The Luna 's secret

Smile, Luna. The pack is watching.” Kael’s voice brushed against my ear like velvet wrapped around steel. Warm, commanding, and impossible to ignore. I forced my lips to curve, even though my pulse thundered beneath the silk choker at my throat. The courtyard was bathed in silver light, the full moon hanging above like an unblinking eye. Hundreds of wolves surrounded us, their howls rising in rhythmic unity as the Alpha King placed the silver crown upon my head. It should have been perfect. It was perfect — on the surface. But beneath my calm, a tremor of power throbbed in my veins, whispering in a language I’d buried years ago. The crowd chanted my name — Luna Arwen! Luna Arwen! — their devotion vibrating through the cold night air. Kael’s hand rested at the small of my back, possessive and sure, anchoring me to him before the world. “You belong to them now,” he murmured, his golden eyes gleaming. “To us.” The word struck deeper than it should have. Because deep down, I knew I didn’t belong — not entirely. Applause roared as Kael kissed my knuckles. I dipped my head gracefully, hiding the way my hand trembled. The crown’s edges bit into my scalp, a reminder of the power I was expected to carry — and the secret I could never reveal. A flicker of blue light danced beneath my skin, so faint it could have been imagined. I clenched my fingers to smother it, forcing the magic back down before anyone could see. “Are you all right?” Kael asked softly. His gaze lingered, sharp and searching. “I’m perfect,” I lied, smiling wider. “Just… overwhelmed.” He nodded, satisfied, and turned to face the cheering pack. The night pulsed with energy — torches blazing, drums echoing, the smell of pine and smoke thick in the air. The Silvermoon wolves celebrated wildly, unaware that the woman they hailed as Luna was no pureblood wolf at all. I was the enemy they feared. The creature their legends warned them about. A witch. Later, when the ceremony faded into feasting, I stood at the balcony of the Alpha’s mansion, watching the moon drift higher. The courtyard below glittered with laughter and dancing. Kael was among them, his broad shoulders illuminated by firelight, his presence magnetic. I should have gone to him. Played the role expected of me. But the whispers in my head were growing louder. The moon remembers you, Arwen. You can’t hide forever. My throat tightened. I pressed my palm to the balcony railing, feeling the hum of magic pulse beneath my skin. The same power I’d suppressed for years — the same power that would destroy everything if unleashed. “Luna.” I jumped at the voice behind me. Elior — Kael’s Beta, his most trusted second — stepped out from the shadows. His dark hair fell across his forehead, and his gray eyes watched me too closely. “You disappeared from the feast,” he said, tone even but laced with curiosity. “The Alpha was looking for you.” “I needed air,” I said. “It’s… a lot.” He nodded slowly, though his gaze flicked to my hands. “You’re trembling.” I curled my fingers into fists. “It’s cold.” “It’s not cold,” he murmured. His wolf senses made lying pointless. “You’re afraid.” “I’m not.” He took a step closer. “Then why does your scent change every time the moon rises?” My heart stopped. He couldn’t know. He couldn’t. “I don’t know what you mean,” I whispered, forcing a laugh. “You’re imagining things.” Elior studied me for a long, suffocating moment. Then he smiled — faint, unreadable. “Perhaps I am.” He bowed slightly and turned away, his boots soft against the marble floor. But as he walked off, he added quietly, “You should be careful, Luna. Secrets have a way of clawing their way into the light.” By midnight, the feast had ended. The pack had howled their loyalty, sworn their vows, and vanished into the night. Only Kael and I remained in the grand hall — alone beneath the fading torches. He was silent, studying me. The silver glow from the moon haloed his dark hair, his golden eyes catching the light like molten amber. “You’ve been distant all night,” he said finally. “Tired,” I replied softly. “That’s all.” He stepped closer. “You’re lying.” My breath hitched. Kael never asked gently. His presence demanded truth — but truth was the one thing I could never give him. He cupped my chin, forcing my gaze to his. “I can feel when you hide something. Our bond may be new, but I know your heartbeat, Arwen.” My throat burned. I wanted to tell him everything — that I wasn’t one of them, that the magic inside me wasn’t a gift from the Moon Goddess but a curse from another bloodline entirely. But the memory of his voice — Witches are poison, Arwen. They deserve nothing but fire. — kept me silent. “I’m only nervous,” I said. “You made me Luna. That’s… a lot to live up to.” He searched my face, uncertain, then brushed his thumb across my cheek. “You’ll be perfect. You already are.” The gentleness in his tone twisted something in me. Guilt, love, fear — all tangled into one unbearable knot. “Sleep,” he murmured. “Tomorrow, your reign begins.” But I couldn’t sleep. Hours later, I found myself kneeling before the moonlit window in my chamber, my hands trembling as I opened the hidden drawer beneath the altar. Inside lay an old charm — a pendant etched with runes that pulsed faintly blue. I whispered the words I hadn’t dared speak in years. The air thickened, the room vibrating with invisible power. “By blood and bone, conceal the flame within me. By the moon’s mercy, keep the wolf’s peace.” The spell burned through my veins, suppressing the restless magic clawing at my chest. Sweat beaded my brow. My vision blurred. But finally — silence. The pendant dimmed. The air stilled. And then— c***k. The sound was faint but sharp — like glass splitting. My reflection in the mirror wavered, and for one terrible heartbeat, it wasn’t my face staring back. It was something else — eyes glowing blue, mouth curved in a knowing smile. “Hello, little Luna.” The voice wasn’t mine. It came from the mirror, from the shadow that had taken my shape. I stumbled back, heart pounding. “Who are you?” “You’ve forgotten me already?” the reflection whispered. “How ungrateful.” My blood ran cold. The voice was familiar — too familiar. “Impossible,” I breathed. “You’re—” The reflection’s lips curled. “Sera,” it said sweetly. “Did you really think you could hide forever?” The glass shattered.