Chapter Thirty-six - The Price of Being Luna

Aria’s POV

The first thing I noticed when I opened my eyes was the warmth.

The second was the arm wrapped around my waist.

I remained still for a moment, staring at the faint light filtering through the curtains. Kael’s chest rose and fell steadily behind me, his breathing slow and even. His face was buried against the back of my neck, and his hand rested over my stomach as though he had fallen asleep holding me and had never found a reason to let go.

A small smile touched my lips.

I couldn’t remember the last time I had woken up feeling this peaceful.

For so long, I had treated every moment of happiness as something temporary, something that would disappear the moment I became comfortable enough to enjoy it. I had done the same with Kael, constantly searching for signs that his patience was running out or that his feelings for me had changed.

Yesterday, Selena had given those fears a voice but Kael had listened to me.

He had answered my questions without anger and reassured me without making me feel foolish for asking.

He hadn’t demanded that I trust him and he had simply given me another reason to try.

I turned carefully in his arms.

His eyes were closed, and a few strands of dark hair had fallen across his forehead. Without his usual stern expression, he looked younger. Almost like the boy who used to drag me out of trouble after I climbed trees I had no business climbing.

I reached out and brushed the hair away from his forehead.

His eyes opened immediately.

“Planning to steal something, Luna?”His voice was rough with sleep.

I withdrew my hand. “I was removing something from your face.”

“How generous of you.” He chuckled.

“You’re welcome.” I said with a smile.

His mouth curved into a lazy smile. For a moment, we simply stared at each other.

Then his gaze softened. “Good morning, Aria.”

Something about the way he said my name made my chest feel strangely full.

“Good morning.” I whispered.

He brushed his thumb over my waist before reluctantly loosening his arm.

“Did you sleep well? Any nightmares?”

“Yes and no” I shook my head.

“Good.”

He leaned forward and pressed a kiss to my forehead. The gesture was so natural that I almost forgot there had been a time when I couldn’t bear the thought of him touching me.

Kael seemed to notice the change in my expression.

“What’s wrong?” One of his eyebrows rose. “And don’t tell me nothing because you have never been particularly convincing when you lie.”

“And you have never been particularly humble.” I mumbled.

He laughed quietly. The sound surprised me enough that I stared at him.

“What?” he asked.

“Nothing. I just don’t hear you laugh very often.” I looked away shyly

“Perhaps you should give me more reasons to.” He said after me. “ and I will consider your suggestion.”

“You say that as though you’re reviewing a trade agreement.” My brows furrowed.

“Old habits.” He shrugged.

I laughed before I could stop myself.

His smile widened and suddenly, I understood something that had escaped me for years.

Kael wasn’t incapable of being gentle or playful. He had simply spent so much of his life carrying responsibilities that he had learned to hide those parts of himself.

I had seen glimpses of them when we were younger, before my choices had driven a distance between us.

Now, I wanted to discover the man he had become.

Not the Alpha everyone feared or the husband I had been forced to accept. Just Kael.

“Come downstairs with me,” he said, interrupting my thoughts.

“For breakfast?” I flinched.

“For breakfast, and then for the council meeting.” He pulled himself out of the blanket.

My smile faded slightly. “The council meeting?”

He nodded as he sat up. “The elders want to discuss the pack’s progress and the preparations for the coming winter.”

“Why do you want me there?” I frowned.

He looked at me as though the answer should have been obvious.

“Because you’re the Luna.”

I lowered my eyes. “Sometimes I forget that.”

His expression changed. “Then we should make sure you don’t have to.”

Before I could ask what he meant, he rose from the bed and reached for his clothes.

“Get ready. I’ll wait for you downstairs.”

He was halfway to the door when I called his name.

“Kael?”

He turned. I hesitated, suddenly uncertain how to express the thought in my head.

“Thank you.”

His brows drew together. “For what?”

“For yesterday. For listening to me.” I blushed.

