Chapter 4: The Luna’s Feast

When Serena Blackwood arrived at the Luna Queen’s private quarters, a young she-wolf was already craning her neck at the entrance, bouncing on her toes with anxiety.

The moment she caught Serena’s scent—a crisp, wild aroma that had returned to the palace—the girl lit up as if touched by the first sun of spring. She sprinted forward. "My Lady! You’ve finally returned! Feiyan has missed you to death!"

Serena chuckled, looking the girl up and down. "Feiyan, it’s been three years. My little swallow has turned into a plump little partridge."

Feiyan was the personal maid Luna Queen Eleanor had hand-picked for Serena years ago. Before Serena left the Royal Capital, Feiyan had been a fragile thing, swaying like a willow in the wind. Now, she looked healthy, round, and well-fed.

Feiyan pouted instantly. "My Lady! You tease me! Here I was, my heart aching for you every day, and you mock me! I’m ignoring you!"

She spun around and ran back into the palace, shouting as she went, "Quick! Tell the Luna Queen! Lady Serena has returned!"

Serena smiled, her inner wolf wagging its tail at the familiarity, and followed her inside.

As soon as she crossed the threshold, she saw a dignified, elderly woman being supported as she walked out of the main hall. Despite her age, her silver eyes held the lingering fire of a former warrior. The moment she saw Serena, those weary eyes sparkled with renewed life.

"Serena! My little pup!"

"Grandmother!"

Serena rushed forward and buried herself in Luna Queen Eleanor’s embrace.

Three years ago, Serena had been a scrawny fifteen-year-old girl. Now, she had blossomed, her frame tall and athletic, standing even taller than the Queen herself.

Tears streamed down Queen Eleanor’s face. She had raised this child from a tiny, fragile thing, and never had they been apart for so long.

"Good child, oh, you’ve suffered so much!"

The Luna Queen held Serena tight, like a lioness reclaiming her lost cub.

"Grandmother, I missed you terribly."

The Alpha King and his Luna were mates from their youth. Queen Eleanor was the daughter of a General, a warrior she-wolf who had fought side-by-side with the King and the Northern Alpha during the Great Wars. But old battle wounds had taken their toll. After giving birth to a daughter, she could bear no more pups. Tragically, that little princess had been born weak and died at age three.

Alpha Magnus had entrusted Serena to the Royal couple, helping the Queen slowly heal from the grief of losing her daughter.

Queen Eleanor cupped Serena’s face, tracing her defined features, and fresh tears spilled over. "That damn senile old wolf! Why did he send my Serena to that forsaken Silent Abbey? I worked so hard to raise you from a little sparrow into a strong wolf, and look at you now! You’re nothing but skin and bones!"

Serena laughed, wiping a tear from the Queen’s cheek. "Grandmother, aren't you afraid the walls have ears? If someone tells Grandfather you’re cursing him..."

Queen Eleanor placed hands on her hips, her aura flaring slightly. "Let the old man hear! What am I afraid of? He’d better not step through my door today, or I’ll beat him out with a stick!"

She dragged Serena into the dining hall.

The table was already groaning under the weight of a massive feast—roasted meats, rich stews, and piles of fruits.

Feiyan pouted again. "My Lady, the Luna Queen has been up since dawn preparing this for you."

Queen Eleanor pulled Serena into a seat next to her. "Did you tease our little Feiyan?"

Serena grinned. "I just said she looked healthy. Like a little dumpling. It’s festive. Besides, a little extra weight means she’s been eating well."

The Queen tapped Serena’s nose affectionately. "You little rascal. Taste the meat I roasted. Look at how thin you’ve gotten!"

Serena looked at the familiar, oversized serving bowl placed in front of her—essentially a basin—and couldn't help but laugh.

Serena could eat. In fact, she had the appetite of a shifting warrior in the middle of winter.

Since childhood, the Queen had told her not to mimic the delicate, bird-like appetites of the noble ladies in the Capital. *‘Eat,’* she would say. *‘Only a well-fed wolf can survive.’*

Perhaps it was because of the constant assassination attempts and poisonings in her youth, but the Queen’s greatest wish was simply for Serena to survive.

Before age five, Serena had been as round as a ball. But the Queen’s strategy worked. Serena grew up with a body made of steel, taller and stronger than any princess or noble daughter.

As Queen Eleanor piled meat into Serena’s basin, watching her devour it with gusto, she wiped her eyes again. *Look at how starved the child is!*

She turned to Feiyan. "Go prepare an extra bed. Serena stays in my den tonight."

