The plastic cup was freezing, covered in a thin layer of frost. Outside, it was ten degrees, and most people were drinking hot cocoa to stay warm. But to Leona, the cold felt like a reset button. While the rest of the town was buried in wool coats and steaming mugs of cocoa, she sat by the café window with a large iced coffee, feeling the frantic heat of her dormant magic humming under her skin.
She was twenty-one days away from her full awakening. Twenty-one days until the War Mage energy and the Lunar Wolf finally shook hands and made her whole. To anyone passing by, she was just a girl in a sweater. Inside, she was a pressure cooker.
Leona leaned her chin on her hand, her gaze drifting across the small café. She did this often—studying people like they were the ledgers for Lunar Logistics. In the far corner, an old couple sat close together, flirting like teenagers and sharing a single piece of lemon cake. The man whispered something into the woman's ear, making her cheeks flush with a youthful, girlish pink. In another corner, a young guy was teasing his girlfriend, making her laugh. Even a middle-aged couple arguing over something silly seemed happy in their own way.
Will I ever have that? The Demon in Leona's head whispered. Will someone still look at me like I'm the sun when my hair is silver and my magic is tired?
Her thoughts spiraled. What if my mate is a traditionalist like Father? What if he sees a hybrid and thinks 'abomination' instead of 'mine'? What if I'm too much? What if I'm not enough?
She felt so lonely, even in a crowded room. "Moon Goddess, please," she whispered, looking at the grey sky. "I know you're there, but twenty-one days feels like a long time to wait for a change."
She took a long, sharp sip of the coffee. The brain freeze was a welcome distraction from the "Guy" wound that still throbbed in her chest whenever she thought about intimacy. "You're easy," he had said at sixteen.
"I am not easy," she muttered into her straw. "I'm a goddamn calculation."
The chime over the door rang, a bright, silver sound. Leona straightened her back, instinctively wiping a stray drop of condensation from the table. She saw them immediately: Jessica, looking like she'd stepped off a magazine cover in a faux-fur trimmed coat, and Isla, walking beside her with a steady, familiar smile.
As they approached, the "loneliness" Leona had been cradling felt a little lighter. She put on her "Pillar" mask—the calm, collected Leona they expected.
"There she is!" Jessica chirped, sliding into the booth with a flurry of shopping bags. "Ordering ice in a blizzard. You're such a freak, Leo."
Leona just smiled. "It keeps me grounded."
"You're too grounded," Jessica countered. "That's the problem. You spend all day looking at business ledgers. When was the last time you went on a date?"
Leona felt her stomach tighten. The memory of that guy's hand on her arm flashed in her mind. "I'm not interested in dating casually, Jess. You know that."
"But you can't stay single forever!" Jessica pulled out her phone and opened a dating app. "Look at this guy. An Alpha. Or this one—a mage. Just one date, Leo. For fun."
"I don't do 'just for fun' with people," Leona said firmly.
Isla sat down more slowly, squeezing Leona's hand. "It's been so long since we've all sat down together. I thought we'd lost you to those ledgers."
"The ledgers don't talk back," Leona joked, though the humor didn't reach her eyes.
"Neither do the guys Jessica dates after the third week," Isla teased.
Jessica pouted. "Hey! You were supposed to be on my side!"
Isla looked between them, trying to keep the peace. "I mean, Jessica has a point that you need a break, Leo. Maybe just... look at the profiles? No pressure?"
Leona sighed. Jessica was already scrolling through photos of muscular guys with arrogant smiles. To Leona, they looked like more work, not more fun. "Fine," Leona groaned, giving up just to make Jessica happy. "I'll look. But I'm not promising a date."
As Jessica cheered, Leona's phone vibrated. A work call.
Jessica poked her tongue out at her. "Forget the ledgers. We have twenty-one days, Leona. Twenty-one days until the King's Royal Gala, your awakening, and the fact that every eligible Alpha is going to be looking for a mate."
Leona felt a knot tighten. "I'm not going there to find a mate, Jess. I'm going to represent the pack. And maybe find some new clients for the firm."
"Oh, Goddess," Jessica groaned. "She's going to the most romantic event of the century to talk about supply chains."
Isla laughed softly. "Is that the plan, Leo? Or is that just what you told your father so he'd let you go?"
Before Leona could answer, her phone vibrated again. "I have to take this," she said, stepping away.
She took three more calls over the next hour. Every time she sat back down, Jessica would show her a new profile, and Isla would chime in with something supportive. Leona felt like she was living in two different worlds: one where she was a powerful business partner, and one where her friends thought she was a "project" that needed fixing.
When they finished, the sun was setting. "We should go," Isla said. "Mom expects me for dinner."
"And I have a date!" Jessica added.
Leona stood up and quietly paid the bill for everyone, ignoring Jessica's small protest. It was easier this way. She liked taking care of them.
"See you soon, Leo!" Jessica called out at the cars. "Keep the app open!"
Leona watched them drive away. The loneliness came back, heavier than before. She looked at her phone. She didn't check the dating app. She checked her business emails.
The Overthinking Demon whispered: They love you, but they don't see the real you.