I worked through the night, completely redesigning the Gala entrance and arrival sequence to accommodate Kane's last-minute security demands. By dawn, my eyes burned from exhaustion, but the revised plans were complete.A small, defiant part of me took satisfaction in the work's perfection. If Giana
Surprise flickered across Kane's face before he controlled it. "You were spying on us?""I was passing by," I said, the half-truth coming easily. "But her questions seemed oddly specific."Kane's expression grew thoughtful. "Yes, they did. Almost as if she had prior knowledge of Council politics.""
"I, Raymond, reject you, Aurora, as my fiancée. From this moment on, everyone must stop talking about Aurora as the future Luna."All eyes in the pack turned to us—the once-golden couple—with confusion written across every face.Raymond wasn't finished with his public execution of my heart. For the
I forced myself to pull away from the heartbreaking scene unfolding before me. Their intimate embrace, those words Raymond spoke with such tenderness to Giana—each moment was another dagger in my heart. With tears streaming down my face, I backed away slowly, praying to the Moon Goddess they wouldn'
I flinched but didn't back down. "I'm saying I don't want to marry Raymond."His laugh was cruel and dismissive. "What you want doesn't matter, Aurora. This is about duty, about position, about our family's future."He circled around the desk, his footsteps heavy on the wooden floor. "If Raymond cal
After the banquet, I slipped away from the crowd, desperate for a moment alone. The strange heat coursing through my body had only intensified throughout the evening, making it difficult to think clearly. My skin felt feverish, and my formal engagement dress suddenly seemed too tight, too constricti
"Aurora?" Kane's surprise quickly melted into that infuriating smirk of his. "This is certainly unexpected."I stumbled back, trying to regain my balance and composure, but the room tilted dangerously around me. The sight of Kane—all bronzed skin and rippling muscle—sent another wave of heat surging
Raymond froze at the doorway, his eyes scanning Kane's room with sharp intensity."Kane, have you seen my Luna?!"My heart stopped. I was hidden beneath the covers, pressed against Kane's warm body, desperately hoping Raymond wouldn't take me as anything more than a nameless blob on the bed. This co
Surprise flickered across Kane's face before he controlled it. "You were spying on us?""I was passing by," I said, the half-truth coming easily. "But her questions seemed oddly specific."Kane's expression grew thoughtful. "Yes, they did. Almost as if she had prior knowledge of Council politics.""
I worked through the night, completely redesigning the Gala entrance and arrival sequence to accommodate Kane's last-minute security demands. By dawn, my eyes burned from exhaustion, but the revised plans were complete.A small, defiant part of me took satisfaction in the work's perfection. If Giana
The following morning, Kane was nowhere to be found at our scheduled security briefing. His second-in-command delivered the update instead, informing me that Kane had reassigned himself to border patrol duty—effectively removing himself from all Gala preparations.Two days passed in similar fashion.
I pressed my hands against my eyes, horrified to find them wet with tears I hadn't realized I was shedding. "So don't stand there and lecture me about self-respect when you have no idea what it costs me just to get through each day."The silence that followed my outburst seemed to stretch forever. W
The insistent pounding on my door started just after midnight. I knew who it was before I even reached the entryway—only Kane would dare disturb the Luna at this hour with such impatience.I opened the door to find him exactly as I'd expected: jaw clenched, eyes blazing with barely contained anger.
"A guest who's apparently the only one willing to point out the obvious," Kane retorted. "This isn't about giving Giana protection. This is about legitimizing your relationship while Aurora does all the actual work."The tension between them crackled, both men drawing themselves to their full height
"The ceiling installation needs to be raised another foot," I explained to the decorating committee. "The taller guests will be at risk of hitting the lower elements otherwise."Five committee members nodded, making notes as I walked them through the adjustments to the Gala design. We stood in the c
"The floral budget seems excessive," Raymond was saying.Kane clutched his chest in mock outrage, mouthing "Flowers? In spring? How revolutionary!"I turned away, struggling to maintain my composure. "The arrangements are being created by the Williams Pack as part of our alliance negotiation. Their
The mountain of RSVPs on my desk had grown to alarming proportions. I'd been sorting through them since dawn, categorizing responses by pack affiliation, dietary restrictions, and status. Each card required a handwritten note in return—a formality that had seemed quaint when I first learned of it, b