Azura's POV
I moved as fast as I could through the dark hallways of the pack house.
My feet were bare, hitting the cold stone with soft, careful thuds. My heart was thumping in my chest like a loud drum. The torches along the walls had burned down low, just glowing orange now. Most of the pack was already asleep, and the few guards I passed had their eyes half-closed, leaning against their spears.
I knew I shouldn't be out this late. If anyone caught me, they'd start asking questions I just couldn't answer.
But my head was still stuck on those children. I kept seeing their faces in my mind. Their small, thin hands as they reached out for me. The way little Amanda had smiled like I was her whole world.
It had been so long since I felt like I actually mattered to someone. It felt good, but it made my chest ache at the same time.
I turned a corner, my thoughts all tangled up in a mess, and… smack. I walked straight into someone.
Ugh, what is wrong with me? I thought, feeling a flare of annoyance. Why do I keep slamming into people these days?
I stumbled back, catching my balance against the cold wall.
"Sorry, I..."
I looked up, and the words just died. My blood turned to ice.
She was standing there, looking perfectly put together even at this hour. Her hair was smooth, not a single strand out of place. Her green eyes were sharp and freezing cold. She looked like she belonged in this house, like she owned every single stone of it.
I felt my stomach twist into a knot. Isadora looked me up and down slowly, her lip curling in a way that made me feel small.
"What are you doing out here... alone... at this hour?" Her voice was sweet, but it was a poisonous kind of sweet. Like a blade hidden in silk.
I straightened my back and forced myself to look her right in the eye. "Funny," I said quietly. "I was about to ask you the same thing."
I stopped for a second, then let the words out. "Oh wait. This isn't your home, is it?"
I saw her jaw tighten instantly. For a heartbeat, something flickered in her eyes, anger, or maybe a little bit of hurt. But she was fast. She covered it up with a nasty smile.
"You're right. I don't live here," she said, taking a step closer until I could smell her expensive perfume. "But an Alpha doesn't need to make a woman his Luna just to want her."
The words hit me like a physical punch to the chest. I felt the air leave my lungs, but I refused to let it show. I kept my face as blank as a wall.
She watched me, her smile growing when she saw I didn't have a comeback. "I'm just here to take care of... things you can't."
My hands curled into fists at my sides. My nails dug into my palms. I wanted to say something back. I wanted to snap at her and hurt her the way she was hurting me. But I couldn't find the right words. They were stuck in my throat.
She leaned in closer, her voice dropping to a low whisper that made my skin crawl. "You might want to close your door tight tonight, Azura. These walls carry sound." She let out a soft, mocking laugh. "He gets restless, you know. And I'm very good at calming him down."
Something inside me cracked. It didn't break all the way, but I felt the heat of it spreading through my chest like fire. Jealousy. Anger. Pure hurt. It all tangled together until I felt like I couldn't breathe.
But I wasn't going to show it. I wouldn't give her that satisfaction.
I forced myself to shrug, making my voice sound as steady as I could. "Congratulations," I said. "You two deserve each other."
Her smile faltered. She blinked, looking surprised. She hadn't expected me to just give up like that. She stepped back, crossing her arms over her chest, her voice turning hard and mean.
"Enjoy your title while you can," she hissed. "He'll get tired of you. And when he does, I'll be the one standing where you are."
I looked at her, really looked at her. And that's when I realized something I hadn't seen before. She was desperate. She wasn't powerful or confident. She was just a girl begging for a man's attention.
I took a breath. "You can have him," I said, my voice quiet but firm. "I don't want a man who doesn't want me."
Then I stepped even closer to her. "But the Luna position?" I tilted my head. "If you think you can just take it from me, go ahead. Challenge me. I'll defeat you again like the pup you are."
Her face twisted into something ugly. Anger flashed in her eyes, hot and raw. "Watch your back," she spat out. "I'll make your life a living hell in this pack."
She turned to leave, swaying her hips on purpose as she walked away. But then she stopped. She turned back around, her voice full of mockery. "Tell me something. How does a rankless wolf become a chosen Luna... without even being the Alpha's mate?"
The question hung in the air between us. She was trying to humiliate me. She wanted me to feel like a freak.
A wide smile spread all over my face. "Why would I tell you?" I paused, letting the silence stretch out. "Let the question rot in your head. Maybe it'll keep you awake at night."
Her jaw tightened. She opened her mouth to snap something else at me, but I didn't give her the chance. I tilted my head forward and walked past her.
I didn't look back. I didn't slow down. I just kept walking. My chest hurt, and my hands were shaking so bad I had to hide them, but something inside me felt different.
Harder. Stronger.
So this is how it feels, I thought. To be the one who walks away. I finally knew how it felt to leave someone behind instead of being the one left standing in the dust.
Behind me, I heard nothing. No footsteps. No more insults. Isadora was just standing there, frozen. And I didn't care.
I made it back to my room and closed the door quietly. I walked in and fell back with my face facing the ceiling, letting out a long, slow breath. My heart was still racing like crazy.
Her words kept echoing in my head. He gets restless. I'm very good at calming him down.
I closed my eyes. It hurt way more than I wanted to admit to myself and I hated it. But I couldn't let it break me.
I thought about the children again. I saw their faces and their hungry eyes. I thought about how they looked at me like I was someone they could rely on.
And then I realized it. I never wanted the Luna title, but after seeing those kids today I figured out I could do more as Luna. I mean who would question the Luna's decision as far as it's a good one.
I don't want this position because of Rhydor nor is it because the Moon Goddess chose it, but because those children needed someone. They needed someone who actually understood what it felt like to be forgotten. Someone who would fight for them when no one else would.
And that someone could be me.
I opened my eyes, stood up, and walked to the mirror. I looked at my reflection. My face was pale and I looked exhausted, but my eyes were clear.
I would not run. I would not give up. I would become the Luna this pack needed. Not for love, and not for a mate. But for the people who had no one else.
Crescent Moon Pack be ready for your new Luna. Then a powerful smirk appeared on the reflection looking back at me.