Chapter 1 Choosing a Luna
Nova’s Point of View
“First up—Elora Daniels,” I announce, trying to sound official.
I clear my throat dramatically and begin pacing across the cozy sitting room, waving a thick folder in the air.
Cassain groans from the armchair near the fireplace, his head tipping back like he’s being sentenced to death. “Nova, please…”
“She lives on the western edge of the territory,” I continue, ignoring his plea. “Her family owns a massive orchard business. Apples, peaches, maybe even pears. Very fruitful.” I smirk at my own pun.
Cassain shifts uncomfortably in his seat, his arms crossed and his jaw tight.
He’s been trapped here for the past hour, forced to listen to me read through the profiles of potential wives his mother has handpicked for him.
But the profiles weren't the real issue. The issue was that his long-suffering single status was starting to look less like rebellion and more like instability to the surrounding packs.
“I’m not interested,” he muttered, his dark eyes following me as I paced.
“Well, you should be. Because they’re not going to let you stay single much longer,” I said, the lightness in my voice cracking slightly.
“Your own Council is whispering about the succession plan. You know that. A pack without a Luna is a pack with a target painted on its back.”
His gaze sharpened, a flash of the true Alpha returning. “Don’t you think I know that?”
I flipped the page, my focus momentarily returning to the bizarre content. “Speaking of targets, these profiles are weirdly specific. Like, borderline creepy.”
“Then stop reading them.”
“Elora is described as medium height,” I say, tilting my head. “Whatever that means. Brown hair, brown eyes—almost black. Very mysterious.”
I glance at him, lounging in front of the fire like a brooding statue. There’s something thrilling about having him stuck here, listening to me.
He’s the Alpha, the most powerful man in the pack, and yet right now, I have all the control.
That’s the perk of being his best friend. Well, his only friend, really.
“Is any of this supposed to impress me?” he asks, raising one thick brow until it disappears beneath his messy black hair.
“She has a slight limp,” I add, pretending to be thoughtful.
His eyes widen. “They included that?”
I burst out laughing, covering my mouth. “No, but they did say she has excellent posture. So, you know, she stands up straight.”
Cassain groans again, sinking deeper into the chair. His mother is clearly trying to cater to his impossibly high standards.
For me, it’s easier. I’m not from a noble family. My mom came here nine years ago with nothing but a suitcase and a hopeful heart. Cassain’s mother gave her a job as an assistant. When she passed away, I took over.
Cassain watches me with a tired expression. “This girl doesn’t have to worry. I’m not marrying her.”
I pout dramatically. “But it says here she has ample birthing hips.”
He stares at me like I’ve lost my mind. “You’re joking.”
“Nope.” I spin the paper around and point to the line. “They actually wrote that. They even rated her heir-producing potential.”
Cassain groans again, stretching his legs out and rubbing his temples. “This is actual torture.”
“But I’m being serious, Cassain. If you don't choose someone by the end of the week, your mother is throwing a ball and forcing a choice on you.
A forced political alliance with a neighboring pack’s daughter. You know who she means. The one with the weak scent and the even weaker Alpha brother.”
His eyes narrowed. That got his attention. The threat of a political marriage to a rival pack was what we both feared.
“Okay, okay. Moving on.” I shuffled Elora’s profile to the bottom and pulled out the next one.
“Lexa Vale. Only child of the Vale mining fortune. Said to have a temper, but excellent control in public…”
“Nova.” His voice is firm now, the kind of tone that means he’s done playing.
I pause, then nod. I know him well enough to recognize when to stop pushing. It’s why we work. He’s the Alpha, and I’m the only one who can get away with teasing him like this.
I hold the stack of papers like they’re about to bite me. “Your mother asked me to show you these,”
“I don’t want to marry any of these women,” he says for the third time, his voice flat. “This whole thing feels fake. Like I’m picking a Luna off a menu.”
I take a step closer, trying to keep my tone light. “You’re not interested in anyone. Anyone. It’s been two years since you became Alpha. Tradition says you should’ve been married within the first year.”
He rolls his eyes, and I resist the urge to roll mine right back.
Sometimes I want to shake him. Other times, I remember how exhausting it must be to face a future built on obligation instead of love.
He’s never said it out loud, but I can see it in the way his shoulders slump every time the topic comes up. Like the weight of the entire pack is pressing down on him.
Right now, he looks completely drained, slouched in his chair like he’s been through battle. And yet, somehow, he still manages to look like the perfect Alpha—strong, composed, intimidating.
I’ve seen many Alphas pass through this manor over the years, but none of them compare to Cassain.
His height alone makes him impossible to ignore, and even in his most causual clothes, his build is unmistakable. He’s all muscle and quiet power.
I can’t imagine what it’s like to be someone he actually wants gone.
Still, I remind myself, Cassain is off limits. That’s non-negotiable.
There have been moments, more than I care to admit, when I’ve looked at him and felt something more than friendship.
He’s ridiculously attractive, and I’m not immune to it. He has this raw magnetism, this quiet dominance that makes it hard to look away.
He’s never made a move on me. Not once. We’re just friends. Always have been.
But lately… things feel different. Since he became Alpha, he’s changed. He’s more guarded, more distant. And somehow, that makes him even more irresistible.
What is wrong with me?
“My future wife isn’t a business transaction,” he says suddenly, snapping me out of my thoughts. “If I choose someone, it won’t be because of a checklist of traits.”
I sigh and step close enough to flick his nose. He swats my hand away, but there’s a hint of a smile tugging at his lips.
“How else are you going to meet her?” I tease. “You dismiss every woman who isn’t me.”
“Then again,” I say with a smirk, “I doubt you even see me as a woman.”
He doesn’t respond. He just stares at me, and for a moment, the air between us shifts.
I push past it, pretending not to notice the heat in his gaze. “You know the rules. She has to be noble, or rich enough to be accepted as Luna. That’s the way it’s always been.”
Cassain leans back in his chair, his expression unreadable. “And that’s the problem.”