HIS FATHER'S LUNA

CHAPTER 8: Public Appearance

Aria's POV

The invitation arrived the next morning.

At first, I thought it was a mistake.

Then I read it again.

And again.

And again.

Still the same words.

Still impossible.

I stared at the elegant cream-colored envelope resting on my kitchen counter.

The official seal of Mooncrest Pack was pressed into the wax.

My heart pounded.

Slowly, I unfolded the letter.

Miss Aria Blackwood,

Your presence is requested at the Mooncrest Founders Gala this Saturday evening.

You are invited as Alpha Damien Thorn's personal guest.

I stopped breathing.

My stomach dropped.

My pulse skyrocketed.

Personal guest?

Surely not.

There had to be another explanation.

A very logical explanation.

One that didn't involve the most powerful Alpha in the region personally inviting me to the most important social event of the year.

I read the letter again.

Unfortunately, it stubbornly refused to change.

Interesting.

Nyra sounded delighted.

I was less enthusiastic.

"Interesting is not the word I would use."

The Alpha wants you there.

"He's probably being polite."

Even I didn't believe that.

Neither did Nyra.

Her laughter echoed through my mind.

The traitor.

My phone suddenly vibrated.

A text message appeared.

Unknown Number

I assume you've received the invitation.

My heart nearly stopped.

Damien.

Of course it was Damien.

Who else would send messages that sounded like formal business correspondence?

I stared at the screen for several seconds.

Then typed:

Yes.

Three dots appeared immediately.

Will you attend?

A simple question.

Yet somehow it felt incredibly important.

I swallowed.

Then replied:

Do I have a choice?

The response arrived almost instantly.

Yes.

A pause.

Then another message.

But I hope you say yes.

My heart did something strange.

Something alarming.

Something entirely inappropriate.

Because Damien Thorn never sounded uncertain.

Never.

Yet somehow those words felt genuine.

As though my answer actually mattered to him.

I typed before I could overthink it.

Then yes. I'll come.

The reply took longer this time.

When it finally arrived, I found myself smiling.

Good.

One word.

One simple word.

And somehow it stayed with me for the rest of the day.

Saturday arrived far too quickly.

By evening, I was standing in front of my mirror questioning every life decision that led to this moment.

The black evening gown I had chosen hugged my figure perfectly.

Elegant.

Sophisticated.

Dangerous.

The kind of dress that made a woman feel powerful.

And slightly terrified.

Maya circled me for the third time.

Still staring.

Still grinning.

Still annoying.

"You look incredible."

I groaned.

"Please stop."

"No."

She smiled wider.

"This is history."

I narrowed my eyes.

"It's a gala."

"It's the Alpha's gala."

A pause.

"And you're his date."

My face immediately heated.

"I am not his date."

Maya looked unconvinced.

Very unconvinced.

The doorbell rang.

Both of us froze.

Then she squealed.

Actually squealed.

I considered ending our friendship.

Immediately.

"Go answer it."

"No."

"Aria."

"No."

The bell rang again.

Maya shoved me toward the door.

The traitor.

The absolute traitor.

Taking a deep breath, I opened it.

And forgot how to speak.

Damien stood outside.

For one brief second, the entire world stopped.

Black tailored suit.

Silver-gray eyes.

Dark hair touched with silver.

Power.

Confidence.

Control.

The man looked unfairly attractive.

My pulse reacted immediately.

Which was deeply annoying.

His gaze slowly swept over me.

From my hair.

To my dress.

Then back to my eyes.

Silence followed.

Long.

Dangerous.

Charged.

Something softened in his expression.

Something warm.

Something almost impossible to identify.

"You look beautiful."

The compliment hit harder than expected.

My throat tightened.

For a moment, I genuinely forgot how to respond.

Then I managed:

"Thank you."

His gaze lingered.

Far longer than necessary.

"You look handsome."

The corner of his mouth twitched.

Almost a smile.

Almost.

And somehow that tiny reaction felt like a victory.

Behind me, Maya made a suspicious choking noise.

I ignored her.

Damien offered his arm.

The gesture was old-fashioned.

Gentlemanly.

Dangerously charming.

I hesitated for exactly two seconds before taking it.

The warmth of his skin sent a strange shiver through me.

His eyes darkened slightly.

As though he felt it too.

Neither of us commented.

Probably for the best.

The gala was already crowded when we arrived.

Hundreds of wolves filled the grand ballroom.

Crystal chandeliers illuminated the room.

Music floated through the air.

Conversations echoed around us.

Then Damien and I entered.

And everything stopped.

Literally.

Every conversation died.

Every head turned.

Every eye locked onto us.

Wonderful.

Exactly what I wanted.

Public humiliation.

My favorite.

I could practically hear the rumors multiplying.

The Alpha.

And Aria Blackwood.

Together.

At the Founders Gala.

As Damien's guest.

The scandal was immediate.

I suddenly understood why the council had been panicking.

Damien remained completely unfazed.

Of course he did.

The man looked as though he could walk through a battlefield without blinking.

I envied him.

Very much.

"Relax."

His voice was low enough that only I could hear it.

Easy for him to say.

He wasn't the subject of every conversation in the room.

Then again...

Maybe he was.

I glanced around.

Several wolves looked terrified to even meet his eyes.

Fair point.

The music continued.

People slowly resumed talking.

Though many continued staring.

Damien guided me through the crowd.

Introducing me to important pack members.

Business leaders.

Visiting Alphas.

Council representatives.

Throughout it all, one thing became painfully obvious.

Damien never left my side.

Not once.

Not for a second.

A protective instinct?

Possibly.

A possessive one?

That possibility was significantly more dangerous.

The realization made my pulse quicken.

Unfortunately, someone noticed.

"Aria."

The familiar voice instantly ruined my evening.

Ethan.

Of course.

I slowly turned.

And there he was.

Standing across the ballroom.

Frozen.

Watching us.

The expression on his face nearly took my breath away.

Shock.

Pain.

Disbelief.

Jealousy.

Pure, consuming jealousy.

His eyes moved from me...

To Damien.

To the arm still linked with the Alpha's.

Then back to me.

The color drained from his face.

As though he had finally realized this wasn't a rumor.

This wasn't gossip.

This wasn't his imagination.

It was real.

And judging by the devastation in his eyes...

The realization hurt.

A lot.

For the first time since the betrayal, I felt no heartbreak when looking at him.

No longing.

No hope.

Only distance.

Only acceptance.

The man I loved was gone.

And perhaps he had been gone for a very long time.

Beside me, Damien noticed Ethan too.

The Alpha's expression instantly cooled.

His arm shifted slightly.

Not enough to be obvious.

Just enough to place himself subtly between us.

Protective.

The gesture shouldn't have affected me.

Yet it did.

More than I cared to admit.

Across the room, Ethan's jaw clenched.

Because he noticed it too.

And for the first time...

He looked afraid.

Not of losing a mate.

Not of losing a future Luna.

But of losing me.

Completely.

And something told me he was only beginning to understand how much that loss was going to cost him.