Chapter 5: AUDACITY

IRIS POV

Moonstone pack

I leaned closer to the mirror, tilting my head just enough for my cleavage to make an appearance.

My green eyes swept over my reflection with practiced precision. Skin? Flawless. Lips? Perfectly shaped. Not a single wrinkle dared show itself.

As expected.

Satisfied, I uncrossed my legs and pushed myself up, drifting toward my bed before collapsing onto it like royalty returning from a long, exhausting day of being beautiful. My arms spread wide, eyes fixed lazily on the ceiling.

“Starlie?”

I called to my wolf, and a faint growl answered.

Good. Alive, but clearly still in a bad mood.

“I know you can hear me. But since you’re pretending to be deaf anyway, I just thought you should know I've found our perfect mate.”

There was a brief pause, then I heard her say,

“Tell me more.”

Her voice dripped with sarcasm, so thick I could practically slip on it.

“It doesn’t sound like you want to hear more,” I muttered, arching a brow.

A low groan echoed in my head.

“You awoke me from my slumber, only to shun me at the end?" Starlie sighed dramatically.

I rolled my eyes. Honestly, it felt personal at this point.

“I want to sleep. You can stop talking now.”

“What?” she snapped. “What did you just say?”

“You heard me.”

A laugh followed, sharp, mocking, deeply unnecessarily eerie.

"Iris, I beg you, spare me such nonsensical talks. Have you started fantasizing again? This mate you speak of, does he live only in your dreams?"

She was struggling to hold back laughter.

“It’s not nonsense,” I huffed. “And for your information, it wasn’t a fantasy.”

“Oh? Was it a vision? A prophecy? Did the sky open and angels sing, or did you just see a handsome man and decide fate had finally caught up with your standards?”

I sat up slightly, frowning.

“You’re being annoying.”

“And you’re being delusional,” she shot back. “It’s a partnership.”

I scoffed.

“A partnership, a contract… whatever it is, it has been decided the Alpha prince is mine for the taking.

"You sit here confidently claiming a mate who hasn’t claimed you,” she replied sweetly. “See? Same level of imagination.”

“That makes no sense.”

“It makes perfect sense,” Starlie snapped. “You just don’t like it.”

I pressed my lips together, already irritated.

“Starlie, have you lost your mind? You’re speaking absolute rubbish.”

“Listen to me, you dramatic peacock,” she scowled. “The Alpha Prince, Zaden, might not choose you.”

My eyes narrowed.

“And while you’re lying here, conducting daily inspections for imaginary wrinkles, someone else might actually be securing their future.”

I sat up fully now.

“I don’t have wrinkles.”

“That’s not the point,” she said flatly. “The point is that you should learn to use your brain for something other than admiring yourself. If Prince Zaden doesn’t fall at your feet, you might want a backup plan.”

“A backup plan?” I repeated, offended.

“Yes,” she continued. “May I suggest the Prince of TreeWoods? Lesser ego, higher chances, and, most importantly…realistic expectations.”

I stared ahead in disbelief.

“…You want me to downgrade?”

“I want you to survive reality,” she replied. “But clearly, we’re aiming for different things.”

I flopped back onto the bed with a dramatic sigh.

“This is exactly why I didn’t want to wake you.”

“And yet,” she said smugly, “here we are.”

Rising to my feet, I made my way back to the dressing table.

Taking my seat before the mirror, I settled in as though it were a throne made solely for me.

My gaze met my reflection, and I smiled.

“He wants to choose her, Enisa… over this face?” I murmured, disbelief laced with quiet offense.

A faint scoff echoed in my mind.

“Get over yourself,” Starlie muttered.

“There are plenty of beautiful girls in the world.”

I ignored her.

My attention remained glued to the mirror, as though the truth I believed could be reinforced simply by looking long enough.

“The next Luna of the Silverstone Pack…” I said softly. “His Royal Majesty’s chosen…me."

A quiet laugh slipped from my lips.

Luck? No, this was only right. He would be the lucky one to have chosen me in the first place.

Why would he even need to choose? I was perfect. There was no real competition between me and….

My expression cooled.

Enisa.

Even the thought of her felt like a stain on an otherwise flawless moment.

I hadn’t dealt with her yet, not properly, but when I do, she will understand exactly where she stands.

Far beneath me.

“Pathetic,” I muttered. “To think she could ever become Luna… not while I’m still here."

A flicker of aggravation passed through me.

“She’s a problem,” I added under my breath. “And I’ll handle her.”

Piece by piece, I would dismantle whatever fragile confidence she had built for herself. Slowly. Thoroughly. Until there was nothing left to threaten me.

What puzzled me more was Father’s silence. His inaction.

Why was she still in the pack house?

I leaned back slightly, tapping a finger against the table. I almost pitied her… almost.

The look on her face when reality finally struck would be worth the wait. A wolfless omega dreaming of being Luna. Truly, ambition without awareness was a dangerous thing.

A low, restrained growl stirred within me; I knew it was Starlie, listening, judging.

“I can hear your thoughts,” she said, her voice quieter now but edged. “They’re… unpleasant. Build brick by brick from unrestrained anger, but be careful now.

We don't want people thinking you are a sociopath.

I tilted my head slightly.

“I don't care what people think."

"That, I won’t argue,” Starlie admitted, then her tone shifted.

“I felt it earlier last night, a connection with our fated mate, a bond.”

