Adira woke up in Lucian's cabin—their cabin now—with sunlight streaming through the windows. For a moment, she thought she was dreaming. The soft bed, warm blankets, and Lucian's scent surrounding her seemed too good to be true.
She touched the mark on her neck. It was real. She was Luna now.
"Good morning," Lucian said, bringing her a cup of hot tea. His smile made her heart skip. "Ready for your first day as Luna?"
Adira's stomach flipped with worry. "What if I mess up? I don't know what a Luna does."
Lucian sat beside her. "You'll learn. And I'll help you." He kissed her forehead. "But first, we should check on that threat from last night."
The dagger with its scary note lay on the table. Lucian had searched the woods but found no one.
"Could it be Selene?" Adira asked.
"Maybe. I'll have Magnus look into it." Lucian squeezed her hand. "Don't worry. No one can break our bond."
After breakfast, Lucian led Adira to the pack meeting hall. Wolves stopped talking when they entered. Some bowed respectfully, but others glared or whispered behind their hands.
"This is your place now," Lucian said, showing her a chair next to his. "From here, you'll help make decisions for our pack."
A tall woman with sharp eyes approached. "Alpha, the hunting groups need your approval."
She completely ignored Adira.
"Mira, this is Luna Adira," Lucian said firmly. "Address her properly."
Mira's lips thinned. "Of course, Alpha." She barely glanced at Adira. "Luna, the reports are here if you wish to see them." Her tone made it clear she thought Adira couldn't read.
"Thank you," Adira said, taking the papers. She'd show them all she wasn't just some stupid Omega.
Throughout the morning, pack members came with questions and problems. Most spoke only to Lucian, pretending Adira wasn't there. When she tried to offer ideas, they'd look surprised, as if a chair had suddenly started talking.
By lunchtime, Adira wanted to hide.
"Don't let them get to you," Magnus said, finding her alone while Lucian spoke with his father. "They'll come around."
"They hate me," Adira whispered. "They think I'm not good enough."
Magnus handed her an apple. "They're scared of change. When my sister married into another pack, they treated her the same way at first."
"What happened?"
"She proved herself," Magnus said simply. "And you will too."
Adira bit into the apple, feeling slightly better. At least she had one friend besides Lucian.
Their conversation was cut short when a group of female wolves entered the hall, led by Selene. They wore fancy clothes and perfect hairstyles that made Adira feel shabby in her simple dress.
"Luna Adira," Selene said with a fake smile. "We've come to invite you to our gathering tonight. All the high-ranking females attend. As Luna, you should be there."
Magnus frowned. "Selene—"
"It's just us girls," Selene interrupted. "Surely you're not afraid to let her come?"
"I'll be there," Adira said before Magnus could argue. She wouldn't look weak.
Selene's smile didn't reach her eyes. "Wonderful. The old meeting lodge, after dinner."
When they left, Magnus looked worried. "Be careful around her. Selene wanted to be Luna for years."
"I can handle it," Adira said, trying to sound braver than she felt.
That afternoon, Eira visited with a box of herbs. "These will help strengthen your bond," she explained. "A drop of this in your tea each morning."
"Thank you," Adira said gratefully. "Everyone else seems to hate me being Luna."
Eira touched the moon pendant around Adira's neck. "This isn't just jewelry, child. It's protection. Wear it tonight."
"How did you know I'm going somewhere tonight?"
The old healer's eyes twinkled. "I know many things. Including that you're exactly where you're meant to be."
After dinner, Adira kissed Lucian goodbye and headed to the old meeting lodge. Inside, Selene and twelve other females waited.
"Our Luna arrives," Selene announced. "Let's begin our... welcoming."
The questions started immediately.
"Do you know the pack histories?" a red-haired woman demanded.
"Um, some," Adira admitted.
"What about the border patrol schedules?" another asked.
"Or the alliance terms with the Mountain Pack?"
"How to organize the Moon Ceremony?"
Each question showed how little Adira knew. Their smirks grew with every stumble.
"Don't worry," Selene said sweetly. "No one expects an Omega to understand these things. That's why most believe this match is... unusual."
"You mean they think I tricked Lucian," Adira said, her voice steady despite her pounding heart.
Selene smiled coldly. "I've heard whispers that you used witch magic to create a false mate bond. That the mark will fade because it's not real."
"That's a lie!" Adira stood up. "The Moon Goddess chose me for Lucian."
"Did she?" Selene circled her. "Or did you steal what was meant for someone else? A real Luna would know our ways, our history." She looked at the others. "How can she lead us when she knows nothing?"
The women nodded in agreement.
"Everyone's talking about it," Selene continued. "How you'll ruin our pack. How Lucian must be under a spell." She leaned closer, whispering, "How long before he realizes his mistake?"
Adira's hands shook, but she remembered Magnus's words. She would prove herself.
"I may not know everything yet," she said, looking each female in the eye. "But I will learn. And I will be a good Luna."
Selene laughed. "So brave. So naive."
"These pack ways you're so proud of," Adira continued, gaining confidence. "They kept me scrubbing floors while you wore pretty dresses. But the Moon Goddess saw past all that." She touched her mate mark. "This is real. And no rumors can change that."
She turned to leave, head high despite the angry mutters behind her.
"Oh, Adira," Selene called. "I almost forgot. Someone left this for you."
She handed Adira a small wooden box. Inside was a dead flower and another note: "False flowers wither. False Lunas die."
Adira's blood ran cold. Selene's smile told her everything she needed to know.
"Sleep well, Luna," Selene said, her voice dripping with fake sweetness.
Walking home alone, Adira clutched Eira's pendant, feeling its warmth. The threats frightened her, but something else worried her more. What if Selene was right? What if she wasn't good enough to be Luna?
Entering the cabin, she found it empty. On the table was a note from Lucian: "Border emergency. Back late. Love you."
Adira placed the dead flower and threat note beside it, suddenly feeling very alone. The cabin creaked with strange noises. Shadows loomed large in the corners.
As she changed for bed, something caught her eye. The mark on her neck—the one that had glowed with mate-bond magic just last night—looked different. Duller somehow.
Was it her imagination? Or was the bond already fading?
Outside, a wolf howled. Adira froze as she recognized a second sound—footsteps on the porch, slow and deliberate. Then the doorknob began to turn.
And she realized Lucian had forgotten to lock the door.