Pretty Decoration

INARA'S POV 

The morning light filtering through the tall windows of the Alpha’s residence felt way too bright for the knot twisting in my stomach. 

I’d barely slept, replaying Grayson’s cold words on loop until my wolf wanted to howl in frustration. ‘Don’t make me regret this any more than I already do.’ 

Yeah, well, same here, buddy.

I stood in front of the mirror in the room they’d assigned me, smoothing down the simple but elegant dress one of the pack maids had brought. Deep green, fitted at the waist, flowing just enough to move with me. 

It wasn’t flashy like Liora would’ve chosen, but it felt right. I wasn’t here to outshine anyone. I was here to survive.

A sharp knock on the door made me jump. “Luna Inara? The Alpha requests your presence in the main hall. The pack elders are waiting.”

Luna Inara. The title still sounded fake in my ears. I took a deep breath, squared my shoulders, and stepped out. Two guards fell in behind me as I walked the long corridor. 

Their expressions were carefully blank, but I could smell the curiosity rolling off them. News traveled fast in Silverfang. Everyone probably already knew the substitute twin was trying to fill big shoes.

The main hall buzzed with low voices when I entered. Long tables lined the walls, and pack members milled about, some casting me sideways glances. My parents were there near the front, looking relieved but tense. And then there was Grayson.

He stood at the head of the room like he was born to command it—which, yeah, he was. Tall and imposing in a dark shirt that hugged his broad chest, sleeves rolled up to show powerful forearms. 

His dark hair was tamed today, but those silver eyes still carried that stormy edge. Handsome didn’t even begin to cover it. 

My stupid heart did a little flip even as my brain reminded me he’d called me a consolation prize last night.

His gaze found mine across the room. For a second, something flickered there, maybe surprise at how I cleaned up—but it vanished behind that familiar wall of ice. 

He jerked his head toward the seat beside him. Not a smile. Not even a nod of welcome. Just an order.

I walked over, keeping my steps steady even though my wolf was practically prancing at being this close to him again. 

His scent hit me full force—pine, storm, and that dark wildness that made my skin tingle. I sat down, folding my hands in my lap.

“Morning, Alpha,” I said softly, but with just enough edge so he’d know I wasn’t some meek little thing. “Sleep well?”

He didn’t look at me. “This isn’t social hour, Inara. Sit there, look pleasant, and let me handle the talking.”

Sassy words bubbled up before I could stop them. “Got it. I’ll just be the pretty decoration. Wouldn’t want to embarrass you more than my sister already did.”

That got his attention. His head snapped toward me, eyes narrowing. A few elders nearby pretended not to listen, but I caught their raised eyebrows. 

Grayson’s jaw tightened, but before he could snap back, one of the senior elders cleared his throat and began speaking about the upcoming Luna Welcoming Ritual.

I listened carefully, nodding at the right moments, smiling politely when eyes turned my way. But inside, my mind was racing. Three nights. That’s all I had before the ancient runes and moon magic would either accept me or expose this whole mess. 

What if the pack’s power rejected the replacement twin? What if it revealed I’d been carrying this secret crush for years like some pathetic fool?

Grayson’s hand suddenly brushed mine under the table as he reached for a scroll. The contact was brief, accidental, but heat shot up my arm like lightning. I sucked in a quiet breath. 

His fingers were warm, calloused from years of training and fighting. My wolf practically purred, pushing me to lean closer, to breathe him in deeper.

He pulled away like he’d been burned, his expression darkening. “Pay attention,” he muttered under his breath, low enough that only I could hear.

“I am paying attention,” I whispered back, turning slightly so my knee brushed his under the table. Purely by accident. Mostly. “Unlike some people, I actually want this alliance to work.”

His silver eyes met mine, holding longer this time. There was frustration there, yes, but something else too. Curiosity? Annoyance at the way my touch affected him? I couldn’t tell, but it made my pulse race anyway.

The meeting dragged on with talks of border patrols, rival pack tensions, and how the marriage, this marriage would strengthen our position. 

I chimed in once when an elder asked about Moonveil traditions, offering a few thoughtful suggestions that made my parents beam with pride. Grayson stayed mostly silent, but I noticed him listening. Really listening.

When the session finally broke for a short break, he stood abruptly. “Come with me.”

No please. No explanation. Just that grumpy command.

I followed him out of the hall and down a quieter corridor that led toward the training grounds. His long strides forced me to hurry to keep up, my dress swishing around my legs. 

The fresh air outside carried the scent of pine and damp earth, but it was nothing compared to the man walking beside me.

We stopped near a shaded area where warriors were sparring in the distance. Grayson crossed his arms, staring out at them. “You speak too freely in front of the elders.”

