The night of Kaia's moon-birth celebration arrived as if it were inevitable. The invitation had been delivered with the politeness of the Silvercrest pack, but I understood its true purpose.
It was a calculated display. An opportunity for Kaia to flaunt her triumph, while I was expected to sit quietly and pretend to admire her.
Too bad, I would not grant her the satisfaction of fleeing.
Dressed in a sleek black moon-silk gown that hugged my figure just enough to radiate confidence, I stepped into the celebration hall. It was a grand, dimly lit chamber filled with floating crystal lanterns and the clinking of silver goblets.
The air carried the scent of rare night-flowers and murmured conversations from the elite wolves of various territories. I slipped through the crowd while keeping my face straight.
It didn't take long to find Raiden.
He was seated in the Alpha's circle with Kaia curled against his side. Her fingers lazily traced patterns along his thigh.
They seemed far too relaxed, portraying the perfect image of a powerful pair that the packs were meant to admire.
For a heartbeat, I thought to avoided them and left before the night twisted itself into another public humiliation, but then Kaia's gaze found mine.
Her lips curved into a sickly-sweet smile and I knew I had made the right decision by coming.
"Freya! You actually came." Her voice dripped with honey as she unwrapped herself from Raiden and glided toward me. Her dress shimmered with tiny sewn-in moonstones.
"Of course. I wouldn't miss it," I responded smoothly, matching her false warmth with a composed smile of my own.
Her gaze swept over me, seemingly searching for a crack in my composure. Finding none, she simply gave a light laugh and linked her arm with mine. "Come, let's get you a drink. It's a celebration, after all."
I let her guide me to the stone bar, where she handed me a glass of sparkling Elderberry wine. She watched as I took a small sip.
The liquor warmed my throat, but my attention drifted to Raiden. He was still staring at me as though my presence unsettled him. He hadn't believed I would dare show up.
Good.
As the night deepened, Kaia basked in the pack's admiration. She played the gracious future-Luna perfectly. She even laughed prettily at the right moments, touched Raiden often enough to remind every wolf watching that he was hers and made sure I witnessed all of it.
However, I had my own role to play.
I moved through the crowd, smiled and exchanged courteous words with elders, warriors and nobles who had once known me as Raiden's chosen mate.
I made sure my presence was noted and that my name was still spoken among them. A reminder that I was not some broken she-wolf, forgotten in the lesser territories.
Then came the sweets.
A towering confection shaped like a moon spire was wheeled in, greeted by applause and enchanted crystal flashes. Kaia, as the star of the night, stepped forward with a coy smile. She raised her glass, waiting for silence.
"I give thanks to the pack for sharing this moon with me," she began with her perfected charm. "It's been an incredible cycle for me. I'm blessed with loyal allies and …" She turned, placing a hand over Raiden's heart before continuing, "a fated bond."
The hall echoed with approving growls and raised cups. I stood silent, watching her savor the moment.
"But before the sweets are shared, I have one more blessing to ask of the moon."
A curious murmur rippled through the pack. Kaia tilted her head and locked her eyes with mine. "This year has gifted me so much. Love, standing and soon, a strong pup to carry our bloodline." She rested a hand low on her belly, a small yet unmistakable gesture. "So, my moon-wish is for Freya to find that kind of happiness, too. For her to finally have a pup of her own."
A ripple of gasps swept through the hall. My stomach churned, but my face stayed calm.
She had done it; she had humiliated me before the entire alliance and twisted my greatest wound into a pretty joke at her moonlit celebration.
The whispers flared instantly.
Everyone knew about my supposed infertility, how Raiden and I had fought for so long to conceive. So when Kaia used that very wound against me, it cut straight through the last of my dignity.
I could feel their eyes on me, their unspoken pity hanging in the air. But what Kaia didn't know, what none of them knew, was that the laugh had never been meant for me.
I set my goblet down on a stone ledge and took one step forward. My lips curved into a slow, knowing smile. "Oh, I will, Kaia."
Her smug look faltered, just for a flicker. "What?"
"I will," I repeated, keeping my voice light, almost mocking, letting the words leave my tongue with a lethal calm that felt immensely satisfying.
Why? Because I knew the truth.
Just hours earlier, after leaving the Healer Sanctum following my physical examination, I had learned what Raiden and I had never considered during all our years of trying.
It was never me. He was the barren one.
The knowledge settled like a heavy stone in my chest, but I held steady. The hall continued to watch me, hungry for more. Still, I offered nothing else.
I simply smiled.
Kaia blinked at me. Her mind was surely racing, but she had no idea what was running through mine.
The moment of tension stretched between us. Then, the silence was shattered as the crowd began to cheer, urging her to finish her moon wish.
Later, the celebration continued.
