chapter seventeen

The first few days in Nightcrest passed in a blur of unfamiliar faces, customs, and endless observation.

Everywhere Elsie went, eyes followed her.

Some curious,

some cautious,

and some openly assessing.

Because she was not only the wife the Alpha chose but

She was the outsider Luna from Bloom Pack.

And Nightcrest wolves were not subtle creatures, too bold and open

The morning after their arrival, Elsie was formally introduced to the Nightcrest court.

The grand hall of the Nightcrest estate was far different from Bloom Pack’s warm ceremonial chambers. Everything here carried darker elegance—black stone pillars, silver chandeliers, towering windows draped with deep crimson curtains. Even the atmosphere felt heavier.

Power lingered in every corner.

Elsie stood beside Rowan during the introductions, carefully observing everyone while maintaining calm composure.

The court members bowed respectfully toward Rowan first.

Then toward her.

Some seemed surprised by how young she looked.

Others seemed disappointed.

And a few looked interested.

Especially the women.

Elsie noticed their subtle glances immediately.

The way they watched Rowan.

The way some looked at her with poorly hidden curiosity.

As if silently wondering why their Alpha chose her.

Throughout the introductions, Rowan remained calm and commanding beside her, occasionally explaining certain court positions quietly whenever necessary.

But once the formalities ended, everything changed.

Because Rowan became busy.

Extremely busy with meetings, training discussions, territory issues and political matters.

It became normal for him to disappear for most of the day.

At first, Elsie didn’t think much of it.

But then nights came too.

And unlike during their journey, they no longer slept together.

Rowan had his own room as Alpha.

Elsie had hers as Luna.

Which should have been normal.

Reasonable and expected.

So why did she suddenly find the silence of her room unbearable?

The first night, she barely noticed.

By the third night, she found herself staring at the empty space beside her bed longer than necessary.

By the fifth, she caught herself missing the warmth of Rowan’s arms around her in the mornings.

And that realization disturbed her deeply.

Because, when exactly had she become used to him?

“Luna Elsie?”

Elsie looked up from the book resting forgotten in her lap.

One of the maids Rowan assigned to her stood nearby.

Her name was Rose—a soft-spoken young woman with kind eyes and careful manners.

“Yes?”

Rose hesitated briefly.

“Would you like your evening tea now?”

Elsie nodded faintly.

As Rose prepared the tea, Elsie found herself speaking before fully thinking.

“What is Rowan usually like here?”

Rose blinked slightly.

“The Alpha?”

Elsie immediately felt awkward.

“Yes… the Alpha.”

Rose carefully placed the cup down before answering.

“He is respected,” she said honestly. “Very feared too.”

Elsie hummed softly.

“That part I already noticed.”

A small smile briefly appeared on Rose’s face before fading.

“There are many rumors about him,” Rose admitted carefully.

Elsie’s curiosity stirred faintly.

“What kind of rumors?”

Rose hesitated again.

Clearly debating whether she should continue.

Then finally,

“People say the Alpha once favored a woman named Jessica greatly.”

Elsie’s fingers stilled against the teacup.

“Favored?”

Rose immediately looked nervous.

“She is… close to him,” she explained carefully. “Or at least she used to be.”

Elsie’s chest tightened strangely.

“She was his mistress?”

The maid lowered her gaze.

“That is what many believed.”

Something cold settled unpleasantly inside Elsie.

She hated how quickly the information affected her.

Hated even more that she wanted to know more.

“Are they still involved?” she asked quietly.

Rose hesitated too long.

And that alone was answer enough.

A week passed.

One entire week without Rowan visiting her room.

Without their quiet conversations.

Without the strange comfort she had slowly begun getting used to.

And somehow

The distance bothered her far more than it should have.

By the eighth night, Elsie finally lost the battle with herself.

She would simply speak to him.

That was all.

Nothing more.

The halls were quieter this late, illuminated only by dim wall lanterns as Elsie walked toward Rowan’s chambers.

Her heartbeat strangely quickened the closer she got.

But just before she reached the door—

It opened.

Elsie stopped immediately.

A woman stepped out.

Beautiful, tall, dark-haired.

Wearing a dress far too revealing for late-night innocence.

Jessica, is that her?

Even before the woman smiled, Elsie knew exactly who she was.

Jessica’s eyes swept over Elsie slowly before the corner of her lips lifted smugly.

It wasn’t an openly mocking expression.

That somehow made it worse.

Because the look in her eyes said enough.

You may be his Luna…

…but I know his bed.

Elsie’s chest tightened painfully.

Jessica gave a graceful bow.

“My Luna.”

Elsie said nothing.

Couldn’t.

Because suddenly she felt foolish.

Stupid.

Why had she come here?

Jessica walked away calmly, entirely unbothered, leaving Elsie standing alone outside Rowan’s door.

The warmth she’d carried these past few days disappeared instantly.

Without knocking and the thought of ever entering Rowan’s room again,

Elsie turned around and walked back to her room.

Every step felt heavier than before.

And no matter how much she tried to ignore it

It hurt, not as severe as before but it did hurt,

Far more than she wanted to admit.

Inside Rowan’s office, Frank stood quietly near the door.

“The Luna was here earlier,” he reported carefully.

Rowan looked up immediately.

“She left after encountering Jessica.”

The temperature in the room seemed to drop instantly.

Rowan’s expression darkened faintly.

Frank wisely remained silent.

After a moment, Rowan exhaled slowly.

“I’ll speak to her tomorrow.”

But by tomorrow

Everything became complicated.

Border disputes near the eastern borders demanded Rowan’s attention before sunrise.

Meetings followed.

Then patrol reports.

Then council matters.

The entire day disappeared before he realized it.

Meanwhile—

Elsie barely touched her meals.

Even Rose noticed immediately.

“You should eat something, my Luna,” the maid urged softly.

“I’m not hungry.”

That answer repeated itself throughout the day.

And by evening, even Elsie herself felt frustrated with her mood.

Why should she care?

Why should Jessica affect her this much?

She barely knew Rowan.

So why did it feel personal?

That evening, Rose and two other maids helped prepare Elsie for bed.

Her heavy outer gown had already been removed, leaving her in a thin silk underdress while Rose stood behind her brushing out her hair gently.

Elsie sat quietly before the mirror, distracted by her thoughts.

“Rose,” she murmured absentmindedly, “tie my hair loosely tonight.”

No answer came immediately.

Instead, warm fingers gathered her hair carefully.

Elsie frowned faintly.

“That’s strange,” she muttered softly. “Why are you acting.......”

She stopped.

Because in the mirror,

It wasn’t Rose standing behind her.

It was Rowan.

Elsie froze instantly.

Her breath caught hard in her throat as his silver eyes met hers through the reflection.

The maids were gone.

She hadn’t even noticed them leave.

And Rowan,

Still holding her hair gently in one hand,

Watched her with an unreadable expression.

i heard you haven't had an appetite today?” he said quietly.

And suddenly,

Elsie became painfully aware of how little she was wearing.