Queen Of Wolves

MoonBlessed

Chapter Four

I knew I was dreaming, but that didn’t make what I saw any less disturbing.

Lauretta stood before me, dressed in her usual clothes, but her olive eyes had turned blood red. but something about her expression made me want to run.

I tried to approach her, but before I could take a step, her image disappeared.

“Moonblessed.”

I turned toward the voice and found myself facing an enormous white Moon. Its light illuminated the darkness around me, and I immediately remembered the previous dream.

"See, Moonblessed."

The Moon's surface began to shimmer, and I stepped closer, eager to understand what it wanted me to see. This time, however, I didn't see myself. Kael and Jasmine appeared in the reflection, looking at each other with a tenderness that made my chest ache.

"What does this mean?" I demanded. "Why are you showing me these things?"

The image remained unchanged.

"Moonblessed... My Moonblessed…”

I woke with a scream, my forehead damp with sweat.

After catching my breath, I reached for the notebook beside my bed and wrote down everything I could remember. These dreams had to mean something, and I needed answers. Perhaps Lauretta could explain them, although Thorne's accusations had made me question everything I thought I knew about the priestess.

The Alpha's banquet was my first chance to see him again.

The banquet hall was already crowded when I arrived. I had nearly changed my mind about attending, but Thorne's promise to point me toward the truth had kept me from staying in my room.

My determination faltered when I saw Jasmine sitting beside Kael.

She wore enough diamonds to make her look like a chandelier, while my own dress was simple and understated. I glanced at Lauretta, who had chosen my outfit the previous night, but she gave no indication that anything was wrong.

I took my seat on Kael's left, reminding myself that I was still the Luna. Whatever Jasmine's place in his life, my position hadn't changed.

Kael barely acknowledged me.

I had just decided that coming to the banquet had been a mistake, ready to step out and hide in my room when the conversations around me began to die down. One by one, the Alphas turned toward the entrance, and I followed their gazes.

Thorne had arrived.

His hair was neatly styled, and he wore a deep purple tunic that revealed more of his chest than I thought appropriate for a formal gathering. He walked into the hall without hesitation, seemingly unconcerned that he hadn't been invited.

Kael rose from his seat.

"I don't remember inviting you, Alpha Thorne of the BloodClaw Pack."

"I didn't realize I needed an invitation to go where I please," Thorne replied.

"You're not welcome in my territory, you bloodthirsty dog."

Thorne's lips curved into a smirk. "That's no way to welcome a fellow Alpha. Shall I teach you how it's done?"

I watched Kael's hands close into fists. His breathing had grown heavier, and although he tried to hide it behind his anger, I could see the fear in his eyes.

My husband was afraid of him.

Lauretta stepped forward before Kael could respond.

"Please forgive my Alpha's lack of hospitality. I'm Lauretta, High Priestess of the Night Light Pack."

Thorne looked at her, then glanced toward me.

"And shouldn't the Luna be welcoming me? Or is she too cursed to speak?"

My stomach tightened, but Lauretta answered before I could.

"If you wish for this meeting to remain peaceful, I suggest you show our Luna the respect she deserves."

"How thoughtful of you to defend her. Does she know you've been lying to her?"

I turned toward Lauretta. "What is he talking about?"

"Everything I tell Aurora is ordained by the Moon Goddess," she replied without hesitation. "I speak only according to Her will."

Thorne's expression hardened. "Then why haven't you told your Luna the truth about her prophecy? Why have you allowed her to suffer under the name of a curse you refuse to explain?"

"Who are you to question how I run my pack?" Kael snapped. "You're a murderer who kills his own people to satisfy his thirst for blood."

Several Alphas nodded.

"Your pack is known for its wrongful imprisonments, assassinations, and the deaths of disobedient children," Kael continued. "What would you know about how I run my affairs?"

Thorne barely reacted to the accusations.

"I'm not here to argue with you, Kael. We will have our time when I decide we will."

His attention shifted back to me.

"Aurora, there's a prophecy concerning you, and I suspect you've never been told the truth about it. You've been punished for something these people refuse to explain because the truth doesn't suit their plans."

"What plans?" I asked him.

"You'll have to uncover that yourself, Little Luna."

Lauretta's hand settled firmly on my shoulder.

"You cannot entice our Luna with your pretty words, Alpha Thorne."

He glanced at her hand before returning his attention to me.

"She's been kept within these pack grounds for over five years. Has she never wondered why?"

I turned to Lauretta, silently demanding an explanation, but she remained quiet.

"Why haven't I been allowed to leave?" I asked her.

Her fingers dug into my shoulder.

"Enough!" Kael shouted. "Leave my territory before I have you forcibly removed."

Thorne completely ignored him.

"I cannot give you every answer, Aurora, but I can point you in the right direction. If you want to know the truth about your prophecy and your hair, follow me. If you'd rather stay here and continue living as a Luna who's beaten, humiliated, and kept ignorant of her own life, that's your choice. I won't force you."

He gave me one last look before turning away.

I wanted to dismiss everything he had said as an attempt to manipulate me, but I couldn't forget the way Lauretta had remained silent when I asked her about the five years I'd spent confined to our pack grounds.

Before I could think any further, Kael turned toward me.

"That's enough excitement for today, Aurora. Retire to your quarters. We have important matters to discuss."

I stood immediately. So many years of being punished for disobedience had taught me not to question my Alpha in public.

Then I noticed Jasmine still sitting comfortably beside him.

Nobody had asked her to leave.

I looked at Kael, waiting for him to acknowledge the difference, but he had already turned his attention to the other Alphas.

How was I Luna and yet, I was the one being shooed away like a child creating privacy for the adults?

"Isn't your concubine leaving too?" I asked, my voice low, but I could still catch the way Alpha Thorne's brows lifted in amusement.

He was enjoying this way too much.