Elsa’s Pov
The dining hall was nothing like the kitchens I had scrubbed back in Caleb pack. Here, the ceiling arched high and glittered with chandeliers that threw sparks of gold across polished stone. Long tables stretched from end to end, groaning beneath platters of steaming food. The smell of roasted meat, honey bread, and herbs clung to the air, making my empty stomach tighten.
But it wasn’t the food that froze me in place at the threshold.
It was the silence.
As soon as I entered, every head turned. Dozens of eyes pinned me…elders, warriors, servants, even children—and the hall, once alive with chatter, went utterly still. Whispers followed a beat later, quick and sharp, hissing like snakes.
“That’s her…”
“The outsider…”
“She’s going to be the Luna?”
Their gazes burned hotter
