Azura's POV
When Genevieve and I arrived at the packhouse, she led me through halls that seemed to stretch on forever. Polished wooden floors. Paintings of ancestors hanging on the walls. Everything felt grand and intimidating.
She stopped in front of a door and pushed it open.
"From now on, this will be your room," she said softly.
I stepped inside, and the air left my lungs. My feet rooted to the floorboards, afraid to dirty them.
The room was beautiful. More beautiful than anything I'd ever imagined having in my life. A large bed sat in the center, covered with soft linens and delicate lace. A wardrobe stood in the corner, its doors slightly open to reveal rows of colorful dresses. Rich fabrics. Expensive embroidery.
This couldn't be real.
"The servants will help you settle in," Genevieve said. "If you need anything, don't hesitate to ask."
Before I could respond, she was gone.
Two servants appeared almost immediately. They bowed their heads and moved toward me with quiet efficiency.
"We'll prepare your bath, miss," one of them said.
I blinked. "My what?"
"Your bath," she repeated gently. "Then we'll help you dress."
Help me dress?
Throughout my entire life, I've bathed myself and dressed myself. And now I was supposed to let two grown women do it for me like I was some helpless child?
Nah. That's not happening.
I refused to let them bathe me, even when they begged me, because why on earth would they beg for that?
I allowed them to help me into one of the dresses only because every piece of fabric was new and confusing. It was a deep purple gown with long sleeves and a corset that laced up the back. They pulled the strings tight, and I felt my ribs compress.
I could hardly breathe.
The moment I was left alone, I bent down and started pulling at the layers underneath. A loud rip echoed through the room, and I breathed out in relief as I yanked out two inner petticoats and flung them across the room.
Much better.
As I was just about to collapse onto the bed I heard a knock at the door.
Please don't have another meeting.
I dragged myself to the door and pulled it open.
Axel stood there, his face as emotionless as ever.
"You're needed now," he said flatly.
Oh, come on...
"Is it urgent?" I asked, my voice tired.
"You'll know when we get there. Now come along. They're waiting."
They?
I thought we'd settled all the problems.
I followed Axel down the hallway and through a series of turns until we reached a room I hadn't been to before. He stopped at the door and gestured for me to go in.
I hesitated, then pushed the door open.
Genevieve sat on a sofa in the center of the room, her expression one of worry. Arthur sat in an armchair beside her, his face carved from stone. Sour didn't even begin to describe it.
When did he even get here?
And then there was Rhydor.
He sat by the window in a deep armchair, staring outside. The light caught the sharp line of his jaw, the curve of his nose. Effortlessly handsome.
I had to admit it. The Moon Goddess had blessed me with a handsome mate.
Too bad he had a chicken brain.
"Come in, child," Genevieve said, noticing me.
I stepped inside and closed the door behind me. I took a seat as far from Rhydor as possible.
Arthur broke the silence, his voice a low grind of stone on stone. The fire in the hearth seemed to dim, " So what's this I'm hearing?"
Rhydor didn't even turn from the window. "What's that you heard?"
Answering a question with a question. The nerve of these two Alphas.
"Don't make me ask again," Arthur growled, and the hairs on my arms stood up.
"Then be specific," Rhydor shot back, still not looking at him.
For Moon's sake. Someone should just say it. Are they finally going to throw me out?
"Why on earth," Arthur said slowly, his voice dropping dangerously low, "are you holding a Luna ceremony making Isadora believe she'll be the Luna when you have your mate right here?"
Oh. That problem.
I suddenly wished I had the power of invisibility.
Rhydor's lip curled slightly. He exhaled through his nose. "Was that what all this is about?"
"You'd better answer me," Arthur said, his teeth grinding together. "Because the next time I punch you, I'll make sure to separate your head from your neck."
Rhydor finally turned from the window. His amber eyes swept over his father, then landed on me.
"Why don't you ask her?" he said coldly.
Both Genevieve and Arthur turned to me, confusion written all over their faces.
Oh Goddess, help me.
"Is there something we need to know, child?" Genevieve asked gently.
I opened my mouth. I closed it. I opened it again.
"I… uhm… you see, we… I mean…"
"JUST SPIT OUT THE DAMN WORDS!" Rhydor's voice exploded through the room.
I nearly jumped out of my skin.
"I accidentally told Isadora to start preparations for the Luna ceremony!" I blurted out, squeezing my eyes shut. "With Rhydor's body!"
Silence.
The kind of silence that swallows sound.
I cracked one eye open.
Both Arthur and Genevieve were staring at me. Their expressions were completely unreadable.
Blink. Blink.
"You did what now, girl?" Arthur asked, his voice dangerously calm.
I exhaled and explained everything. How we'd switched bodies. How Isadora had been suspicious. How I'd panicked and said the first thing I could think of to get her to leave.
When I finished, the silence was deafening.
Genevieve finally spoke, her voice soft. "I don't blame the poor girl. She must have been scared."
Nope. I was just stupid.
But I nodded anyway, putting on my saddest face. Maybe they'd buy it.
Rhydor just sat there, speechless.
"That's it?" he said finally, looking between his parents. "No yelling? No punching? That's just it?"
Arthur exhaled slowly and pinched the bridge of his nose. "You two are unbelievable."
He stood, his chair scraping against the floor.
"Since we can't cancel the ceremony without raising suspicion," he said, his voice hard, "it will happen."
I straightened. What? Wait, is it really gonna hold?
He looked from Rhydor's stormy face to my terrified one, and something like pity flickered in his hardened gaze.
"The ceremony will happen in three days. And since we can't have Isadora as our Luna..." He paused, letting the horror settle. "Azura will be prepared to take her rightful place as Luna."
The floor fell away from under me. My blood turned to ice water. Before I could gasp, Rhydor shot to his feet, "I rather…"
"Finish that sentence," Arthur said, his voice deathly quiet, "and I will disinherit you in front of this entire pack. This is no longer a choice. This is your atonement."
He turned to me, and his next words were the most terrifying of all.
"And neither of you is going to like the training."