The Moon chose my Enemy

A court of wolves

The iron gates closed behind them with a deafening groan. Serena looked over her shoulder instinctively. The road that had carried her away from everything she had ever known disappeared behind walls of black stone. The gates shut completely.

Something inside her tightened.There was no going back.

"Lady Serena."

A middle-aged woman stepped forward, bowing respectfully. Unlike the servants at the temple, she wore the deep charcoal colors of Shadowfang, with a silver wolf embroidered over her heart.

"My name is Martha. I oversee the household."

Her smile was gentle, though her eyes carried the practiced caution of someone who had spent years serving powerful people.

"If you'll follow me."

Serena nodded.

The castle swallowed them whole.

The corridors were impossibly wide, lined with towering pillars carved from obsidian-colored stone. Ancient portraits watched silently from the walls. Massive windows overlooked endless cliffs where clouds drifted beneath the castle instead of above it.

It wasn't beautiful in the way Mooncrest had been.

Mooncrest had bloomed with flowers and light.

Shadowfang had been carved from storms.

Their footsteps echoed as they climbed another staircase. Servants moved quietly around them, each pausing just long enough to bow before continuing on with their duties.No one stared. But Serena felt their curiosity.

"So this is the Luna..."

"The Ravenshade girl..."

"The woman the Moon chose..."

No one spoke the words. She could almost hear them anyway. Martha stopped before a pair of enormous oak doors.

She pushed them open.

"This will be your chamber, my Lady."

The room stole Serena's breath. A roaring fireplace warmed polished stone walls. Floor-to-ceiling windows overlooked forests stretching as far as the eye could see. Bookshelves filled one wall. Fresh flowers sat beside the bed. Someone had prepared the room carefully.

It felt...welcoming.Which somehow made Rowan's words hurt even more.

"I'll make you wish I had killed you."

The memory tightened around her chest. Martha cleared her throat softly.

"His Majesty has requested your presence in the Great Hall within the hour."

Requested. Serena almost laughed. After what had happened at the temple...She doubted Rowan requested anything.

"I'll be there."

Martha hesitated.

"If I may offer one piece of advice..."

Serena looked up.

"The Great Hall is full of wolves."

A small smile crossed Martha's face.

"And not all of them growl before they bite."

Before Serena could ask what she meant, Martha bowed and quietly left. The heavy doors closed behind her. Serena found herself alone once more. She walked toward the window. Below, soldiers trained in perfect formation. Their swords moved in complete synchronization.

Not one of them missed a step. Everything in Shadowfang seemed ruled by discipline. Even the wind felt orderly.

She rested one hand against the cool glass.

"What have I walked into...?"

A knock interrupted her thoughts. Another maid entered carrying a midnight-blue gown.

"My Lady, it is time."

The doors to the Great Hall opened. Conversation ceased instantly. Every pair of eyes turned toward her. Serena resisted the urge to stop walking. Instead, she lifted her chin and stepped inside. The hall was magnificent. A single table stretched nearly the length of the room, illuminated by hundreds of candles suspended from iron chandeliers. The scent of roasted meats, fresh bread, and spiced wine filled the air, yet beneath it lingered something sharper—the scent of wolves.

At the head of the table sat Rowan. Already seated. Already watching. His expression revealed nothing. Not welcome. Not anger. Nothing at all. A servant silently pulled out the chair beside him. Her place. Serena sat without a word. The silence lasted only a heartbeat. Then the great doors opened again.

A young man strode in as though he owned the castle.

His dark green coat hung carelessly over one shoulder, and a grin spread across his face the moment he noticed every eye on him.

"Excellent," he announced. "I was afraid I'd arrived before dinner."

A few nobles chuckled.

Someone muttered, "You're late."

"I prefer dramatically punctual."

His eyes landed on Serena.

"Ah... and our new Luna."

He placed a hand over his heart and bowed from where he stood.

"Lord Kael Ashford."

Before Serena could answer—

A cool feminine voice drifted across the hall.

"Late."

Everyone turned.

