything to me,” I told her gently.

She gave me a familiar smile. “You always say that.”

“Because it’s true.”

She reached for my hand and held it between both of hers.

“When I become Luna, I want you beside me. I don’t want you disappearing just because I’ll have more responsibilities.”

My heart tightened at her words.

“I’ll be there.”

“I mean it, Liana. Promise me.”

I nodded, even though the promise already felt like something I might not be able to keep.

“I promise.”

The lie felt heavier than the one I had 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 had been carefully arranged, from the long tables to the seating positions of the senior council members and representatives from several important families.

This wasn’t a celebration.

It was politics.

I understood that the moment I walked into the room.

People weren’t looking at Selene simply because she was beautiful. They were watching the way she carried herself, listening carefully to her answers, and quietly judging whether she was truly ready to become Luna.

Selene seemed to understand that as well. She entered with her shoulders straight and a calm smile on her face, refusing to let the pressure show.

I stayed beside her until Kael entered several minutes later.

Everyone stood as he took his place at the head of the table.

“Please sit.”

The dinner began, and for the first few minutes, the conversation 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 immediately became more serious. “Go on.”

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

“We’re investigating.”

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

“I agree.”

Another council member shifted in his seat before speaking. “There is another concern.”

Kael looked at him. “What concern?”

“The alliance with Blackridge.”

The room grew noticeably quieter.

I glanced at Selene and saw her fingers tighten around her glass, although her expression remained perfectly composed.

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 nobody talked about during celebrations.

This marriage wasn’t only about love. It was also about politics, alliances, and the protection of Mooncrest. If Kael broke his engagement with Selene, he wouldn’t simply be hurting my sister. He could also weaken an alliance that helped keep our pack secure.

Kael leaned back slightly.

“I understand what the marriage means.”

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

His expression remained unreadable.

“It will.”

Selene finally spoke, her voice calm and confident.

“You have nothing to worry about. I understand what will be expected of me as Luna, and I’m prepared.”

The councilman nodded with approval.

I watched my sister carefully. She sounded confident, and she looked confident, but I knew her well enough to notice the tension in her shoulders. She wanted these people to accept her, and beneath all that composure, I knew how much their approval mattered to her.

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 and tried to remind myself that this was exactly what I wanted. This was the future I had always believed belonged to Selene.

So why did hearing him say it hurt?

After dinner, Selene was surrounded by several women from the council who wanted to discuss the Luna ceremony, giving me an opportunity to step outside.

The garden was quiet compared with the hall, and I breathed deeply as soon as I reached it. For the first time that evening, I felt as though I could think without pretending that everything was normal.

“You handled yourself well.”

I turned and found Kael standing a few feet behind me.

My body became tense before I could stop it.

“You shouldn’t be here.”

“Neither should you.”

“I came with Selene.”

“So did I.”

I looked away, suddenly very aware of how dangerous it was for us to be alone.

“We shouldn’t be doing this.”

“I know.”

Neither of us moved, but the silence between us felt heavier than it should have.

Then Kael spoke.

“You were right about the northern village.”

I frowned. “What?”

“The patrol returned.”

My attention immediately shifted to him.

“What did they find?”

“Nothing in the forest.”

“Then the medicine…”

“Wasn’t being taken into the forest.”

My stomach tightened.

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

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

“No.”

“Where were they going?”

“We don’t know yet.”

I thought about what I had seen before looking back at him.

“Then check the old hunting path. The trail near the northern village isn’t used much anymore because the bridge collapsed last year, but it connects to the eastern border.”

Kael’s brows lifted slightly.

“How do you know that?”

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

He studied me for a moment before nodding.

“I’ll send someone to check it.”

“Good.”

His gaze remained on me.

“You see things differently.”

I frowned, unsure what he meant.

“What does that mean?”

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

I didn’t know how to respond to that.

“You barely know me.”

“I know enough.”

My heart skipped, and I immediately looked away before he could see how much those words affected me.

“Kael…”

“I wasn’t talking about the bond.”

I looked back at him.

“You were useful in that meeting because you weren’t trying to impress anyone. You simply noticed something everyone else missed.”

For some reason, that affected me more deeply than it should have. Nobody had ever praised me for being observant. Most people simply saw me as Selene’s younger sister, someone who existed beside her rather than someone with qualities of her own.

But Kael was looking at me as though he saw something that belonged to me alone.

Before I could answer, the garden doors opened.

Selene stepped outside.

Her gaze moved from Kael to me, and although her expression didn’t change, 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 and gave me a small smile. “We should go.”

I nodded.

As I passed Kael, I deliberately avoided looking at him. Selene linked her arm through mine, and together we started walking back toward the hall.

Neither of us spoke.

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

I turned toward her.

She looked directly into my eyes.

“Do you like him?”

My heart began pounding.

“What?”

“Kael.”

I stared at her, suddenly unable to think of a convincing answer.

“I don’t understand.”

“You’ve been watching him.”

“I haven’t.”

A small smile touched her lips.

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

My mouth went dry.

Selene stepped closer, and her expression softened.

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

She paused before adding quietly, “I’m asking because you’re my sister.”

I couldn’t breathe.

For one terrifying moment, I wondered if she already knew about the mate bond.

Then she asked the question I had been hoping she would never ask.

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