chapter 4

Chapter Four — The Illusion of Us

Before I could know, it was already morning.

Soft golden light slipped through the tall curtains, warming the quiet room where the scent of midnight rain and silverwood still lingered. For a few peaceful seconds, I remained still beneath the sheets, my heart full from the memories of the night before.

Although I didn’t see Damien when I woke up, I could still feel him everywhere around me.

In the warmth left on the bed beside mine.

In the faint touch that still burned against my skin.

In the mark that rested gently beneath my collarbone like a secret only the moon could understand.

A small smile found its way to my lips.

Last night had been the most beautiful night I had ever known.

Not because of the palace, the moonlight, or the whispers of destiny everyone spoke about so fearfully… but because I was with the one I loved. For the first time in my life, I felt wanted. Chosen. Seen.

Damien had looked at me as though I was the only soul in his world.

And when he held me in his arms, the loneliness I carried for years disappeared like mist beneath sunlight.

I slowly sat up, pulling the silk sheets closer to myself as memories flooded my mind — the way his voice softened whenever he said my name, the intensity in his silver eyes, the warmth of his touch against my trembling hands.

Everything about last night felt unreal.

Like a dream the moon created only for me.

I pressed my fingers lightly against the glowing mark on my skin, my cheeks warming at the thought of him. My heart beat faster, almost expecting the door to open so he could walk back into the room and pull me into his embrace again.

But the room remained silent.

Too silent.

The happiness inside me slowly began to fade as minutes passed.

I glanced around the chamber, finally noticing that Damien’s cloak was gone. The candles had burned out completely, and the cold morning air felt emptier than before.

A strange ache settled deep inside my chest.

“He probably had Alpha duties,” I whispered softly to myself, trying to ignore the uneasy feeling growing within me.

Still… something felt wrong.

The warmth from last night was disappearing too quickly, almost as if the moon itself was stealing the memories away before dawn could fully arrive.

And for the first time since waking up, fear crept into my heart.

What if last night meant more to me than it did to him?A soft knock suddenly echoed through the quiet chamber.

Knock. Knock.

Aurora quickly looked toward the door, pulling the sheets slightly closer around herself.

“My Luna,” a gentle female voice called from outside the room.

Aurora’s heart skipped faintly at the title.

“I am here to take care of you,” the voice said again politely.

For a moment, Aurora hesitated. The words still felt unfamiliar to her, almost unreal after everything that had happened the night before.

“My Luna…”

The title carried weight.

Responsibility.

Power.

And yet, deep inside, she still felt like the same ordinary human girl she had always been.

“Come in,” Aurora finally answered softly.

The door slowly opened, revealing a beautiful young human girl who looked no older than Aurora herself. She had warm brown skin, gentle eyes, and long dark hair tied neatly behind her back. In her hands rested folded garments made from expensive silver-threaded fabric.

The girl immediately lowered her head respectfully.

“Good morning, My Luna,” she said with a small smile. “My name is Victoria. I was assigned as your personal assistant.”

Aurora blinked in surprise.

“Personal assistant?”

“Yes, My Luna,” Elena replied kindly as she stepped further into the room. “I am here to help you prepare for the day, assist you with the palace customs, and attend to anything you may need.”

Aurora looked around the luxurious chamber again, reality slowly settling over her.

Everything truly had changed.

Just yesterday, she was only a human girl trying to survive in a world that barely accepted her existence.

Now servants bowed before her.

Now they called her Luna.

Elena carefully placed the clothes on the bed before walking toward the large curtains. Sunlight immediately flooded the room, illuminating the silver decorations carved into the walls.

“The Alpha has called for a gathering later today,” Elena explained while preparing the room. “The entire pack wishes to formally welcome their Luna.”

Aurora’s chest tightened slightly at the mention of Damien.

A soft warmth filled her heart… but the strange emptiness from earlier still lingered quietly beneath it.

She lowered her gaze.

“Has Damien said anything this morning?” she asked carefully.

Victoria paused for the briefest moment before answering.

“The Alpha has been busy since dawn, My Luna.”

Aurora nodded slowly, though disappointment quietly settled inside her heart once more.After Aurora finished dressing, Victoria carefully adjusted the final silver clasp on her gown and stepped back with a satisfied smile.

The dress was breathtaking — soft white fabric flowing gracefully to the floor with delicate moon-shaped embroidery stitched along the sleeves. Aurora barely recognized herself in the mirror.

“You look beautiful, My Luna,” Victoria said warmly.

Aurora forced a small smile, though nervousness twisted inside her stomach.

Everything still felt too sudden.

Too unreal.

Victoria gently guided her through the long palace hallways until they finally stepped outside into the grand garden of the pack estate.

The moment Aurora appeared, the atmosphere changed instantly.

Conversations stopped.

Servants lowered their heads.

Pack members turned toward her with expressions filled with surprise, curiosity, admiration… and some with quiet disbelief.

Aurora felt their eyes following her every step.

The human girl who had suddenly become Luna.

Whispers quietly spread through the crowd like moving wind.

“That’s her…”

“She’s beautiful…”

“The Alpha truly marked a human?”

Aurora tried to ignore the stares as Victoria continued leading her forward through the gathering.

At the center of the garden stood a long elevated platform decorated with silver flowers and black banners carrying the symbol of the Crescent Moon Pack. Important members of the pack were already seated there.

And beside the seat meant for the Luna…

Sat Damien.

Aurora’s heartbeat instantly quickened.

The memories of last night flashed through her mind so vividly that warmth rushed to her cheeks. For one foolish moment, she expected him to look at her the same way he had beneath the moonlight — with desire, softness, and affection that made her feel cherished.

But when Damien finally lifted his eyes toward her…

Nothing happened.

No warmth.

No smile.

No trace of the man who had held her so passionately only hours ago.

His silver eyes passed over her coldly, almost indifferently, as though she were simply another person in the crowd.

Aurora froze slightly.

The sudden emptiness in his gaze felt sharper than a blade.

He reacted as though he saw no one at all.

As though last night had never happened.

As though she meant nothing.

Her chest tightened painfully, but she forced herself to continue walking until she reached the seat beside him.

Damien barely acknowledged her presence before standing to address the gathering.

“Today,” he said calmly, his deep voice echoing across the garden, “I formally introduce Aurora as the Luna of the Crescent Moon Pack.”

The crowd immediately bowed respectfully.

“Long live the Alpha and Luna.”

Aurora slowly sat down beside him, her hands tightening together beneath the table as confusion and hurt swirled violently inside her.

Why was he acting this way?

Only last night, he had touched her like she was the most precious thing in his world.

But now…

Now he looked at her as though she were nothing more than a duty.