The Warning

Chapter Tfive :The Warning"

Aria's POV

I slept soundly when I was roused awake.

"Wake up," a cold, harsh voice ordered.

I opened my eyes and sat up quickly, panting for breath. I looked around at the unfamiliar room. My heart pounded as memories came flooding back—Kael… Lyra… rejection… rain… and then the dark-eyed man who had borne me.

Lucien.

He stood beside the bed, his arms crossed, peaceful but uninterested-looking. "You have to come on out of there. My parents came back. They need to see us both in the big pack room."

I blunked up at him, spooked and wondering. "Your parents…"

"The Nightfang Pack Alpha and Luna," he told me.

Nightfang.

That was that place's name.

Lucien strolled over to a chair that had clean clothing folded on it. He scooped them up and handed them to me. A long flowy dress, dark blue, with silver on the sleeves that was embroidered. It was simple but beautiful.

"Wear this," he instructed. "You need to be dressed for this”

I held the dress in my palms. "Lucien, I—"

He didn't give me the chance to say another word. "Listen," he told me, his tone sharper now. "Today counts. You're meeting my parents for the first time. And if we're going to make this believable for them, you have to be my mate. You have to be a Luna."

I swallowed hard.

"You must hold your head high, speak only when needed, and smile when needed. But most of all," he leaned in close, "you must be extremely clever."

"Clever?" I gasped.

His jaw snapped into a tight line. "My younger brother, Jareth, and his mate Selene… they do not like me. They have been looking for an excuse to take the alpha seat. And now that I have brought a 'mate'—you—they are going to fight you."

He stepped back, arms folded again. "They will try to break you. Baffle you. Mislead you. Selene is clever and evil. Jareth is charismatic, but a snake in the heart. If they can detect even the slightest hint of weakness in you, they will take advantage of it."

My fingers were shaking now. My fingers gripped the dress hard.

"I'm not telling you to fight them," he said to me, softer but still hard now. "Just don't let them see your fear."

I looked up at him slowly. "But I am afraid."

His eyes flashed into mine for a moment. There was something unreadable in his eyes—nearly concern, but too deeply hidden.

He turned from me. "Then act as though you aren't."

I stood slowly and nodded, although my legs were shaking.

Lucien moved to the door, but before he opened it, he stopped and looked back at me.

“You weren’t supposed to matter to me,” he said quietly. “You still don’t. This is just a favor I’m collecting. Don’t forget that.”

He left without another word.

I stood there in the silence of the room, staring at the closed door, my chest rising and falling fast.

Just a favor.

From a real Luna… to a fake one.

I needed to cry. Tears welled in my eyes. My heart was still sore because of what Kael did. Because of the way Lyra looked at me when she had my Luna mark like it was hers now.

But I kept the tears in. I did not have time to cry.

I slipped on the dress. My hands trembled at each button. I brushed my hair, long and wild, and stared into the mirror.

I barely recognized the girl standing in front of me.

She was a Luna. but inside, she was nothing.

Still. I had no choice. I had nowhere to be. No pack. No home. No one.

Maybe this lie was my only way of survival.

"Moon Goddess," I gasped. "Just keep me strong."

And with a final wobbly catch of breath, I pushed the door open—and stepped into the realm of lying, danger, and cruelty.