Chapter 73

**The Formal Proposal**

*Luna’s POV*

The great hall of the packhouse was unusually quiet. The air felt thick with tension, every warrior and elder standing in silence as they awaited the moment. My heart pounded, the weight of unseen expectations pressing against my ribs.

Kai stood beside me, his presence steady and grounding, but I could feel the tightness in his muscles. He was uneasy. So was I.

The doors at the far end of the hall creaked open.

And he walked in.

Inna.

The strongest Alpha. The one who had rejected me in my past life. The man who had once determined my worth with a single glance.

Now, he was here with a different purpose.

He moved with the confidence of someone who had never heard the word "no" in his life. Clad in his ceremonial robes, his dark hair tied back, and his piercing blue eyes scanning the room, he carried himself like a king.

His gaze found me.

I clenched my hands into fists, bracing myself.

Kai tensed beside me, but he didn’t say a word. He was waiting.

So was everyone else.

Inna stopped a few feet away, and for a long moment, he simply studied me. Then, with slow, deliberate movements, he went down on one knee.

A murmur rippled through the hall. Some gasped. Others exchanged stunned glances.

But I couldn’t look at anyone else.

My eyes were locked on Inna as he bowed his head ever so slightly before lifting it again, his expression unreadable.

“Luna,” he said, his voice calm, composed. “I, Alpha Inna of the Silver Fang Pack, formally request your hand as my mate and Luna.”

A silence so heavy it was suffocating fell over the room.

I barely breathed.

I had expected arrogance. Expected some kind of demand. But this? A formal request?

I should have seen it coming, but it still sent a shockwave through me.

Kai’s jaw clenched beside me, his entire body coiled with restrained fury. His wolf was on edge—I could feel it, hear it in the barely contained growl vibrating in his throat.

Inna kept his focus on me, waiting.

I swallowed hard, forcing my voice to remain steady. “And why would you ask this of me?”

Something flickered in his eyes. “Because I know now what I didn’t before.”

A short, humorless laugh escaped me. “You mean when you rejected me?”

A muscle in his jaw twitched, but he didn’t deny it. “I made a mistake.”

I should have felt satisfaction in hearing him say it, but all I felt was frustration.

“A mistake?” My voice was sharper now, my emotions threatening to slip. “And now you want to fix it by claiming me?”

“It’s not about claiming you,” he said smoothly. “It’s about what’s best for our packs. For you. You were meant to stand beside the strongest Alpha.”

“And that’s you?” I challenged.

“Yes,” he answered without hesitation.

I exhaled slowly, feeling the heat of Kai’s rage beside me.

This was a test.

A test of my resolve. A test of the balance Kai and I had just begun to build.

If I faltered, if I hesitated, it wouldn’t just be a personal failure—it would shake the confidence of the entire pack.

So I chose my next words carefully.

“Inna,” I said, my voice carrying across the hall. “You say you made a mistake. But the truth is, your rejection set me on a path that made me stronger than I ever would have been by your side.”

His expression darkened slightly. “Luna—”

I raised a hand, cutting him off. “I don’t owe you another chance just because you suddenly see my worth.”

Kai shifted beside me, and for the first time since the proposal, I felt his tension ease just a little.

Inna exhaled, his frustration barely masked. “Luna, this isn’t just about emotions. War is coming. A union between us would make both our packs untouchable.”

“And if I say no?” I asked.

His eyes darkened. “Then you’ll be choosing weakness.”

A warning. A veiled threat.

The hall erupted in hushed murmurs. Some agreed with him. Others didn’t. But the shift in energy was unmistakable.

Kai took a step forward then, his voice dangerously low. “Careful, Inna. You’re speaking to *my* Luna.”

The tension snapped like a bowstring pulled too tight.

Inna rose slowly to his feet, his gaze flickering between me and Kai. “Then I suggest you prepare,” he said, his voice carrying a weight that sent a chill down my spine.

“For what?” I asked.

His lips curled into something that wasn’t quite a smirk. “For what happens when you refuse an alliance with the Silver Fang Pack.”

And then, without another word, he turned and strode toward the doors.

The moment he disappeared, the entire room exhaled, as if a spell had been broken.

But I remained still, my mind racing.

Kai turned to me. “Luna…”

“I know,” I murmured. “This isn’t over.”

Because Inna wasn’t a man who accepted rejection lightly.

And something told me he wasn’t done with me yet.