Chapter 74 Chapter 74
Tiana
“Where is Margaret?” Those were the first words I blurted to myself as I finished reviewing petitions in the library.
She had been quiet for almost a week and now it was getting me worried.
Was it the incident in the hall that made her this way? I should have felt relief, but all I felt was some dread about the state of her emotions.
I found her in the gardens, reading beneath one of the old oak trees. She looked up when I approached, surprise flickering across her face.
“Luna Tiana. I didn’t expect to see you here.”
My lips curved slightly, walking closer to her, “I was hoping we could talk.”
“About what?”
I sat down on the bench across from her, choosing my words carefully. “I know we got off on the wrong foot. And I think some of that is my fault. I am here so we could talk things out.”
Margaret’s expression softened slightly. “It’s not your fault, I wasn’t kind to you. I’m sorry for that.”
I stared at her, unsure if this apology was real because the one at the hall was not.
I continued. “If you’re willing. There are Luna duties I could use help with. Preparations for the harvest festival and organizing the housing improvements. I thought maybe we could work together.”
“I’d like that,” she said. “Truly. I’ve been feeling isolated here trying to find my place. Having someone to work with would help.”
Relief flooded through me. “Good. That’s good.”
We talked for a while after that.
And I only discovered then that she was charming when she wanted to be. Intelligent and insightful about pack dynamics.
Maybe I had misjudged her. Maybe the cruelty had been her own defense mechanism, and now that we were actually talking, we could build something better.
Over the next few days, Margaret helped me with festival preparations. She made suggestions about decorations and seating arrangements that actually improved my plans.
I started to relax around her. The possibility of her becoming the female friend I was yet to find in the pack house was growing day by day.
•••
“They’re talking,” Gamma Rowan mentioned casually to me one afternoon. “About you and Kaius.”
My stomach dropped. “Talking about what? And who?”
“Pack members and I believe it’s since that incident at the hall. They are concerned about the way he looks at you and have been saying that you spend time together with him despite ‘pretending’ to be friends with his soon-to-be mate.”
“Why would they say that?” My lips parted, confusion causing the skin around my eyes to fold.
“We have only been just friends and we work together on the pack business.”
“I know that. You know that.” He shrugged. “But gossip doesn’t care about facts.”
The conversation left me unsettled for the rest of the day.
I tried to remember my recent interactions with Kaius, searching for anything that could be misinterpreted.
I saw nothing; because nothing inappropriate had happened between us. Was Kaius acting in some way that I had yet to notice?
Two days later, Margaret found me in the main hall.
“Tiana!” She was smiling. “I wanted to invite you to an event. There’s a gathering tonight. I got some goodness from my pack of a successful treaty negotiation so I’m throwing a small party.”
I hadn’t heard about any celebration. “I didn’t know there was a gathering planned,” I muttered.
“It’s only a last-minute preparation. But I thought it would be good for you to attend. Show unity between us, you know?”
I had spent most of my recent days at the library and in training with the omega wolves so it made sense why I might not have heard it.
“Alright,” I said. “What time?”
“By sunset. In the formal receiving room.”
She squeezed my arm affectionately and left, humming to herself.
Considering how not-so-smooth my relationship with Margaret had been, I was excited that she would invite me.
By the time I arrived in the formal receiving room, it was already full.
Beta Ezra stood near the windows, talking with two elders. Gamma Rowan was with several higher-ranking warriors. And there, in the corner, stood Kaius with a drink in his hand.
Zane sat in the high-backed chair near the head of the room and I swallowed, recalling the last time we had been together.
Intentionally avoiding dwelling on it, I made my way to an empty seat when Margaret materialized at my side, linking her arm through mine. “Come on. Let’s mingle.”
She guided me through the room, making introductions, and being the perfect hostess.
Her actions made my shoulders drop quite easily and my breathing stable.
“Luna Tiana,” one of the elders said. “We were just discussing the Omega housing project. Margaret tells us you’ve been leading the initiative.”
“Yes.” I shook my head. “We’re hoping to complete the renovations before winter.”
