The Noble Luna Queen

The next time Derek and I saw each other was seven years later, at the Red Moon Pack’s Full Moon banquet.

I had just drained nearly all of my wolf spirit’s power at the Royal Healing Center, saving several severely wounded warriors. Too lazy to put on any scent spray to mask the smell, I walked straight into the banquet hall, still wrapped in a rough linen robe.

Derek stood right at the center of the crowd. One of his arms was wrapped around Aria’s waist, and the other was holding a glass of wine as he accepted praise from the surrounding werewolves.

“You’re amazing, Commander Derek! You’ve only been with the Northern Alliance for five years, and you’ve already been promoted to a Gamma Commander! The reputation of Red Moon Pack rests on your shoulders!”

“I heard the Alpha of Blackstone Pack paid you a personal visit yesterday, asking you to reinforce their border defenses, and offered you twenty high-grade Moonstones! That’s something no ordinary werewolf could ever earn in a lifetime!”

A young male werewolf in the crowd suddenly shouted, stirring up the atmosphere. “Commander Derek! Aren’t you and Lady Aria planning to complete your mark as mates the next full moon? When that happens, you have to invite all of us to the celebration!”

Derek lowered his gaze toward Aria in his arms. The cold hardness in his eyes softened instantly, and he nodded.

“Yes. On the next full moon, I’ll bite her neck and seal our mate bond.”

The hall erupted with envious howls.

Just then, one overly curious wolf added another question, “Commander Derek, what about Selena? Back then, the two of you were known as the golden pair of the pack. When your wolf spirit awakened, the very first howl you let out was for her!”

The moment my name was mentioned, the smile on Derek’s lips vanished, and the air around us grew several degrees colder.

Aria casually brushed her hair behind her ear and let out a polite little laugh, though the pride in her voice was impossible to hide.

“What are you talking about? Derek and I are about to become mates. Even without a mark, what we share is more than a fleeting fling. His wolf spirit has gotten tired of Selena’s bland herbal scent a long time ago.”

The surrounding werewolves immediately burst into laughter. However, I remembered it clearly. In my previous life, we had grown up together in the same pack since we were pups.

On a full moon night, he once grabbed my hand tightly and looked at me with complete sincerity.

“Selena, smell my scent,” he told me. “My wolf spirit only recognizes you. A werewolf’s instincts never lie.”

I believed him, and unfortunately, this male werewolf had been lying to his own wolf spirit from the very beginning.

Ignoring the harsh laughter, I walked straight into the hall and sat down in the most remote corner. A few sharp-nosed she-wolves caught the scent of blood and herbs clinging to me. They immediately pinched their noses and stepped back in disgust.

“Selena! Why are you showing up now?”

“Oh my, did you come to the Full Moon banquet wearing that ragged linen? Don’t you even own a proper fur cloak?”

“What is that smell on you? Have you just been scrubbing the Omega latrines down at the lower level or something? Why don’t you beg Commander Derek? Maybe he’ll toss you a job picking bones along the border!”

The werewolves around me looked me up and down, snickering one after another.

I ignored them. Instead, I grabbed a piece of raw meat from the table and stuffed it into my mouth, quietly replenishing the strength I had drained earlier.

From the moment I stepped into the banquet hall, Derek’s gaze had been fixed on me, like a nail hammered into wood. Still chewing, I didn’t even bother lifting my eyes.

“Long time no see,” I said flatly.

Derek’s eyes widened slightly. He strode over and stopped in front of me, looking down from above with a mocking smirk on his lips.

“After all these years, Selena, you’re still the same. You’re still stuck at the bottom, not even worthy of being called a proper she-wolf.”

Aria hurried over immediately. She glared at me while deliberately pressing herself against Derek’s arm, cooing sweetly.

“Derek, how could you say that about a former packmate? She’s an unmarked she-wolf. She’s had a hard enough time scraping by on the margins of society as it is. You really shouldn’t rub salt into her wounds.”

She glanced down at me, the disdain in her voice barely concealed.

“But Selena, you’re already at the age when a she-wolf goes into heat. You really should take better care of your fur. Otherwise, forget high-ranking warriors; even crippled low-rank warriors wouldn’t want you. Do you want me to lend you some scent spray? It’s better than whatever stench you’re giving off.”