Celine had barely taken a bite of her breakfast when Felix dropped into the seat across from her, grinning like he had a secret too good to keep.
“So, Lady Celine,” he drawled, resting his chin on his hand. “How does it feel to go from scrubbing floors to being basically royalty?”
Celine nearly choked on her food.
She shot him a glare, but Felix just smirked, clearly enjoying himself.
“Don’t,” she warned.
“Don’t what?” His hazel eyes gleamed with mischief. “State the obvious? That you’re Alpha Roman’s hidden heir? That half the pack is scrambling to figure out if they should bow to you or fear you?”
“I don’t want either,” she muttered, stabbing at her food.
Felix hummed, unconvinced. “Maybe not. But power doesn’t ask if you want it. It just… sticks.”
Celine shook her head, but a small part of her knew he wasn’t wrong.
It didn’t matter that she had no claim to Midnight Crest. That her parents had thrown her away, that Lilith had ensured she’d never be more than a shadow in their world.
Her bloodline made her a player in this game, whether she liked it or not.
Felix studied her for a moment, then leaned forward, lowering his voice.
“So,” he said, all teasing gone. “Did you hear about the Luna nominations?”
Celine blinked. “What?”
Felix raised a brow. “Leon agreed to host them. The pack is already sending out invitations. Every eligible she-wolf in the region is coming to try and win him over.”
Something tightened in Celine’s chest.
She shouldn’t care.
She didn’t care.
Leon was an Alpha. Of course he’d choose a Luna. He needed a mate, a ruler at his side, a future for his bloodline.
It was obvious. Logical. Expected.
So why did the thought of him choosing someone else make her stomach knot?
She forced a casual shrug. “Makes sense.”
Felix didn’t look convinced. “You don’t look thrilled.”
“I don’t look anything,” she said flatly.
He grinned. “Right.”
She scowled at him. But then he tilted his head, considering her. “Why don’t you put your name in?”
Celine almost laughed. “Oh come on, I maybe an Alpha’s daughter. But here, in your pack, I’m a slave, nothing more.”
“You’re being too hard on yourself.” He leaned back, stretching his arms behind his head. “You clearly have his attention.”
She ignored the way her pulse kicked up at that. “I don’t belong in that competition, Felix.”
“Why not?”
She hesitated. Because she wasn’t a real contender. Because she was still a nobody in this pack.
She exhaled, staring down at her hands. “A Luna needs her wolf. I…I can’t shift.”
Felix stilled. “What? You’ve never shifted yet?”
“I never have,” she admitted, voice quieter now. “I turned eighteen. Nothing happened.”
Felix didn’t speak right away. Celine braced herself for the reaction she always got—the shock, the pity, the insults. But when he finally spoke, his voice was calm.
“That’s… rare,” he said carefully.
It was an understatement. It was more than rare. It was practically unheard of.
A she-wolf of her age, of her bloodline, completely unable to shift?
It was a problem. A huge problem.
Celine forced a smile. “So you see, Felix, there’s no point in even entertaining the thought.”
For once, he didn’t argue.