Azura's POV
Rhydor moved across the room, his steps heavy and slow. He stopped right in front of his father. Even though Arthur used to be the Alpha, Rhydor looked massive now. He didn't have to scream or throw things to show he was pissed off, his energy just took over the whole room like a dark cloud.
He didn't even move a muscle. He just stood there, his jaw clamped so tight I thought his teeth might actually crack.
"Because I respected your first choice," he said. His voice was a low, scary crawl that made the hair on my arms stand up. "Doesn't mean you get to make another one for me."
His amber eyes were steady. He didn't blink. He just stared at his father, as if he were looking at a target.
"You know I want Isadora as my Luna," he added. The words were short and sharp.
Oh please, Moon Goddess, let him have her! Take me out of this mess! But my chest felt like a giant fist was squeezing my heart. I hated that I felt anything at all. If it weren't for this stupid, cursed bond, I'd be fifty miles away from here, probably eating a sandwich and minding my own business.
Rhydor stayed silent for a long time, just letting his scary presence choke the air out of the room. I felt like if I even breathed too loudly, he'd snap.
"Stop this nonsense," he said. It wasn't a request. It was an order.
Arthur looked at his son for a long, tense minute, and then he laughed. It wasn't a "haha" funny laugh. It sounded like ice cracking over freezing water. When he finished, his face went totally blank and serious.
"Your love life is none of my business," Arthur said calmly. "You like Isadora? Great. But I don't care."
Arthur stepped closer, his own Alpha energy rising up to hit Rhydor's like two dragons crashing.
My knees felt weak. Don't trip, Azura. Not now. Do not fall over your own feet in front of the scary Alphas.
"What I do care about," Arthur said with a mean smile, "is that Azura will be your Luna. If she isn't..." He paused. "I will not perform the Ascension Rite for you. And you know exactly what that means."
My heart nearly jumped out of my chest. The Ascension Rite.
I knew about that. Without it, Rhydor's power was basically fake. Any wolf with a big ego could challenge him. He'd be a leader, sure, but his position would be as stable as a house made of cards.
I bit my lip to keep from accidentally laughing. I shouldn't be enjoying this, but seeing the big, bad Alpha finally get backed into a corner by his own dad? It was kind of the best thing I'd seen all week. Karma is a girl named Azura.
"Are you blackmailing me?" Rhydor asked. He didn't growl or move. But his voice was cold, quiet like whisper.
"No, son," Arthur smirked. "I'm giving you a choice."
A low sound started deep in Rhydor's chest. His fingers twitched, and I saw his claws starting to peek out.
Oh no. If they fight, I'm definitely going to get hit by a flying chair, I thought, looking for the nearest exit.
Genevieve moved fast. She stepped right between them, putting a hand on both their chests. The deadly energy coming off them would have made anyone else run for their lives, but she didn't even flinch.
"Enough," she said softly. There was total steel in her voice.
Slowly, the glow in Arthur's eyes faded. But Rhydor didn't soften. He didn't look better. He stared at his father for one last second, then turned and stormed out. He slammed the door so hard that a small vase on the table rattled, and I almost jumped out of my skin.
I stood there, finally letting out the breath I'd been holding. Well, that went great.
Genevieve sighed and turned back to Arthur. "You shouldn't have said that."
Arthur's expression softened as he looked at her. He reached up and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, his touch gentle.
"I know," he said quietly. "But it's the only way to make him listen."
He leaned down and kissed her forehead.
I looked away quickly, feeling like I was intruding on something private.
Why couldn't my bony-headed mate be more like his father?
Arthur left the room shortly after, leaving just Genevieve and me.
"What a sweet mate you have," I said, unable to stop the smile spreading across my face.
Genevieve's cheeks flushed pink. "Oh, it's nothing. Rhydor can be like that, too, sometimes."
Great. She just had to ruin the moment by bringing up his name.
****
Genevieve decided to walk me back to my room. Mostly because I'd somehow ended up heading toward the servant quarters instead.
"Arthur and I have decided to stay here for the time being," she said as we walked, her hand holding mine gently. "Until things are settled."
"Really?" Relief flooded through me. "Thank the Goddess. I was starting to imagine life here without you, and honestly, it wasn't looking good."
She chuckled softly, then glanced down at the way I was walking. Or trying to walk. The corset gown made every step awkward and stiff.
"And we'll work on that too," she said, her eyes twinkling with amusement.
If only she knew I'd ripped out half the layers underneath. I just smiled awkwardly and nodded.
****
It was way past midnight, and I was lying in this massive, ridiculously soft bed, just staring up at the ceiling.
I couldn't sleep a wink.
The bed felt wrong. It was so soft it felt like it was trying to swallow me whole. I actually missed my old, thin mattress back home. Yeah, I know. I'm a weirdo. Who misses a lumpy bed when they're sleeping on a cloud? Me, apparently.
I sighed and tried to sit up. That's when I saw it.
A shadow in the corner of the room.
My heart jumped right into my throat. I scrambled off the bed, my bare feet hitting the cold floor.
The shadow moved. Stepped forward.
And then I saw the eyes.
Amber. Glowing. Burning.
Rhydor.
I backed up until my spine hit the wall. But he didn't stop walking. Each step was slow, heavy, and full of that scary Alpha power.
His energy pressed into me like a weight on my chest, squeezing the air right out of my lungs. My gut told me to look away, to hide, to give up.
But I didn't.
I clenched my fists and lifted my chin, even though my heart was pounding so hard I thought it might burst.
He stopped right in front of me. So close I could feel the heat coming off his skin. So close I could see the fire in his eyes.
"You may stand where a Luna stands," he said quietly. His voice was cold enough to freeze blood. "But do not confuse position with meaning."
He locked his gaze onto mine, and he didn't blink.
"You will never be my Luna," he continued. "Do not expect my protection. Do not expect my affection. And do not expect me to treat you as Alphas treat the women they choose."
Every word felt like a dagger.
"Stay out of my way, Azura."
Then the pressure vanished.
I blinked, and he was gone.
The room felt colder than it ever had before.
I slid down the wall until I was sitting on the floor, pulling my knees up to my chest. My hands were shaking.
I sat there until the shaking stopped. Until the cold in my veins turned into something else. Something harder. He wanted a war of silence? Fine. But I was not going to break. I would never give him the satisfaction.