The Moon Goddess’ Cursed Lovers

Chapter 9: Change

I sat there on the floor, still next to Ryder, trying to process everything we had just talked about. It felt like a storm had passed through my room, leaving me raw and exposed. But there was a sense of relief too—knowing Ryder had never wanted to push me away, that it wasn’t really him. It was our parents.

Just as I was starting to gather my thoughts, there was a soft knock on the door, followed by the unmistakable voice of my mother.

“Faye? Have you seen Ryder?” Her voice was calm, but I could feel the underlying sharpness in her tone. She was always like that, especially when it came to him. “He needs to get ready for the ceremony.”

I froze, exchanging a quick glance with Ryder. He raised an eyebrow, silently asking if I was going to answer, but I didn’t move. I wasn’t ready to face her, not after everything we had just talked about. I wasn’t sure if I’d ever be ready to face her again.

When I didn’t respond, I heard her sigh on the other side of the door. “Faye, we don’t have time for games.” Another pause, and then her footsteps retreated down the hallway, thankfully giving up.

I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding, and Ryder gave me a sympathetic look. “You should probably get dressed,” I said, keeping my voice low.

Ryder nodded, standing up and brushing off his pants. “You’re right. It’s almost time.” He hesitated for a second, looking down at me. “You okay?”

I forced a small smile, though I didn’t really feel it. “Yeah, I’m fine. Just… go get ready.”

He nodded again, squeezing my shoulder gently before slipping out of the room. As soon as the door clicked shut behind him, I let out a heavy sigh, the exhaustion hitting me all at once. The weight of the upcoming ceremony and all the expectations hanging over Ryder was too much. For both of us.

I pushed myself off the floor, my legs feeling stiff from sitting for so long. The ceremony was coming up fast, and I still needed to get ready. I crossed the room to my closet, opening the doors and staring blankly at the rows of dresses hanging inside. Most of them were formal enough for pack events, but none of them felt right for tonight.

As I thumbed through the hangers, I heard the door creak open behind me. I turned, expecting it to be Ryder again, but instead, Ivy stepped in, her face lit up with her usual mischievous grin.

“Well, well, look who I just saw leaving your room,” she teased, leaning against the doorframe.

I rolled my eyes, knowing she wouldn’t let it go without a comment. “It’s not what you think,” I muttered, pulling a dress off the hanger and holding it up in front of me, inspecting it. Too plain.

Ivy raised an eyebrow, stepping further into the room. “Oh really? Because I’ve known you and Ryder for years, and that’s the first time I’ve ever seen him sneaking out of here.” She crossed her arms, watching me closely. “What’s going on?”

I sighed, setting the dress aside and moving on to the next. “We just… we had a long talk. That’s all.”

She c****d her head, clearly not satisfied with my answer. “A long talk about what? You’ve barely spoken to each other for months.”

I hesitated, pulling another dress from the closet and holding it up to my body. I hated how much Ivy could see through me sometimes, but I also knew she wasn’t going to drop it. “About our parents. And why they’ve been keeping us apart.”

Ivy’s expression softened, and she walked over to me, taking the dress from my hands and tossing it onto the bed. “And?”

“And… they don’t want him to rely on me anymore,” I said quietly. “They think he has to do everything on his own to be a strong Alpha. So they’ve been making sure we’re not as close as we used to be.”

Ivy scoffed, shaking her head. “That’s ridiculous. Ryder is strong because of you, not in spite of you.”

I couldn’t help the small smile that tugged at the corners of my mouth. “I know, right? But try telling that to our father.”

She sighed, stepping past me and rifling through my closet herself, pulling out a deep blue dress that I had completely forgotten about. “This,” she said, holding it up with a grin. “This is the one.”

I took the dress from her, holding it against my body. It was beautiful, simple but elegant, and perfect for the ceremony. “Thanks,” I said, my voice a little softer now.

“No problem.” Ivy crossed her arms, watching me again with that curious look in her eyes. “But seriously, why was Ryder in here?”

I met her gaze, deciding to be honest with her. “He hates it. All of it. Being alone, the pressure, the expectations. He’s terrified of letting everyone down.”

Ivy’s brow furrowed, and she sat down on the edge of my bed. “That’s not fair. They shouldn’t be putting all of that on him. He’s still just… Ryder. He’s not some invincible Alpha.”

I nodded, feeling the heaviness of the truth settling between us. “I know. But that’s what our father wants. And Ryder’s trying to do what he’s supposed to, but it’s killing him.”

Ivy shook her head, her lips pressed into a thin line. “He needs you, Faye. Whether they like it or not.”

I looked down at the dress in my hands, feeling the weight of her words. Ryder might be the one destined to be Alpha, but that didn’t mean he had to do it alone. He wasn’t supposed to.

“I’ll be there for him,” I said quietly, more to myself than to Ivy. “No matter what our parents say.”

Ivy smiled, standing up and giving me a quick hug. “Good. Now, hurry up and get dressed. You’ve got a big night ahead of you.”

As she left the room, I looked at myself in the mirror, the dress now hanging over my arm. Tonight was supposed to be all about Ryder, but I had a feeling that things were starting to change—starting to shift in ways none of us had expected.

And maybe, just maybe, it was time I started to step into my own.