Chapter 33 Chapter 33
I became certain the moon goddess heard me because just after his question, the music stopped. Still, was it a kind of mockery that it only stopped after his question? Now I could not even pretend that I had not heard him.
His words echoed in my ears, louder than the applause that erupted around us.
“Then how do you explain being with him, late in the night the other day, at the private lounge?”
My heart slammed against my ribs.
He knew.
He had known this entire time.
Cold sweat began to drop between my thighs. What could I even say?
“Alpha Zane,” a wolf suddenly walked to us. “If you don’t mind, there are issues we have to discuss.”
Zane released me suddenly, his hands dropping from my waist as if the contact burned. He stepped back, putting distance between us that felt like miles.
“Zane, I…”
“Not now. I might listen to your excuse some other time.”
‘Excuse’ I almost scoffed. Except that I had more important worries to handle.
Zane turned away before I could respond, his attention already shifting to the Alpha who had been waiting to speak with him.
I stood there, frozen in the middle of the dance floor while other couples dispersed around me. My legs felt unsteady and my breathing shallow.
He was aware all along, and he waited until now, a moment when I felt partly exposed, to let me know.
I moved toward the edge of the hall on autopilot, my mind spinning. Wolves passed by me, some nodding politely, others whispering behind raised hands.
I didn’t care. It was miserable to focus on any of it.
All I could think about was the look in Zane’s eyes before he had turned away.
It was sheer disappointment.
I found myself near one of the drinks tables, tucked against the far wall where the crowd thinned slightly.
Servers moved efficiently, refilling glasses and offering trays of champagne and wine. I reached for one without thinking, a crystal flute filled with pale gold and sparkling liquid.
The first sip burned slightly going down. I had never been much of a drinker. As a servant, alcohol had been a luxury I couldn’t afford. And since becoming Luna, I’d been too nervous to indulge.
But right now, I needed something to dull the panic cutting through my chest.
I took another sip. Then another.
Across the hall, I could see Zane speaking with the Alpha who had approached our table earlier. Alpha Marcos. They stood close, their conversation clearly serious despite the festive atmosphere around them.
Zane’s posture was perfect. Every inch the powerful Alpha everyone respected.
And I was standing here, hiding behind a drinks table, trying not to fall apart.
The power gap between us had never felt more obvious. Noticing it now, made me more aware that I really did not have the liberty to move uncouthly.
A realization that painfully stuck.
Where Zane commanded rooms and made decisions that affected hundreds of wolves. Navigating politics with the kind of precision, an ordinary wolf like me could barely comprehend.
I was just a former servant who had stumbled into this role only because of an instruction the priestess had given.
I even needed Madam Celeste to teach me how to walk properly and how to do the royal dance.
And I had been caught alone with his nephew, and had no good explanation for it.
I drained the rest of my glass and reached for another.
A server appeared immediately, offering a fresh flute. I took it with a murmured thanks.
The second glass went down easier than the first.
Around me, wolves mingled and laughed. Celebrated.
But all I felt was the painful weight pressing down on my chest.
Zane’s questions during the dance replayed in my mind nonstop.
“Why did you agree to a dance with him?”
“Did he hold you like this?”
Each one had felt like a test I was failing. Like he was building a case against me piece by piece.
I took another sip trying to wash away the tightness in my throat.
My gaze drifted back to Zane.
He was still talking to Alpha Marcos, but his posture had shifted slightly. His jaw was tight. Whatever they were discussing did not seem pleasant.
Then, as if sensing my attention, his eyes cut toward me.
Just for a second.
Long enough for our gazes to lock across the distance. Enough time for me to recognize the question still burning in his expression.
Then he looked away.
And I felt the dismissal like a physical blow.
I turned back to the drinks table, my hand reaching for another glass before I’d consciously decided to.
The server gave me a slightly concerned look but said nothing. Just placed the fresh flute in my hand and moved on.
I should stop. I knew I should stop.
But the alcohol was doing what I needed it to. Softening the sharp edges of panic, dulling the humiliation that threatened to drown me.
One more wouldn’t hurt.
I took a long sip, letting the bubbles fizz against my tongue.
Maybe I was delusional. Maybe I had convinced myself that things were getting better between Zane and me. That the almost-moments we’d shared meant something.
But tonight had stripped away that illusion.
He didn’t trust me one bit.
He saw me as someone who needed to be watched. Questioned. Controlled.
Frustrated, I took another long sip.
Time became fluid after that.
I wasn’t sure how many drinks I’d had. Four? Five? The server had stopped giving me concerned looks and just kept the champagne coming whenever my glass emptied.
The hall had grown warmer. Or maybe that was just me.
My skin felt flushed. My thoughts slightly hazy around the edges.
But the tight knot in my chest had finally started to loosen.
I watched the crowd from my position against the wall. At one corner were Alphas discussing territory and trade, maybe. At another, were lunas exchanging pleasantries and subtle power plays.
Everyone had a place here. Everyone except me.
A figure moved through the crowd toward me. For a hopeful second, I thought it might be Zane.
But it was Kaius.
“Hey,” he muttered softly. “Are you okay?”
“Mmm.” The word came out slightly slurred. I cleared my throat. “I’m fine.”
His eyes flicked to the empty glasses lined up on the table beside me. “How many have you had?”
“I don’t remember.”
“Tiana—” Kaius took a step closer, lowering his voice. But before he could finish, a lilting voice cut through the space.
“Kaius!”
We both turned.
Luna Margot glided toward us, and beside her stood a younger girl beautiful in that polished, groomed way daughters of powerful families often were.
Kaius straightened instinctively.
“Luna Margot,” he said politely, inclining his head.
“Oh, don’t be so formal,” she said, smiling warmly as her eyes flicked briefly to me. “I’ve been looking for you. I wanted you to meet my daughter, Lyria.”
The girl stepped forward shyly, giving Kaius a small curtsy.
Kaius blinked, caught completely off guard. “It’s… ah, a pleasure.”
“It should be,” Luna Margot chimed lightly. “She insisted on greeting you. She’s heard so much about you from the elders.” Her eyes glittered. “Such a fine young elite… with such potential. Most of the inmates she-wolves would be thrilled to see you consider courtship when the time is right.”
My fingers tightened around my glass.
Kaius opened his mouth—probably to politely reject the idea—but Luna Margot wasn’t finished. She leaned in slightly, lowering her voice as if sharing a harmless secret.
“And who knows… perhaps you’ll find the right motivation soon.” Her gaze slid deliberately toward me again before returning to Kaius. “But come, come, don’t hide in the corner. Join us for a moment. Several wolves have been asking about you.”
She placed a gentle but insistent hand on his arm, steering him away.
Kaius shot me a look over his shoulder but he didn’t resist her guidance. Not when half the Lunas were watching.
“Wait—” he tried, his gaze flicking to the glasses beside me.
“I’m fine,” I said quickly, forcing a small smile. “Go.”
“Just a minute,” Luna Margot assured him. “Your company is requested.”
Kaius’ jaw tightened as if to defend, but he allowed himself to be led away, the young girl trailing behind them like a shadow.
And just like that, I was alone again.