The first crack

I didn’t tell Kael what Lily said.

Not because her words hadn’t hurt me.

They had.

They had cut deeper than I wanted to admit, but because I already knew what would happen if I told him.

He would look at me with those conflicted eyes and ask for proof.

He would tell me that Lily was only scared, only trying to protect her child, only adjusting to a situation none of us had chosen.

And maybe he would be right.

Maybe that was the worst part because Lily had been careful. She had never insulted me in front of anyone. She had never raised her voice.

She had never done anything that would make the pack question her intentions.

Only I knew the difference between the woman who smiled at everyone and the woman who smiled when no one else was watching.

So I stayed silent.

For the first time since becoming Kael’s mate, I kept my pain to myself.

And somehow…That hurt more than telling him ever could.

************

The next morning, Kael noticed immediately.

He always noticed everything about me.

At least, he used to.

“You’re quiet today.” His voice pulled me away from the papers I was reviewing.

I looked up and offered him a smile.

“I’m just tired.”

His brows furrowed slightly. “You haven’t been sleeping well?”

I lowered my gaze. “I’ll be fine.”

The words came easily.

A few months ago, I would have told him the truth. I would have admitted that I was afraid, and that I felt like I was slowly losing my place beside him.

That every time he walked away from me, I wondered if he would eventually stop coming back.

But now? Now I simply smiled.

Because what good would my honesty do if the truth only created another problem?

Kael walked toward me and brushed his thumb gently over my cheek.

“I hate seeing you hurt.”

My heart tightened because I believed him. That was the hardest part.

I believed that Kael loved me. I believed he hated seeing me suffer.

But somehow, he was still the reason I was suffering.

“I know,” I whispered.

He leaned down and kissed my forehead.

“I have a council meeting this afternoon.”

I nodded. “I’ll be there.”

His expression softened. “You don’t have to attend if you’re tired.”

I almost laughed. Since when did the Luna get to avoid the council? Since when did my exhaustion matter more than my responsibility?

“I’m your Luna, Kael.” The words came out softer than I intended.

His face changed immediately. “I know.”

I smiled faintly. “Then I should be there.”

**************

The council chamber had always felt intimidating when I first became Luna.

The same room that once judged me for my lack of bloodline had later watched Kael stand before them and declare me his mate.

For two years, I believed I had earned my place.

Today, as I walked beside Kael into that chamber, I wondered if I had only borrowed it.

The elders stood as we entered.

“Alpha.”

“Luna.”

Their greetings were respectful.

But respect and acceptance were not always the same thing.

Kael took his seat at the head of the table, and I sat beside him at my rightful place.

At least for now.

The meeting began with border reports and pack matters. For a brief moment, everything felt normal.

Then Elder Rowan cleared his throat.

“Now that the pack has received such wonderful news, we must begin preparations for the future.”

I already knew what he meant, everyone did.

“The heir changes everything,” another elder added.

Kael’s expression remained calm. “The child has not even been born yet.”

“But the child is the future of Moonridge,” Elder Rowan replied.

I remained silent.

I had learned that sometimes silence was the only way to survive a room full of people waiting for you to make a mistake.

“We should begin preparing Miss Lily for her role,” one of the elders said.

My fingers tightened around the armrest.

Kael looked toward him. “What role?”

The elder smiled. “Simply to understand the responsibilities surrounding the future Alpha.”

A heavy silence filled the room.

I knew what they were saying. They were not calling her Luna, not yet. And they were not trying to remove me.

They were only opening a door, a really small one. One that couldn’t easily be ignored.

“Luna Elara handles the affairs of this pack,” Kael said firmly.

My chest warmed slightly.

For a moment, I felt like the woman who had once been chosen above everyone else.

Then Elder Rowan nodded. “Of course, Alpha.”

His words sounded respectful.

But his next sentence destroyed that comfort.

“No one questions Luna Elara’s position.” He paused. “We are simply acknowledging that the mother of the future Alpha will require guidance as well.”

Mother of the future Alpha.

Not Luna, and not Kael’s mate. Just the woman carrying his heir.

I looked around the table. No one seemed to notice the difference.

Or perhaps they did. Perhaps they simply didn’t care.

Kael’s jaw tightened. “Lily is here because the council requested it. Nothing more.”

I looked at him. He meant those words and I could see it.

But then Elder Rowan smiled.

“And we are grateful for your understanding, Alpha.”

Understanding? That was the word they used when they wanted someone to accept something painful.

***********

The meeting ended shortly after.

Kael remained behind to discuss border issues with the warriors, so I returned to the main hall alone.

I told myself I wasn’t upset. I told myself nothing had changed.

But then I saw her.

Lily stood near the entrance, surrounded by servants. She was laughing softly, not loudly, but just enough to make everyone around her smile.

One of the cooks held up a piece of fabric.

“Miss Lily, do you think this color would suit the nursery?”

Lily touched the material gently.

“It’s beautiful, but perhaps Luna Elara would know better. She has always had such wonderful taste.”

The servants immediately nodded.

“How thoughtful of you,” one of them said.

Lily smiled shyly. “I only want what is best for the pack.”

There it was, the perfect answer, the perfect expression, and the perfect image.

Then she noticed me. Immediately, her smile softened.

“Luna.”

Everyone turned. The servants stepped back.

“I hope we weren’t disturbing you.” She beamed.

I looked at the fabric in the cook’s hands.

“No.” My voice sounded calmer than I felt.

“We were only discussing the nursery,” Lily explained.

The nursery. A room that would hold Kael’s child. A room I had once dreamed of decorating.

“I’m sure it will be lovely,” I said.

Lily smiled. “I hope so.”

Her eyes met mine for a brief moment.

And there it was, that tiny flicker. The one no one else saw. The one that reminded me of the woman behind the mask.

Then it disappeared.

“I would never want to take anything away from you, Luna.”

The servants around us heard every word. And because Lily was careful, because Lily was clever, they heard exactly what she wanted them to hear.

A humble omega reassuring her Luna.

I forced a smile. “I know.”

But as I walked away, one thought followed me.

Lily had not taken anything from me, she didn’t need to. She was simply waiting for everyone else to hand it to her.