POV Syrena
"Tomorrow's the big day," Nash announced in the dining hall, coins clinking as he counted his betting pool. "My money's on Mira plus two of the visiting pack daughters."
"Three wives at once?" Thomas whistled low. "The council's being generous."
"They want strong pups fast," Rebecca added from her table. "After three years of nothing from our current Luna."
I kept walking past their speculation, my practiced smile never wavering. The witch rumors had finally died—apparently my agreement to train Devon's future wives proved I wasn't sabotaging him with dark magic. Now I was simply forgotten, a footnote in their exciting new drama.
"Mira's definitely getting chosen," Sarah said, dealing cards to her table. "The way Alpha Devon watches her during training? That wolf is already claimed."
"I think each candidate is wonderful," I said, pausing at their table. "They all bring unique strengths to our pack."
The conversation died instantly. They stared at me with something between pity and discomfort, then quickly returned to their game. At least when they'd called me a witch, they'd acknowledged my existence. Now I was just the failed Luna gracefully stepping aside.
"Come on," Nina tugged my arm. "Let's get out of here."
We spent the entire day in the eastern garden, far from the pack house's suffocating anticipation. Nina helped me gather wildflowers while the sun traced its path across the sky, neither of us mentioning tomorrow's ceremony.
"These are beautiful," I said, adding purple aster to my growing bouquet. "I haven't done this in years."
"Since when?" Nina asked gently.
"Since before the trying. Before the appointments and charts and scheduled coupling." I laughed, but it came out bitter. "Devon used to bring me flowers every week. Now he probably doesn't remember what colors I like."
"Syrena—"
"Blue delphiniums," I interrupted, pointing to a cluster near the garden wall. "Those were his favorites to give me. Said they matched my spirit—tall and proud and impossibly stubborn."
We gathered them in silence, the bouquet growing heavy in my arms.
"You don't have to watch tomorrow," Nina said as we headed back. "No one expects you to attend the selection ceremony."
"I'm First Luna. Of course I have to attend." I held the flowers tighter. "Besides, someone needs to ensure proper protocol is followed."
The pack house stood unusually quiet as we approached. No training sounds from the yards, no chatter from the common areas.
"Where is everyone?" Nina frowned.
"Maybe they're preparing for tomorrow." But unease prickled along my spine.
I left Nina at the entrance and wandered through empty corridors, flowers rustling with each step. The silence pressed against my ears until I heard it—muffled laughter from the formal hall.
The double doors stood closed. I pushed them open.
The flowers tumbled from my arms, scattering across the marble floor in a cascade of blue and purple and white.
Ten young women stood arranged like a buffet of temptation, each wearing delicate lingerie that left nothing to imagination. Silk and lace in every shade—crimson, midnight blue, pearl white, deep purple. The hall had been transformed into something from an exclusive bordello: velvet drapes, dim amber lighting, cushions and furs arranged strategically across the floor.
Mira stood at the center in black lace that emphasized every curve, her smile sharp as a blade.
"Luna Syrena," she purred. "Perfect timing."
"What is this?" My voice came out steadier than I felt.
"A selection preview," Mira stepped forward, other girls giggling behind her. "You said Alpha Devon should choose without physical persuasion. But how can he truly choose without... sampling what's offered?"
"I specifically forbade—"
"You forbade us from throwing ourselves at him uninvited." Mira's eyes glinted. "This is an invitation. Our surprise for tomorrow's ceremony. After all, shouldn't an Alpha know exactly what he's selecting?"
"This is completely inappropriate—"
"Is it?" Celia stepped forward in rose-pink silk. "The council approved three wives. Shouldn't he know if we're... compatible?"
Before I could answer, the air shifted; I knew he was there. Devon stood in the doorway, frozen, eyes widening. I watched his pupils dilate, watched his breathing change, watched his wolf rise to the surface with naked hunger.
Ten beautiful women, young and fertile and nearly naked, all gazing at him with open invitation.
His eyes blazed gold—pure wolf, pure want. His chest rose and fell rapidly as he took in the scene, his hands clenching and unclenching at his sides.
"Alpha," Mira's voice dripped honey. "We prepared this for you."
Devon's gaze swept over them slowly, lingering on exposed skin, on the curves barely hidden by lace. When his eyes finally found mine, I saw the question there—permission mixing with barely contained lust.
The man who hadn't touched me in months, who pulled away from my kisses, who claimed exhaustion every night—that man stood there vibrating with desire for them.
My heart shattered in my chest, but I forced my lips into a smile.
"This is for you," I said, each word cutting my throat like glass.
Something flickered in his eyes—surprise, maybe guilt—before Mira moved. She glided across the space between them, took his hand in hers, and began leading him toward the waiting group.
"Come, Alpha," she murmured. "Let us show you what we offer."
Devon followed without resistance, his wolf-gold eyes never leaving the display of willing females. His breathing had gone shallow, his control visibly fraying as Mira positioned him in the center of their circle.
"The council said three," Jasmine breathed, moving closer in sheer white lace. "But why limit yourself to three when you could have all of us?"
"One by one or all together," another added, fingers trailing along his arm. "Whatever pleases our Alpha."
Devon's control snapped—I saw the exact moment. His wolf surged forward, scenting them, wanting them all. The careful distance I'd trained them to maintain evaporated as they pressed closer, hands reaching, bodies offering.
"Syrena," Mira called over her shoulder, her hand still on Devon's chest. "Are you joining us?"
The room went silent. Devon's eyes found mine again, but they were all wolf now, no trace of the man who'd promised monogamy. The others watched me with barely concealed triumph.
"No," I said, my voice hollow. "I'll just watch."
Mira's smile widened. "As you wish, First Luna."
She turned back to Devon, rising on her toes to whisper something in his ear that made him growl low in his throat. The other girls laughed, moving closer, their hands beginning to explore.
I stood among the scattered flowers, watching my husband disappear into a sea of eager bodies, his wolf finally getting everything it had been denied.
Blue delphiniums lay crushed beneath their feet, petals bruising against the marble. He didn't notice. He was already lost to them, to the promise of fertility and youth and uncomplicated desire.
"Tall and proud and impossibly stubborn," I whispered to no one, then turned and walked away, leaving them to their selection ceremony.
Behind me, feminine laughter mixed with masculine growls.
The sound followed me all the way to my empty room.