~ ROSELLE ~

I fooled myself... I decided to let go of my insecurities and lose myself in the peace I’d finally found, only to be dragged into another endless loop.

He’s eventually going to find his mate... and then he’ll marry her. I might end up dead like the six brides before me. And even if I don’t—just like he promised—I’m still going to become the other woman in his life, because I don’t think I could stand by and watch him suffer when he could end it all by marrying his mate.

It hurts. Even though I try to bask in the comfort he gives me, even though I let myself believe his promises... it doesn’t change the fact that it hurts.

Why did the Goddess have to make my fate this cruel? Just when I finally found someone who stands beside me, who fights for me, who sees me for who I am and is willing to defend me... she places an obstacle between us.

Why? Just... why?

I’m nervous... fucking nervous. As I stare at my reflection in the dressing room I happen to share with Ronan, which is ridiculously spacious anyway, I can’t help but admire the deep emerald green gown draped over my body. It brings my hazel eyes into sharp focus, while intricate silver embroidery sparkles across the bodice. It’s regal... the kind of dress that makes me feel like I belong beside an Alpha.

Except I don’t. We’re about to head to the council chamber for what Ronan says is the council’s meeting to determine whether I can become their Luna.

I know I should be excited. Happy, even. But I’m not. How can I be after what Ronan told me about the curse? I’m not selfish enough to put my own happiness before his. The thought barely settles before I grit my teeth.

No... Yes, I am selfish.

I don’t want him touching another woman the way he touches me. I don’t want another woman hearing the soft voice he reserves for me or seeing the tenderness hidden beneath his ruthless exterior.

And yet... I should be selfless. I should ignore my own wants, swallow my feelings, and convince him to find his mate. Except... I want that mate to be me.

A warm hand slips around my waist, pulling me gently against a solid chest. My cheeks instantly flush when Ronan’s reflection appears behind mine in the mirror.

My face lights up before I can stop it, a smile curling across my lips.

"You’re breathtaking..." he murmurs, his voice low and reverent. "By the Goddess... you’re such an exquisite beauty. Every time you look this stunning..." His grip on my waist tightens ever so slightly. "It drives me insane."

He’s dressed in a perfect charcoal suit that hugs his powerful frame, paired with polished black leather shoes and a long ceremonial cloak trimmed with black wolf fur that makes him look every inch the ruthless Alpha. A silver lapel pin bearing the Black Shadow Pack crest gleams on his jacket.

He dips his head, nuzzling into the curve of my neck. His warm breath fans across my skin, making my pulse race. Then his lips press against the sensitive spot just below my ear. soft at first, then firmer, hotter. He trails slow, kisses down the column of my neck, each one sending sparks straight to my core. When his teeth graze lightly over my pulse point, a tiny whimper escapes me.

I close my eyes, melting back into him, drowning in his intoxicating scent. His hands slide up my sides, careful of my injured hand, pulling me even closer until I can feel the hard heat of his body against my back. For a few blissful moments, every worry, and fear about the curse and the Council disappears. There’s only him. His mouth, and touch. The way he makes me feel wanted, and cherished.

He sucks gently on the spot where my neck meets my shoulder, then soothes it with his tongue, drawing another soft sound from my throat. I tilt my head to give him better access, lost in the sensation.

Eventually, he pulls back with a low, reluctant groan, lips brushing my ear as he speaks.

"We’re going to be late if I don’t stop now," he murmurs, voice rough with desire. A wicked grin tugs at his lips as he meets my eyes in the mirror. "Though I’d much rather stay here and peel this gown off you instead of facing those old fools."

I blush faintly at the thought, heat blooming across my cheeks. A few minutes later, we arrive at the Council chamber.

The grand hall is imposing, with soaring ceilings and thick stone walls that seem to absorb both sound and judgment in equal measure. Six Council members sit elevated on a raised dais, their expressions ranging from mild curiosity to open hostility. I immediately spot Ronan’s mother among them, her hair pulled back in an elegant updo, her face carefully neutral though her eyes reveal a trace of worry as they settle on me.

