chapter 5

Chapter Five — He Couldn’t Have Lied

Aurora knew she could not question him there.

Not in front of the entire pack.

Not while dozens of eyes watched every movement she made beside the Alpha.

So she remained silent.

Even though confusion and hurt were slowly tearing her apart inside.

The gathering continued around her as elders discussed pack matters, warriors reported patrol movements, and servants moved quietly through the garden carrying silver trays filled with wine and food. Voices rose and fell like distant echoes, but Aurora barely heard any of it.

Because her attention remained fixed on only one person.

Damien.

She sat beside him quietly, her fingers tightening softly against the fabric of her gown beneath the table as her eyes continuously drifted toward his face.

Hoping.

Waiting.

Praying that he would finally look at her.

Even once.

She wanted to see something in his expression — warmth, regret, affection… anything that could prove last night had truly meant something to him.

But Damien never turned toward her.

Not once.

His expression remained calm and unreadable as he continued speaking with the elders beside him, discussing pack affairs as though Aurora did not even exist beside him.

Every second felt heavier than the last.

Aurora swallowed painfully, forcing herself to remain composed while her heart slowly cracked beneath the silence between them.

He couldn’t have lied.

The thought repeated itself desperately inside her mind.

Last night had felt too real.

The way he touched her…

The way his voice softened whenever he whispered her name…

The way his eyes burned with possessiveness and desire beneath the moonlight…

None of that could have been fake.

None of it.

So why was he acting this way now?

Aurora slowly lowered her gaze, trying to hide the sadness beginning to appear in her eyes.

Maybe he was simply busy.

Maybe Alphas were expected to act cold before their pack.

Maybe he was protecting his image.

Yes… that had to be it.

Because the Damien from last night could never look at her with such emptiness.

Suddenly, one of the elders spoke with a respectful smile.

“The Moon Goddess has truly blessed the Crescent Moon Pack with a beautiful Luna.”

Several people nodded in agreement.

Aurora instinctively looked toward Damien again, waiting to see even the smallest reaction from him.

But his face remained emotionless.

“Indeed,” he answered calmly.

Only that.

No affection.

No pride.

No love.

Just a simple response that sounded colder than winter itself.

Aurora’s chest tightened painfully.

Yet despite the ache growing inside her heart, she still forced herself to believe.

He couldn’t have lied to her.

Could he?Shortly after the gathering ended, the elders slowly began leaving the garden while servants cleared the long tables covered in silver decorations and half-empty glasses.

Aurora remained seated quietly beside Damien.

Even now, she still hoped he would finally turn toward her.

That he would explain everything.

That he would become the man from last night again.

But Damien simply continued exchanging pleasantries with the elders around him, his expression calm and distant as though nothing unusual had happened between them.

“My Luna.”

Aurora looked up softly at the familiar voice.

Victoria stood beside her respectfully.

“It is time to return to your chambers,” she said gently.

Aurora immediately glanced back toward Damien again. He was still speaking to the pack elders, completely focused on them.

“Wait,” Aurora whispered quickly, standing from her seat. “I… I need to speak with him first.”

Victoria’s expression shifted slightly.

Aurora took a small step forward, her heart beating nervously as she watched Damien laugh faintly at something one of the elders had said. The sound alone shocked her.

He could laugh with them so easily…

Yet he could not even look at her.

“I just need a moment,” Aurora continued softly, almost pleading now. “Maybe he’s only busy because of the gathering.”

Victoria remained silent for a brief second before finally looking at Aurora with an expression that carried something deeper than simple concern.

It was almost pity.

“My Luna,” Victoria said carefully, lowering her voice, “the Alpha does not like being disturbed after official meetings.”

Aurora’s chest tightened faintly.

She looked back toward Damien again, silently hoping he would notice her standing there.

Notice her waiting for him.

But he never did.

Not once.

Victoria gently touched Aurora’s arm.

“We should go now.”

Something in Victoria’s eyes convinced Aurora not to argue further.

Slowly, Aurora lowered her gaze, forcing herself to swallow the disappointment rising painfully inside her chest.

“…Alright,” she whispered.

Without another word, she allowed Victoria to guide her away from the garden while the distant sound of Damien’s voice continued behind her.

And somehow…

With every step Aurora took away from him, last night felt more and more like an illusion.Aurora returned to her chambers in silence.

The large doors closed softly behind her, shutting out the distant sounds of the palace halls, yet the emptiness inside her heart only grew louder.

Slowly, she walked toward the window overlooking the garden below, her fingers tightening against the fabric of her gown.

What exactly was the problem?

She could not understand it.

Last night, Damien had held her so close beneath the moonlight, touching her as though she was precious to him. His voice had been warm. His eyes had burned with emotions she was certain were real.

So why was he treating her like a stranger now?

Aurora closed her eyes tightly.

No.

Last night was not an illusion.

It couldn’t have been.

The memory of his touch still lingered on her skin like fire she could not erase. Even the mate mark on her collarbone remained glowing faintly beneath her dress, proving that something real had happened between them.

Damien could not have pretended all of that.

Could he?

Her chest ached painfully at the thought.

Maybe something was wrong.

Maybe the elders were pressuring him.

Maybe Alphas were forbidden from showing affection publicly.

Yes… that had to be the reason.

Aurora desperately clung to those thoughts because the alternative hurt too much to accept.

Behind her, Victoria stood quietly near the chamber doors.

She watched Aurora’s fragile expression in silence, her eyes filled with pity and sadness the young Luna failed to notice.

Victoria had served within the palace long enough to understand things Aurora did not yet know.

And that understanding made her heart heavy.

Aurora remained facing the window, lost in her thoughts as the sunlight slowly faded across the room.

“He looked at me like I was nothing,” she whispered softly, almost to herself.

Victoria lowered her gaze.

For a brief moment, it seemed like she wanted to say something.

To warn her.

To explain.

But in the end, she remained silent.

Because some truths were crueler when spoken aloud.