Name: The Death of his Luna
Rating: 5.0 (1 reviews)

Chapter 1 The Wedding

"I can't breathe in this thing."

"You'll be fine," Miren replies, pulling the corset strings tighter. "You're becoming the Luna. It's meant to be uncomfortable."

"Marrying a stranger is already uncomfortable enough."

She snorts and hands me a silver comb. "He's not just any stranger. He's the Alpha of Nightfall. And now, he's your Alpha, too."

I stare at my reflection. Pale. Empty eyes. Wearing white like a bride, but I feel more like a lamb led to slaughter.

"He doesn't even look at me," I murmur. "He barely spoke during the courtship."

"You think Selene had a fairy tale?" Miren shrugs. "Think she got to say no?"

"I'm not Selene," I whisper.

"No. But you're here. That counts for something."

A knock cuts through the moment. A tall, expressionless figure opens the door. Beta Lian.

"It's time," he says, monotone.

Miren gives my hand a quick squeeze before slipping out, leaving me with him.

"You look like you're about to faint," he notes.

"Do I have a choice?"

"Choice?" His mouth twitches. "You accepted the mating mark, didn't you?"

"I was told it would stabilize the pack."

He tilts his head. "Isn't that enough?"

I don't answer. What's the point?

He offers his arm. I take it, not out of trust, but duty. We descend the stairs in silence, the murmur of the pack outside drifting in like distant thunder.

At the main doors, he stops.

"Don't expect him to smile," he says. "He hasn't since she died."

"She," I echo.

"Selene."

Of course.

The doors open. Wolves....shifting and human...gather under the trees. The ancient altar stands bathed in moonlight, cold and sharp like the night air.

Kael stands beneath the stone arch. Towering. His black coat was trimmed with silver. His eyes give nothing away.

I walk toward him, each step measured. My heart pounds, deafening.

He doesn't move.

Doesn't blink.

Just watches.

"Alpha," I whisper.

"Elira," he replies.

That's it. No welcome. No warmth.

Elder Mordecai steps between us, voice clear and carrying.

"Under Luna's eye, we witness the binding of two joined by law, not by bond."

A ripple passes through the crowd at his words.

He continues, unfazed. "This union restores order, brings strength, and ensures the Nightfall Pack's stability. Alpha, present your mark."

Kael steps forward, lifts my wrist. His hands are rough, steady. He lowers his mouth to my pulse.

I flinch.

"It won't hurt," he murmurs.

He bites.

Heat spreads through me...power, not pain. The bond latches on like iron.

The pack howls.

I stay silent.

He steps back, eyes unreadable.

"Do you swear loyalty to your Alpha, your pack, and your blood?"

"I do," I reply, my voice shaking.

"Then rise," Mordecai says. "You are Luna of Nightfall."

A few cheers. Mostly silence.

Kael doesn't touch me.

Doesn't even look my way as we walk back through the pack. Some bow. Others glare with open resentment.

"She'll never be her," someone mutters.

I hear it.

So does Kael.

He says nothing.

Inside the packhouse, the doors slam shut behind us.

"Well," I say, voice level, "we did it."

He says nothing.

"Do I get a room key, or do I just trail after you?"

"Third floor. South wing."

"Not your wing, then."

"No."

I swallow. "This is temporary, right?"

Kael turns. His gaze cuts like a blade.

"What?"

"This arrangement," I clarify. "You needed a Luna. I was... available."

He steps closer. "You think this is a game?"

"No. I think it's a job."

His jaw clenches. "Good. Then do your job. Stay quiet. Obey. Smile when they look."

"What if they ask why you won't touch me?"

"They won't."

"And if they do?"

His eyes flash. "Then lie."

I take a slow breath, steadying myself. "Fine."

We stare at each other, tension thick.

"You don't have to like me," I say, "but don't treat me like I'm not here."

He blinks. "You're not a ghost."

"Then stop looking at me like I'm wearing her face."

He turns away.

I leave.

Later that night, Miren finds me perched on the guest wing windowsill.

"Well," she says, sitting beside me, "how's married life?"

"Cold. Quiet. Functional."

She winces. "I saw his face. Looked like the moon told him to swallow nails."

"Was she that perfect?" I ask, unable to hide the bitterness.

"She was... loved," Miren answers carefully. "That makes her hard to follow."

"She died six months ago."

"Yeah. And some wounds never close."

"I'm not here to replace her," I say.

"No. But you are here," she repeats. "And that's enough for some to hate you."

I look to the moon above the trees.

"Do you think she really died by accident?"

Miren goes still.

"Where's that coming from?"

"The whispers. The way they look at me. The way he does."

"Don't dig, Elira."

"I never said I would."

"Don't," she says again. "Selene's ghost might not be as quiet as everyone pretends."

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The Death of his Luna

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