The grand halls of the Pack house buzzed with anticipation as preparations for the crowning ceremony surged ahead. Servants hurried past with trays of decorations, advisors debated final touches for the event, and the Pack itself thrummed with excitement. Mira, however, moved through the commotion with a mixture of pride and trepidation. Soon, she would stand beside Kaelan as Alpha Queen—a title she had never imagined claiming.
Mira's mind drifted to the ceremony and all it symbolized. It wasn’t just a crowning moment for Kaelan but a chance for her to prove to herself and the Pack that she was worthy of her role. The thought both thrilled and terrified her.
She turned a corner, lost in thought, and nearly collided with a familiar figure. The ex-Luna.
“Watch where you’re going,” the older woman snapped, her eyes narrowing as they locked onto Mira’s. Her gaze was sharp, raking over Mira with disdain that was impossible to miss.
Mira straightened, her chin lifting in defiance. “Luna,” she greeted cautiously, inclining her head in respect. Though the woman no longer held the title, Mira could not bring herself to discard formalities.
The ex-Luna’s lips curled in a sneer. “So, the wolfless girl who clawed her way into my son’s favor is now strutting through these halls as if she belongs here.” Her tone dripped with derision, each word cutting like a blade.
Mira clenched her fists at her sides, determined not to rise to the provocation. “I am no longer the weak wolf you once knew,” she said, her voice steady despite the anger bubbling beneath the surface. “I shifted, and I have powers now. Surely you can see I’m not the same as before.”
The ex-Luna’s eyes narrowed further, her expression unreadable for a moment before twisting into a scornful grin. “Powers, you say? And where do you think those powers come from, Mira? Have you ever questioned why you’re so different? Why you were wolfless for so long?”
The words struck Mira like a whip, and her breath hitched. She opened her mouth to respond, but the ex-Luna pressed on, stepping closer.
“You’re no miracle, Mira,” the older woman hissed, her voice dripping with venom. “You’re an abomination—a bastard wolf born of a concubine and a witch.”
Mira staggered back, her eyes wide with disbelief. “You’re lying,” she whispered, shaking her head as though the motion could dispel the woman’s words.
The ex-Luna sneered, her tone triumphant. “Am I? Ask Liana if you don’t believe me. Or better yet, ask yourself why your father treated you like dirt, why you were cast aside like an afterthought. Deep down, you’ve always known you don’t belong.”
Mira’s vision blurred with tears, and her legs threatened to give way beneath her. She leaned against the wall for support, her mind racing. The ex-Luna’s words were cruel, but they planted a seed of doubt that began to grow, poisoning her thoughts.
The older woman stepped back, her expression one of cold satisfaction. “You may fool Kaelan with your powers and your pretty face, but don’t think for a second that you belong here, Mira.” With that, she turned on her heel and strode away, leaving Mira rooted to the spot, her chest heaving with the weight of the revelation—or what she feared might be the truth.
Mira stumbled back to her room, her mind in chaos. She barely registered the concerned looks of passing servants or the hum of activity around her. All she could hear were the ex-Luna’s words, echoing in her mind like a curse.
Once inside, she closed the door and slid to the floor, her back pressed against the wood. Tears streamed down her face as the weight of it all pressed down on her: her father’s coldness, Liana’s resentment, the whispers about her heritage. Could it all be true? Was she truly an outcast in every sense of the word?