Chapter 168 Becoming Red Moon

Chapter 168 Becoming Red Moon
(Scarlett)
So… I’m Luna of the Red Moon pack. I stare out over what is left of the celebration, trying to make it feel real. Red Moon. The pack that a literal goddess ruled. The pack where Death himself grew up. The pack where the Moon Goddess grew up. The pack people talk about like it stands half in legend and half in the world, too powerful and too touched by fate to ever be ordinary… And now I’m Luna here. How the fuck am I supposed to live up to that?
It’s not that I’m unhappy. I’m not. Somewhere underneath the shock, the exhaustion, and the general feeling that my life has been picked up and shaken like a snow globe, I am happy. I think I’m just still trying to catch up to the speed of it all. One minute, I was meeting my mates; the next, we were travelling the world and falling in love. Then we walked back through the doors of Red Moon, only to find the entire world had turned on its head, and we were going to have to ascend here and now. Felix says this kind of life-changing insanity happens to his family all the time. You know what happened to my family all the time back in Tolaris? Sometimes my mother would put a different seasoning on the steak at dinner. That was the big surprise. That was as wild as things got. This, though… this is something else entirely.
The celebration is beginning to wear itself out now. The music still plays, but softer. The lanterns still burn warm against the dark, but the clearing feels different from the way it did an hour ago. People drift toward their homes, calling soft goodnights over their shoulders. A few older wolves remain near the marquees, talking low while they help stack plates and straighten chairs, and somewhere near the dance space, I can still hear the tail end of a laugh I’m almost certain belongs to Felix.
Everything feels like it is settling, and I have absolutely no idea what I’m supposed to do next. I stand there for a moment longer with my hands hanging uselessly at my sides, trying to look like a woman who belongs here, like someone who knows what comes after becoming Luna of one of the most powerful packs in existence. The problem is, I don’t know what comes next. I don’t know if I should be helping clean up, speaking to more pack members, or standing somewhere looking regal, wise, and in control. I don’t feel regal. I feel tired, slightly overwhelmed, and very aware that my life has changed in a way that cannot be undone.
Before I can sink too far into that, I lift my head and find Kieran watching me. He tilts his head slightly and crooks one finger. The moment I reach him, his hand closes gently around my wrist, and he pulls me down onto his lap in one smooth movement. I let out a small breath at the contact, my body relaxing before I even realise it’s happening. His arm circles my waist and settles there with easy strength, anchoring me against him while he presses a kiss to my temple. “Tired?” he asks quietly. “Very,” I admit, my voice comes softer and worn thin. His hand shifts once at my side, and I lean into him without thinking. Dorian steps into my line of sight a second later. He reaches for my hand, his fingers brushing over mine before closing around them gently. “Come on,” he says. “Let’s get you to bed.” I blink up at him, then look back at Kieran. “But shouldn’t I be helping?”
Even as the words leave me, I know they sound weak. I’m tired enough that even sitting here feels like work, but the question still presses out of me anyway. It feels wrong to leave when everyone else is still moving. Felix appears at my shoulder before either of them can answer. His hand comes down warm and familiar against the top of it, and when I turn, the teasing edge I’m used to seeing in his face has softened. “There’s plenty of time for that,” he says. “You won’t be any help if we run you dry on your first day, love.” A breath leaves me that almost sounds like a laugh. “I’m not that fragile.”
“No,” Felix says easily. “You’re not. Which is why we’d like to keep it that way.”
Kieran’s hand tightens slightly at my waist, his mouth brushing once more against my temple before he leans back. “Go get some sleep,” he says. “We’ll finish up here.” I look between all three of them, at Kieran’s strength, Felix’s softness, and at Dorian standing there waiting with his hand still holding mine, and I let go. “Okay,” I say.
Kieran lets me rise and presses one last kiss to my temple as I do. Felix leans in next and kisses my cheek, quick and warm, his fingers squeezing my shoulder, before he steps back again. Then Dorian is at my side, quiet as ever, guiding me toward the packhouse, letting me match his pace while the clearing slowly fades behind us. The music softens with every step we take. I tilt my head toward him as we walk. “Did we really just become Alphas and Luna?” Dorian’s fingers tighten around mine. “Yeah,” he says. I let out a slow breath and shake my head a little. “Right.”
We walk a few steps more in the quiet before. “Don’t let me screw this up.” Dorian stops, and when I lift my eyes, he is already looking at me. His free hand comes up and brushes a loose strand of hair back from my face. “You won’t,” he says. There is no hesitation in it—no room for doubt. I’m not sure if I really believe him. These are some big shoes to fill. What I do know is that I’m not alone, and I’m sure that if I do start to get it wrong, my new best friend will come down here and help me make it right.