Chapter 54 The arrival
~Sage~
She was beautiful.
That was my first thought when Riana Blackwood stepped out of the luxurious car, flinging her long, lustrous hair around as she smiled widely at everyone. She moved with the easy grace of someone who had never doubted her place in the world, or questioned whether she belonged.
I hated her immediately.
No. That wasn't fair. I didn't know her. I had no right to hate her based on nothing but my own jealousy and the stories Damon had told. Stories that Keith said were lies.
But watching her smile up at the pack house, watching her take in her new home with bright, eager eyes, I couldn't help but feel that way.
She was tall. Taller than me by several inches. Her body was athletic and strong, the body of a warrior, not a politician's daughter. She looked like the kind of woman who could fight beside her mate in battle and then dance with him at a celebration the same night.
She looked like a Luna.
A real Luna. Not an almost wolfless woman playing pretend with the alpha king.
I smoothed down my dress and walked forward to greet her, making sure that I had the perfect smile and posture as required of me.
"Welcome to our kingdom, Riana." I extended my hands toward her. "We're so pleased to have you."
Her face lit up like the sun breaking through clouds. She took my hands in hers and squeezed them with genuine warmth.
"Luna Sage! I've heard so much about you." Her voice was soft and flowery, the kind of voice that made people lean closer to listen. "Everyone says you're the kindest Luna in all the territories. I'm so honored to finally meet you."
"The honor is mine." I gestured toward the pack house behind me. "Please, let me show you inside. You must be exhausted from your journey."
"It was terribly long," she admitted with a pretty laugh. "But worth every mile. I've been dreaming of this moment for months."
Months. She had been counting down the days.
I kept my smile steady and led her toward the entrance, where a small welcoming party had gathered. There were Pack elders, senior warriors, household staff, and Keith.
He stood slightly apart from the others, his posture rigid. He was dressed formally in a dark suit and a crisp white shirt but there was nothing welcoming in his expression. His eyes found mine the moment I appeared, then slid to Riana.
"Keith." Riana's voice went soft and breathless. She released my hands and moved toward him eagerly. "My darling, it's been so long."
She reached for him, clearly expecting an embrace. Keith took her hand instead, pressing a brief kiss to her knuckles before stepping back stiffly.
"Riana. Welcome." He said, his voice flat. "I trust your journey was comfortable."
That was it. No warmth. No smile. No indication that he had any feelings for her at all.
I saw the flash of hurt in Riana's eyes, but it was gone in an instant. Her smile never disappeared, but I could see something else forming beneath the angelic smile.
"Very comfortable, thank you." She turned back to me, her brightness restored. "Luna Sage was just about to show me to my room. Perhaps you could join us? I'd love to catch up."
"I have meetings." Keith was already moving away. "I'll see you at dinner."
He didn't look at her as he left but he looked at me. It was just for a second, just a glance over his shoulder, but it was enough for Riana to notice.
I watched her watching him, watched her honey eyes track the direction of his gaze, watched understanding begin to dawn on her beautiful face. I didn't need a prophet to tell me that this was going to be a problem.
The rooms I had prepared for Riana were some of the finest in the pack house. Silk curtains, fresh flowers on every surface, a view of the gardens that even rivaled my own. I had spent hours on the details, determined to be the perfect hostess even while my heart was breaking.
"This is lovely." Riana walked through the space slowly, trailing her fingers over the furniture. "You have excellent taste, Luna Sage."
"Thank you. If you need anything at all, just ring for the servants. They've been instructed to attend to your every need."
"How thoughtful." She stopped by the window, looking out at the gardens below. Her back was to me now. "You've been very…welcoming."
Something about the way she said it made me pause.
"I want you to feel at home here." I replied.
"Do you?" She turned around, and her transformation was so sudden it stole my breath.
The sunshine on her face was gone. The warmth, the brightness, the musical laughter; all of it had vanished.
"Tell me something, Luna Sage." She moved toward me, her eyes never leaving mine. "How long have you been sleeping with my Keith?"
The question was something I never expected in a million years to come. I stumbled back a step before catching myself.
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"Oh, please." Her lip curled with contempt. "I'm not stupid. I saw the way he looked at you out there. As if you were the only person in the entire courtyard. As if I didn't even exist. He never even acknowledged my presence like that."
"Keith and I have a complicated relationship. I'm his stepmother. There's bound to be—"
"Don't." She held up a hand, cutting me off. "Don't insult my intelligence. I know what I saw."
My heart was pounding so hard I could hear it in my ears. This was dangerous. This was exactly what I had feared.
"Riana, I assure you—"
"You assure me of nothing." She stepped closer, close enough that I could smell her perfume. "I've waited years for this. Years. Do you understand? While Keith was here, playing house with all the girls he could lay his hands on, I was waiting."
Her voice dropped to something almost like a hiss. "But now, I'm done waiting."
I held my ground, refusing to show fear. I was still the Luna. She couldn't speak to me like this. She couldn't threaten me in my own home.
But she wasn't technically threatening. She was just... talking. And there was nothing in pack law that said a guest couldn't have a private conversation with her hostess.
"I think you're misreading the situation," I said carefully. "Keith has never—"
"Keith has never what? Never looked at you like you're the light that illuminates his life? Never found excuses to be near you? Never avoided me like I was carrying a disease?" She laughed, but there was no humor in it. "I have eyes, Luna Sage. And I've known Keith since we were children. I know when something is wrong."
She turned away from me, walking back to the window. When she spoke again, her voice was calmer.
"I'm going to marry him. That's not a question. The Alpha King has decreed it, our packs need the alliance, and I have no intention of going home in shame." She glanced back at me over her shoulder. "The only question is what happens to you."
"Nothing is going to happen to me."
"No?" She smiled, and it was the smile of a predator who had already cornered her prey. "We'll see."
She turned fully to face me, and just like that, the warmth returned to her eyes. The softness crept back into her voice.
"Thank you so much for showing me to my room, Luna Sage. You've been so incredibly kind." She clasped her hands in front of her, the picture of gratitude. "I think I'll rest before dinner. The journey really was exhausting."
I recognized a dismissal when I heard one.
"Of course." I moved toward the door, keeping my movements calm. "Dinner is at seven. Someone will come to escort you."
"Wonderful. I can't wait."
I left without looking back, closing the door softly behind me. Then I leaned against the wall and tried to remember how to breathe.
She knew. Maybe not everything, maybe not the details, but she knew something was wrong. She had seen the way Keith looked at me, the way he dismissed her, and she had drawn her own conclusions.
And she wasn't going to let it go.
Riana was right about one thing. The Alpha King had decreed this marriage. The alliance depended on it. And no matter how much Keith and I wanted to be together, we were trapped in a web of politics and power that neither of us could escape.
The only question was what happened next.
And I had a terrible feeling that Riana already had plans of her own.