Chapter 4 Crowned with whispers
The moon, hung full, all white over the Crimson's pack’s mountain stronghold. Every rank of the pack were present; warriors in the crimson uniform, elders in their ceremonial attires, and villagers who had traveled through the night to witness this day.
Aurora stood on the marble platform that was set up for this ceremony beside Alpha Jaxson; who had not only chosen her as his mate but as a Luna of one of the most powerful packs.
Who knew how fast the tables could turn?
Luna
The title felt foriegn to her, like an armour that had not yet been molded to her shape.
The air cut through her moon white silk dress, but Aurora kept her head high, spine straight and eyes up. Beneath all that confidence , her heart thundered in her chest .
The pack priestess stood up and raised her staff, causing it to glow in the moonlight.
“By blood, by covenant, and by the royalty and blessings of the Moon goddess herself, we welcome the new Luna, Aurora Blackthorne of the Crimson Moon!”
The courtyard erupted; some parts in murmurs, some parts in cheers.
Some bowed, as befitting a true Luna , others exchanged glances.
Aurora saw everything, the happiness on the faces of some, and the doubt on the faces of some. Nevertheless she met them with a steady gaze.
She had been the shadow behind a man's success; making Marcus stone into the Alpha he was supposed to be while he took all the credit and dumped a few thank yous her way.
Now, the whole pack belonged to her; rightfully of course.
She could feel her heart swelling; not with triumph, but with quiet determination.
She felt Jaxson’s hand, brushing hers ; calming her down in his own little way. His dark eyes softened as he looked at her.
“You did it,” he whispered.
‘we did it,’ she wanted to whisper back , but a lot of eyes were still on us, so the words died down in my throat.
The priestess raised her hands, a sign for silence and turned towards Aurora.
“Speaker your vows now, Luna.”
Aurora moved forward. Voice raised, smooth yet edged with determination and strength.
“I wvow with determination, to protect this pack with strength, and to make sure no voice under the moon is silenced. This pack ; the crimson moon pack will not be ruled by fear or tradition; but by unity.”
For a second, the night went utterly still after that vow. Then the applause rippled through the crowd; hesitant from the beginning but then it began to build . Some that were already in their wolf forms howled, voices echoing.
With the joy, she could still spot some faces that remained untouched by that moment.
“Faces to look out for,” she whispered.
Vivian Blackthorne, Aurora's stepsister, Elena's mother, stood close to the front row, elegant features composed to show that she wasn't interested but I'm a polite way.
Besides her was one of Elena's friends, smiling sweetly when there was obviously a layer of envy and hurt behind those expressions.
Aurora saw them both, and something cold stirred inside her.
After the ceremony, the pack moved to the great hall for the Luna’s banquet. Baked bread, roasted venison, and the musk of gathered wolves was what filled the air.
Music was playing in the background, but under the laughter she was hearing, but under the laughter and celebration was tension; thin and sharp as a wire
After the ceremony, the pack flooded the great hall for the Luna’s banquet. The air filled with the scent of roasted venison, baked bread, and the musk of gathered wolves. Music played, but under the laughter was tension—thin and sharp as wire.
Aurora navigated the sea of guests, greeting elders and warriors alike. Some congratulated her with genuine warmth; others offered words coated in honey but eyes that weighed her, judged her.
“She’s an outsider,” someone whispered behind a raised goblet. “Not even full blood.”
“She rose too fast,” another murmured. “Almost unnatural, isn’t it?”
Aurora’s smile didn’t falter, but inside, something fluttered—like a warning.
As she turned, her gaze met that of a tall warrior by the pillar. He wore the insignia of Marcus’s old guard—men who’d sworn loyalty to her former mate before his exile. The warrior inclined his head respectfully, yet his eyes… there was defiance there.
“Congratulations, Luna,” he said. “May your reign be long and… stable.”
There was a beat too long before that last word. Aurora’s instincts prickled. The sound of his heartbeat spiked—too quick for his calm expression. She felt it. No—she knew it. He was lying. The knowledge came not from logic but from somewhere deeper, primal.
Her breath hitched. “Thank you, Damon,” she said evenly. “And stability will depend on everyone doing their part, won’t it?”
For a flicker of a second, surprise flashed in his eyes. Then he bowed and retreated into the crowd.
Aurora watched him go, her skin humming with strange energy. She pressed a hand to her chest, feeling her heart sync with the thrum of dozens of others in the room. Emotions brushed against her consciousness—envy, suspicion, desire, loyalty—all distinct, all pulsing like different colors in the dark.
