HATED BY MY TRIPLET ALPHAS

CHAPTER 8: LUNA SELECTION

AMARIS’S POV

The rest of the night was a blur as I flurried across the feast grounds, serving food and drinks to elegantly dressed guests.

They laughed at corny jokes and sipped champagne from sparkling glasses, all while awaiting the moment the mating bond would tie the Alpha triplets to the future Luna of the pack.

With the former Alpha bedridden and incapacitated, the rite of passage dictated that the Alpha throne be handed over to the triplets. Another integral part of the tradition was choosing a Luna.

According to pack law, the Alpha princes were required to be mated to a Luna before fully ascending to the throne.

Lilith’s late husband had served the royal family for years as the pack’s Beta and, in a tragic event, had died for the throne.

To honor his passing as one of the pack’s most loyal and morally upright members, the late Luna and her husband had bestowed Lilith with the greatest honor: that her daughter be betrothed to their sons, trusting that the moon goddess would honor this decision.

Since his death, the Southern Fire pack had been without a Beta, governed solely by the council of pack elders and the alpha princes.

Once the princes were crowned as kings alongside their Luna, they would have the authority to bestow the honor of Beta upon a trusted ally of their choosing.

The Romanov brothers had loved their mother fiercely, so it wasn’t a shock when they decided to uphold her dying wish to choose Vera as their future Luna.

After her death, they had gone out of their way to protect Vera, giving her a reverence they rarely showed anyone else.

After tonight, Vera would have to undergo the Christmas Trials, a Southern Fire Pack tradition to test a future Luna’s capabilities to lead the pack and prove her worthiness for the role.

If she passed, her position as Luna would be uncontested. But on the slight chance that she failed, her claim would be nullified, regardless of the mating bond.

Vera, however, had trained her entire life for this moment. She wouldn’t let it slip through her fingers.

Around midnight, the Luna selection finally began.

The full moon tonight was special, its energy setting this ritual apart from regular mating ceremonies.

Even with my weaker wolf, I could feel the moon’s pull seeping through my veins, giving me the illusion of strength.

All heads turned to the grand staircase as Vera floated down the steps.

Her movements were soft and measured, and she looked dreamlike in her snowy ball gown. Her makeup gave her an ethereal glow, accentuating the serene confidence in her smile.

A collective sigh swept through the crowd as Vera descended, her arm linked with Lilith’s. At the base of the stairs, the Alpha triplets awaited her.

I couldn’t help but wonder again why Vera had to be mated to all three of them—especially Kade, who’d just been fooling around with one of her best friends behind an alcove hours ago.

Elder Drusilla, the leader of the elder council, presided over the ceremony with poised authority.

She had served as the late Luna’s right-hand woman during her lifetime and, though not the oldest member of the council, was revered as the wisest.

Stern and assertive, yet possessing a kindness that could melt even the hardest hearts, Drusilla’s reputation preceded her.

True to her nature, she conducted the event with swift efficiency, likely eager to retire for the night, given her advancing age.

It was well past midnight, after all.

Drusilla drew shimmering moonlight through the opening in the ceiling and directed it toward the Alpha princes.

The crowd erupted into applause as the moonlight cascaded down in radiant waves. Now, it was time for the moon’s light to confirm their fated Luna.

The moonlight, ever loyal to the royal family, bent to the demands of the selection ritual.

Accompanied by a sudden gust of wind, it danced from table to table, ruffling expensive dresses and elaborate hairstyles, teasing the suspense to unbearable heights.

I inwardly rolled my eyes at the theatrics.

While the moonlight played its game, I let my mind wander to fantasies of Vera moving her belongings out of the house.

Once she was gone, Lilith would be left alone in that big, empty mansion.

But by the time any of that happened, I would already be long gone—somewhere exotic, like the Italian packs or visiting the ruins of The Great Ember pack. With Tobias by my side.

The thought filled me with a sudden burst of excitement. I couldn’t wait to leave the Southern Fire Pack tonight.

I’d miss the look of pure shock on Lilith’s face when she discovered I was gone. It would serve her right.

Finally, the moonlight reached Vera, just as expected. Her face broke into a triumphant smile, but before the applause could begin, the moonlight shot away from her, continuing its descent.

What the actual f**k?

There were murmurs buzzing around the room. Everyone seemed increasingly curious now, craning their necks to see where the moonlight would settle.

“What are you doing gawking like a lamb, girl? Refill my wine glass,” a middle-aged guest hissed at me, pulling my focus away from the moon.

He was holding out his wine glass to me, giving me a haughty look.

Asshole.

I forced a smile and lowered my stance, tilting the wine bottle in the direction of his flute.

Once the glass was filled, he didn’t pull it away from me. He was still staring at me. But this time, it wasn’t with the sneering glare from earlier.

He looked shocked. His mouth hung open like that of a fish as he stared at me.

“W-What’s wrong, sir? Why are you looking at me like that? Do I... have something on my face?”

I tapped my face for full effect, trying to find something amiss. It felt the same.

I pulled my hand away from my face and realized that it had an ethereal quality to it. Almost as if it was glowing.

Glowing!

I snapped my head upwards to the ceiling. My heart lodged in my throat as the moon’s sparkling light stared right back at me.

At me!

No.

It wasn’t possible.

I took a quick look around the hall.

All eyes were fixated on me, watching me with identical looks of horror and shock. The whole room was dead silent.

