Chapter 120 The Luna Ceremony pt 2
Seren
“Alright,” Cat said briskly, clapping her hands once. Her eyes gleamed with barely contained excitement. “Moment of truth. Shoes first, then the dress. And everyone breathe—we are not scaring the bride today.”
“I’m not a bride,” I protested weakly, though my pulse had started racing again.
Cat arched a brow. “You’re mated, bonded, and about to be claimed under the moon. Call it whatever helps you sleep tonight, sweetheart.”
Once again, laughter rippled through the room, easing the tight knot in my chest as I sat and let them guide my feet into delicate silver heels. The fabric whispered as the dress was lifted from its perch, light catching on threads that shimmered like moonlight on snow. My breath hitched.
As I stepped into it and pulled the single strap onto my shoulder, the weight of my new role for the pack and the kingdom settled with it. When they finished lacing the back and turned me back toward the mirror once more, my heart thundered.
The girl staring back at me was still me. Still scared. Still hopeful. But she was so much more.
My mother, now dressed in flowing golden silk, opened a velvet box and lifted out a tiara. Diamonds, rubies, and moonstones curved along delicate silver filigree, all drawing the eye to a stunning deep green emerald at the center.
“With this,” she said softly, “you carry all the elements. Air and water in the blues of your gown. Earth and fire here.” She smiled. “A true princess of our realm—blessed by the goddess.”
She placed it gently on my head, her hands lingering as her eyes filled. "For so many years, I thought I'd never get to see this day, to do this with you." Her voice broke. "I'm beyond grateful that you're here, that you want me to be a part of your life. I love you, my daughter. I always have, and I always will."
I pulled her into my arms, hugging her close. "I'm not going anywhere, Mom," I whispered. "I'm here."
I could hear the low hum of voices long before the ceremony clearing came into view—the chatter of the pack, the mingled accents of visiting wolves, laughter and anticipation braided together in the cooling evening air. It washed over me in waves as I followed the familiar path, every step bringing me closer to the heart of Crescent Moon territory.
During one of our many late-night conversations, Duncan had told me that this clearing had been used for Alpha and Luna ceremonies since the pack’s founding, hundreds of years ago. Generations of power had been sworn here. Blood spilled, oaths taken, bonds forged beneath the same moon now rising overhead. The place had absorbed it all—every promise, every sacrifice—and it had developed a magic all its own.
I felt it before I ever crossed the boundary. A subtle vibration skimmed along my skin, raising goosebumps on my arms and sending shivers down my spine, as though the clearing itself had sensed me approaching and was reaching back. The air felt thicker here, charged, humming softly beneath the sounds of the crowd. It welcomed me. It tested me.
Mom and Cat had left nearly an hour ago to join my father and Aidan. Duncan and the leadership team had stepped away soon after to prepare themselves, handing control of the guests over to Aidan and Cat with practiced ease. Meanwhile, Mom, Dad, and Gideon had taken on the quieter but no less strategic role of mingling—reading the room, gauging reactions, feeling out alliances while so many pack leaders stood within one sacred space.
Kayla had stayed with me as long as she could, a steady presence and occasional distraction, but even she had eventually excused herself to find Julian now that the ceremony was imminent. And so, for the first time all day, I was truly alone.
I slowed my pace deliberately, letting my fingers trail along the rough bark of a nearby tree as I walked. I gave the butterflies in my stomach their moment—let them flutter, let them remind me that this mattered—before I drew a steadying breath and clamped down on them.
I wanted this. I wanted Duncan. I wanted the life reflected back at me from the mirror earlier; the woman standing tall in ceremonial dress, eyes bright with certainty and belonging. Still, nerves lingered. This was another threshold. Another transformation. I’d crossed so many already, but this one felt…final in a way the others hadn’t.
'You’re ready,' Kara said as my confidence settled, crystalizing into something firm and unyielding.
That was when the tension crept in, subtle but unmistakable. Just ahead, standing slightly apart from the flow of guests, was Lenore.