Chapter 9: Cracks In The Crown

Elizabeth

The silver tray clattered on the floor, the sound sharp enough to rattle my already uneasy nerves. Hot tea spilled everywhere, spreading across the rug, staining the plain cream fibers.

“What’s wrong with you!” My voice came out sharp and cold, louder than I intended. The maid flinched, her hands trembling uncontrollably as she fell to her knees to gather the pieces.

“I… I’m sorry, Luna,” she stammered, her voice breaking.

The word Luna should have calmed me, but it didn’t. It sounded hollow, forced.

“Well, sorry won’t fix the rug you destroyed,” I snapped, my voice carrying so much anger. But it wasn’t just about the spilled tea or the rug. It was about the look in her eyes—she didn’t believe in me as her Luna. None of them did.

Her eyes were glossy with tears as she scrambled everything together, almost tripping over herself before rushing out of the room like it was on fire. The door slammed shut behind her, leaving me in silence.

I pressed my palms to my temples, the weight of everything pressing down on me like a massive boulder I couldn’t push away. When the door opened again, this time Oliver stepped in.

He walked inside quietly, his steady presence filling the space. “What happened?” His tone wasn’t harsh, but his eyes had a look I didn’t like.

“Nothing worth your concern,” I muttered, sitting at the edge of my bed, my dress pulled around me, my hands fiddling with the silk of the fabric.

Oliver didn’t move, he just watched me with that unyielding patience of his. It made the silence even more unbreakable.

“They undermine me,” I finally said with a sigh, my voice crackling as I spoke. “Because Nathan hasn’t marked me yet. They whisper about it, Oliver. That girl—she didn’t spill the tea by mistake. No.” I clenched my fist. “She poured it deliberately to see how far she could go. She was testing me.”

Oliver’s brows furrowed, but he didn’t say a word.

I dragged in a shaky breath, staring as the stain sank deeper into the rug. “I’m supposed to be their Luna,” I lowered my voice, “but still they mock me as if I’m… a placeholder of some sort.”

“If Nathan had marked me, none of them would dare. His mark would silence their doubts once and for all.”

Oliver finally spoke, his voice calm, he was always calm. “Elizabeth… you don’t need his mark to command respect.”

I laughed, but there was no trace of humor in it. “That’s where you’re wrong, Oliver. Without his mark, I’m nothing but a shadow wearing a crown.”

Oliver sat on the chair in front of me. He watched me for a moment without a word, both hands resting on his knees.

“Elizabeth, you are letting them get to you. The pack may test your boundaries, but they will all fall in line. Because marked or not, you are still our Luna. You were chosen by the Moon Goddess, and nothing is going to change that. Nathan—” he gestured with one hand, “you both are perfect for each other.”

I shook my head. “I don’t know, Oliver. The stares, the murmuring… I just want it to stop.” I looked at my hands.

His lips parted, but no words came out. Then something dark cracked open inside of me. I bit the corner of my lips so hard I almost drew blood.

“Who really is that… Omega?” The word tasted sour in my mouth, like poison. I wanted to spit it out. “Kaima.”

Oliver’s facial expression remained the same. “She’s new. Just some lonewolf who needed shelter over her head. She keeps to herself most of the time. Why do you ask?”

My lips curled, a bitter smile playing on them. “Do you know what I saw today?” My fingers twisted the fabric of my gown as I leaned forward. “I saw her in his arms, Oliver. She said Nathan caught her when she almost fell,”

Oliver’s lips twisted and he let out a small laugh, shaking his head. “Please don’t tell me you are jealous. Nathan saves everyone. He’s a protector by nature. He would have caught anyone who was falling—that’s who he is. You’re overthinking things.”

But I wasn’t convinced. “No,” I whispered. “It didn’t feel like that. It wasn’t just a catch—it was the way he looked at her.” My chest tightened as I spoke, heat rushing to my cheeks. “It was… intimate. And the thought of it sickened me.”

His laughter instantly faded, as if he suddenly understood how I was feeling, his expression turning serious. “You have nothing to worry about,” he assured me. “That girl means nothing to him.”

I wanted to believe him. Goddess, I wanted to believe him so badly. But I couldn’t. My hands loosened their grip on my dress as I took in a deep breath to calm myself.

“The Luna ceremony,” Oliver started, his tone tighter now, but still reassuring. “It’s coming soon. There’s no way the ceremony is going to hold without a mark. You both have to be united as one to receive the Moon Goddess’s blessings, and Nathan has already asked me to begin preparations. So you see—you have nothing to worry about.”

The words sank into me like balm to a wound, soothing the raw edges of my thoughts. Yes. The ceremony. His mark. That would silence every whisper, every doubting look.

I let out a breath of relief, but still I placed a hand over my chest, steadying my wolf, who stirred restlessly inside me. Soon, I told myself. Soon, they’ll see. Soon, he’ll be mine completely.

My wolf stirred with unease inside of me. She was as restless as I was, the sensation sharp, bruising against my ribs. I pressed my hand to my chest to calm her.

Be still, I whispered underneath my breath. But she didn’t listen. She was still restless, agitated. It felt like she wanted to rip out of me and tear that new Omega into shreds.

Maybe this was all in my head like Oliver had said. Maybe I was actually overthinking it.

A jealous Luna-to-be, too quick to see threats where there were none. Nathan was mine. Everyone knew it. He loved me. He chose me.

The image of how he held her, their eyes locking, flickered in my mind, but I pushed it away. She was just a common omega after all.

All the threat was in my head.

The Luna ceremony was in a month, and Nathan had to mark me before then. I actually had nothing to worry about. I told myself over and over again, trying so hard to convince my restless self.

But still… there was a part of me that didn’t believe it.