The hall was full. Not just with warriors and elders, but with women she didn’t recognize—too many of them, standing too straight, watching too closely.
They hadn’t come for the celebration. They’d come for him.
Some wore armor, shoulders scarred and proud. Others moved like dancers, draped in silk and smiling with their teeth. Different on the surface, but all after the same thing.
Leon.
One of them would be Luna.
Not her.
She didn’t belong in this room, and she knew it. She wasn’t one of them. She wasn’t supposed to be here at all. And yet, she stood at the edge of the great hall, invisible, listening as the nominations began.
Elder Marvin was the first to rise, his movements slow, intentional, as he placed a heavy hand on his daughter’s shoulder.
“I proudly nominate Sasha,” he announced, the words rich with satisfaction. “A Luna should be fierce, beautiful, and capable of ruling at her Alpha’s side. My daughter is all of these things and more.”
Sasha preened. She didn’t even attempt to look surprised. Of course she didn’t. She had spent years securing this moment, making sure every path led to her.
sla could already see how it would go. Her name would be written down, her role acknowledged, her place secured. Nothing more than protocol. After that, more names would be added, and Leon would make his choice.
It was all laid out. Predictable. Safe.
Until a voice cut through the air.
“I nominate Celine Quinn.”
The hall didn’t just quiet—it stopped. Like the breath had been pulled from the room.
Her stomach twisted hard.
She must have heard it wrong. Had to have.
But she hadn’t. Because now every head had turned. Every set of eyes was on her. Like she wasn’t supposed to exist. Like she had been dropped into the story by accident.
Her breath hitched as she searched the room, her pulse hammering so hard it hurt.
Then she saw her–Lucy. Standing small but unshaken, hands clasped tightly in front of her.
“As a Luna,” Lucy said, voice steady, sure, “you need more than strength. More than beauty. More than power.”
Celine’s mouth went dry. She saw how Marvin’s grip tightened on Sasha’s shoulder. Sasha’s expression was a mess of disbelief and something darker—something furious.
Lucy lifted her chin.
“A Luna should care for everyone. Not just the powerful, not just the strong, but those who have no one to stand for them. Celine does that. She did that for me.”
A ripple moved through the crowd—soft at first, then spreading like a slow wave.
Felix let out a low whistle. “Well, damn.”
Helga didn’t speak. She didn’t smile either. But her eyes met Celine’s across the room, and she gave a single nod.
Then the murmurs started. Quiet voices from the edges. The ones who weren’t meant to speak.
“She’s strong.”
“She survived Midnight Crest.”
“She stood up to Reese.”
The words hit harder than they should have. Celine felt her stomach drop.
She had spent years trying to stay quiet. To stay small. To be overlooked.
And now, just like that, they were all looking at her.
Her throat tightened as she forced herself to look at the one person whose reaction mattered most–Leon.
He was watching her.