He watched me for a moment before walking back toward the bed.

“You never have to thank me for listening to my wife.”

Then he bent and kissed my forehead again.

“Now hurry up before I decide to have breakfast without you.”

I threw a pillow at him but he caught it with one hand and the sound of his laughter followed him out of the room.

For the first time in a long while, I got out of bed without feeling as though I were preparing for a battle.

I didn’t know what the day would bring but I was ready to face it.

************

By the time I entered the dining room, Kael had already finished his first cup of coffee.

He looked up from the documents in front of him and gestured toward the chair beside his.

“You’re late.”

I glanced at the clock. “By three minutes.”

“An unacceptable delay.” He shook his head.

I sat down and reached for a piece of bread.

“I’ll make sure to submit a formal apology to the Alpha.”

“See that you do.” He laughed.

I kicked him lightly beneath the table but he didn’t even look up. Instead, he moved the plate of sliced fruit closer to me.

It was such a small gesture that no one else would have thought twice about it.

But I noticed. I noticed everything these days.

The way he remembered what I liked. The way he slowed his steps when we walked together. The way he no longer reached for me without giving me room to decide whether I wanted his touch.

I had once thought love was supposed to make me feel as though I were constantly chasing something.

With Damon, I had spent years waiting for promises that never came.

With Kael, I was slowly learning that affection could exist in the smallest, quietest moments.

“You’re staring again,” he murmured.

I nearly choked on my tea. “I’m not. Perhaps you’re simply imagining things.”

“Perhaps.” He returned to his documents, but I caught the faint smile he was trying to hide.

A maid entered and informed us that the elders had gathered in the council chamber.

Kael rose and offered me his hand.

I stared at it for a moment before placing mine in his.

He didn’t tighten his grip or pull me toward him.

He simply waited until I was ready, then we walked out together.

***********

The council chamber was already occupied when we arrived.

Elder Elijah sat at the head of the long table, his silver hair neatly combed back. Elder Abel was beside him, reviewing several reports, while Agatha spoke quietly with two other members of the council.

Their conversation stopped when Kael and I entered.

Every head turned toward us. I felt the weight of their attention immediately.

Some looked at me with curiosity. Others with the guarded expressions of people who had not yet decided whether I deserved their confidence.

I knew why. I had abandoned Ironcrest, I had left my father behind and chosen a man who had never intended to give me the future he promised.

I had returned only after discovering the truth about Damon and learning that my father had died without me beside him.

Whatever my reasons, the facts remained.

Some of these people had served my father for decades. They had watched him struggle to keep Ironcrest strong, and they had every reason to wonder whether I possessed the maturity to lead after the choices I had made.

I couldn’t change the past but I could decide what to do with the future.

Kael pulled out the chair beside his and waited until I sat before taking his own seat.

“Let us begin,” he said.

The meeting started with reports from the northern patrols.

One group had cleared a section of the mountain road that had become dangerous after the recent storms. Another had identified several areas where rogue activity might become a concern if the weather forced more wolves into our territory.

The reports were encouraging, but they also revealed problems.

Some patrols lacked adequate winter equipment. Several storehouses needed repairs, and the cost of maintaining our mountain routes was higher than anticipated.

Kael listened carefully, asking questions and making notes.

I followed the discussion, surprised by how much I understood.

When I was younger, my father had sometimes allowed me to sit in on council meetings. I had often been impatient, more interested in training or exploring the mountains than listening to older wolves discuss supplies and trade.

I had thought leadership meant making important decisions and commanding others to carry them out.

Now I understood that the strength of a pack often depended on decisions so ordinary that no one noticed them until something went wrong.

A patrol sent out without adequate supplies could lose a warrior, a neglected road could delay medicine, and a poorly managed storehouse could leave families without food during the winter.

The Alpha might give the orders, but the consequences belonged to everyone.

