Breakfast the next morning was quieter than usual, though the air still hummed with whispers from last night’s festivities. My body still ached faintly from the sparring, and I could barely tell if it was exhaustion or the constant weight of being watched that made my shoulders tense.
Maris sat beside me, pouring tea into our cups, while the other she-wolves exchanged murmured gossip down the table. I was halfway through my bread when Selene’s voice broke through the chatter, sharp and sweet as venom.
“Some of us seem to think they can win a Luna’s favor overnight,” she said, smiling faintly as her gaze flicked toward me. “A little dance, a little attention, and suddenly they think they belong at the top of the table.”
A few of her friends laughed softly.
I kept my eyes on my plate, pr
