His Luna In Name Only: His Plus-Sized Mate

The Madam Celestine

Mirellie

Lucas was already waiting outside when I stepped out of the dining hall.

The moment his eyes landed on me, he straightened immediately. Unlike everyone else in this house, there was no mockery on his face. No disgust either. But there was something careful in his expression, like he didn’t know how he was supposed to act around me now.

I understood that feeling. I didn’t know who I was supposed to be anymore either.

“The Alpha asked me to escort you to the east wing,” he said quietly.

I nodded once because my throat still felt too tight to trust my voice.

We walked in silence through the long corridors of Evander’s house. My footsteps felt too loud against the polished floors. Everything around me looked expensive and perfect. Golden chandeliers hung overhead. Paintings lined the walls. Large windows allowed sunlight to spill beautifully across spotless floors.

Everything here looked elegant. Everything here reminded me that I did not belong.

My eyes drifted briefly toward one of the portraits hanging along the corridor. A former Alpha stood beside his Luna, both of them dressed in rich clothing, both smiling faintly.

She was beautiful. Slim and graceful and perfect.

My gaze moved to the next painting. It was another Luna. Another elegant woman.

None of them looked like me. Not one. My stomach twisted painfully, but I forced myself to keep walking.

The farther we moved into the east wing, the quieter everything became. The servants here moved differently too. Straighter backs. Softer voices. Controlled expressions.

Their eyes lingered on me as I passed. Some quickly looked away. Others didn’t bother hiding their surprise.

I lowered my gaze.

Lucas finally stopped in front of a pair of large double doors.

“She’s inside,” he said.

I hesitated. I knew exactly who waited beyond those doors. Lucas pushed them open for me. The room inside was enormous. Sunlight poured through tall windows covered by sheer white curtains. There were bookshelves, polished tables, expensive rugs and delicate tea sets arranged neatly at the side.

And standing near the center of the room was Lady Celestine. A long polished cane rested in one of her hands.

She turned slowly at the sound of the door.

For a moment, she simply stared at me. Her eyes traveled from my face downward slowly.

Very slowly. Then she smiled.

“Oh.”

Lucas cleared his throat slightly behind me. “Lady Celestine, the Luna has arrived.”

Her gaze flicked briefly toward him before settling back on me.

“Yes,” she said softly. “I can see that.”

I felt my face grow hot beneath her stare. Lucas hesitated slightly before bowing his head.

“I will leave her in your care then.”

“Of course,” Lady Celestine replied smoothly.

The moment Lucas walked out and the doors shut behind him, the atmosphere changed completely.

The softness disappeared from her face. Silence stretched between us for several seconds before she finally walked toward me slowly.

The cane tapped lightly against the polished floor with each step.

“I must admit,” she said calmly, circling me once, “when I heard the rumors yesterday after returning from Alpha Zeke’s territory—where I had been giving his daughter final training for her first dance with her Alpha mate—I assumed people were joking.”

Her eyes swept over me again.

“They were not.”

I swallowed hard.

“You have your mother’s broad frame,” she continued thoughtfully. “Unfortunate.”

My fingers curled slightly at my sides. “I will do my best,” I whispered.

Lady Celestine stopped in front of me.

“Yes,” she said. “You will.” Then her expression hardened slightly. “Because if you embarrass this pack publicly, you embarrass me too and we can’t have that.”

The words settled heavily inside my chest. Without another word, she walked toward a nearby table and picked up several thick books.

“Posture training first.”

Before I could react, she stacked the books directly into my arms.

“Follow me.”

The next hour felt endless.

Lady Celestine made me walk from one side of the room to the other repeatedly with books balanced on my head while balancing another stack in my arms.

Every mistake earned criticism.

“Your shoulders are slouched.”

“Lift your chin.”

“You walk too heavily.”

“No elegance whatsoever.”

Sweat slowly gathered against my skin. My legs began aching quickly. I dropped the books twice within the first thirty minutes.

By the third time, Lady Celestine sighed heavily in disappointment.

“Lady Calliope mastered this in three days,” she said coolly.

Shame crawled painfully up my throat.

“I’m trying,” I whispered.

“Yes,” she replied. “And failing.”

I bent quickly to pick the books up again, but before I could straighten fully, something sharp struck the back of my calf. I gasped softly in shock.

Lady Celestine lowered the cane slowly.

“A Luna does not bend like a peasant gathering potatoes from the dirt,” she said coldly. “Straighten your posture.”

Heat flooded my face as pain throbbed faintly through my leg.

“I’m sorry,” I whispered immediately.

“Again.”

Hours passed slowly after that. There was no break.

No water and no food. Just correction after correction until my entire body hurt.

And sometimes the corrections came with the cane.

A sharp tap against my shoulder whenever I slouched.

A strike against my ankle whenever my steps became uneven. A painful crack against my knuckles when I failed to balance the tray correctly.

“Grace, Mirellie.”

Tap.

“Control your breathing.”

Crack.

“You stand like cattle.”

Tap.

Each strike was controlled. Measured. Not enough to truly injure me. Just enough to humiliate.

At one point, Lady Celestine forced me to practice sitting and standing repeatedly while balancing a tray in my hands.

“You sit like a laborer,” she said sharply.

My face burned. I adjusted immediately.

“No,” she snapped. “Again.”

I did it again.

“And again.”

My knees started hurting after a while. Then my back. Then everything else. By afternoon, my stomach ached so badly from hunger it almost made me nauseous.

But I said nothing because I already knew it wouldn’t matter.

The doors opened sometime later. I looked up instinctively. Calliope walked inside beautifully dressed in a pale cream gown, her golden hair falling perfectly around her shoulders.

Lady Celestine’s expression softened instantly.