By midday, the news has gotten into all the other packs and the air in Crimson Fang reeked of competition. The candidates had started arriving at dawn—dozens of them. Beautiful, powerful, ruthless.
Every single one here for one reason and that is to claim Leon.
The halls were flooded with elegant silks, laughter laced with hidden edges, and lingering glances that screamed calculated desire.
Sasha, of course, had wasted no time making herself the center of it all. She lounged near the main hall, an entourage of perfectly polished she-wolves surrounding her like she was already Luna.
“This spot is all but mine,” she purred, twirling a strand of her fire-red hair between her fingers. “Leon needs a Luna with influence, beauty, and strength. And really, who could compete?”
A few of the other women tittered in agreement.
Celine, who had been desperately trying to ignore all of this, kept walking.
But Sasha’s voice chased her down the corridor.
“Though I must say,” Sasha drawled, louder now, “it’s sweet that some of the lesser-ranked women are trying their luck. I suppose everyone enjoys a good fairytale.”
Cruel laughter echoed behind her, sharp enough to cut. Celine kept her head high and her eyes forward. She didn’t turn, didn’t give them the reaction they wanted. Instead, she quickened her pace, each step a little harder than the last.
It wasn’t her fight. She wasn’t part of their game. She wasn’t competing for a place at anyone’s side.
But her body betrayed her. By the time she reached the gardens, her hands were trembling and her chest felt tight, like the weight of every whispered word had followed her there.
She stepped into the cool night air, the breeze brushing against her face like a quiet relief. For the first time in minutes, she exhaled—long and shaky. She needed the space, needed to feel something other than the walls closing in around her.
But she wasn’t alone.
Just ahead, near the trellises draped in ivy and moonlight, someone stood watching. His stance was still, his presence unmistakable. Broad shoulders, arms folded across his chest, gaze fixed on nothing and everything all at once.
Leon.
He had been there the whole time, standing in the shadows, silent and unreadable.
Celine stopped. Her heart gave a hard, uncertain beat. She thought, for a moment, about turning back. About slipping away before he could say anything—before she had to explain the storm she was barely holding down.
But it was already too late. He had seen her. And she knew he wasn’t the type to look away.
His gaze flicked to her, sharp as a blade. “Not interested in meeting your competition?” he asked.
Celine scoffed. “I’m not competing.”
Leon pushed off the wall, taking a step closer. “Why not?”
She didn’t respond.
“You’re not going to tell me you haven’t thought about it,” he mused, gaze heavy. “Haven’t wondered if you should be standing in that hall with them. You’d be a hypocrite if you tell me you never ever wondered what if it was you who was chosen to be a Luna.”
Celine swallowed, trying very, very hard to ignore the way her pulse betrayed her.
“I—” She hesitated, before forcing a tight smile. “I’m not exactly Luna material, Leon.”
He tilted his head. “And why is that?”
Her throat went dry. She shouldn’t tell him. Shouldn’t confirm what would make her even more unworthy in his eyes. But something about the way he was watching her, waiting for her to fight back, made her feel tired.
“I can’t shift,” she said quietly. “I never have.”
Leon didn’t react. His face stayed still, unreadable.
But the silence changed. It grew heavy, dragged out long enough for her to feel it settle between them like a wall.
She stared ahead, jaw tight. The words hung in the air like a mistake she couldn’t take back.
When he finally spoke, his voice was flat. Controlled.
“I see.”
That was it. No questions. No disbelief. No comfort. Just two words that landed harder than they should have.
She looked down, then stepped back. “I need to rest,” she said, her voice low.
Leon didn’t stop her. He didn’t call after her.
She turned and left, her steps steady, even as something inside her pulled tight.