“The eastern houses have also requested assistance,” Agatha said, turning a page in her report. “Several families are struggling to repair their homes before the first heavy snowfall.”

“How many?” Kael asked.

“Fourteen families have submitted requests. There may be more.”

“Have we inspected the damage?” Kael asked tiredly.

“Not yet.”

Kael nodded. “Send someone to assess the buildings. I want an estimate of the materials required before we approve the work.”

Elder Abel cleared his throat. “That will place additional pressure on the winter budget.”

“We cannot ask families to survive in damaged homes simply because the repairs are inconvenient,” Kael replied.

Abel inclined his head, though his expression suggested he remained unconvinced.

I glanced at the report in Agatha’s hands. “May I see that?”

She looked at me before passing it across the table.

I read through the list of families, then studied the notes about the storehouses and winter provisions.

Something occurred to me.

“Why are we treating the repairs and winter supplies as separate expenses?”

The elders turned toward me. I resisted the urge to shrink beneath their attention.

“Because they serve different purposes,” Abel answered.

“I understand that. But do we know how much usable timber we have in the eastern storehouse?”

Agatha considered the question.

“Some. Not enough for every repair, I suspect.”

“What about the timber included in the Silverpine agreement?”

Kael turned toward me. “We haven’t received that portion of the shipment yet.”

“But it is already part of the agreement, isn’t it?” I asked.

“Yes.”

I looked back at the report.

“Then perhaps we should prioritize the most urgent repairs and use the available timber for those families first. We can schedule the remaining work once the shipment arrives. That way, we won’t have to purchase everything at once or spend money we may need for winter supplies.”

Abel frowned. “And what would you consider urgent, Luna?”

I met his gaze. “Buildings with damaged roofs, unstable walls, or openings that cannot be properly sealed before the cold arrives. Cosmetic repairs can wait.”

He studied me for a moment. It wasn’t a particularly complicated suggestion. Anyone with access to the reports might have made it.

But the council chamber had gone quiet.

Elijah leaned forward. “It is a reasonable proposal. We should have the buildings inspected and divide the requests according to urgency.”

Kael nodded. “Agreed. Agatha, coordinate the inspections with the eastern settlement leaders. Bring us the results within three days.”

Agatha made a note.

I lowered my eyes to the report, pretending I hadn’t noticed the brief look Kael gave me.

There was no exaggerated praise in his expression, just quiet approval.

Somehow, that meant more.

The meeting continued, and I found myself contributing whenever I had something useful to offer.

I asked about the families who had lost income after the mountain road was damaged. I suggested that the pack organize temporary work for able-bodied members who could help repair the damaged sections.

I also asked whether the older wolves living alone had been included in the winter welfare checks.

By the time the final report was discussed, the elders were no longer directing every question to Kael.

They were asking me, too. Not because I was Lucien Nightshade’s daughter or because I sat beside the Alpha.

Because I had listened, considered the information, and offered solutions.

For the first time since returning to Ironcrest, I felt as though I had done something that belonged entirely to me.

When the meeting ended, Elijah remained seated while the others gathered their papers.

“Aria,” he said.

I stopped. “Yes, Elder?”

He studied me with an expression I couldn’t quite interpret.

“Your father would have appreciated your concern for the eastern settlements.”

The words struck a tender place in my heart.

For a moment, I couldn’t speak.

Then I lowered my head

“I hope I can become the kind of Luna he believed I could be.”

Elijah’s expression softened.

“That will depend on what you do from this day forward. Not on what you did before.”

I swallowed the ache in my throat.

“Thank you.”

He nodded before turning his attention to another document.

I left the chamber with Kael beside me. Neither of us spoke until we reached the corridor.

Then he stopped.

“Well done.”

I glanced at him. “That’s all?”

“What were you expecting? A parade?”

I rolled my eyes. “I helped with a few reports.”

“You identified a practical way to manage the repairs without placing unnecessary pressure on the winter budget. You also remembered the families who might otherwise have been overlooked.”

