Chapter 18 A Crown Of Lies
Clara’s POV
Evergreen Pack was beginning to breathe again. The smoke-stained walls had been repainted, the warriors were back on patrol, and the whispers of the invasion were slowly fading into the background like an old nightmare everyone was trying to forget.
And why shouldn’t they? The pack had a new beginning coming. My beginning.
The grand wedding.
My wedding.
Everywhere I turned, omegas rushed in every direction—hanging white silk over railings, scrubbing the courtyard tiles until they shone, arranging tables, polishing silverware. And every single one of them looked terrified of disappointing me. Good. They should be. Being Luna required respect, and respect started with fear.
“Move that vase to the left, not the right,” I snapped at a trembling young omega. “Do you decorate with your eyes closed?” She apologized, bowed so low her hair nearly swept the floor, and hurried to obey.
My lips curved. Perfect. This pack had always adored Isabella and treated her like some goddess, but look where that got them—invaded, broken, leaderless. They needed someone like me now.
Someone who knew how to survive. Someone who wasn’t afraid to get her hands dirty.
And Edmund? Oh, Edmund had moved on faster than a heartbeat. Little Magnus was dead and Isabella had disappeared without leaving a trace, and Edmund barely blinked. He told the elders that a Luna who abandoned her post wasn’t worth chasing after. He said losing their son was painful, but “life must go on.” He actually said those words.
And that was when I realized: I had him. All of him. Mind, body, power. He was so desperate to forget Isabella that he clung to me like I was the last piece of comfort left in his broken world.
It was almost amusing how easy it was.
Just then, my lead maid Lani rushed into the hall, panting lightly. “Luna-to-be,” she said with a breathless smile. “Your designer has arrived.”
My heart jumped. “Finally. Bring her in.”
“No, no,” she said, excitement spilling from her voice. “She asked that you be blindfolded before she reveals the gown. She said it’s tradition for brides of high rank.”
I nearly laughed. Tradition? There was no such thing. But the idea of a dramatic reveal thrilled me. If I was going to be Luna, then I deserved theatrics.
“Very well,” I said, lifting my chin proudly. “Blindfold me.”
Lani tied a soft black cloth over my eyes. For a moment the darkness felt familiar—like the night I had sneaked out to betray this pack and open the hidden gate. But I pushed that memory away quickly.
No need to spoil tonight’s mood. The designer took my hand and guided me gently through the hallways. I could hear the whispers of the workers as we passed. She’s going to be Luna. She’s so lucky. Edmund deserves someone sweet like her.
My smile stretched wider and wider. Oh, I adored being adored.
We reached the pack couture room and the blindfold came off slowly. Light spilled in first. Then soft colors. Then—
My breath left my body in one long gasp.
There it was.
My wedding gown.
It stood on a raised platform like a masterpiece. The fabric was a shimmering blend of ivory and moon-silver, flowing so gracefully it looked alive. Tiny crystals sparkled across the bust, catching every ray of light.
The sleeves were sheer, embroidered with delicate vines that curled over the shoulders like magic. And the train… oh, the train. Long, sweeping, regal. Fit for a queen.
“My Goddess…” I whispered, hands flying to my mouth. “It’s… perfect.”
The designer smiled. “I tailored it based on the image you described, Luna. Modest, elegant, but unforgettable.”
Unforgettable. Yes. That’s exactly what I needed to be.
I walked closer, fingertips brushing the fabric. It was soft. Luxurious. Worthy of my ascension. “Edmund will lose his mind when he sees me,” I breathed. “He won’t even remember Isabella.”
There it was. The name. The one name that still had the power to stab me where it hurt.
Isabella.
She slipped into my thoughts like a ghost.
What if she’s still alive?
The question jumped out of nowhere, cold and sharp. My fingers froze on the gown. My smile faltered for half a second. I pushed the thought away immediately. “No,” I whispered under my breath. “No. She’s not.” How could she be?
Leon’s men had burned the pack to ruins. Most of the pack members had died. And Isabella… she was alone, with no allies, no support, no child, no husband. Even if she escaped death that night, she wouldn’t survive the forest for long.
I swallowed hard.
She was gone.
She had to be gone.
This was my moment. My throne. My crown. And no ghost from the past was going to steal it from me.
Lani held up a mirror. “Would you like to try it on, My Lady?”
“Yes,” I said quickly, eager to get Isabella out of my head. “Yes, bring the gown. Carefully. If one stitch tears, I’ll tear your head off.”
The maids moved with terrified precision. As they unlaced the back of the dress, I imagined myself walking down the aisle—every elder watching me with admiration, Edmund staring at me like I was salvation, the pack cheering for their new Luna.
Isabella had all of that once. She didn’t deserve it. She never did.
I had always been the shadow beside her. The pretty maid with no power, no prestige.
Not anymore.
The dress slid onto me and fit like destiny. When I turned toward the mirror, I barely recognized myself. The delicate sparkle. The elegant silhouette. The way the gown hugged my waist and flared like moonlight at my hips.
I looked like royalty.
I looked like someone born for the throne.
Lani clapped softly. “You’re breathtaking.”
I smiled. “I know.”
“Alpha Edmund will be speechless,” she added.
“He should be,” I said. “He has no idea the woman he rejected is nothing compared to the woman he’s marrying now.”
The room filled with soft murmurs of agreement. Compliments. Admiration. Exactly what I deserved. Exactly what I had fought for. Exactly what Isabella lost the moment she ran away like a coward.
Still… a whisper lingered in my mind.
What if she’s alive?
My jaw tightened. My smile sharpened.
If she was alive, she would come back for Edmund. Or for revenge. Or to reclaim the title that should’ve never been hers in the first place.
But she wouldn’t succeed. Because I had Edmund’s heart now. And soon I would have his pack too.
And if Isabella dared show her face again?
I’d make sure she died properly this time.
I turned in the mirror again, letting the gown shimmer as I moved. “Clear the hall,” I ordered. “I need a moment alone.”
Everyone bowed and scurried out.
When the door shut, I stared at my reflection for a long, satisfied moment.
“This is my pack now,” I whispered. “My kingdom. My crown. And nothing—not even a ghost—can take it from me.”