Not Good Enough

Chapter Six – Not Good Enough

Aria's Point of View

The moment I entered the large hall with Lucien, my heart began racing too fast.

The hall was filled with individuals—wolves, elders, ranked members, warriors. They were all well-dressed, seated at a long table, laughing and joking until we came.

And in a flash… silence.

Every set of eyes looked at us. But not a welcoming one. Not a friendly one.

Their eyes were cold. Piercing. Judging.

It was as if I'd walked into flames with bare feet.

I breathed slowly and kept my head lowered. My hands, deep in my sleeves, were already shaking.

Then someone broke the silence. Low and husky.

"Is that. Elara?"

I looked up.

It was a man—tall, proud, with a jawline like Lucien's. But his eyes weren't the same. Not serious eyes like Lucien's. They were sneering. Ice.

He regarded me as if I were something filthy on the ground.

He snorted after a moment. "No. She's not. Elara wouldn't return. Not dressed like that."

I blinked in confusion. Who was Elara?

Whatever she was, she must have been someone strong. Respected. Loved. Everything I wasn't.

The ache rooted in my chest, icy and dense.

Lucien stiffened beside me. His jaw clenched.

"Watch your tongue, Jareth," he snarled, his voice low but unyielding. "That's your first and last warning."

Jareth shrugged his hands as if he didn't care. "Just telling the truth, brother."

I swallowed again. I had tried so hard to be cool, to not show them how much it hurt. But every moment in that room made my skin crawl.

Lucien's father and mother stood up. Alpha Rowan and Luna Alira.

I had hoped to be greeting the leaders of Mooncrest Pack. I hadn't hoped for a smile, but I had hoped. for something from a human. A nod. A friendly hello.

I got nothing.

The Luna's voice cut through the silence like broken glass.

"Who is she?" she asked, her tone flat and biting.

Lucien stepped forward. "She's my mate."

And that was it. The whole room tightened up. As if I had done something bad.

Eyes widened.

Mouths twisted.

Whispers started.

The Alpha regarded me slowly, like I was meat he hadn't ordered.

"Where are you from?" he asked, his voice so cold it gave me the shudders.

I could barely catch my breath. But I forced myself to reply.

"I was… Kael's mate. Alpha of Linmoon."

Silence.

Then—laughter.

Harsh, loud laughter.

"Are you kidding?" one of the women standing near Jareth exclaimed, laughing so hard she had tears running down her face. "She was a Luna? This one? You're joking."

Another voice cut in, this one more cruel.

"What did happen? Got tired of being Luna over there? Or did he discard you like garbage, and now you're here seeking to upgrade?"

My heart sank.

"I—I didn't come here to—"

But they shut me up.

"She doesn't look like Luna stuff at all," said Luna Alira, never batting an eye. "That's why she got kicked out, I guess."

More laughter.

The Alpha moved closer. "So after being rejected by one Alpha, you come here and put on the crown again? With my son, who's never even had a mate?"

"She's used goods," someone growled under his breath. But I heard him. I heard every word.

I stood there, rooted to the spot. As if my legs were cast in cement.

As if my heart had been torn out.

I wanted to speak. I wanted to defend myself. But my voice fell silent.

"Is she even able to have children?" another woman growled coarse.

"What if she can't produce an heir?"

That one cut a little too deep. I stumbled slightly, and Lucien gripped my arm to steady me.

"Enough."

His words weren't shouted. But they were firm. Solid.

"Regardless of whether you condone it or not, she's the one I've chosen."

There wasn't a word said. The silence lingered there again.

He turned to his parents. "You don't have to accept her, but you will show her respect. Not because she's my mate, but because she's in this house and under this roof."

I couldn't bear it anymore. My chest was tightening. My throat hurt.

"I—I need a minute," I gasped.

Lucien did not hold me back.

I turned and exited quickly. Down the side hall. Down the stairs. Out into the cold.

And then I cracked.

Behind the trees, by the garden, I dropped to my knees and cried.

I cried as I hadn't cried in days. As if all the hurt I'd swallowed finally came rushing back all at once.

Kael's betrayal. Being thrown out. Trudged around in the cold. The cruel words they uttered just now.

All of it.

I detested this feeling—of being nothing. Of being treated like garbage.

Why do they all believe I'm not enough?" I cried into my hands. "What did I do to deserve this?"

The wind was cold, but my tears burned.

Then I heard someone approaching behind me.

I sniffed away my tears and stood up.

Lucien stood before me, arms crossed, face stern.

"I told you they'd act like this," he said bluntly. "That's why I warned you.".

I nodded. "You were right. I just didn't think it would… hurt this much."

Lucien remained quiet for a moment. Then he breathed out.

"They're cruel because they're afraid," he said to me. "Afraid of losing control. Afraid of vulnerability. They think being a Luna is about perfection. About lineages. You don't fit their ideal. That's all."

"But I didn't ask for any of this," I whispered. "I didn't ask to be anyone's Luna again.".

Lucien then actually looked at me.

"I know."

There was a moment of silence.