Reclaiming The Luna's Affection

Chapter 11: Another Woman's Luck

Nova’s POV

I carried the tray carefully, every step poised, every breath calculated. The silverware clinked gently against the porcelain as I walked down the quiet hallway. The scent of warm bread, honeyed tea, and the seared meats Alexander liked most wafted into the air.

I had watched the kitchen staff prepare it like hawks, correcting the garnish and sending back the tea twice until it was brewed perfectly.

Only the best for him.

And this morning… I’d bring it to him myself.

I stood in front of the Alpha’s chamber door, a rush of anticipation coiling low in my belly. My hands were steady, my smile rehearsed. I knew the kind of woman Alexander wanted… soft when needed, obedient in public, but strong and beautiful enough to be worthy of his attention.

I wasn’t going to be some passing mistress.

I would become his Luna.

As I opened the door quietly, I found him standing by the large window, shirtless, his back rippling with tension. He didn’t notice me at first, his thoughts seemed miles away.

“Good morning, my Alpha,” I purred softly, balancing the tray with grace. “I thought you might be hungry.”

Alexander turned. His eyes landed on me but not just at me, but into me. And even in his silence, even through his weariness, I saw the same flicker that always reassured me.

He wanted me.

But today… something was different.

He crossed the room in three long strides, and without so much as looking at the food, he gripped my wrist tightly.

“Come with me,” he said, voice low, urgent.

I blinked, startled. “Alexander? The food—”

“Leave it,” he muttered. “There’s no time.”

My stomach fluttered with confusion as he pulled me out of his room and down the hall. His grip on me was firm, not harsh, but frantic. I tried asking again, but he wasn’t answering.

And then I realized where we were going.

The Luna’s wing.

My pulse surged with something dangerous.

“Aurora’s room?” I whispered, incredulous. “Why are we going there?”

He didn’t answer until we were right at her door. Then, in a strained voice, he said, “My parents are here. They arrived unannounced.”

I stiffened. “What?”

“I don’t have time to explain everything—just listen. They cannot find you. Not like this. Not now.”

The betrayal stung like acid. “So you want me to hide?” I hissed. “You drag me to her room—her room—and ask me to shrink like a shadow while she plays Luna for your parents?”

Alexander grabbed both my arms. “Nova, listen to me. This is temporary. You know how much trouble my father would cause if he finds out. I need you to just stay in here just for a while. I promise you, once the time is right, I’ll tell them everything.”

My heart thudded. “When? When will the time be right? I’m sick of sneaking around, Alexander.”

I glanced around the Luna’s room—lavish, floral-scented, polished gold and silk. My fingers itched. This room should’ve been mine. I imagined waking in her bed every morning with his arms around me, leading the pack, commanding respect as his wife, not some secret cowering behind doors.

“You said you were tired of her,” I reminded him, voice trembling with a false softness. “You said you couldn’t stand how cold she’s become. I’m not like her, Alexander. I’m not hard. I’m not distant. I love you.”

He exhaled, touched my cheek.

“I know,” he murmured. “You’re everything Aurora isn’t. That’s why I’m keeping you here. That’s why I’ll make you my Luna—soon.”

I closed my eyes at the words, letting them wrap around me like silk.

That’s what I wanted.

To be the Luna. The real one.

I had played sweet in front of her, smiled through her snubs, even pretended to cry when she refused my handkerchief. And when she looked at me like I was filth? I held back every bit of venom. Because I knew… I knew one day, she’d be beneath me.

I opened my eyes and nodded slowly.

“I’ll hide,” I whispered, reaching for the small victory. “But promise me something, Alexander.”

He leaned in.

“Promise me that one day, you’ll let me burn her crown.”

A flicker of something dangerous lit in his gaze. Maybe amusement. Maybe warning.

He didn’t promise it.

But he didn’t deny it either.

Alexander went to Aurora and voiced out his concern. “Aurora, I need you to hide her. Just for now.”

Judging from the way she looked, I know she cannot believe it. The hatred? It was plastered all over her face.

“Hide her? In my room?” Oh, the emphasis says it all.

Just wait, Aurora. Soon enough, you won’t need to worry about me being under your skin.

I will take your place and you won’t have any reason to pity me anymore.

