Chapter 93 The Luna
Phoebe
I had never set foot in Dark Crimson before, and the moment our car passed through its front gates, my whole body tensed. The pack house rose like a dark fortress—nothing like the elegant Silver Claw manor or the clean-lined designs of Thunder Bite. This place felt ancient, heavy… dominant.
The building looked as if it had been carved from one giant block of obsidian, with deep red accents running along each pillar like dried blood. The Dark Crimson banner fluttered against the gray sky—black and red, marked by a crowned Lycan sigil.
The scent of Lycans hit me the second I stepped out of the car. It’s all thickness like a mist clinging to the skin. Their warriors stood in perfect rows—huge, stoic, sharp-eyed. Their gaze carried respect, but not warmth.
Zion automatically stepped half a step in front of me, protective instincts rising like a shield. Hayden scanned the area with his usual stone-cold expression. Finley… poor Finley smelled faintly of nerves; even I could pick it up.
I took a slow breath—only to feel something completely out of place with the pack’s intense atmosphere. The silence cracked as two figures stepped out from the main entrance.
Alpha Arthur—Adonis’s father—stood tall with his jet-black hair and dark green eyes that his son inherited. His Lycan aura was powerful… yet strangely gentle toward me. Not a threat. More like an old tree anchoring the storm.
Beside him, Luna Caitlyn walked with the grace of someone born to calm chaos. Her deep brown hair was tied in a simple knot, and when her gaze met mine, she offered a soft smile. A mother’s smile. A comforting one.
Warm. That was the first word that echoed in my head.
Dark Crimson may have looked harsh from the outside, but Luna Caitlyn’s warmth seeped through everything. My spirit reacted instantly, as if someone had placed a gentle hand over my heart.
Then from behind them… Adonis stepped out.
His pale skin caught the red glow of the chandelier above him, and his bright red hair swayed with the wind—like a flame walking straight toward me. His eyes, dark red with flecks of gold, locked on mine. He was in his “other self.”
He lifted a hand in a small wave. Nothing grand, nothing formal. Just a tiny smile meant only for me. My heart skipped back—then raced forward twice as fast.
“Welcome,” Alpha Arthur said, voice deep and warm. “We’re honored to receive Thunder Bite.”
“Thank you,” Hayden answered with diplomatic calm. Zion and Finley bowed respectfully.
Adonis reached me last—yet stood the closest. “You made it safely.” His smile carried more meaning than the words.
“I… yes,” I replied, my voice embarrassingly thin.
We were shown to our rooms to rest before the ceremony. An hour passed in a blur—I changed, fixed my hair, and tried to calm the wild beat of my heart.
The Dark Crimson coronation hall was far more magnificent than I imagined. The ceiling soared high, supported by dark stone walls lit by red torchiere flames that cast the entire room in a molten glow. Lycans formed a large circle, their faces grave, proud, expectant.
Adonis stood in the center, cloaked in black embroidered with crimson patterns that traced the lines of his muscles. He looked like a king carved by fate.
Alpha Arthur stepped forward carrying the heirloom—a blood-red iron cuff, engraved with intertwined Lycan figures.
“My son,” his voice boomed, “today you accept the role that has awaited you since the moment you took your first breath.”
Adonis knelt, head bowed.
“With this… I pass Dark Crimson into your hands.”
The cuff locked around Adonis’s arm. A surge of Lycan power burst from him, shaking the floor beneath us.
“Rise… Alpha Adonis Walsh.”
A roar erupted—raw and primal. Lycans pounded their chests, howling low in reverence. And I… could only stare. Admiration was the best words I could tell. A sliver of fear at how powerful he truly was.
Then my name was called.
“Phoebe Matthews,” an Elder announced, voice echoing through the chamber. “Step forward.”
My footsteps echoed far too loudly. My heartbeat felt like it might break through my ribs. Adonis waited for me, eyes soft, intense—like I was the only thing in the room.
Luna Caitlyn placed a delicate crown of red-branch metal into the Elder’s hands. “I’ve been waiting for this day,” she whispered, giving me a gentle, encouraging smile.
I met her gaze and felt both the weight and comfort of the moment settle over me.
The Elder raised his hands. “Before the ancestors of Dark Crimson, I proclaim you as Luna—the Alpha’s second soul, protector of the pack, the light of this house.”
Adonis looked at me like I was the center of his universe.
“Welcome your Luna,” the Elder declared.
Silence. Then—an explosion of voices. Lycans bowed their heads. The largest warriors dropped to one knee.
For me. I inhaled sharply, nearly trembling. I repeated in my head: This isn’t a dream. This was real.
And I was the one standing at the heart of it.
The Elder continued, “With this, I officially bind the new Alpha-Luna pair—Adonis Walsh and Phoebe Matthews—as the leaders of Dark Crimson.”
Adonis took my hand. His grip was firm, warm, grounding. My eyes stung. It felt like the floor vanished—like I was being lifted into a future I never knew I deserved.
Everything was perfect… until a voice I knew by heart cut through the noise.
“Phoebe!”
I spun around—and my world softened instantly. My parents. Beta Ralph and Beta Karina of Mystic Guardian. Standing at the entrance, smiling wide. My mother was already tearing up.
“Mom? Dad?” My voice cracked.
They rushed toward me and wrapped me in their arms. The scent of home, childhood, comfort—everything hit me at once.
“We’re so proud of you,” my father said, voice thick. “Luna of Dark Crimson… you’ve surpassed every expectation.”
My mother stroked my hair. “You look beautiful, sweetheart.”
I couldn’t stop the tears.
Then two more figures entered—Alpha Truman and Luna Meredith of Silver Claw. Just when I thought my heart couldn’t hold any more emotion.
“We were delayed by the snowstorm last night,” Alpha Truman said, patting my shoulder. “But we wouldn’t miss this.”
Luna Meredith held a small box. “This is our gift, a symbol of how proud we are of you.”
Inside lay a platinum ring engraved with the Silver Claw wolf. I glanced at Hayden without realizing it—because their relationship had once been fractured. But Hayden nodded softly.
Take it. You deserve it.”
Warmth bloomed in my chest.
The hall transformed the moment the ceremony ended. Music filled the air, tables overflowed with food, and Lycans filled the room with loud, wild celebration. The party had officially begun.
Zion disappeared with Finley, Hayden chatted with Alpha Truman, and I had barely taken one steady breath when a hand slid around my waist.
“Hello, my Luna,” he whispered, lips brushing my ear.
I rolled my eyes. “Are you—”
“The formal duties are done.” He intertwined his fingers with mine. “Now for my personal obligations.”
“What obligations?”
He didn’t answer. He simply tugged me away from the crowd, down a dim hallway glowing with red light. His steps were too quick to be innocent.
We entered his room—the door closed softly behind us. Before I could say a word, he pulled me in by the waist and kissed me. His “other self” always kissed with hunger… with possession.
“Everyone will—”
“They know I’d take my Luna,” he murmured, breath warm against my lips. “I only want one thing tonight.”
“What is it?” My heartbeat was out of control.
He pressed his forehead to mine.
“I hope we can have a child soon, Phoebe.”
The world froze. Then his lips captured mine again. I closed my eyes—fear, joy, nerves, and hope tangling together. The Moon Goddess had written my fate strangely… Luna to three Alphas, mate to a Beta.
A blessing I would never take for granted.