My eyes darkened instantly, my posture sharpening.

"Do you know who it is?” I asked, and a rough sigh followed.

“The connection was weak,” she replied.

“Fleeting. I couldn’t hold onto it, not even for a second.”

I stilled, considering her words. Then a small, satisfied smile returned to my lips.

“Then you see it too,” I said calmly. “Fate is already aligning in my favor. The moon goddess has already blessed my union with the Alpha prince.

We don't need him, this mate you always speak of having a connection with, and whatever you do, never try to reach out to him.”

There was silence, and I could feel a hard knot stirring within me; that was guilt, and it was coming from Starlie.

“The Alpha Prince is my choice."

I let the certainty settle, firmly and unchallenged.

“No one changes that, not even you.”

“That’s not certain,” she replied instead.

“He hasn’t made his choice. How are you so sure he’ll pick you?”

My smile faded, replaced with cold disdain.

“You think he would choose anyone over me?” I scoffed. “Impossible. And even if he does…” I rose from my seat and moved to the bed, crossing my legs as I sat. “…I’ll still get what I want.”

My voice lowered.

“Do you know how long I’ve waited for an opportunity like this? Even catching a glimpse of him is rare these days. I will not lose this chance to a worthless omega servant.”

“But….

“But nothing,” I cut in sharply, and then the door clicked open, and there she was, the devil in the form of a woman, Enisa.

Annoyance flared in my chest instantly.

“Do you not know how to knock before entering?”

Without hesitation, I grabbed a jewelry box and hurled it at her, but she dodged.

“I…I’m sorry,” she stuttered as she regained her balance, her eyes moving to the shattered box on the floor.

“I thought you were asleep.”

“Of course you did,” I mocked, turning away.

My focus moved to the cleaning tools she was holding. So now she cleaned my room too? That used to never be her duty. She belonged in the kitchen.

I watched her, my thoughts spiraling, as she quietly began to clean and put everything in place.

There was a time when she had Father’s attention. It had taken effort to shift that in my favor.

Even now, her presence was still dangerous. She could win him back, and maybe that was what I feared, and I would see to it that such a day never comes.

If Father refused to send her away, then I would make sure she leaves on her own. I would drive her to the final edge of her sanity, reminding her of what remained of her bleak future: nothing.

I watched as she continued cleaning in silence. Her peace alone haunted me.

Standing on my feet, I made my way to the dressing table. Picking up a bottle of perfume, I lifted it, my eyes scrutinizing every inch of it, and then I let my grip loosen.

The bottle slipped, kissing the floor with a sharp noise, before shattering to pieces.

“Oops.”

The smell of the perfume clung to every draft of air, diffusing to every corner of the room.

My gaze was fixed on her reaction.

It didn’t disappoint.

At first it was shock, then surprise, then maybe a mixture of realization and tiredness… all flickering across her face.

She opened her mouth as if to speak, then stopped herself, closing her eyes briefly. She advanced in my direction and then ended up picking up the shards of the broken bottle.

A slow smile curved my lips as another malicious idea formed in my mind, calculated and cruel.

I lifted my foot slightly, positioning it above her hand as she reached for the broken glass. If I pressed down now… She would bleed.

And if she protested? I would blame her.

Perfect.

I made sure she wasn’t looking. My heel hovered, ready to strike.

“This is what you deserve,” I whispered and moved to act.

I never made it.

A hand snapped around my ankle, and before I could react, she yanked me back with a force I hadn’t known she possessed.

I stumbled, barely catching myself, breath hitching as I looked up.

“Have you lost your mind?” I demanded, my fist tightening.

Her gaze met mine, cold… utterly unfamiliar.

For a fleeting second, something uneasy slid through me.

Where did that come from? That audacity… to look at me like that.

She stepped forward, her eyes never leaving mine.

“How could you stoop so low, Iris?” she said, her voice tight with restrained anger.

“You dare challenge your future Luna?” I snapped, closing the distance between us. I raised my hand to strike her, and she caught it midair.

“Don’t even dare."

The words landed hard and final. I froze.

This wasn’t the Enisa I knew. It couldn’t be. It felt like someone else was wearing her face.

“Enough of your games, Iris,” she continued, shoving my arm aside. “I won’t tolerate this anymore. Stay out of my way, or…"

She didn’t finish.

I watched as she turned to leave, but deep down I wanted to scream back at her.

"Or what?!

What could she possibly be capable of?

The remnant of her warning hung in the air.

Just as she made to cross the threshold, hand lingering on the doorknob, she paused.

“Everyone has their limits, Iris. Don’t cross yours.”

And just like that, she was gone.

I remained where I was, humiliated, staring after her like a fool she had just made of me.

“Who’s going to clean this mess?” I called, stomping my foot in frustration.

She didn’t even look back; instead, I felt a sharp pain shoot through the sole of my feet.

“Ouch—”

I shrieked, glancing down, only then noticing the blood pooling beneath my feet. My flip-flops had slipped off when she shoved me, and I had stepped straight onto the broken glass. The sting dulled quickly, numbness creeping in where pain should have been.

But even that barely registered.

I was still reeling from what had just happened.

Slowly, I sank onto the bed, my breathing uneven.

“I see…”

My voice turned quiet and hard. My eyes burned, my lips trembling with contained fury.

“The little bird has finally learned to grow wings…”

My gaze darkened.

“But it’s not too late to break them.”