ARIEL'S POV
"I love you, Alpha," I said to Rhyder, who already had his back to me, dressing after we had slept together. I never forgot to say it whenever we were done, especially because he loved hearing it.
He cast me a quick glance, and I caught a small smile. It was fleeting, but it warmed my heart so much that I blushed.
Goddess, I would've been jumping like a child if he'd said he loved me back. Or maybe he still would. After all, he was finally going to make me Luna. I had earned the position—as well as his love.
"You did great. Now get up and start preparing so you don't keep everyone waiting," Rhyder said, zipping up his pants. "Remember, a Luna should always be punctual."
He didn't say it back.
I sighed, but the sadness didn't last. I knew Rhyder loved me—he was a man of action, not words. As an Alpha should be.
A smile still appeared on my lips as I watched him walk out the door with that effortless grace that made my heart skip every time.
"Yes, Alpha," I murmured, even though he couldn't hear me anymore.
I slipped out of bed and walked naked to the bathroom, where a scented bath had been prepared for me by the helps. They were actually omegas, but I hated calling them that. Whenever Rhyder referred to me as "Omega", I always felt something clawing at my chest—something small and inferior. Maybe it was the manner he always said it but I didn't want anyone to feel that way.
The helps returned to bathe me, but I dismissed them. I was used to doing everything myself, even though I'd been Rhyder's mate and contract lover for two years.
Why change now just because I was going to be Luna? Besides, I needed time alone to process everything I was feeling.
I was finally going to be crowned today. Of course I was damn happy.
Though I'd worked hard to prove myself worthy of this position, I still felt honored that my mate was letting me have it. Being an omega already meant weak and ordinary—far from what any powerful Alpha would want.
But two years ago, the goddess decided my fate would be different. After an accident that stole my memory for two months, Rhyder discovered we were mates.
It had felt like a dream.
"Miss Ariel, please, you have to come out soon or you'll be late for the ceremony," Esther, the handmaiden my mate chose for me, said from the door.
"All right, Esther. Just a minute more," I quickly answered, realizing I'd gotten lost in my thoughts and spent more time than I should have.
The last thing I wanted on my special day was to upset the alpha. He hated lateness—no matter the excuse or who you were.
°°°°°°°°°°°
Several moments later, two guards opened the double doors, and my eyes met the beautifully decorated, grand ballroom where my Luna ceremony was being held. I took a deep breath and lifted the hem of my green ball gown—Rhyder's choice, but I loved it. It matched my eyes and complimented my golden-brown hair perfectly.
I let my gaze sweep across the crowd before I began walking down the long corridor, my pulse pounding in my ears.
I wore a demure smile, one befitting a Luna, and kept my eyes fixed on my mate's face—those icy-blue eyes, that small, graceful smile. How can anyone not be entranced?
I'd waited two long years for this moment, and yet, even the title didn't excite me as much as the man in front of me. He was not just my mate, he was the man who saved me and gave me a life I would've never dared to dream of.
"You look so beautiful," Anya whispered as I passed her. She was Rhyder's sister and stood beside Beta Vayne, who looked just as happy for me. They were both sweet souls.
My smile broadened—but it almost faltered when I took two more steps and saw Nerissa with her husband, the pack's gamma. Even though I was about to be crowned Luna and rule over them, that scowl she wore whenever she saw me was still there. Perhaps even deeper now.
I'd never pretended to like her either.
I returned my focus to my Alpha, and my smile deepened again. That probably irritated Nerissa, but who cared?
I finally reached the place where the elderly shaman and my mate stood waiting. I bowed slightly before facing him. He looked so breathtaking and powerful in his dark ceremonial robe trimmed with silver.
"You can begin," he said to the shaman, his voice edged with an impatience I didn't like. But I didn't complain. Maybe he just couldn't wait to see me assume the role of his Luna. Maybe he was even planning to mark me today.
Butterflies swarmed in my stomach, but I forced myself to stay graceful. A Luna must never lose composure.
The shaman cleared his throat and lifted the shimmering silver crown adorned with moons. I recognized it. It had in the past be worn by Rhyder's mother, Brianne, the former Luna.
The hall became so silent you could hear a pin drop. And maybe my heartbeat as it pounded faster.
"Under the watchful gaze of the Moon, ancient and eternal, we gather as one pack, one blood, one soul."
I locked eyes with my mate. The intensity of his stare pulled me in, making me forget the tension for a moment. My heart still raced—but for a different reason.
"Tonight, the stars bear witness as we crown our Luna—not just the Alpha's mate, but the heart of our people. The voice in silence. The strength in our storm. The light in our darkness," the shaman continued with steady voice.
Those words echoed in my soul, emphasizing the weight of the responsibility I was about to take on. But I wasn't scared. I'd been serving the people even before now. It hadn't been easy, but I'd loved every bit of it.
The shaman lifted the crown, and my heart skipped a beat again.
"With this crown, we do not simply honor your bond to our Alpha—we acknowledge your bond to us all. From this moment..."
A commotion broke out behind us, making the shaman pause. Everyone's eyes turned toward the source of the noise. Including mine.
My brows furrowed in confusion when I saw a woman being held back by the guards in the middle of the hallway. She was struggling to free herself.
She looked weak, dirty—nothing like my glamorous appearance. But despite that, a strange bile rose to the pit of my stomach the moment I caught the shock and unmistakable recognition in my mate's eyes.
"Lysandra?" he called, voice filled with disbelief. The name sent a sharp jolt through me, and warning bells went off in my head.
Before I could make sense of anything, Rhyder rushed toward her; she had just fainted.