Chapter 82 CEREMONIAL PLATFORM
Medea's Pov
Raphael took my hand and led me toward the ceremonial platform in the center of the pack's main square. I could feel hundreds of eyes on me and it made my skin crawl. Everyone was watching and waiting to see if I was really carrying the future heir of Brazen Pack.
My legs felt shaky as we walked across the grass toward the raised platform. The white ceremonial gown I was wearing felt too tight even though Eclipse had it specially made for me. Everything felt wrong and I wanted to run away but I kept my smile fixed on my face.
We reached the platform, and Raphael offered me his hand, steadying me as I climbed the steps. The wood creaked slightly under my feet, and I wondered if everyone could hear it over the heavy silence that had fallen across the crowd. The entire pack had gone quiet, anticipation thick in the air, every eye fixed on the pavilion. My pulse raced as I took my place beside him, feeling the weight of every gaze, every expectation pressing down like a tangible force.
"You will be fine," Raphael whispered to me and he squeezed my hand.
I nodded but I could not speak because my throat felt too tight.
Raphael stepped back to let the Elders take over and I was left standing alone in the center of the platform. I looked out at the crowd and that is when I saw her.
Celestia.
She was sitting in the third row, the Lycan King seated right beside her. She looked effortlessly beautiful, draped in a deep blue dress that probably cost more than everything in my closet combined. Her hair was styled perfectly, each strand in place, catching the light as she turned slightly. She sat with her back straight, posture flawless, exuding the kind of confidence that made it clear she belonged at every important event, that she was exactly where the world expected her to be.
She was watching me with that calm, infuriating expression that made my blood boil. Every movement of hers radiated poise and confidence, like the world bent to her will and nothing could touch her. Meanwhile, I was up here, heart hammering, about to be examined by the Elders, every eye on me, every whispered thought a potential trap. The thought that she could sit there unshaken while I risked exposure made my hands clench involuntarily.
This should have been hers. This ceremony, this platform, this attention. She should have been the one standing up here being blessed while carrying Raphael's heir. That was supposed to be her role as Luna.
But she gave it all up. She got herself exiled and lost everything. And I took her place. I became Luna. I got Raphael. I got the pack. I got everything she threw away.
So why did she look so calm while I felt like I was dying inside? Why did she get to sit there looking beautiful and confident with a Lycan King next to her while I was up here sweating and terrified?
It was not fair. None of this was fair.
I hated her. I hated her so much in that moment. If she had just stayed away none of this would be happening. I would not have had to fake a pregnancy. I would not have had to sleep with Derek. I would not be standing here about to be examined by Elders who might expose me.
But no. She had to come back. She had to show up at this ceremony, draped in her expensive gowns, with her fancy Lycan King by her side, and remind everyone of what they lost when she was exiled. Every step she took, every glance she cast, was a statement—an assertion that she still mattered, that she still commanded attention. And I was forced to watch it all, powerless, while the weight of old wounds pressed down harder than ever.
"Luna Medea," a voice said and I jumped.
It was Elder Janice, the head Elder. She was standing right in front of me and I had not even noticed her approach because I was too busy staring at Celestia.
"Yes Elder Janice," I said and my voice came out shaky.
"Please lie down on the ceremonial mat," Elder Janice said and she gestured to the woven mat that had been placed in the center of the platform.
I looked at the mat and my heart started pounding even harder. This was it. Once I lay down on that mat the Elders would examine me and everything would either work or fall apart.
I walked over to the mat and slowly lowered myself down onto it. The mat was softer than I expected and it smelled like herbs and flowers. I lay flat on my back and looked up at the sky.
It was a perfect blue sky without a single cloud. The sun was bright and warm on my face. It would have been a beautiful day if I had not been about to be exposed as a liar in front of hundreds of people.
"Relax child," Elder Janice said as she moved to stand beside the mat.
But I could not relax. My entire body was tense and rigid. My hands were clenched into fists at my sides and I was breathing too fast.
The other two Elders approached, moving with slow, deliberate steps, and took their positions on either side of me. I knew their names from the pack meetings—Elder Marcus and Elder Ruth. Both were ancient, their presence commanding and unsettling. Their eyes were sharp and piercing, the kind that made it impossible to hide anything. I could feel them probing, as if they could see right through me, past the carefully constructed mask I wore, all the way to the truth I was desperate to keep hidden.
Those eyes. All three Elders had eyes that seemed to see everything. Like they could look into my soul and know all my secrets. Like they already knew I was lying and were just waiting to announce it to everyone.
I wanted to get up and run. I wanted to scream that this was all a mistake and I never should have agreed to Eclipse's plan. I wanted to confess everything right there and beg for forgiveness.
But I stayed frozen on the mat because I was too scared to move.
Elder Janice looked down at me and her expression was unreadable. I could not tell if she was suspicious or if she was just focused on her job.
"We will begin the examination now," Elder Janice said loudly so the whole crowd could hear.
The crowd shifted and murmured but then went silent again. Everyone was watching and waiting.
Elder Janice raised her hands and held them over my belly. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. The other two Elders did the same thing.
I closed my eyes too because I could not stand to see their faces anymore. I could not stand to see them looking at me with those ancient knowing eyes.
This was the moment. In just a few seconds Elder Janice would place her hands on my belly and try to sense the baby that might not even exist. She would use her Elder powers to detect life and everyone would know the truth.