As soon as Elder Gita uttered those words, everyone in the hall observed decorum, focusing their attention on her.
There was just something about the spiritual leader that screamed power whenever she was in charge of an event.
Anyway, seeing the silence, the woman began with a cough. "A few nights ago, the Moon goddess made her decision on who the Luna of Blue Moon pack is going to be. And tonight is all about acknowledging the girl who the moon has chosen for our pack's Alpha."
For an odd reason, the hall became tense as I suddenly felt like most eyes were now fixed on Phoebe who was trying hard not to sink into her chair.
Hehe... This was going to be a long night indeed.
"Now, tonight isn't a night for long introductions or anything of the sort, so let's get right to the drinking of the ceremonial wine." Elder Gita proclaimed with a loud voice.
Oh, finally, some wine.
Everyone around the hall got on their feet, the atmosphere becoming somber as a bowl of red blood-like wine was passed around while everyone was given glasses.
The drinking of the ceremonial wine was a sacred part of the Luna Ball passed down for generations, but there was still something about drinking from that bowl that I found unnerving.
The wine got to Phoebe and me last, and we proceeded to await Elder Gita's next words.
"Could the Blue Moon pack's Moon Chosen please step forward?" She asked with a domineering voice.
I glanced at Phoebe, who'd already begun walking up to the makeshift stage with a shaky body, though her posture was straight and misleadingly bold as she walked.
A slight smirk curled up my lips as she ascended the stairs; a few people from other packs, as well as within our pack, were mumbling to themselves about things that I didn't even bother listening to as I placed all my focus on my mate.
Some nights ago I wouldn't have imagined calling this feisty woman anything other than a servant, but yet here she was, standing before everyone as the mate of one of the most formidable Alpha's in the region.
Maybe she was destined for something...
'Hehe... What am I thinking?' I asked myself, rubbing my forehead while mocking myself with stifled laughter.
Anyway, Elder Gita laid her blessings on Phoebe, saying some things that I didn't bother taking note of before telling her to take the first drink from the wine.
Phoebe did just that, downing the glass in one gulp as if this wasn't her first time taking so much alcohol at once.
Or wasn't it?
"You may all drink as well, under the presence of our new Luna." Elder Gita raised her hands and said and everyone raised their glasses, cheering silently before drinking their wine.
Most of the nobles, especially those from within the pack, were unenthusiastic about the whole thing, some grumbling among themselves.
"So, is this really happening?" I picked up a voice from the side of the nobles asking.
"What? Do you mean the Alpha being complacent in accepting a low-rank wolf as his mate? Yeah, it's happening, alright." A female voice responded with a scoff.
Conversations like this were happening all around the hall but I kept my cool, ignoring them completely. They could think whatever they wanted, I didn't care.
Anyway, after the whole ceremonial wine drinking, the official Ball commenced, with high-ranking nobles taking to the center of the hall to dance under the soft music being played and the disco lights shining with a sweet ambiance above them.
Phoebe had taken her seat beside me, seeming more quiet than usual.
At one point, I got bored and decided to tease her a little. "What's on your mind, princess?" I whispered into her ears.
However, she scoffed, glancing at me as if I'd said the biggest joke of the decade. "To be a princess would require me to have a Kingdom to rule over, Kaene."
I chuckled, persisting despite her mood. "Ah, don't be like that. You can take this pack as a little kingdom of your own. And being my Luna is synonymous with being my Queen anyway, so..."
It was her turn to chuckle, her voice filled with condensation as she turned her gaze to me. "A rejected 'Queen', you mean? Of people who don't even respect or accept me as their Luna. I mean, how could they when their Alpha rejected me in the presence of almost every born werewolf in our pack?"
She maintained eye contact with me for a few seconds but eventually looked away, the fiery passion I'd seen in her eyes dying down.
It seemed we were never getting past this whole rejection thing.
Unless...
"I have a way to make it up to you, Mi Caliente," I whispered into her ears with a husky voice.
She arched a confused eyebrow at first until I got up and headed to the stage.
"Kaene? What are you doing?" My mother, who'd been sitting close to us, asked, but I ignored her, mounting the stage even as the music played and the people danced.
However, it seemed someone had noticed my presence on the stage, forcing the music to die down as a stage light was pointed my way.
"Thank you." I blurted into the microphone with a silly smile, glancing at Phoebe who had an exasperated expression on her face.
But that didn't discourage me as I continued. "Now, some of you, especially the high-ranking wolves of my pack and members of my Alpha Council, were present during the Moon's Chosen ceremony when Luna Phoebe was announced as my mate."
The entire hall became silent as a graveyard as I scanned my gaze through all the faces present.
I spotted Elsa in a corner with her father, her face turning a comedic shade of red while her father remained stoic as he stared at me.
Ignoring both of them, I continued. "Well, despite what you all might have heard me say that day I'm here to make something clear. Phoebe is MY mate and the new Luna of this pack. Some of you can even say she's my wife, in human terms, even though we haven't–"
I paused when a sudden commotion erupted from a corner of the hall. It seemed to be coming from the seats reserved for the Alphas and Lunas of other packs.
"Luna Lucinda!" A voice yelled in a panic.
"We need help here, now!"
Lucinda? That was the Luna of Crescent Moon pack.
A cold shiver went down my spine as the hall descended into chaos.