A woman dressed in deep emerald silk entered behind him without the slightest hurry. Her dark hair was pinned elegantly, a silver hairpiece catching the candlelight.She didn't spare Kael a glance as she walked past him.

"Again."

Kael sighed dramatically.

"You wound me."

"I've been trying for years."

The corners of Serena's lips twitched despite herself.

The room relaxed. Even a few of the older nobles smiled. Kael leaned slightly toward Serena.

"She's delighted to see me."

Without looking at him, the woman replied,

"I simply enjoy watching you explain yourself."

Kael pressed a hand to his chest.

"Lady Vespera Blackwood, everyone."

He lowered his voice just enough for Serena to hear.

"My oldest rival."

Vespera finally looked at him.

"And his greatest disappointment."

Laughter rippled through the hall. Serena noticed something curious. For all their sharp words... Neither seemed offended. Quite the opposite. Their eyes lingered on one another a fraction longer than necessary. As Vespera reached her chair, she frowned.

"Your collar is crooked."

Before Kael could respond, she reached out and straightened it with practiced ease. The gesture lasted barely a second.

Then, as though realizing what she'd done, she withdrew her hand immediately. Kael's smile softened.

"There you are."

Vespera arched a brow.

"Don't flatter yourself."

She sat gracefully, taking a sip of wine as though nothing had happened. Serena watched them, puzzled. They argued like enemies.

Yet there had been something strangely familiar in the way they moved around each other. Something... comfortable. For the first time since leaving Mooncrest... A genuine smile touched Serena's face. And from the head of the table... Rowan noticed it. It wasn't the smile itself that bothered him. It was the fact that she'd managed one at all. She had been in Shadowfang for less than two hours.

Already she looked... comfortable. His jaw tightened almost imperceptibly.

"Interesting."

He reached for his goblet without another thought. The hall settled as servants began placing the first course before the guests. Crystal clinked softly. Wine flowed. The conversations that followed were nothing like the dinners Serena had known growing up. There was no idle chatter. Every sentence carried weight. Every smile concealed a purpose. At the opposite end of the table, a broad-shouldered man with streaks of silver in his dark hair entered quietly. Unlike Kael's arrival, no one laughed.

Instead...

Every noble rose to their feet. Even Rowan stood. Serena looked around in confusion before following everyone else's lead. The man acknowledged the room with a single nod.

"Sit."

His voice was calm, carrying the authority of someone who had never needed to raise it. The hall obeyed instantly. Only after he had taken his seat did Rowan speak.

"Alpha Magnus."

So this was him. The legendary Alpha who had fought beside Rowan's father. Magnus' eyes settled on Serena. He studied her for several long seconds. Not with suspicion. Not with warmth. As though searching for something.

Finally, he spoke.

"You have your mother's eyes."

The room fell strangely quiet. Serena blinked.

"You... knew my mother?"

Magnus gave the smallest nod.

"Many years ago."

Before Serena could ask another question, Rowan spoke, his tone clipped.

"We're here to dine, not reminisce."

Magnus looked at Rowan for a long moment. Something unreadable passed between them. Then he simply reached for his wine. The conversation moved on. But Serena couldn't shake the feeling that something important had just happened. A servant announced the next arrival.

"General Cassian Vale."

A tall man in black military attire entered the hall. Unlike the nobles around him, he wore no jewels. No elaborate embroidery. Only the silver insignia of Shadowfang's army fastened across his chest. He walked directly to Rowan. Bent slightly. Whispered something into his ear. Rowan's expression didn't change. He gave one short nod. Cassian stepped back immediately. Without greeting anyone. Without touching the food...He disappeared through another door. Serena frowned.

"He isn't staying?"

Rhys, seated across from her, smiled faintly.

"Cassian only appears when duty calls."

"Is something wrong?"

"In Shadowfang?"

Rhys chuckled.

"Something is always wrong."

The meal continued. One lord spoke about a poor harvest in the eastern valleys. Another complained about increased rogue wolf attacks near the southern border. Soon the discussion shifted.

"The Northern Pass still hasn't reopened."