His gaze held mine. “Those are the things that make a good Luna, Aria. Not a title or a crown.”

My throat tightened. “Do you really think so?”

“I wouldn’t have said it otherwise.” He shrugged.

I looked away, afraid that if I stared at him much longer, he would see how much his approval meant to me.

Then he took my hand. “I’m proud of you.”

Four simple words. I had received praise before. People had complimented my appearance, my bloodline, and even my fighting skills.

But no compliment had ever felt quite like that one because Kael wasn’t praising me for being his wife.

He was proud of the woman I was becoming and for once, I was proud of her, too.

**********

I was on my way to the eastern wing when Selena stepped into my path.

She was dressed in her training clothes, her dark hair tied tightly behind her head. A faint sheen of sweat glistened along her temples, suggesting she had just come from the training grounds.

Her eyes moved briefly to my hand.

Kael had released it before leaving for his office, but I suspected Selena had seen us together.

“Quite a successful council meeting, Luna,” she said.

I stopped. “Thank you.”

Her lips curved. “I heard you impressed the elders with your suggestions about winter preparations.”

“I offered what I thought was useful.”

“How modest.” She smirked.

There was something in her tone that made it clear she wasn’t offering a sincere compliment.

I waited as Selena folded her arms.

“You know, when Alpha Lucien was alive, he used to say that leadership was earned through service. Not everyone who inherits a title is capable of carrying its responsibilities.”

I felt my shoulders stiffen. “My father was a wise man.”

“Indeed.” Her smile sharpened. “Which makes me wonder what he would think if he knew how much trouble your return has caused.”

I stared at her.

There it was again. The same accusation dressed in different words.

I had abandoned my father, and no amount of work would change that.

“I know what my choices cost,” I said quietly. “I don’t need you to remind me.”

“Then perhaps you should stop expecting everyone to forget.”

“I’m not asking anyone to forget.” I said sharply as Selena’s expression shifted slightly. “I am asking for the opportunity to do better.”

For a moment, neither of us spoke.

Then she laughed softly. “You really believe you can make up for everything by attending meetings and helping with repairs?”

“No.” My answer seemed to surprise her.

I took a breath. “I don’t believe I can make up for missing my father’s final days. I can’t bring him back, and I can’t undo the pain I caused. But I can stop making the same mistakes. I can serve this pack, protect its people, and become a Luna they can rely on.”

I held her gaze. “That is what I intend to do.”

Selena’s smile faded. “You make it sound so simple. you should be careful. This pack has expectations, Aria. The elders expect an heir. The warriors expect a strong Luna. And your husband….”

“Do not presume to tell me what my husband expects.” The words left my mouth before I could soften them.

Selena blinked. I stepped closer, keeping my voice low.

“Kael is capable of speaking for himself. If he has concerns about my place beside him, he will discuss them with me. I will not have you using his name to frighten me into believing I must compete for my own marriage.”

For the first time since I had known her, Selena appeared genuinely caught off guard.

Then her expression hardened. “You seem very confident for someone who spent so long running away.”

The words hurt , of course they did. But they no longer had the power to make me retreat.

“You’re right,” I replied. “I ran away once. I made a terrible mistake, and I have to live with the consequences. But I came back, Selena. I’m here, and I’m doing the work.”

I paused. “If you want to challenge my leadership, do it openly. If you have concerns about the way I serve this pack, bring them to me. I will listen to reasonable criticism.”

My voice became firmer. “But if your intention is to undermine me because you want my position, then you should understand something. I will not surrender it simply because you believe you deserve it more.”

Selena’s face flushed. “You think I want to be you?”

“No. I think you want to be Luna.”

She opened her mouth, but I continued before she could interrupt.

“And wanting that position does not make you a bad person. But trying to take it by making me feel inadequate will not work.”

I stepped around her. For a moment, I thought she might stop me.

Instead, she spoke behind me.

