Chapter 5

After I met with the king's grandmother, I decided to explore the castle. The estate was enormous. Archaic stone walkways and perfectly manicured gardens with lovely fountains. Then I saw stables, and my mood instantly lifted. My feet carried me there. I loved horses. 
The scent of hay and leather greeted me as I stepped inside. Stable workers moved about. They didn't spare me a glance. 
One horse immediately caught my attention. It was breathtaking, with a coat as white as snow, and stood proudly in his stall.
He lowered his head, allowing me to stroke the bridge of his nose. His coat. For the first time since arriving here, I felt... peaceful.
After a few more moments, I reluctantly left the stable. When I stepped into the courtyard, my smile disappeared. 
Ronan stood a few feet away in my path, and I stopped breathing. His gaze traveled slowly from my shoes to my face, and my skin prickled. 
Without thinking, I twisted the engagement ring Jonathan had given me, and his eyes followed my fingers, and everything about him changed. The warmth was gone, and his jaw tightened. 
Before I could think another thought, a vicious snarl ripped through the courtyard, and I turned to see Sadie. She was charging towards me. Her beautiful face had twisted into something frightening. Her eyes blazed with fury, sharp claws extending from her fingertips as another growl vibrated from deep within her chest.
Every instinct screamed at me to run. My heel caught against a stone, and I nearly fell.
She looked like she wanted to tear me apart, and just as she was about to reach me, Ronan moved. He caught Sadie before she reached me, wrapping both arms around her as she struggled violently against him.
She was sobbing and growling, snarling all at once.
"She's taking everything I worked so hard for!" she cried into his chest, her voice breaking with every word. My own chest tightened painfully by the way he held her, and the way he whispered something softly into her. 
Something within me twisted and I didn't understand why. 
Ronan slowly lifted his head, and his eyes met mine. There was no warmth in them, only anger and blame. 
Without another word, he led Sadie away, holding her as though she might shatter. I remained rooted where I stood, completely alone.
 
Back in my room, I reached for my phone to check for messages. There was a message from my brother and my parents, and a missed call from Jonathan. I called Jonathan back instantly, and it rang, but there was no answer, and my heart sank.
Trying to distract myself, I FaceTimed Kyle instead, and his goofy grin filled the screen. 
"There she is! Her majesty, the Queen of Lycans, I bow before you," he teased, and I rolled my eyes. 
"It's Luna." I corrected. 
He blinked. "Right. Her majesty, Queen Luna." 
I laughed and Kyle clutched his chest.
"Wow! You laughed! I see they haven't sucked the life out of you. 
"You're ridiculous." 
"That's my best quality." He tilted his phone and showed me around our favorite cafe. "Look, that's the chair you threw at my head, still broken."
"It didn't hit you." 
"Did!"

Talking to Kyle eased the knot in my chest, if only a little.

"How are you, really?" My brother's smile softened.
That question lingered between us. I glanced at the door before forcing a smile.
"I'm okay."

He gave me a look that said he didn't believe me. "You're a terrible liar. Jo."
"I'll survive." 
"You don't have to survive alone. " his words hit hard, and I swallowed a lump in my throat. 
"I know." 
My little brother scrutinized my face. He looked older than his seventeen years when he looked this serious. 
"Has he hurt you?" 
"No!" My voice rose, and I exhaled, taking in deep breaths. Kyle's expression darkened, but he didn't push. 
"If he hurts you, u will march to the castle." He said firmly. 
"And you'll be eaten by huge Lycans. Kyle, they are so huge!" 
"I'd make sure I upset their stomach if they do." I started laughing harder, and my brother wore a satisfied grin. 
"Call me whenever you need me, okay? Even if it's two in the morning." 
"I will." 
"You'll always be my best friend, no matter your title now."

"Mine too, even though you're not extraordinary or as important as I am," I joked, and he nodded firmly with a smile. There was a knock on the door. 
"I have to go!" 
 