“Ambitious timeline,” another elder commented. “Especially given your other responsibilities.”
“She’s very dedicated,” Margaret said, her voice warm with what sounded like pride. “Always taking on more than necessary.”
“Someone has to advocate for the omegas,” I said carefully. “They deserve better living conditions.”
“Of course they do.” Margaret smiled. “Though one wonders if the Luna’s time might be better spent on more traditional responsibilities.”
A frown came on my face at the sound of it.
“What traditional responsibilities?” I asked.
“Oh, you know. Formal pack events. Maintaining relationships with allied packs and bearing heirs. The kinds of things a Luna typically handles.”
“I handle those things too.”
“Do you?” Her smile never wavered. “I haven’t seen much evidence of it. But perhaps I’m just not looking in the right places.”
Beta Ezra cleared his throat. “Luna Tiana has been managing her duties quite well. The Alpha has no complaints.”
Margaret’s gaze flicked to Zane, who was watching the exchange with that blank expression.
“Of course,” she said sweetly. “I didn’t mean to suggest otherwise. I’m just concerned that she might be spreading herself too thin. Taking on omega projects when there are more important matters that need attention.”
“The omega projects are important,” Kaius replied, his voice sharp as he joined our group.
Margaret’s smile tightened. “I’m sure they are. To some people.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Nothing.” She laughed lightly. “Just that a Luna typically focuses on the whole pack, not just one segment. But perhaps that’s just my upbringing talking. Different packs have different priorities.”
“The omegas are part of the pack,” I said, fighting to keep my voice level. “Helping them helps everyone.”
“Does it?” Margaret tilted her head. “Or does it just make you feel better about where you came from?”
The room went quiet.
“Margaret—” Kaius started, but she talked over him.
“I’m just asking honest questions. It seems odd that someone with such limited experience would focus so heavily on one demographic. Unless there’s a personal bias at play.”
“Why would you say that Margaret? There’s no bias,” I was still in awe at how the conversation had quickly gone left.
Margaret’s expression remained pleasant, but her eyes had gone cold. “From where I’m standing, it looks like someone trying to prove they belong by championing their former peers. Which raises questions about whether you ever truly left that role behind. If I’m just bluffing, we could kindly check all of the projects the Luna had been on and a large percentage of it is on the omegas.”
My hands clenched at my sides. “Margaret, I am Luna of this pack,” I said, stunning even myself. It was not a title I had ever fully worn with such authority.
Whispers followed before Margaret folded her arms, facing me directly.
“Are you? Because a Luna is chosen for her strength and her lineage. I am forced to believe that the circumstances around yours was a mistake from the moon goddess.
My eyes searched for Zane around the crowd because why was he not saying anything?
Top leaders in the pack were gathered here, and somehow Margaret could speak this way to me without being cautioned.
“That’s enough,” Kaius growled.
“Is it?” She turned to him, her mask slipping further. “Everyone in this room is thinking it. I’m just saying it out loud. She’s Luna in name only but we know she’s a servant wearing a title she didn’t earn and doesn’t deserve.”
“Margaret!” Kaius stepped forward, his voice rising. “You will not speak to the Luna like that.”
“What? I am only speaking the truth?” She let out a bitter chuckle.
“She’s more Luna than you’ll ever be,” Kaius said, his voice dropping to something lethal.
Margaret’s face flushed. “How dare you?”
“How dare I what? Defend someone who actually cares about this pack? Someone who puts in the work instead of just playing politics?” He moved closer to me. “Tiana has earned her place here. You’ve done nothing but cause division since you arrived.”
“I’m trying to protect this pack from making a mistake pretending that omega blood can ever be Luna quality.”
“Watch your mouth,” Kaius warned.
“Or what?” She turned back to me now, her expression twisted with contempt. “You know what you are, don’t you? You know that no matter how hard you try, no matter how many projects you take on, you’ll never be anything more than the servant girl who got lucky. An omega pretending to be royalty!”
The silence that followed was absolute.