"We've already lost three merchant caravans."

"Then increase patrols."

"We don't have enough soldiers."

Serena listened quietly. This wasn't simply a kingdom. It was an empire constantly balancing on the edge of conflict. She understood almost none of it. And she understood something else. No one had asked for her opinion. Not once. She wasn't part of the conversation. She was simply...being observed.

Kael noticed first.

"You've barely touched your dinner."

Serena looked down at her untouched plate.

"I suppose I'm not very hungry."

"A shame."

Kael smiled.

"The chef would consider that a personal insult."

Before Serena could answer—Rowan spoke.

"Lady Serena is tired."

His voice was calm. Controlled. The conversation ended instantly. No one challenged him. No one continued speaking to Serena.

Even Kael inclined his head politely.

"Of course, Your Majesty."

The silence that followed felt heavier than before. Serena lowered her eyes to her plate. She suddenly understood. No one here would

ever cross Rowan. Not openly. Vespera broke the silence.

"So..."

She swirled the wine in her glass.

"Has anyone informed Lady Serena about the Midwinter Hunt?"

Rhys groaned dramatically.

"Oh no."

Kael laughed.

"Please don't."

Vespera ignored them.

"It's a Shadowfang tradition."

She looked directly at Serena.

"Every winter, the Alpha leads the hunt."

"The entire kingdom watches."

Rhys leaned toward Serena.

"Don't listen to her."

"I'm being perfectly truthful."

"You left out the important part."

"What part?"

Kael answered instead.

"The losers spend the next month listening to Vespera explain how they should have hunted."

A ripple of laughter spread around the table. Vespera didn't miss a beat.

"Someone has to educate the incompetent."

Kael placed a hand over his heart.

"I thought we agreed my education was impossible."

"For you?"

She smiled sweetly.

"I gave up years ago."

Serena laughed quietly before she could stop herself. It was brief. Barely audible. But Rowan heard it. Again. His silver eyes lifted. For a split second... He found himself looking at Serena instead of listening to the discussion. She looked different when she smiled. Lighter. Younger. Nothing like the daughter of the man he hated. The thought came so suddenly that it unsettled him. His expression hardened immediately. He looked away.

The dinner stretched on for another hour. One by one, nobles excused themselves. Small groups formed across the hall.

Conversations became quieter. More private. Serena suddenly felt as though she couldn't breathe. Everywhere she looked... Someone was watching someone else. Every alliance seemed to hide another motive. Every smile carried calculation. She quietly placed her napkin beside her plate.

"If you'll excuse me..."

No one stopped her. Not even Rowan. She walked toward the enormous balcony doors at the far end of the hall. The cool mountain air hit her instantly. She closed her eyes. Finally...

Silence.

Or at least...

Something close to it.

She rested both hands against the stone railing and looked out over the endless forests below.

"I was beginning to think everyone in there had forgotten how to breathe."

The voice came from behind her. Serena turned. Lord Kael stepped onto the balcony, closing the doors softly behind him. He stayed

several feet away. Far enough to be respectful.

"I hope I'm not intruding."

Serena offered a small, tired smile.

"No."

"I just needed a moment."

Kael nodded knowingly.

"My first dinner here felt exactly the same."

She looked at him, surprised.

"You grew up here."

"I did."

He smiled.

"Doesn't mean I enjoyed it."

Serena laughed softly.

"I thought I was the only one feeling out of place."

Kael leaned casually against the stone railing.

"You'll learn something about Shadowfang."

"What's that?"

He looked toward the glittering hall behind them.

"The wolves who smile the sweetest..."

His expression became thoughtful.

"...are usually the ones hiding the sharpest teeth."

Before Serena could reply...

A familiar voice echoed from inside the hall.

"Lord Kael."

Both of them turned. Rowan stood in the doorway. His expression was unreadable. But his silver eyes had already taken in everything:Kael standing close enough to speak privately. Serena smiling. The quiet intimacy of the balcony.

To everyone else...It was an innocent conversation.

To Rowan...

It looked like the beginning of betrayal.