The grand council chamber of Silver Moon Palace was still thick with tension when the last of the guards escorted Serina and Selena away. Even as their heels clattered against the marble floors, their presence—or absence—left a mark on the room.
Serina had smirked at Iolde before being taken, a final, venomous whisper lingering in the air. "Does the Alpha know?"
Iolde shivered but said nothing, aware that the question carried far more weight than words alone.
Kael Draven stood tall, amber eyes glowing with controlled fire. Around him, the pack had begun to murmur softly, acknowledging what they already knew instinctively: Lyria Selene, the quiet maiden, was now recognized as their Luna. Every sentient wolf in the palace stirred in acknowledgment.
All, that is, except for one.
Riven stepped close to Kael, lowering his voice. "The pack accepts her, Alpha… all but her."
Kael's jaw clenched. "Let her wallow in her envy. The truth cannot be hidden forever."
Lyria, standing near Kael, kept her composure. Her hands rested lightly on her abdomen, though her heartbeat betrayed the secret she had yet to fully understand herself. The child growing within her was already stirring, and even without a name, even without form, its power whispered across the room like a subtle wind.
One by one, the concubines and remaining servants bowed their heads or lowered their gaze, showing respect and acceptance. Relief and awe mingled with the tension. They had witnessed the Alpha's strength, his protective instinct, and the bond that had formed between him and Lyria.
"Kael," one elder began, voice careful, "the pack recognizes Lyria as your Luna. Her position is clear."
Kael's voice rang out, authoritative yet calm. "Let it be known that she is under my protection, my mate, and the mother of my heir. No one shall question her place in this palace again."
A ripple ran through the room. For some, this was a moment of joy; for others, a bitter pill swallowed with silent resentment. But the hierarchy had shifted irreversibly. Lyria's quiet strength had emerged from the shadows to claim her place.
Meanwhile, Serina's smirk lingered in Kael's mind—a reminder that schemes were never fully spent. Even confined, her cunning would not fade. Her maid Selena remained loyal, a silent observer to the chaos. And though their influence was contained for now, Kael knew better than to assume the battle was over.
Kael turned to Lyria, amber eyes softening, wolf instincts purring beneath the surface. "Tonight, the pack knows your place. And yet, I want you by my side, not because the pack acknowledges you, but because I do. Always."
Lyria's lips curved in a small, shy smile. "I never thought… that a maid could be more than a shadow in the palace."
"You are never a shadow," Kael said, hand brushing lightly against hers. "Not now, not ever."
Outside, unseen by anyone in the chamber, a pulse of magic trembled through the air. The witch had felt it—the rise of a new power within the pack, the stirring of an heir whose strength would shake the foundations of Silver Moon Palace. She would come, summoned not by decree but by the awakening of forces far greater than ambition or envy.
And somewhere in the palace, Serina and Selena whispered, plotting their next move—but their schemes were now shadowed by the knowledge that Lyria's bond with Kael, and the power growing inside her, could not be undone.
The night stretched on, filled with tension, awe, and unspoken promises. The Alpha had claimed his Luna, the pack had acknowledged her, and the tides of fate had begun to shift in ways no one yet fully understood.