Azura's POV
The moment Rhydor said my name, the world exploded.
Whispers turned into shouts. Gasps echoed across the ceremonial grounds. Wolves stared at each other with wide eyes, confused, shocked, furious.
I stood there frozen, Rhydor's hand held mine.
Then one voice rose above the chaos.
"This is unacceptable!"
An Elder stepped forward from the line of robed figures. Tall, his face twisted with rage. His eyes burned as they landed on me.
I recognized him immediately.
The same Elder who'd ordered the guards to throw me in the cell. The one who'd looked at me like I was filth.
"How can you choose a rankless thief to be the Luna of this pack?" he roared. "This is an abomination! An insult to everything we stand for!"
More voices joined his. Angry. Bitter.
"She has no rank!"
"She's weak!"
"She doesn't belong up there!"
Each word was a blade. But I kept my chin up. I wouldn't let them see me break.
Arthur rose from his seat. His voice cut through the noise like steel.
"Silence."
The pack went quiet instantly.
Arthur's gaze swept over everyone, cold and commanding. "My son has made his choice. That is final."
The Elder who'd spoken first shook his head. "With all due respect, former Alpha, you are no longer the Alpha of this pack. Your son is. And this decision is madness."
He gestured toward me with disgust. "Everyone knows Isadora is strong, capable, and respected. She should be Luna. Not this… girl."
Arthur's jaw tightened. "I know you're trying to protect your daughter, Elder Cassius. But some things should not be interfered with."
Wait.
His daughter?
My eyes snapped to the Elder, then to Isadora standing in the crowd. Her face was pale, her fists clenched.
Isadora was his daughter.
No wonder he's so furious.
"This pack deserves a Luna who can lead!" another voice shouted. "Not someone who scrubs floors!"
"She's nothing!"
"She'll bring shame to us all!"
The words kept coming, each one worse than the last. My chest tightened. My hands trembled. But I forced myself to stand still, to keep my face calm even though everything inside me wanted to run.
Nobody was on my side.
Nobody.
Then Isadora stepped forward.
The crowd parted for her like she was already Luna. She walked with her head high, emerald eyes locked on me. When she reached the center, she turned to face the pack.
"If this rankless girl truly believes she deserves to be Luna," Isadora said, her voice clear and confident, "then let her prove it."
The murmuring stopped.
"I challenge her," Isadora continued, her gaze shifting to me. "For the Luna position."
Silence.
Then the crowd erupted. But this time it wasn't anger. It was excitement. Anticipation.
Rhydor stood perfectly still. His expression didn't change. But I saw it, the way one corner of his mouth lifted. Just barely. Like he'd been waiting for this.
He stepped forward.
The pack fell silent immediately. Not because he raised his voice, but because his presence demanded it. When he spoke, his voice was low, steady, heavy with authority.
"A trial, then.'"
Two words. That was all he said. But the weight of them pressed down on everyone like a storm about to break.
Arthur stood. "No. Azura is the chosen Luna. There is no need…"
Rhydor turned his head slightly. His amber eyes met his father's. "That's enough, Alpha Arthur, it's my Luna, not yours."
The air vanished from the grounds.
Did he just... insult his father in front of everyone? I knew they were on bad terms, but this? This was a line crossed.
Arthur closed his mouth. He was clearly pissed, but he wasn't stupid. Arguing with the Alpha in front of the whole pack? That would make things worse. So he just went quiet.
Rhydor turned back to the pack. His gaze swept over every face, slow and deliberate. When he spoke again, his voice was calm. But it carried power that made the air feel heavier.
"Do you choose her?"
He didn't say my name. He didn't need to. He never liked saying it anyway.
Silence.
Then, one by one, voices rose.
"No."
"No!"
"We don't want her!"
Each word felt like a stone thrown at my chest. My face burned. I wanted to disappear.
Rhydor's expression didn't change. He turned slightly, his gaze landing on Isadora.
"And her?"
This time, the answer was immediate.
"Yes!"
"Yes! Isadora!"
"She should be Luna!"
The roar of approval was deafening.
I looked down at my feet, my nails digging into my palms. I wanted to leave. To walk away and never come back.
Rhydor let the noise continue for a moment. Then he raised one hand.
Instant silence.
He didn't shout. Didn't demand it. Just lifted his hand, and the entire pack obeyed.
"Two days," he said, his voice cutting through the stillness like a blade. "A Luna's trial. The winner takes the position."
Murmurs spread. Some nodded. Others whispered excitedly.
Rhydor turned to me. His amber eyes locked onto mine, cold and unreadable. Then he leaned in, his voice dropping so low only I could hear.
"Give up."
Two words. Quiet. Final.
"You're not a match for her," he continued, his tone flat. "Don't waste your strength."
His words hit harder than anything the crowd had said.
He didn't believe in me. He wanted me to quit.
For a moment, I thought about it. I could step back. Let Isadora have the position. Walk away from all of this.
But then something inside me snapped.
I'd spent my whole life being told I wasn't enough. That I was weak. That I didn't matter.
I was done listening.
I lifted my head and met his eyes.
"No."
His eyebrows raised slightly.
"I'm not giving up," I said louder. "If they want a fight, I'll give them one."
Rhydor stared at me. For a long moment, he didn't move. Didn't speak.
Then his lips curved. Not quite a smile. Something sharper.
He straightened and turned back to the pack. When he spoke, his voice carried across the grounds like thunder.
"The trial is set."
The crowd erupted into cheers and shouts.
I stood there, my heart pounding, my hands shaking.
I didn't know how to fight. I didn't know if I could win. I'm definitely dead meat.
But I knew one thing.
If they wanted a spectacle, they'd get one.