As Aurora agreed and threatened me not to touch anything from her room, I knew it was my chance.

The door clicked shut behind her.

Silence.

Not the kind that comforts you, but the kind that presses against your chest like a heavy fog. I stood there for a moment longer, letting my eyes rove over the Luna’s room… my future room. Everything smelled like roses, and something else I couldn’t quite place, maybe elegance. Entitlement. Power.

I moved without hesitation, sinking into her bed, running my fingers across the velvet quilt like I was testing my claim. So soft. So undeserved.

How long had Aurora held this power without knowing what to do with it? A title without purpose. A crown without fire. She was too… boring. Predictable. Always so dignified, so careful. So stiff.

And soon, she’d be forgotten.

The door creaked slightly. My head snapped toward it.

Ah.

The three little shadows of the Luna.

Mary, Tanya, and Josie. Her loyal maids. Still standing guard outside her room like well-trained lapdogs. Their faces were a mix of curiosity and disgust, though they tried to keep it hidden.

I didn’t mind.

I offered them a dazzling smile.

“You don’t have to linger out there like I’m some dangerous creature,” I said sweetly, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. “Come in. Let’s talk.”

They glanced at one another, hesitant.

Josie was the first to step in, arms crossed tightly against her apron. Mary followed, always the serious one, face unreadable. Tanya lingered by the door, biting her lip.

I patted the bed beside me.

“I won’t bite,” I said with a playful smirk. “We’re all women here, aren’t we?”

None of them moved.

I sighed dramatically. “You know, you don’t have to stick by Aurora forever. She’s… fine, but not exactly the warmest soul, is she?” I looked up with wide, pitiful eyes. “I understand what it’s like to come from nothing. You three get it. We’re the same.”

Mary’s eyes narrowed.

“Oh?” she asked mildly. “The same, you say?”

“Yes,” I continued, seizing the opportunity. “I know how hard it is to serve people who were born into everything. We weren’t. We had to fight for scraps while they were spoon-fed gold. You deserve better. Real appreciation. If—when—I become Luna, I’ll make sure you’re not just treated like help. You’ll be family.”

Josie tilted her head slightly. “That’s kind of you,” she said, voice syrupy with false sweetness. “But… forgive me. You say when you become Luna?”

I smiled wider, despite the sting in her tone. “Oh, come now, we all see it, don’t we? The Alpha and I… we’re close. Aurora’s been distant. Sad. Weak, even. It’s only a matter of time.”

Mary’s lips thinned.

Tanya spoke then, her voice soft but clear. “You speak as if being Luna is just about sharing a bed.”

That made me laugh, a sharp, amused sound. “Darling, that’s where it starts. The rest follows.”

Josie chuckled under her breath, though it wasn’t out of amusement. “You know… I used to work in the kitchens,” she said. “And I’ve met a lot of women who thought that lying in the Alpha’s bed would earn them a throne.”

“Funny,” Mary added, walking slowly around the bed to adjust a pillow, “none of them ever lasted.”

“And certainly none were allowed to touch the Luna’s sheets,” Tanya said, brushing invisible dust from the vanity, voice lined with quiet defiance. “Until now.”

My eyes flicked between them.

So that’s how it was.

Still loyal little birds, singing for their precious Luna.

I tilted my head. “She must’ve paid you all well to bark like this.”

“We serve the Luna out of respect,” Mary said sharply. “Not coin. That’s something not everyone understands.”

The silence stretched thick between us.

I leaned back on the pillows, unbothered on the surface. But beneath, I felt the slow twist of fury curling in my chest.

They would bend.

Eventually, they all would.

“I like you girls,” I said with a fake sigh. “You’re loyal. But one day, when Aurora is no longer here—and she won’t be—you’ll regret not standing on the winning side.”

Josie’s brows lifted. “We’d rather serve a wilting rose than a thorn pretending to be one.”

I stiffened. Just for a second.

Mary moved toward the door. “We’ll be outside. Watching. And don’t touch anything.”

“Especially not the jewelry box,” Tanya muttered.

They left one by one, closing the door behind them.

I stayed where I was, staring at the ceiling, the Luna’s scent still lingering around me like a curse.

They’ll see.

One day, this whole estate would see that I was the one who could lead beside the Alpha.

Not that delicate, fading shadow they called a Luna.