Rise of the Betrayed Luna

10

CELESTE

I wasn’t prepared for Knox to barge into my room. Nor was I prepared to hear his voice. Of all the people I expected to see standing there, he was the last one I wanted. And damn it all, why did he have to look like that?

Six feet five of raw intimidation and infuriating perfection. His shirt clung to a chest sculpted like it had been carved from stubbornness. His skin was that sun-burnished tan that made you think of heat and trouble. His dark hair was tousled, and those brooding charcoal-gray eyes looked at me like they were dissecting my soul, piece by piece, deciding if it was worth keeping. He was beautiful in the most inconvenient way possible. And I hated that.

Part of me wanted to run into him and pull him close, and the other part wanted to shove him out of my room and lock every damn door. My pulse was wild, my chest heaving. To make matters worse, his eyes roved my body with barely controlled hunger. He didn’t seem to pay attention to my warning, and it annoyed me.

Just then, a timid knock broke the silence.

“Come in,” I said, grateful for the interruption.

A young servant girl stepped in. “Alpha Knox… Miss Celeste…” Her voice shook. “Alpha James requests your presence.”

Knox’s jaw tightened, but he nodded and stepped back. I could finally breathe again. Barely.

I followed him out, keeping a full two steps behind him, though it didn’t matter. Walking beside him down the hall was torture. Every inch of him radiated dominance, control, irritation, and his scent surrounded me anyway. The corridor to my father’s office felt longer than usual.

The guards standing at attention in the hallway didn’t help. There were too many of them, at least twice the usual number. They watched us with the kind of rigid alertness that screamed tension.

Worse, they pretended not to watch us, but I could feel their eyes. The whole house was listening. It always was.

When we entered, Father was standing by the window, hands clasped behind his back.

“You’re both here,” he said without turning. “The two of you need to stop bickering like children. The whole world doesn’t need to know what your relationship is like. There are ears everywhere.”

I bristled immediately. “Maybe if those ears didn’t belong to spies.”

He turned then, eyes narrowing. “The walls have ears, Celeste. You’d do well to remember that.”

I took a step forward. “You mean you have ears. You were eavesdropping again.”

“Enough,” he snapped. “Do not embarrass me in front of Alpha Knox.”

Knox didn’t move, blink, acknowledge, or even look at my father. His silence and the disrespect sent a warm, wicked satisfaction through me.

My father kept talking, oblivious to how little Knox cared. “You two are bound now, whether you like it or not. The entire region is watching, so behave accordingly. Appearances matter. The alliance must hold.”

I folded my arms. “Because your pack’s dying, isn’t it?”

“Watch your tone,” he growled.

Knox suddenly straightened, his attention snapping toward the window. His nostrils flared. “Why are there so many guards outside and inside your halls?”

My father stiffened. “It’s… precautionary.”

Knox turned, eyes hard. “Precautionary? Against what? Do you think I came here to attack you?”

I bit my lip, trying not to laugh. The twitch of annoyance and fear on my father’s face was priceless.

“Of course not,” Father said quickly. “Don’t be ridiculous.”

But he was lying. I could see the faint tremor in his hand and the twitch in his jaw.

Knox’s eyes narrowed. “Then who are they guarding against?”

Father hesitated. The silence was damning.

And I couldn’t help it. I cackled. “Oh, this is rich,” I said. “You’re not telling him the truth, are you?”

My father shot me a glare sharp enough to slice skin. “Enough, Celeste.”

“I think you’re overreacting,” I said sweetly. “And maybe listening to conversations that aren’t yours.”

His face darkened. “You will watch your tone.” He turned to Knox. “Both of you need to remember your roles. The world is watching. We have too much at stake to look divided. Now, behave.”

Then, he just stalked out, muttering something about dignity and diplomacy. The door slammed shut, leaving only the two of us in the suffocating silence that followed.

Knox exhaled slowly, pinching the bridge of his nose. “You really can’t help yourself, can you?”

“Excuse me?”

“Pushing every button. Provoking everyone. It’s like you enjoy making enemies.”

“Maybe I do,” I hissed. “Keeps me alive.”

His gaze flicked up, pinning me.

Uncomfortable, I broke the silence. “Why are you even here, Knox? Don’t you have a pack to run?”

Something dark flickered in his eyes. “I came to check on you.”

I crossed my arms. “Sweet,” I said flatly. “Now go play hero somewhere else.”

He didn’t move.

“Are you… jobless in your pack?” I added.

His jaw clenched. “I said I came to check on you, and now I’m going.”

He turned and strode out before I could think of another jab, the door slamming behind him so hard the shelves rattled.

The next few days blurred together.

Father was busy holding meetings with his remaining allies, though “remaining” was a generous term. The Dark Vine Pack wasn’t what it used to be. Our lands were smaller, our warriors fewer. The other Alphas smelled weakness and circled like vultures.

Father needed Knox’s power, and I needed revenge. What I didn’t understand was why Knox was agreeing to this. It couldn’t be because of the flimsy mating bond, could it?

Every night, when the halls fell silent, I slipped out of my room and down to the training yard. I had spent too long being Luna that I had forgotten what training meant.

I started with slow stretches, footwork, and small movements to loosen the stiffness. Then faster. Harder. My body screamed in protest, but I kept going. Punches. Kicks. Breath. Sweat.

I would not be helpless again. I trained until my muscles screamed and until my reflection in the mirror stopped looking fragile. I would never let myself be weak again. I would never let anyone, not my father, nor Knox, nor fate, dictate my path. If I had to play along, if I had to smile sweetly and act the perfect fiancée, then so be it. I’d marry Knox Morrison. I’d use his name, his resources, his armies, and then I’d bring Blood Moon to its knees.

When I slipped back into my room, I had a cold shower and then allowed myself to plan Robb’s downfall. At first, I was confused about where and how to strike. He and Mila had everything they needed. They were two vain bastards who would go to any length to protect themselves and their reputation.

I was certain now that I was out of the way. They were cooking up stories that smeared my name and reputation so that their people and allies would buy in. But they forgot one important thing: I was the one who helped them forge those alliances, and I knew their deepest, darkest, and dirtiest secrets. Maybe I would start from there. I would tarnish their image until it was worse than that of pigs.

A solid plan began to form slowly in my head. It was so intoxicating that I smiled as I fell asleep.

If my father wanted this alliance so badly, he’d get it. If Knox thought saving me made him my keeper, he’d regret it. And if Robb and Mila thought they’d won, they were going to be in for the greatest and most horrible shock of their entire existence.

I would marry him.

I would play Luna.

I would gain his trust, his resources, his influence, and then I would destroy them all.

All that remained was for the damn wedding to happen. I couldn’t wait