The Rejected Substitute Luna

Chapter 12

Jasmine’s Pov

The tension in the hall was so thick that you could cut it with a knife.

After the scene that took place, the servants moved quickly through the room. They began serving plates of food and pouring wine, trying desperately to distract the guests from the drama that just unfolded.

The room was filled with the clinking of silverware and hushed, nervous chatter, but the heavy atmosphere never truly lifted.

I sat right beside Fred at the table reserved for the Luna and Alpha of Hemlock Pack. I kept my back straight, my posture regal, and my nerves down. But throughout the entire meal, I could feel a burning, intense gaze cutting straight through me from across the room.

I didn't need to look up to know it was Garrett.

He barely touched his food, nor did he lift his glass of wine. He simply sat there like a hollow, dark statue, staring at me under the chandeliers as if I was the only person in the world.

There were so many emotions in his eyes, but I couldn't dwell on them.

Sitting right next to him was Jenny.

She looked furious. Her heavy makeup couldn't hide the dark, bitter rage twisting her pretty features. She kept glancing back and forth between Garrett’s frozen face and me, her chest heaving with suppressed anger.

I assumed they would be happily married, marked, and ruling this pack together by now. However, as I observed them, I saw no bond between them. Garrett did not mark her. He didn't touch her. He didn't even grant her the formal title of Luna.

Why?

Why did he throw me away if he was never going to make her his Luna?

Fred leaned in close to me, his deep voice soft and protective. "Jasmine, I need to step away for a few minutes to speak with the Alpha of the Northern Pack. Will you be alright here?"

"I'm fine, Fred," I replied, giving his arm a reassuring squeeze. "Go handle your pack business. I'll be right here."

Fred nodded reluctantly and walked away towards a group of Alphas. I picked up a glass of fruit juice from a passing servant's tray and stood quietly, watching the guests mingle.

Suddenly, the suffocating scent of excessive floral perfume filled the air around me.

I turned my head slowly. Standing a few feet away was Jenny, but she wasn't alone. Walking right beside her was Brenda, a well-known gossip at the pack for bowing down to anyone with power. She always seemed to have something against me when l was the Luna because l wouldn't make her my friend.

Brenda was carrying a glass of red wine, scanning me from head to toe with loud, intentional contempt.

Jenny, on the other hand, wore a soft, gentle smile on her lips, her eyes wide and innocent as she kept her hands folded neatly in front of her dress.

She was convinced that I wasn't Jasmine.

"Oh, my goodness," Brenda spoke up in a loud, sharp voice that spread across the lounge, attracting the attention of several nearby Lunas. "Is this the famous Luna Lila? The mysterious woman who managed to make Alpha Garrett lose his mind earlier?"

I kept my hands steady around my glass, keeping my posture calm. "Miss Brenda, Miss Jenny. It's a pleasure to meet you all."

Brenda let out a fake, shrill laugh, stepping closer into my space. "A pleasure? Well, I suppose it must be an honor for a Luna from a small, quiet pack like Hemlock to stand in such a grand palace."

A few Alpha turned their heads, gasping softly at Brenda's blatant disrespect.

Jenny immediately placed a gentle hand on Brenda's arm, putting on a fake pained and apologetic expression.

"Oh Brenda, please. You shouldn't say such things. We must treat our visiting guests with warmth and kindness," she whispered, her voice full of sweet, fake concern that was quiet enough to sound gentle, yet loud enough for everyone around us to hear clearly. " Luna Lila's first Summit. A little roughness around the edges is only to be expected. After all, not everyone is born knowing how to wear the Luna title. Some poor things have to fumble their way through it in front of an audience."

Jenny then turned her eyes toward me, looking at me with pity. "Please forgive my friend, Luna Lila. Brenda is just overly protective of our pack's dignity. You see, Garrett has suffered so much grief over the years after losing his poor wife. When a stranger arrives looking like her and acting mysterious, Brenda worries that you're approaching him with ulterior motives."

I looked at the two of them, seeing right through their pathetic little game.

Jenny is clever. She's keeping her hands clean and using Brenda as a loud lapdog to hurl the insults and humiliate me, while she played the innocent, soft-hearted peacemaker. If I lost my temper and shouted, I'll look like an arrogant, troublesome bully, while Jenny looks like a perfect, gentle Luna.

It was a calculating trap.

But Jenny doesn't know who she's dealing with. I'm no longer a helpless girl to be manipulated.

I took a tiny, graceful sip of my juice, tilting my head up with composure.

"There's nothing to forgive, Miss Jenny," I said, my voice smooth, clear, and full of authority. "I've always been careful. I have never once sought out Alpha Garrett. You watched him cross the banquet hall. You watched him come to me. So don't pretend you're blind."

"Also, the true Luna understands that background and traditions are not open for mockery. You see, in the Hemlock Pack, we believe that true dignity does not come from showing off your face, nor does it come from wearing loud jewelry." I paused, letting my eyes drop meaningfully to Brenda's overly flashy dress, before looking back at Jenny.

"Some women rely on loud words and expensive dresses to get attention because they have no real title or authority of their own," I continued, keeping my tone mild yet sharp as a razor. "So they act like barking dogs to make themselves feel important. But a true Luna commands unconditional respect simply by standing in the room."

A group of Lunas standing nearby let out quiet, shocked giggles. They nodded to one another in agreement, looking at me with admiration.

Brenda’s face flushed with a deep, embarrassing red. She opened her mouth to snap back, but she was choked by her own humiliation.

Jenny’s sweet, fake smile froze, and a dark, dangerous flicker of anger flashed in her eyes for a split second before she managed to force her gentle mask back on. "Well, we certainly admire your confidence, Luna Lila. It's just a pity that Alpha Garrett seemed so distressed by your presence tonight. As the woman who manages this pack, I only care about his peace of mind."

I let out a laugh, stepping closer to her. "I don't care for you or him, and I would be very careful if I were you. Playing games with puppets only works when the audience is blind. But unlike others, I bite. And I don't make empty promises."

Jenny gasped, stepping back as if I burned her. Her hands trembled so violently that a few dark drops of her wine spilled over her white silk gown. She stared at me with lethal, toxic hatred because she failed to break me.

"Come, Brenda," She hissed under her breath, turning her back on me and dragging her embarrassed friend away into the crowd, but as she walked away, she shot one final, murderous glare over her shoulder.

Her message was crystal clear. She didn't need to say it.

The game has officially begun.