177

177
The gravel crunches under their steps before the packhouse. The elders move past Theon without hesitation. At the front, the oldest elder walks with a straight back, one hand resting lightly on his daughter’s arm.

Celeste steps precise. Pale cream coat, matching gloves, polished shoes. Hair perfectly in place, smile polite, controlled. Up close, the effort behind it is clear. She is trained, measured, and deliberate. From a distance, she might seem like a visitor. Up close, every motion screams practiced grace.

Theon’s office is quiet except for the scratch of his pen. Papers spread across the desk. His fingers tap idly against the wood. The door swings open before anyone knocks. Bernardo steps in. Face tight. Warning enough.

“They’re here,” he says.

“Who.” The word is clipped.

“The oldest elder… and his daughter with the pack members.”

Theon freezes. Hand suspended over the desk. Jaw tightens. Then he pushes back the chair and stands. The scrape of legs against the floor is loud in the still room. Walking to the pack hall.

The elder enters first, staff in hand, eyes sharp. “Alpha,” he says. “We bring you a gift.”

Celeste steps forward. Polite bow. Soft voice. “Alpha Theon, it’s an honor.”

Theon doesn’t blink. “A gift?” His voice cuts, controlled but dangerous.

The elder’s smile doesn’t falter. “A gift to the pack. A gesture for the good of our bloodline.”

Lumina walks in. Flanked by two guards. Fingers laced tightly, knuckles pale, face composed. Calm enough for anyone watching, but inside, every nerve feels stretched.

Lumina feels her pulse tick faster. Outside, the courtyard holds a quiet crowd. They watch, arms crossed, heads tilted. Every pair of eyes presses against the walls, silent judgment or approval.

Theon’s lips move. He seems ready to stop this before it begins. But then he glances at the windows, the silent witnesses outside. He closes his mouth.

Celeste’s gaze finds Lumina. Smile widening, teeth showing just enough. “Luna Lumina,” she says. “I’ve heard much about your grace and leadership. I hope we can be...”

Lumina tilts her head. “Welcome. Guests are treated with respect here.”

Theon says nothing. Silence hangs heavy, enough for the pack outside to interpret as they wish.

Bernardo steps forward, but Theon lifts a hand to stop him.

Lumina tilts her head. Subtle, controlled. “Prepare a guest chamber near the Alpha’s building. Comfortable. Make sure of it.”

The servant bows too quickly, smiling at Celeste. The servant return after a while “We’ve prepared a chamber for you, Lady Celeste.”

Celeste follows the servant upstairs. The door clicks shut behind her, leaving only the echo of her steps. Lumina exhales sharply, low and furious.

As soon as everyone leaves, they return to his office, and Lumina spins to Theon. “You let her in. You just let her walk in like it's nothing.”

Theon leans against his desk. One hand brushes over papers. Calm. Even. “She is a guest. Guests are treated with respect.”

Lumina laughs, brittle and sharp. “A guest? The daughter of the oldest elder? They bring her here to you, Theon! To bear your heirs if they choose. And you… you just let it happen while standing like a statue!”

Theon finally meets her gaze. Calm, unreadable. Slight twitch at the corner of his jaw. “I didn’t ask for this.”

“I know you didn’t ask. But you let them do it anyway. You watched them hand her to you. You did nothing!”

He leans back, arms crossed. “And if I’d sent her back? That would have caused a scene. The pack outside—they were watching. One wrong move, and I deal with more than angered elders. I’m keeping the peace.”

Lumina’s chest tightens. Pulse hammering. “Peace? Or your comfort?” She swallows the lump in her throat, voice tight. “This isn’t peace, Theon. It’s you staying safe while I… I watch them parade a woman meant to replace me in their eyes.”

He steps closer, voice low. “It’s not about me.”

Lumina laughs, bark-like, raw. “Not about you? I’m the Luna. And she—she’s a threat to everything I am, everything we are. And you… you let them hand her over like it’s nothing.”

The office feels smaller. Air thick, pulse loud. Her hands shake, stomach knots. Every instinct screams to lash out, make him feel her fire.

“You have no right,” she hisses, quieter now but deadly. “No right to allow this. I should be furious—and I am. And I can’t look at you without hating you for letting it happen.”

Theon’s eyes soften. Just a fraction. She hates it. Hates how he can be calm while she’s raw. “Lumina,” he says, firm but even, “you know I—”

“I don’t know anything, Theon!” she cuts him off, voice shaking. “You think I can watch my mate accept another woman like a polite guest?"

He steps closer. Hands flexing at his sides. “I don’t want this either. You think I want it?”

Lumina shakes her head, stepping back. “You don’t want it? You allow her. Into your house, our pack. And you call it ‘not wanting it’? You think knowing you didn't want her it makes it okay?!”

She grips the desk edge. Knuckles white. Eyes meeting his. “Do you even realize what this does to me? To us?”

Theon swallows. Jaw tight. “I’m trying to keep control. You think this is easy? That I want to fight every elder who thinks they can dictate this? I don’t enjoy standing there, watching their manipulations.”

She swallows her scream, forces her hands to unclench. “And what about me, Theon? This is how it feels from my side. I’m being replaced in their minds. You let it happen. Let her breathe in my space.”

Silence fills the office. The hum of ventilation, the faint creak of floorboards. Neither moves.

Finally, he sighs, running a hand over his face. “I’m not ignoring you, Lumina. Never ignoring you. But this isn’t just about us. You know that.”

“It is about us, Theon. Always,” she whispers, voice fierce and trembling. “Every insult, every forced arrangement lands on me. I’m tired of bending, swallowing, pretending it doesn’t kill me slowly inside.”

She straightens, fire flaring. “I am your Luna. Supposed to be your partner, your equal. And yet, when they bring her… I’m the one left furious, helpless. Do you understand?”

He studies her, silent. Then slow, careful. “I hear you. I see it. I hate what they’ve done too.”

Lumina swallows hard. “Then act like it. Don’t just sit there. Don’t just exist while my blood boils.”

He hesitates. Silence stretches. Then a curt nod. “I won’t let them make this a challenge against you.”

Her body relaxes slightly, but fire remains. She looks at the floor, breath shaky. Theon reaches for her hand. She jerks it back, trembling. “I have too much to deal with already with my son's health, I can't handle any more drama, before I lose it"

He nods again, calmly accepting what she just said.

Lumina exhales, slow hiss. Turn toward the door. He watches the space she leaves, fire still lingering like smoke.