I raised an eyebrow. “And you speak too coldly to your new wife. People are watching us, Grayson. If you keep treating me like an unwanted stray, they’ll start questioning the alliance even more.”

He turned to face me then, stepping close enough that I had to tilt my head back. His scent wrapped around me again, stronger out here in the open air. “You think you know what’s best for my pack after one night here?”

“I think I know what it’s like to be the second choice,” I shot back, my voice quieter but no less firm. “And I know pretending everything’s fine while your heart’s not in it only makes things worse. I’m not asking for your undying love or whatever fairy tale Liora probably dreamed about. But treating me like garbage isn’t going to make this easier for either of us.”

For a moment, the mask cracked. His eyes softened just a fraction, scanning my face like he was seeing me—really seeing me for the first time. “You’re… different from her.”

The words hung between us. My cheeks warmed, and I hated how much I liked hearing that. “Yeah, well, I’m not her. I won’t run away when things get hard.”

His gaze dropped to my lips for a heartbeat, then back up. The air felt thicker, charged with something I couldn’t name. 

My wolf surged forward, urging me to touch him, to close the small distance and see if that grumpy exterior hid something warmer underneath. I curled my fingers into my dress to stop myself.

Grayson exhaled roughly and stepped back. “The ritual in three nights will bind you to the pack’s magic. If it accepts you, fine. If not…” He didn’t finish the sentence, but the warning was clear.

“I’ll be ready,” I said, trying to sound more confident than I felt. “And in the meantime, maybe try not barking orders at me like I’m one of your warriors? A little common decency wouldn’t kill you.”

A ghost of a smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth—gone so fast I almost thought I imagined it. “Decency is a luxury I don’t have time for, Inara. Not with everything hanging by a thread.”

He started walking back toward the residence, expecting me to follow. I did, but my mind was spinning. That tiny smirk. The way his eyes had lingered. The heat from that accidental touch still buzzing under my skin.

Back inside, as we passed through the quieter halls, one of his betas approached with urgent news about rogue wolves spotted near the eastern border. Grayson’s expression hardened instantly. 

He glanced at me. “I’ll be delayed. Handle the preparations for tonight’s dinner with the visiting alphas yourself. Don’t disappoint me.”

There it was again. That cold edge, even as he walked away with powerful strides, his broad back tense under the weight of pack problems.

I watched him go, feeling that confusing mix of irritation and longing twist tighter in my chest. He was still the same grumpy, cursed Alpha who saw me as a painful reminder of his humiliation. 

But those small cracks in the ice, the almost-smirk, the lingering look, the way his scent seemed to cling to me—made me want to keep chipping away.

Later that evening, as I changed into a deeper emerald gown for the formal dinner, my wolf wouldn’t settle. She kept replaying the brush of his hand, the low rumble of his voice, and that fleeting softness in his silver eyes. 

I touched my lips absently, wondering what it would feel like if he ever stopped fighting whatever this pull was between us.

The banquet hall was already filling with important guests when I arrived. I smiled politely, making small talk and playing the part of Luna even though my nerves were buzzing. 

Every few minutes I glanced toward the entrance, expecting Grayson’s commanding presence to fill the room.

But he didn’t come.

A maid slipped up to me quietly during a lull, her voice low. “Luna Inara, the Alpha sent word. He’ll take a while to join you. Rogue issues at the border are more serious than expected. He said to proceed without him.”

My stomach tightened. Of course. Duty first, always. I was here playing hostess while he was out there being the powerful, untouchable Alpha I’d secretly admired for so long.

I nodded to the maid and turned back to the guests, keeping my chin high. But inside, questions swirled. How long would he be gone? Would the visitors notice the tension? And more importantly… why did the thought of him out there fighting rogues make my wolf so restless and protective?

The dinner dragged on with political smiles and careful conversations. I held my own, but every laugh and clink of glasses felt hollow without Grayson’s grumpy presence beside me. His scent was already fading from my skin, and I hated how much I missed it.

By the time the last guests began to leave, the moon was high outside the tall windows. I slipped away from the hall, heading back toward my room with my thoughts tangled in knots.

Grayson still wasn’t back.

I paused near the corridor leading to his private chambers, biting my lip. Part of me wanted to wait up, to see if that tiny crack in his walls would widen when he returned tired and maybe a little less guarded. 

The other part warned me not to get too attached to a man who had made it clear I was just a substitute.

But as I stood there in the quiet hallway, the weight of the ritual looming in just three nights pressed down on me. What would happen when the moon magic finally tested this fragile arrangement? 

I took a shaky breath and continued to my room, but sleep felt impossible. Every creak in the house made me wonder if he was back yet. If he was hurt. If he was thinking about me at all.

This was only day two, and I was already in deeper than I should be.