Azura's POV
The full moon was hanging low in the sky, looking heavy and silver. It was so bright that it actually hurt to look at it for too long.
I stood at the edge of the clearing, just staring at the big stone altar in the middle. It was covered in old carvings and symbols I couldn't even begin to understand. They looked like words from a language that existed way before this pack was even a thing.
All around me, wolves were starting to show up. They were all dressed up in their fancy ceremonial gear. Long robes, dark tunics, and silver threads that sparkled in the dark. Everyone looked so much more "put together" than usual. It made the whole air feel stiff and tense.
I could feel their eyes on me, like needles poking at my skin. I knew they were judging me. I could almost hear the whispers.
"Is it really going to be her?"
"She doesn't look like a Luna."
"I hope the Alpha knows what he's doing. This feels like a mistake."
I kept my face as blank as a piece of paper. I didn't look at them. I didn't give them the satisfaction of seeing me sweat.
Genevieve had dressed me herself earlier. She'd brought the gown to my room, laid it on the bed, and just gave me a small, knowing smile before helping me dress up.
It was beautiful, but in a different way than the last one. It was simple. The fabric was a pale silver, almost white, and it flowed down to my feet like water. It was so light and soft that whenever I moved, it caught the moonlight and made me look like I was shimmering.
I didn't wear any heavy jewelry. Just a thin silver chain around my neck with a small moonstone. I'd had to take off my own pendant for this, which felt... weird. Like I was leaving a piece of myself behind. My hair was half-braided, and the rest just hung loose down my back.
I didn't look flashy. But I didn't look weak, either. I looked calm, and honestly? I think that freaked them out more than anything else.
Silas stepped up beside me. "You ready?" he asked in a low voice.
I looked at him and gave the only honest answer I had. "No."
He smiled just a little. "Good. That means you're taking it seriously."
I let out a long, shaky breath. "What if I mess this up, Silas? What if I trip or say the wrong thing?"
"You won't."
"How are you so sure?"
He looked at me for a long beat, his eyes serious. "Because you're still standing, Azura. After everything, you're still here."
Before I could say anything back, a deep voice cut through the air. "It's time for the ceremony."
I turned. Rhydor was standing a few feet away. He looked... wow.
He was in a dark tunic with silver embroidery, his long brown hair pulled back tight. His face was a mask of calm. He looked breathtaking, like an Alpha straight out of a legend.
But there was this wall between us. Not a physical one, but I could feel the distance in my chest. He didn't smile. He didn't even try to reach for my hand. He barely looked at me for more than a second before he turned and started walking toward the altar.
I followed him, feeling the weight of a hundred eyes on my back.
The clearing went dead silent as we stepped into the center. The Elders were standing in a circle near the altar, their faces like stone. I saw Arthur among them, his arms crossed and his gaze sharp enough to cut. Genevieve was off to the side, giving me a tiny, encouraging nod.
I took my spot beside Rhydor. He stood so tall and steady that his presence felt like a physical weight pressing down on everyone. His aura was rolling off him in waves, heavy, bossy, and impossible to ignore. I saw some wolves lower their heads without even thinking. Some even backed away.
Standing next to him, I felt tiny. But I didn't let my shoulders slump. I stayed straight.
An old woman stepped forward. The priestess. She looked ancient, with pure white hair in a thick braid and a face full of deep lines. But her eyes were clear as water. She had a stone bowl in one hand and a silver knife in the other.
"The moon sees all," she said, her voice loud enough for everyone to hear. "It watches. It judges. It binds."
She looked at Rhydor. "Alpha of the Crescent Moon Pack. Do you stand before the Goddess willingly?"
"I do," Rhydor said. His voice was like a rock, strong and unshakable.
Then she turned to me. "Luna of the Crescent Moon Pack. Do you stand before the Goddess willingly?"
I swallowed the lump in my throat. "I do."
She nodded and held out the blade. "Blood to earth. Life to moon. Leader to pack."
Rhydor went first. He took the knife without even blinking and pressed it into his palm. I winced just watching. Blood bubbled up immediately, dark and red. He didn't flinch. He just held his hand over the bowl and let three drops fall in.
Drip. Drip. Drip.
The priestess wiped the blade clean and turned to me. My hand was trembling just a little bit as I reached out. This is going to hurt, I thought.
I pressed the cold metal into my skin. It was sharp and quick. Pain flared up in my arm, stinging like a wasp. I held my hand over the bowl, letting my blood mix with his.
The second our blood touched, the air changed. It got heavy. A low hum started to vibrate through the ground, making my feet tingle. The moonlight seemed to pulse, getting bright, then soft, then bright again.
I heard the wolves around us whispering in fear. "Did you feel that?"
"The Goddess is watching..."
The priestess poured the mixed blood onto the altar. It soaked into the old carvings, and suddenly, the humming stopped. Silence rushed back in.
"The bond is witnessed," she said. She looked at both of us. "You are bound to this pack. Not by what you want, or by the flesh, but by duty. By choice. By blood."
She stepped back. Everyone thought it was over. People started to move, thinking they could go home.
But I wasn't done. I took a step forward.
The priestess frowned. "Luna?"
I looked out at the pack. Hundreds of faces, all waiting for me to go away. "I have something to say," I said. My voice was steady, even though my heart was racing.
Rhydor turned to look at me, his eyebrows furrowed in confusion.
"Tradition says the Luna stands alone," I told them, my voice carrying. "Or that she only stands beside the Alpha." I paused, letting the silence get heavy. "I'm changing that."
A wave of gasps went through the crowd.
"What?"
"She can't do that!"
"Is she crazy?"
I ignored the noise. "I am choosing a second-hand. Someone who will stand right beside me. Someone I actually trust."
The whispers got louder. Elder Cassius stepped forward, his face turning a nasty shade of red. "This is unheard of! No Luna has ever…"
"No law says I can't," I said, cutting him off calmly.
He stopped. His mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water.
I turned back to the crowd. "Liona."
The clearing went silent. Slowly, Liona stepped out from the back. She looked like she'd seen a ghost. Her face was pale.
"Me?" she whispered.
I nodded. "You."
She walked forward like she was in a dream. When she reached me, I held out my hand. She stared at it for a second, then took it. I pulled her up to my side, not behind me, but right next to me.
"This is Liona," I announced. "She will be my Second Hand. My voice when I can't speak. My strength when I'm tired." I looked at the crowd, my eyes hard. "If anyone has a problem with that, speak now."
Nobody moved. Not a single person.
Then, one wolf bowed their head. Then another. Soon, half the clearing was bowing to us. Not everyone, some still looked angry, but it was enough.
I felt Liona squeeze my hand, and I squeezed back.
Rhydor stepped forward then. His aura flared up so strongly that even the wolves who hadn't bowed yet dropped to their knees immediately. Even the Elders lowered their heads. He didn't say a word. He didn't have to. His presence said it all: She is the Luna. And you will respect her.
Then he looked at me. For the first time all night, something passed between us. It wasn't love. It wasn't a hug. It was just... acknowledgment. As if he finally saw me as an equal.
Then he turned and walked away. The ceremony was over.
I stood there with Liona, staring up at the moon. It was still there, bright and steady, watching me.
I'm the Luna now. And from now on, things are going to go my way.