Chapter 12-Stale hope

Selene pov

“So the first lady is Lady Cassy,” Maria said, pointing to the top name on the list.

I didn’t tell her I could read.

“She’s a beta wolf,” Maria continued. “A skilled healer. She is a bit quiet but smart. Knows a lot about pack history and rituals. She’ll be useful.”

I nodded slowly, already picturing her face in the group. I wasn’t looking for status. I needed people who knew what they were doing.

“The next lady is Lady Alexa,” Maria said.

“Someone I personally know and recommend.”

She didn’t say more than that, but I could tell Maria trusted her. That was enough for now.

She spent a few more minutes walking me through the rest of the names, pointing out details…who was from which house, what they were known for, and which ones had served in the pack house before. I listened, nodding where it mattered, but it was a lot to take in.

Still, I was trying.

I crossed my legs and leaned forward.

“So what else do I need to know apart from the ladies-in-waiting?” I asked Maria.

She looked up from her notes and tilted her head, thoughtful.

“Well, a few things, Luna,” she said carefully. “The banquet isn’t just about food and dancing. It’s political. Every step you take, every word you say, be sure someone will be watching.”

I blinked. “Okay what else?”

“You’ll need to know the key guests attending. Alphas, Betas, Luna representatives. Some are allies. Some… aren’t.”

I sat back slowly, my stomach tightening.

“And then there’s the ritual,” she added.

“What ritual?”

“The Moon Blessing. You’ll have to lead it. It’s a tradition. Only the Luna performs it..

It is done by offering the first light of the moon to the goddess. It’s how your role is… sealed. Publicly.”

“What happens if I mess it up?”

She hesitated. “They’ll say you’re unworthy. And the packs might pull away from Kael’s leadership. It’s not just symbolic. It’s binding.”

I swallowed, hard.

“And you’ll need a dressmaker. A seamstress approved by the council.

I nodded slowly. “Okay. What else?”

Maria smiled gently. “You’ll also need to make a speech.

“Can I really prepare all this in a month?” I asked, puffing my cheeks in frustration.

Maria didn’t flinch. “Don’t worry, Luna. Once we get the Alpha’s permission, we can begin the full preparations.”

I sighed, running my hand through my hair. “It just feels like too much at once.”

“I know it’s a lot,” she said gently, “but that’s why we need to start early. And we also need to send out formal invitations to the neighboring packs.

I looked away, my heart tightening.

“Although your marking ceremony caused quite a stir,” she continued, “your standing… isn’t quite secure yet. Not officially. Some still see you as a placeholder. Others don’t know what to make of you at all.”

“I’ll ask him about it once he’s awake,” I said, more to myself than to Maria.

She nodded her head, gathering the stack of parchment.

“Ask me what?”

The voice behind me was deep, commanding and majestic in that way Kael always was.

I turned around slowly to see him standing at the door, dressed in loose black pants and nothing else. His hair was still damp, like he’d just washed off sleep.

Maria quickly dipped her head. “Alpha.”

“Out,” Kael said, eyes still on me.

Maria bowed and left without another word, shutting the door softly behind her.

I cleared my throat, trying not to fidget.

“I didn’t know you were awake,” I said, doing everything I could not to stare at his bare chest or the way the morning light made every line of him stand out.

He took a step closer, in a slow and deliberate way.

“Well,” he murmured, “we don’t know much about each other, do we?”

His voice was soft but sharp, like a challenge.

“So…” he asked again, “ask me what?”

I swallowed hard, suddenly forgetting why I’d even come looking for him.

“I was just thinking—”

“Thinking of me?” he asked, tilting his head slightly, stepping in so close I could smell him. That same maddening clean, warm,and wild scent . Like pine after rain.

“No,” I said a little too fast, eyes darting away. “I mean about the banquet.”

The banquet?” he asked, stepping back a little.

“Yes,” I said, forcing myself to stand tall. “I want to host the Moon Banquet this year… as the Luna of this pack.”

He didn’t answer immediately. Just stared at me. Like he was trying to read something off my face .

The silence stretched long. Too long.

I held my breath with bated breath, my heart thudding against my ribs.

I couldn’t tell if he was going to laugh or walk away or simply say no.

Finally, Kael exhaled slowly,his gaze flickering down before rising back to meet mine.

“What made you think you had the right to do that?” he asked, and my heart thudded painfully in my chest.

I blinked, unsure I heard him right.

“The right to do what?” I asked, quietly.

“To host the banquet. To stand in front of this pack like they’ve forgotten who you are. What makes you think they’ll ever fully accept you?”

I swallowed hard, the words cutting deeper than they should have.

“I don’t care about all that right now,” I said. “Just let me plan it.”

He scoffed, stepping closer. “What do you even know about proper planning? You think it’s a joke? One mistake, Selene, just one and this entire pack becomes a laughingstock.”

“Maria will help me.”

I forced the words out before the heat in my chest cracked something.

“I’ll get proper ladies-in-waiting. I’ll learn whatever I need to. Just let me try.”

He looked at me like he didn’t know whether to laugh or walk away.

“It would take more than a month for you to understand proper court politics,” he said, voice cold.

I opened my mouth to speak, but another voice cut through the tension.

“But I understand proper court politics,” Elera said, stepping into the room like she owned it.

“You are not the Luna, Elera. Stay out of it.”

She didn’t even blink. Her hair was styled neatly in a bun, exposing her long neck and flawless skin. Even in the morning she looked so composed and perfect.

She didn’t look like someone who just woke up.

“Kael, I will host the Moon Banquet for our pack this year,” Elera said, voice clear, confident. “Do you have a problem with that?”

He looked at her for a long moment, then turned to me.

His expression didn’t change.

“You’ll learn from her.” He said to me.

I froze. “What?”

My voice cracked before I could stop it.

The blood drained from my face.

“You can’t do that to me, Kael…”

My voice was barely above a whisper, but the silence it fell into made it loud enough.

He didn’t even flinch.

“You heard him,” Elera said, stepping closer.

She smiled in a nice way.

“Don’t worry, sister. You can still attend… as a guest.”

And with that, she turned and walked out, her heels clicking like victory drums behind her.

I stood there, frozen. Not just humiliated by my mate but gutted.

He let her do that.

He let her win.