I let the wine glass slip out of my fingers, and it shattered to the ground, splashing my legs with cold red wine.

The sound permeated the silence, making my ears bleed.

My heart was racing wildly in my chest. It raced faster when Drusilla stamped her staff against the ground three times.

Like clockwork, all heads swiveled back to the elder, waiting to hear what she had to say.

“Amaris Velora, daughter of blood and embers,” her voice was loud and sturdy like the staff in her grip, speaking in the foreign tone of one possessed by the moon’s divine powers.

Wait, what the hell was going on?

“You are a waiting storm and a burning sea all at once.” Again, she stamped her staff.

“Theron Romanov, son of iron and scars,” Drusilla’s voice boomed. As an aftermath, she stamped her staff against the ground.

“Kade Romanov, son of wildfire and ice.” Stamp!

“Zevran Romanov, son of smoke and lies.” Stamp!

She raised her staff and pointed its tip towards me.

“The moon goddess decrees that Amaris Velora is your fated mate. As the future Luna, she shall face the Christmas Trials to prove herself worthy of the great honor that has been bestowed upon her.”

WHAT?

First, the hall was pin-drop quiet, with only wide eyes confirming that Elder Drusilla had spoken at all.

Then all hell broke loose with loud, heated oppositions, incessant arguments, and angry glares raving from all angles.

And even I couldn’t blame them.

I was just as confused and torn about the elder’s cryptic verdict.

She must have misspoken. There was no way in hell they were going to make me the Luna of Southern Fire Pack.

This was likely a high-end prank.

Yes. I could see Vera’s hand written all over this. Somehow, she had found a way to get Elder Drusilla and everyone else involved in her grand scheme to humiliate me.

“Pretend to make her Luna for a few minutes and then swipe the carpet away from underneath her feet.”

I could imagine Vera saying those exact words. Any second now, she would turn to sneer at me.

“What’s the matter, Amaris? Did you really think you’d ever be Luna of my pack? You really are dumber than you look.”

I took a deep breath, bracing my spine, waiting for the other shoe to drop.

I did a quick scan of the room. The arguments were louder now. People were up on their feet. A few pointed accusatory fingers at me. There were a lot of scowls.

I looked at Vera. She looked frozen on the spot, her round eyes gaping at me with a look of utter shock.

That was when it dawned on me.

It wasn’t a prank.

Vera didn’t plan this.

If there was a joke, then it was the moon goddess’s joke. And it wasn’t funny.

I tried to step away from the moon’s light. Immediately, the sparkling light followed my movements like a loud shadow.

My heart resumed its thundering rhythm against the walls of my chest. Everyone was staring at me with varying levels of disgust, shock, anger, irritation.

It was a lot.

I tried to find Tobias’s gaze amidst the sea of eyes, but I couldn’t.

I was trapped in a sea of hate, and no one was coming to whisk me away from it.

I took a step back, shaking my head repeatedly. If I did it enough times, I’d be able to wake up from this nightmare.

“Wake up, Amaris,” I whispered to myself. “Wake up.”

Just then, a tingling sensation rippled through my entire body. I could feel my wolf rising, as if trying to claw its way out.

‘Stay down, Eira,’ I chastised her inwardly.

But she refused to be quiet. She grew more restless, straining to get out.

It was almost as if she was aching to reach out to something.

Immediately, I knew what it was.

Gathering all of my courage, I braved a look at the Romanov triplets.

I wished I hadn’t.

Theron’s eyes were the first ones my gaze connected with. His icy glare was insistent, almost as if he had been willing me to look at him all along, to see the soul-haunting depths of his loathing for me.

I sucked in a deep breath and shifted my eyes to Kade. He mostly looked surprised, slightly distraught.

Lastly, I stared at Zevran. His eyes were amused, almost as if he was enjoying this dramatic twist in all of our lives. It was a stark contrast to the bland curve of his sensuous lips.

His curly lashes lowered ever so slightly as he rammed his eyes into mine over and over again. His gaze was curious. Questioning.

I snapped my eyes away from him when Vera let out a sudden screech. It was deafening, loud enough to cut through glass.

“NO!” She lowered her stance for a moment as she screamed her lungs raw.

She gripped the skirt of her dress and shut her eyes for a second. When she opened them, they were livid with hot rage.

“This is not possible. It’s gotta be a joke. Someone please tell me this is nothing more than a prank.”

She spun around on her heels, giving the crowd a pointed look.

“There’s no way the moon goddess could have chosen someone like her to be Luna.”

She turned to face Drusilla and barely refrained from sneering at her.

“I refuse to accept the verdict of the Luna selection. I demand a redo. Repeat it. Repeat all of this.”

“I’m afraid I can’t do that, Vera,” Drusilla told her calmly.

“That’s bullshit,” Vera snarled at her.

"It is not 'bullshit,' insolent child. It is the moon goddess's decision, and to call it otherwise is an insult to her will. I suggest you refrain from such disrespect."

“How is any of this the moon goddess’s decision?” Vera screeched. “No. I refuse to accept this. There’s got to be a mix-up somewhere. Take a good look at her. She’s a f*****g maid! How could she possibly—”

Vera’s words were cut off by the sound of a wine glass crashing to the ground.

All heads swiveled in the direction of the commotion and watched in awe as Lilith lost her footing and slumped.

She was unconscious before her head hit the tiles.