“Be careful who you trust, Luna. Especially those who stand beside your husband.”

I turned slowly. “What is that supposed to mean?”

Selena’s expression had changed. The smugness was gone, replaced by something harder to read.

“Not everyone in this pack wants to see you succeed.”

“Do you have a reason to believe that?” I frowned.

She hesitated.It was brief, but I noticed it.

Then she lifted her chin. “Consider it friendly advice.”

“Your idea of friendship needs work.” I turned and continued down the corridor.

This time, she didn’t follow.But her words stayed with me.

Not everyone in this pack wants to see me succeed.

It could have been another attempt to unsettle me. Selena had already shown that she was willing to use my insecurities against me.

Still, I couldn’t entirely dismiss the possibility that she knew something I didn’t.

Ironcrest had endured difficult years. My father’s death had left a void, and Kael had inherited a pack that needed stability as much as it needed strength.

There were bound to be people who resented the changes he was making.

There might even be people who believed I had no right to stand beside him.

I couldn’t allow suspicion to rule my decisions but I could learn to pay attention.

That, too, was part of becoming Luna.

**********

By late afternoon, I found myself in the courtyard, speaking with several women who had come to deliver requests from their settlement.

One of them was an elderly wolf named Mara, whose son had been injured during a patrol the previous winter. She wanted to know whether the pack could help her repair the roof of her home before the weather worsened.

I listened carefully, took down her details, and promised to ensure that her request was included in the inspections.

When she thanked me, I felt an unfamiliar warmth settle in my chest.

It wasn't pride exactly. It was something quieter.

The satisfaction of knowing that I had been useful.

As the women left, Martha approached me with a small basket of fresh bread.

"You haven't eaten since breakfast."

I stared at her. "How do you know that?"

"Because I asked the kitchen staff, and they told me you were too busy saving the pack to remember that you are also a living person."

I laughed. "I am not saving the pack."

"Not yet, perhaps. But you certainly seem determined to try."

She handed me the basket. I took a piece of bread and leaned against the courtyard wall.

Martha studied me for a moment.

"You look different today."

"Different how?" I swallowed.

"Like you finally believe you belong here."

My smile faded slightly. "I don't know if I do."

"Aria." She waited until I met her gaze.

"You were born into this pack, but that isn't why you belong here. You belong because you are choosing to serve it now. You cannot change what happened before, but you can decide what kind of Luna you will be."

I looked down at the bread in my hands.

"Everyone keeps telling me to move forward as though it's easy."

"No one said it would be easy." She touched my arm. "But you don't have to do it perfectly."

I swallowed. "What if I fail? What if the elders regret supporting me?"

"Then you give them a reason not to." She beamed.

I stared at her before bursting into laughter.

Martha smiled. "There. That's better."

I shook my head. "You're impossible. Perhaps I have terrible judgment."

For a little while, we stood together in comfortable silence.

Then Martha glanced toward the packhouse.

"Have you and Kael spoken about Selena?"

"Not today." I looked away.

"Are you going to?" She asked.

I considered the question. Part of me wanted to tell Kael everything Selena had said. I wanted to ask whether he believed she was hiding something and whether I should be worried about her warning.

But another part of me wondered whether I was allowing Selena to occupy too much space in my thoughts.

Kael had already made his position clear.

He had told Selena to respect me. He had defended our marriage before the elders and reassured me that he had no intention of replacing me.

I didn't need to run to him every time someone made me doubt myself.

"I will speak to him if I discover something worth discussing," I answered. "For now, I want to focus on the work in front of me."

Martha looked pleased. "Your father would have been proud of you today."

My smile trembled. I looked toward the mountains, where the last sunlight was beginning to fade.

"I hope so."

And for the first time, the thought of my father didn't leave me drowning in regret.

It reminded me why I had returned.

Kael was waiting in his office when I went to see him that evening.

