All Chapters of Stronger Than Pain: From Beta To Luna: Chapter 111 - Chapter 120

I had thought the proposal would silence them. Foolish of me.The moment Conan slipped that ring onto my finger, I felt the world change. I thought the tide had turned in our favor. But in the halls of the council, the whispers slithered through the stone walls faster than wildfire. They clung to me like smoke, thick and suffocating, even when no one spoke directly to my face.“She’s not even of noble blood,” one councilwoman hissed as I passed, her jeweled fingers covering her mouth as though her venom needed hiding.Another man, older, his robes heavy with the arrogance of his station, snorted. “Do you blame her? Marrying him is the only way she can scrub the stain of her scandal. She clings to him like a lifeline.”And then, the one that nearly snapped my composure in two,“She’ll be his third Luna. Third! It won’t be hard for him to find a fourth and a fifth once he tires of her.”I froze in the corridor, my back to them, my fists curled so tightly my nails dug crescent moons into

The mirror caught me staring, and for a moment, I didn’t even recognize the woman looking back. The gold-threaded gown shimmered under the candlelight, the jewels heavy around my neck, but none of it felt like mine. I wasn’t thinking of the engagement banquet waiting to be announced tomorrow. No...I was thinking of her. Samira. That laugh. That sharp, mocking laugh that still curled through my head when the world grew quiet. I squeezed my eyes shut, as if pressing hard enough would erase the sound, but it lingered like smoke that refused to clear. And Jonathan, his name felt like a bruise I didn’t want to touch. Both of them were ghosts I couldn’t quite bury, shadows clawing at the edges of what should have been my happiest night. “Lost in the past again?” Conan’s voice was deep, calm, the kind of sound that could anchor a storm. I hadn’t even heard him come in. His reflection joined mine in the mirror, taller, s

The crown glitters faintly on the nightstand, silent and accusing. I swear I can still feel its weight pressing on my head, even though it’s gone. My scalp aches where it rested, but it isn’t the metal that makes me dizzy...it’s what it means. Luna.I sit on the edge of the bed, my gown loosened but not yet discarded, my feet sore and bandaged from the stones. The silence of the chamber is fragile, like glass that could shatter at the slightest touch.Conan kneels before me, his hands surprisingly gentle as he unwraps the linen around my feet. His brow furrows at the burns, but he says nothing for a long moment, only stroking his thumb carefully along my ankle as if memorizing the proof of my trial. Finally, he speaks, voice low, steady.“You wear pain like a queen wears jewels,” he murmurs. “But Maya… the council has no power over you. They never will. You are my equal. My Luna.”The words wrap around me like warmth, melting something tight in my chest. My throat aches with unspoken

I pushed open the heavy wooden door to the kitchens, the scent of bread and roasted meats wrapping around me like a blanket. I expected warmth, chatter, maybe even the curiosity of the staff meeting their Luna for the first time. Instead, silence fell like a hammer.Every head turned, every pair of eyes fixed on me...assessing, weighing, doubting.“Good morning,” I managed, trying to sound confident though my palms were damp. “I thought I’d come see how things were running… and maybe suggest a small change.”The head cook...a stout, silver-haired woman with sharp eyes that looked like they could cut through steel,crossed her arms. She was older than my mother, her apron stained with years of labor, her hands strong from kneading, chopping, commanding this kingdom of food.“And what change might that be?” she asked, her tone cool, her staff still watching.I swallowed. “I noticed yesterday the children didn’t eat much of the spiced roast. I thought perhaps we could add a simpler meal t

The cold stone beneath my shoes groaned as though it resented every step I took. The air grew heavier the deeper I descended, thick with mildew and the metallic stench of blood long dried into the cracks of the dungeon walls. My steps echoed, a lonely sound in the silence, broken only by the hiss of torches sputtering in their iron brackets.I didn’t flinch. I couldn’t afford to.Jonathan’s head lifted as I came into view. His hair hung in greasy clumps around his gaunt face, and yet he had the audacity to grin. His wrists rattled in the chains as he leaned forward, hungry to strike at me with the only weapon left to him...his words.“So you’re the new Luna,” he spat, his voice low and taunting. His lips curled into something venomous. “A slut playing queen.”The insult should have cut. Should have stung. But instead, it rolled off me like water on steel. My body froze for only a heartbeat, then I straightened, letting my aura swell around me like