With the doors closed, the Luna Queen dropped her royal facade. She was just a grandmother doting on her kin.

Feiyan sniffled, moved by the scene. "The Luna Queen hasn't been this happy in ages. After you left, she was heartbroken. She even kicked the Alpha King out of the bedroom a few times."

Serena laughed, tearing into a chicken leg. "Grandmother is mighty indeed. But don't stay mad at Grandfather. I made a mistake; I deserved the punishment."

Suddenly, Queen Eleanor slammed her hand on the table, making the silverware rattle. "It’s all that Pei family’s fault! That Beta Minister raised a good son, didn't he? Our Serena taking a liking to him is a blessing for their bloodline, yet he dares to get engaged to someone else!"

Serena set down her chopsticks. "Grandmother, you don't sound like the Mother of the Nation right now. You sound more like a Rogue bandit from the岐Yellow Mountains."

The Queen huffed. "If I hadn't met that killer old man of yours, I might have gone Rogue and claimed a mountain for myself! No, this won't do. I’m going to make the King issue a Royal Decree. We’ll force a mating between you and the Pei heir!"

Serena grinned mischievously. "Alright! I’ll try to give you a great-grandpup by next year!"

*I wonder how Alpha Patrick would react to that?* Serena mused.

The more Queen Eleanor thought about it, the more feasible it seemed. She despised the pretentious noble families, but the Pei boy *did* have good genes, and Serena liked his face. If they had a pup, it would surely be beautiful.

"What great-grandpup?"

Suddenly, a booming voice echoed from the entrance. Alpha King Alaric walked in.

The maids and servants in the room immediately dropped to their knees. "Hail to the Alpha King!"

Queen Eleanor saw her mate and let out a loud, dismissive snort.

The King looked helpless. "Eleanor, Serena is back. How long do you plan to stay angry?"

The Queen turned her body away from him. "You want me to calm down? Fine. Issue a decree right now. Make the Pei boy mate with our Serena!"

The King frowned, his brow furrowing. "Why are you causing trouble again? The Pei family has a mating contract with the Cui family—Beta Prime Marcus’s kin. I am the Alpha King; I cannot simply tear apart my subjects' mating bonds!"

Queen Eleanor slammed the table again and stood up, her eyes flashing. "So what if there’s a contract? Decades ago, I was engaged to the Wang family heir, and you still kidnapped me and claimed me as your mate!"

The King coughed violently, his face turning red. The servants kept their heads low, terrified to look up.

Serena watched the drama with a grin, enjoying the show. The King turned, saw her amused, slacker expression, and pointed a finger at her. "You little brat! You come back and immediately stir up trouble. Just wait until I discipline you!"

Queen Eleanor moved like lightning, stepping in front of Serena like a mother hen protecting her chick. "You dare!"

Serena poked her head out from behind the Queen, smiling cheekily. "Yeah, you dare?"

The King slammed the table and stood up, ready to roar, but looked at his fierce mate and deflated, sitting back down. "I’m too old to argue with a stubborn old woman."

He glanced at the food on the table and rubbed his hands together. "It’s been a long time since I ate your cooking."

At that moment, a strikingly beautiful maid walked out from the back chamber. She placed a set of silverware before the King.

Just as the King reached for his chopsticks, the maid’s melodic voice stopped him.

"Your Majesty, you haven't purified your hands."

She turned gracefully, dampened a silk cloth she had prepared, and walked to the King’s side, gently wiping his fingers.

The maid had porcelain skin and a waist so slender it looked breakable. As she bowed her head, the neckline of her dress dipped just enough to reveal a calculated amount of cleavage.

Serena narrowed her eyes, observing the King and Queen. Neither seemed to pay the maid any special attention, treating her presence as normal.

"My, my," Serena drawled, her voice cutting through the air. "I haven't seen this sister before. When did the Palace get new blood?"

The maid smiled perfectly and curtsied. "Answering the Lady, this servant has been attending the Luna Queen for two years."

Her demeanor was poised, elegant. She didn't carry herself like a servant; she moved like a noble-born Omega.

Since Serena had left three years ago, she naturally hadn't met her.

The maid finished speaking and retreated to the shadows. But as she passed by, Serena’s nose twitched.

Her wolf bristled.

There was a scent trailing off the maid. Not just soap or perfume.

It was the heavy, cloying scent of *Ylang-ylang*—an aphrodisiac used to mask pheromones.