She swallowed hard. What is happening to me?
---
Later, when the feast died down, Aurora slipped out onto the terrace overlooking the mountains. The cold wind carried pine and moonlight, wrapping her in quiet.
“You handled yourself well,” came a voice behind her.
She didn’t need to turn. “Vivian,” she said, her tone cool.
Her stepmother glided forward, the scent of white lilac following her like poison perfume. “You’ve learned poise, I’ll give you that,” Vivian said, resting gloved hands on the marble railing. “But elegance won’t keep you alive long among wolves who remember where you came from.”
Aurora turned slowly, eyes hardening. “You mean being the daughter of a man who trusted the wrong people?”
A muscle in Vivian’s jaw twitched. “I mean you lack the bloodline for this. Leadership is born, not given. Your father would have agreed.”
Her father. The word scraped across old wounds. “My father believed in loyalty and truth,” Aurora said quietly. “Two things you never understood.”
Vivian smiled faintly. “Be careful, darling. Power changes people. Even you.”
The words slithered between them like smoke.
And then—it happened again. The world stilled. The wind muted. All Aurora could hear was Vivian’s heartbeat—steady, deliberate—and yet beneath it, a falter. A skip. A hesitation that didn’t belong to truth.
Vivian’s eyes held that polished calm she always wore, but now Aurora could feel the hollowness beneath it. Her pulse quickened, not from fear but from clarity. Vivian was lying. About what, she didn’t know—but the certainty rooted itself in her bones.
“You’re hiding something,” Aurora said softly, almost to herself.
Vivian’s smile froze. “Excuse me?”
“Your mask doesn’t fit as well as it used to.”
Vivian’s eyes flickered—just once—but that was all Aurora needed.
When her stepmother finally turned and walked away, her perfume lingering like a curse, Aurora remained still under the moonlight, her hands trembling. The night felt different—alive, aware. She could sense the emotional residue Vivian left behind: cold satisfaction laced with fear.
Fear of her.
---
The sound of footsteps pulled Aurora from her thoughts. Jaxson stepped onto the terrace, his dark coat brushing her arm as he came to stand beside her.
“I wondered where you went,” he said gently.
“Just needed air.”
He studied her face. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
“Not a ghost,” she said slowly. “A lie.”
He frowned. “Vivian again?”
Aurora nodded. “She’s plotting something. I can feel it.”
Jaxson’s eyes narrowed. “You’ve always had sharp instincts.”
“This feels different,” Aurora murmured. “It’s like… I can feel the truth bending around her words. I don’t know how to explain it.”
He hesitated. “The priestess mentioned that strong Lunas often awaken latent senses when they rise to power. Maybe that’s what’s happening.”
Aurora turned her gaze back to the moon. “It doesn’t feel like a blessing.”
He slipped an arm around her waist, drawing her close. “Then learn to control it before it controls you.”
She leaned into him, the warmth of his body anchoring her, but her mind whirled. If her instincts were right—if something was awakening inside her—then every whisper in the crowd, every false smile tonight could no longer hide behind politeness.
And somewhere beyond the mountains, Marcus still breathed.
Aurora lifted her chin, watching the moon crest higher. Its light brushed her skin like a whisper of recognition.
“I won’t let them destroy what we’ve built,” she said quietly.
Jaxson looked at her, the faintest hint of awe in his eyes. “They’d be fools to try.”
She smiled faintly, though it didn’t reach her eyes. “Fools are the most dangerous kind.”
---
When the hall finally emptied and the last torches burned low, Aurora returned to her chamber. She dismissed the guards and stood before the mirror, removing the silver circlet that marked her as Luna.
Her reflection stared back—strong, poised, yet shadowed by something new. Her irises shimmered faintly, threads of silver flickering within the brown. She blinked, and they vanished.
Her hand trembled as she touched the mirror. For a moment, she thought she saw another reflection within it—a faint outline of herself bathed in moonlight, whispering something she couldn’t quite hear.
Then the image faded, leaving only her own face.
She exhaled slowly. “Power changes people,” Vivian had said.
“Then I’ll change first,” Aurora whispered. “Before it changes me.”
Outside, the wind howled through the mountains, carrying the scent of storm and blood yet to come.
And in the valley below, unseen among the trees, a pair of eyes watched the glowing windows of the Luna’s chamber.
Marcus’s voice was a low growl against the darkness.
“Enjoy your throne while it lasts, wife. The moon always wanes.”
