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The Moon's Decree

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Synopsis

Chapter 1 - Chapter 1

Luna's hands shook as she tied her apron for the evening shift. Three years of working in the palace, and she still got nervous before big events. Being an Omega wasn't just about rank—it meant feeling everything more intensely, picking up on every subtle emotion in a room. Sometimes it felt like drowning in other people's feelings.

"You're doing it again," her friend Maya whispered, straightening Luna's collar. "That thing where you look like you're trying to make yourself invisible."

Luna managed a weak smile. "Is it working?"

"Never does, honey." Maya, a Beta who worked in the kitchens, was one of the few people who treated Luna like a person rather than a designation. "You're too pretty to be invisible, even if you try to hide behind that serving tray."

Luna snorted, but the compliment warmed her. Pretty wasn't a word often associated with Omegas. They were supposed to be plain, meek, forgettable. She'd spent years trying to live up to that expectation, keeping her honey-blonde hair in a severe bun and her eyes downcast. But sometimes, in the privacy of her tiny room, she'd let her hair down and imagine a different life.

The annual Mating Ball was in full swing, the grand ballroom a sea of designer gowns and tailored suits. Luna moved through the crowd with practiced ease, even as her enhanced senses were overwhelmed by expensive perfumes and the suffocating weight of ambition in the air. These were wolves who'd been bred for power, raised to believe they deserved everything life had to offer.

She'd just finished refreshing the champagne supply when she heard the whispers ripple through the crowd. King Alexander had arrived.

Luna had seen him before, of course—always from a safe distance. But something was different tonight. Maybe it was the full moon hanging low and heavy outside, or maybe it was the way the candlelight caught his face, softening the hard edges she'd always associated with him. For the first time, she noticed the shadows under his eyes, the slight tension in his jaw. He looked... tired.

That unexpected glimpse of vulnerability was her undoing. Her focus slipped for just a moment, but a moment was all it took. The tray tilted, and her worst nightmare unfolded in slow motion.

The wine soaked through his white shirt immediately, turning it a damning shade of crimson. Luna dropped to her knees, her heart hammering so hard she thought it might break her ribs. She'd seen servants dismissed for far less. And being dismissed from the palace meant returning to her pack—to a father who'd made it clear she was a disappointment and brothers who treated her like she was made of glass.

"Look at me."

His voice wasn't what she expected. There was authority there, yes, but also something else—curiosity, maybe? When she finally gathered the courage to meet his gaze, the mate bond didn't strike like lightning. Instead, it felt like waking up from a dream she didn't know she was having. Like her world had been slightly out of focus, and suddenly everything was crystal clear.

She saw the moment he felt it too. His eyes widened, and for a split second, his carefully maintained control slipped. He looked young, almost vulnerable. Then the mask slammed back into place.

"Impossible," he muttered, but there was more fear than anger in his voice. Luna understood. She was a political liability, a weakness in his armor. Everything he'd worked for could be undermined by being paired with an Omega.

The whispers around them were already starting. Luna caught fragments: "—must be a mistake—" "—imagine the scandal—" "—can't possibly accept an Omega as Queen—"

But it was the pity in their eyes that hurt the most. They looked at her like she was a tragedy waiting to happen.

Alexander's hand closed around her arm, helping her to her feet with surprising gentleness. "The ball is over," he announced, his voice brooking no argument. As the crowd dispersed, Luna noticed his thumb moving in small circles against her skin, as if he wasn't even aware he was doing it.

When they were alone, he didn't immediately let go. "This isn't what either of us wanted," he said quietly.

"No," Luna agreed, finding courage she didn't know she had. "But it's what we have."

He studied her face. "You're afraid."

"Yes."

"But you're not running."

Luna thought about her life until now—always hiding, always apologizing for existing. Something inside her had broken tonight, but maybe that breaking was really a beginning. "Would you respect me more if I did?"

A startled laugh escaped him, brief but genuine. "Probably not." His free hand came up to touch her face, and Luna was surprised to feel his fingers trembling slightly. "I don't know how to do this," he admitted. "I've spent my whole life being taught that power is everything, that weakness cannot be tolerated. And now..."

"And now the Moon Goddess has paired you with the weakest wolf possible?" Luna finished for him.

"Are you?" His eyes searched hers. "The weakest possible? Because I've never seen an Omega stand her ground quite like you're doing right now."

Luna hadn't either, honestly. She didn't know where this strength was coming from. Maybe it had always been there, waiting for the right moment. Or maybe it was the mate bond, showing her who she could be rather than who she'd been told to be.

"I can't promise I'll be good at this," Alexander said. "I'll probably mess up. Often. But I'm willing to try if you are."

It wasn't a declaration of love. It wasn't even really a romance. But it was honest, and real, and somehow that meant more than any fairy tale ending could have offered.

"I'm willing," Luna said, and for the first time that night, she smiled without restraint. She felt him catch his breath, saw something warm flicker in his eyes.

Maybe they were both breaking out of the boxes they'd been put in. Maybe that was exactly what they both needed.