Ronan guides me to the center of the hall, his large, warm hand never leaving the small of my back. The moment we step fully into the light, I feel every eye in the room fix on us. My heart hammers wildly against my ribs, but I keep my chin lifted, refusing to shrink under their scrutiny.

"Council members," Ronan says, his voice ringing out with the absolute authority of an Alpha addressing his superiors. "I present to you Roselle, whom I have chosen as my bride and future Luna of the Black Shadow Pack."

Each second makes my heart thrum faster against my ribs. I can feel their eyes on me, ogling, assessing, judging. Some hold open scorn, others cold calculation, as if weighing whether I’m worthy of standing beside Ronan.

Their gazes strip me bare, reminding me exactly what I am: a broken, mute, wolfless girl from a ruined pack. A mess who doesn’t belong in this grand hall, let alone at the side of one of the most powerful Alphas in the region.

I fight the urge to shrink back against Ronan. My injured hand aches in time with my racing pulse.

Ronan’s hand presses more firmly against the small of my back, as though he senses my fear and is silently promising that he’s right here with me.

"We require a formal introduction," one of the elders finally says, breaking what I’ll call the long, awaiting moment of silence. His voice is gravelly with age and authority. "The prospective Luna must present herself properly."

My hands fidget nervously at my sides. Every eye in the room is locked on me, filled with expectation and doubt. The last thing I want is to make a fool of myself in front of these powerful wolves. Right now, I wish the ground would open up and swallow me whole.

Taking a steadying breath, I step slightly forward and begin signing with as much grace and confidence as I can muster.

I am Roselle. I am from the royal bloodline of the Westbrook Pack. I am the daughter of the late Alpha King.

The moment I finish, I look up. The Council elders are exchanging glances, disbelieving, confused, and dismissive. Their expressions feel like knife cutting through the fragile confidence I’d tried to build.

Someone clears their throat finally. My gaze darts toward the sound. It’s a stern-faced woman in her late fifties, her posture rigid with disapproval.

"That won’t work," she says matter-of-factly, her voice cutting through the hall like a blade. "She’s mute. We cannot properly assess her ability to lead if she cannot speak. Every previous Great Luna has stood before us and spoken, proven her intellect and capability through words. We cannot vet a woman who communicates only through hand gestures."

Her words hit me like a physical force. The judgment in her tone makes my stomach twist with nausea. Heat rises to my face as shame and humiliation flood through me.

My hands tremble at my sides, the bandage on my right one suddenly feeling too tight. ’They’re right,’ a cruel voice whispers in my head. How can someone like me ever stand beside him?

Before the nausea can fully consume me, Ronan moves, his hand leaves my back only long enough for him to step forward, positioning himself slightly in front of me like a shield. His powerful aura flares, filling the hall with the precise dominance of an Alpha.

"It doesn’t matter," Ronan states firmly, his voice strict, and authoritative. "Her muteness does not diminish her worth or her capability. A Luna is more than just her voice. She must possess strength, compassion, resilience, and the ability to stand beside her Alpha through any storm. Roselle possesses all of those qualities in abundance. And I will not stand here and listen to any of you discredit that."

He turns his head slowly, pinning each Council member with a hard stare. "You will not use her disability to rate or dismiss her. I will not allow it. Look deeper, and see the woman she is, not the limitation. She will be more than fine as Luna, she will be exceptional."

The hall is suddenly quiet again . I can feel my heart pounding so hard I’m sure they can hear it.

Then another elder, an older man with a narrow eyes, leans forward and sniffs the air for a second and then his expression twists with distaste.

"We cannot smell her wolf," he announces coldly. "That would mean she is wolfless. A Luna without a wolf? Unheard of. Impossible. The pack cannot accept such a union. It goes against every tradition and threatens the very strength of the Black Shadow Pack."