Flora came to help me get ready for the evening party.
After finishing my makeup, and swept my hair into an elegant low bun.
"I love your hair," Flora said, smiling at me through the mirror, and I smiled back.
"Thank you. Yours is gorgeous." She had long dark hair in loose waves. 
"Grandmother says I should grow up and stop dressing childishly." She giggled, and I stared at her in disbelief.
"I love your style." She was wearing a short cream dress with layered ruffles across the bodice and a loose fluttering skirt, and white socks and sneakers.
"You do?"
"Yes, it's whimsical, angelic, and sweet." Her smile alone made me glad I'd said it.
Suddenly, a long, haunting howl echoed from somewhere beyond the gardens, and every hair on my body stood upright.
I jumped to my feet, hand flying to my chest. Flora stepped closer, gently squeezing my shoulders.
"Don't be scared. The forest begins just beyond the gardens. Some of the guards are probably gone for a run." she explained. 
"A run?"
"In lycan form."
"Oh..." I laughed nervously. "I don't think I'll ever get used to that."
"You will." She was sure of the words, but I wasn't. 
As we resumed getting ready, curiosity got the better of me.
"Can I ask something?" 
"Of course," she chirped.
"Do all lycans transform whenever there's a full moon?"
She shook her head no.
"No. We shift whenever we choose."
"Oh, but..."
"During a full moon, our instincts become stronger. Our emotions intensify. Our lycans become more powerful." She smiled knowingly. 
That explained the unsettling energy I'd been feeling since arriving.
Then I remembered something else, the word mate. Sadie had called Ronan her mate.
I opened my mouth to ask, but there was a knock. A maid entered with a respectful bow.
"Princess Flora, Lady Josie. The guests are waiting in the garden."
Flora tucked a loose curl behind her hair. 
"Time to go."
I looked at myself one last time. The ivory silk dress hugged my figure gracefully, delicate lace tracing the neckline. It felt daring and sensual.
The moment I stepped into the garden, my legs stopped. It was overflowing with lycans. A few didn't even bother hiding their disgust for me.
"Don't worry, Josie. I've got you. Let's go, and don't shy away from their stare." Flora said gently.
Not a single one of them looked out of place. They had fit bodies, perfect hair and skin, and exquisite dresses, and the men had broad shoulders, sharp features, and powerful physiques.
Were they carved from stone? I murmured to myself. For the first time since arriving here, I truly understood what Flora meant when she called lycans superior.
"Is that really what she decided to wear?" a woman scoffed loudly enough for me to hear, and I pretended not to hear. 
"Honestly, she's such an attention seeker."
"I know. Humans really have no shame," another added, and they laughed.
"Ignore Tasha and her friends," Flora murmured close to my ear as she steered me toward the drinks table. "She's just resentful."
"Resentful?"
"She was one of the women hoping to become Luna, like all of them." Of course she was. 
I accepted the mocktail Flora handed me and took a long sip. I wished it were alcohol, I wanted to loosen the knot around my chest. 
"Lady Josie." Kane approached us, and for reasons I couldn't explain, seeing him made me feel happy and relieved.
We exchanged a few words, his easy smile making it easier to breathe.
When someone called him away, he excused himself with a polite nod.
Two unfamiliar men approached us moments later.
Both were strikingly handsome, nearly identical except one had slightly darker hair and a playful grin, and the other was calm and confident.
"Good evening, Luna." The taller one bowed.
"My name is Esau, and this is my cousin, Paul. We're the beta's cousins."
Did he call me Luna? I blinked. I thought Sadie was Luna.
And what exactly was a beta?
"It's an honor to meet you finally," Paul added before bowing as well.
I panicked, thinking I was returning their greeting, so I quickly bent forward too.
"Thank you."
Silence, and I straightened. Both men were staring at me as if I'd grown another head. 
I straightened. Beside me, Flora put a hand over her mouth, desperately trying not to laugh.
"What?" I whispered, and she couldn't hold it anymore, a giggle escaped her. 
"You don't bow," she said, and I frowned.
"I... don't?" She shook her head, amusement dancing in her pretty blue eyes.
"Lycans bow to their Luna. It's a sign of loyalty and respect."
Oh no. My face grew so hot I wished the earth would swallow me. 
"I'm so sorry," I said quickly. "I don't know any of your customs yet. I'll learn. I promise."
"Don't worry." Paul smiled kindly. 
"We've all embarrassed ourselves before," Esau added with a grin.

"Though, I admit I've never seen a Luna bow back."
That did it, Flora burst into laughter, and Paul chuckled, even Esau laughed. I laughed too, unable to hold it.
For the first time since entering the garden, the suffocating tension around me eased, just a little.
Then, a savage growl ripped through the garden, and everything stopped, and every head turned towards the sound. Ronan. 
He stood several yards away, dressed entirely in black, every inch of him radiating raw, terrifying authority.
His jaw was clenched so tightly that the muscles flexed beneath his skin. His eyes were locked on the men standing beside me and on me. They looked predatory, possessive, and lethal.
Around us, powerful lycan warriors lowered their heads instinctively. Others stepped back without realizing it.
Even Esau and Paul stiffened, and my stomach twisted. I hadn't done anything wrong. Had I? Yet the way my husband was looking at me, you'd think he saw me kill a litter of cats-- in their case, puppies.