He had changed into a dark shirt, and several documents were spread across his desk. He looked up as I entered, then leaned back in his chair.

"How was your afternoon?"

"Busy." I said softly.

"Productively busy?" He looked up

"I believe so."

He gestured toward the chair opposite him. "Tell me."

I sat and explained what I had done, from meeting with the women from the eastern settlements to arranging the list of families who needed urgent repairs.

Kael listened without interrupting.

When I finished, he nodded.

"Agatha will appreciate having the information organized before the inspections begin."

"I hope so."

He studied me for a moment. "Something else happened."

I frowned. "Why would you think that?"

"Because you've been talking about winter supplies for five minutes, but you haven't once complained about Abel questioning your suggestions."

I stared at him. "Do I complain that much?"

"No." He smiled faintly.

I hesitated before telling him about Selena.

I repeated her comments about my past, her insinuations about the elders' expectations, and her warning that someone close to him might not want me to succeed.

Kael's expression grew colder as I spoke.

"Did she explain what she meant?"

"No. I asked, but she called it friendly advice."

His jaw tightened. "I will speak to her."

I shook my head. "Not yet."

His gaze returned to mine. "Why?"

"Because I don't want you confronting her every time she says something unpleasant to me. I can handle her, Kael."

He was silent for a moment.

I continued before I could lose my courage.

"If she has a genuine concern, I want her to bring it to me. If she's trying to provoke me, I don't want to give her the satisfaction of seeing me run to you."

Kael watched me thoughtfully. "You're not running to me when you ask for my help."

"I know. But I need to learn that I can stand on my own, too."

Something softened in his expression.

Then he nodded. "All right."

I blinked. "That's it?"

"Did you expect me to argue?" He looked confused

"Honestly? A little." I said disappointedly.

He chuckled. "Aria, I don't need you to prove that you're strong by refusing my help. I need you to know that you can ask for it without losing your independence."

His words settled over me. I had spent years believing that needing someone meant giving them the power to hurt me.

Perhaps that was why I had clung so desperately to Damon. I had mistaken my willingness to sacrifice everything for him as proof of my strength.

Then, when the relationship began to crumble, I had been too afraid to admit how much I had lost.

Kael had his flaws. He had hurt me, too but he was beginning to show me that love didn't have to mean surrendering myself.

I could be strong and still let someone stand beside me. I could be Luna and still be his wife and I could ask for help without becoming helpless.

"Thank you," I whispered.

Kael rose from his chair and came around the desk. "For what this time?"

"For understanding." I whispered.

He stopped in front of me and held out his hand. "Come here."

I took it and stood. He drew me into a gentle embrace, giving me time to settle against him.

For a moment, I rested my cheek against his chest.

Then I lifted my head. "I want to do this properly. Be Luna."

His expression became serious. "Then do it your way."

I frowned. "What if my way isn't enough?"

"Then we'll learn what needs to change."

I studied him. "We?"

He looked almost offended. "Did you think I intended to make you do all the work alone?"

A smile spread across my face. "No, Alpha."

I rose onto my toes and kissed his cheek.

His eyes widened slightly, and I laughed.

"What was that for?" he asked.

"Being helpful."

"I see. Should I expect a reward every time I offer sound advice?"

"Don't push your luck." I rolled my eyes

He laughed, and I felt something inside me settle.

For the first time, I wasn't thinking about how to keep him.

I was thinking about how we could build something together and that felt far more powerful.

I had returned to Ironcrest carrying the weight of my father's death, the shame of my choices, and the fear that I would never become the woman he had hoped I would be.

I couldn't erase any of it but I could stop allowing my past to decide everything about my future.

Tomorrow, there would be more reports, more decisions, and perhaps more people who doubted me.

I would face them. Not because I needed to prove that I was worthy of Kael or because I needed to silence Selena.

But because Ironcrest was my home, and its people deserved a Luna who was willing to learn how to serve them and I was finally ready to become her.