The night was still. The moonlight spilled across the marble balcony like silver, bathing Natalie in its glow. She stood at the railing, the cool night air brushing against her skin, her thoughts quiet but alert. Something in the atmosphere felt off,like a storm lingering just beyond the horizon.
The faint click of heels broke the silence. Natalie didn't turn. She didn't need to. The sharp scent of Aurora's perfume wafted toward her, carrying that same note of arrogance she always wore like armor.
"Well, isn't this poetic," Aurora's voice purred. "The little shadow enjoying the moonlight, pretending she belongs here."
Natalie's lips curved into the faintest smile. She didn't move from her position, hands resting lightly on the cold railing. "Pretending, Aurora? Or simply standing where I choose?"
Aurora tilted her head, eyes glittering with spite. She circled closer, each step deliberate. "You really believe Damien's world is meant for someone like you? He's the ruthless Alpha of the Black moon pack,he needs someone who matches his strength,not a weak princess wolf. Do you even understand what it takes to stand beside him?" Her voice dripped with disdain. "You'll never be enough. You'll always be… temporary."
Natalie finally turned, her gaze steady, her posture calm. There was no fire in her tone, no raised voice,just a quiet certainty that struck harder than any outburst.
"Funny. For someone so sure of her place, you seem awfully desperate to convince me I don't belong."
Aurora faltered, just for a second. Natalie caught it.
"You hide behind his name, his power, as though it validates you," Natalie continued, her voice smooth but sharp. "But tell me, Aurora… who are you without Damien?"
The question landed like a blade. Aurora's eyes narrowed, fury sparking, but Natalie took a slow step forward, her presence pressing down like invisible weight.
"You see, strength isn't about being loud, or ruthless, or clinging to someone else's shadow. Strength is in knowing who you are,even when others try to tear you down." She paused, her voice lowering into something almost intimate. "That's why you're afraid of me. Because you can't shake me."
Aurora's jaw clenched. She opened her mouth, but no words came. Her silence was louder than any insult she could've thrown.
"You'll regret this," she finally hissed, though the venom in her voice wavered.
Natalie stepped closer, close enough for her calm breath to brush against Aurora's cheek. Her eyes locked onto Aurora's with an intensity that made the other woman shift, her composure cracking like glass.
"Not tonight. Not ever. If you think I'm here to be broken, you're mistaken." She leaned in slightly, her tone dropping to a whisper sharp as glass. "I don't need to fight you to win, Aurora. You've already lost,because you can't unsettle me."
The silence stretched between them, thick and suffocating. Aurora's eyes flickered, just briefly, breaking contact first. The small retreat betrayed her, and humiliation flushed across her face. She turned sharply, heels striking against the marble as she stalked back into the shadows. But her exit didn't carry victory;it carried defeat, the sting of a battle she had expected to dominate but instead lost without Natalie even raising her voice.
Natalie exhaled slowly, not in relief, but in control. She returned to the railing, her expression unreadable, as though the storm had never touched her.
From the window above, unseen, Damien watched. His arms were folded, but his gaze was fixed on her with quiet intensity. There was pride in his eyes,not in her defiance, but in her restraint. She hadn't just stood her ground. She had disarmed Aurora without lifting a hand.
And in that moment, Damien knew: Natalie wasn't just strong. She was unshakable.