Chapter 2

　　Thalia's POV

　　The palace had transformed within the past forty-eight hours in preparation for the coronation.

　　​I had desperately tried to banish the memory of the scent I'd detected on Adonis from my mind the second it happened.

　　I must have made a mistake, I told myself repeatedly over the last two days. After all, he's the future Alpha. He comes into contact with dozens of people every single day during his pack duties, including my best friend.

　　Adonis will never betray me. He couldn't, and Eris was like a sister to me.

　　By the night before the coronation, my anxiety was through the roof. I just needed to see him. Even if it was only for a second, to have him tell me that everything was going to be perfect.

　　So, like a totally hopeless romantic, I decided to sneak into his chambers.

　　The hallway of his wing was quiet, lit only by the dim glow of the wall lights. I slipped past the doors of his anteroom, my heart doing a nervous tap-dance against my ribs as I walked toward his bedroom, a smile already forming on my face.

　　Until I heard it.

　　From the closed door, muffled sounds drifted out. It started as breathless, high-pitched moans, followed by words that physically slapped me.

　　"Fuck me, Adonis… yeah, ugh, fuck!"

　　My brain completely shut down. The entire room started spinning, and all the air felt like it was sucked out of my lungs, accompanied by disgust, anger, and a pain so sharp it felt like I was being stabbed.

　　I took a step back, but my feet betrayed me. It hit the edge of a table where a ceramic vase sat, toppling it over, and before I could catch it, it hit the floor, shattering into a million pieces.

　　The noise inside the bedroom stopped instantly.

　　Within three seconds, the door swung open, and Adonis stood there, hurriedly pulling a shirt over his bare, flushed chest. He immediately stepped fully into the doorway, using his broad shoulders to completely block my view of the bed.

　　"What are you doing here?" He snapped, his voice tight with irritation.

　　My heart felt like it was breaking into a million pieces alongside that vase.

　　"I... I just came to check on you," I squeaked out, my voice trembling as I forced my eyes to meet his. "Adonis, who is in there? What was that noise?"

　　"Noise? Thalia, what are you talking about?" He chuckled softly, reaching out to rub my arms. His hands were warm, but they felt like ice against my skin. "You're shaking. Have you been sleeping at all?"

　　"I heard a woman, Adonis," I whispered, tears threatening to spill over my lashes. I hated how small my voice sounded. "I heard... I heard moaning. It sounded like—"

　　"Hey, look at me," He cut me off, his voice dropping into the soothing tone that always calmed me. He cupped my cheek, his thumb wiping away a stray tear. "Your anxiety is getting the best of you again. The stress of the coronation tomorrow is making you imagine things. I was just here reviewing the final pack ledgers. There's no one else here."

　　"But I know what I heard—"

　　"Thalia, enough," he said, his tone softening into something that sounded like pity but felt like a slap. "You don't have a wolf anymore, remember? Your senses aren't what they used to be. You're exhausted, and you're letting your mind play tricks on you."

　　The reminder of my lost wolf cut through me like a dagger. I stared at him, completely frozen.

　　Was I crazy? Did I really hear wrong?

　　"You need to get your rest, my love," Adonis murmured, pressing a gentle kiss to my forehead. "Tomorrow is the biggest day of our lives. I need my future Luna, clear-headed and beautiful. Go back to your chambers. I'll see you in the morning."

　　Before I could find my voice to argue, he closed the bedroom door.

　　I stood there for a long time, staring at the wood, wondering if I truly was losing my mind. Numbly, I turned around and began the long walk back to my own room.

　　It's just the stress, I repeated to myself like a mantra, trying to swallow the suffocating lump in my throat. He's right. My senses are broken; I'm human now. I'm just paranoid.

　　Tomorrow, the crown would be on his head, and I would stand beside him as his Luna. That was all that mattered.

　　It had to be.

　　×××

　　The next day arrived so fast, the palace grounds were swarming with people. The Elders had gathered, the pack members were lining the courtyard, and the entire atmosphere was vibrating with anticipation.

　　Meanwhile, I was in my room, having a panic attack.

　　​"My hands won't stop shaking," I muttered, dropping my eyeliner brush as it smudged yet again. My brain was running its hundredth marathon of anxiety about what happened last night.

　　I didn't mention it to Eris; I couldn't. If I did, it would make it real.

　　Adonis would never cheat on me.

　　I turned back to the mirror, smoothed down the front of my gown, and waited for a reaction from Eris.

　　She was just sitting on the edge of the bed, completely checked out, casually picking at her fingernails. It was like she was attending an incredibly boring lecture rather than prepping her best friend to become the matriarch of the territory.

　　"Eris?" I lowered my brush, the sudden lack of energy in the room making my stomach do a weird flip. "Are you okay?"

　　She blinked, snapping out of whatever trance she was in, and gave me a quick smile and a nod. "Yeah. Just thinking. You look beautiful, Thalia."

　　​"Are you not coming down with me?" My voice cracked slightly. I needed her. I needed my best friend by my side before I walked out into that crowd. "C'mon, don't tell me you don't want to watch the exact moment I get crowned?"

　　She let out a soft laugh and shook her head. "I have a few things to finish up here first, alright? Go ahead. I'll be a little late, but I promise I'll be there to watch you become Luna."

　　​"Okay," I breathed, completely pushing down the tiny, nagging voice in my head that whispered something was wrong. "Don't be late."

　　Finally, the hour arrived.

　　Adonis ascended the steps to the pulpit, and above us, the night sky was clear, the moon swelling. On cue, the wolves in the courtyard began a synchronized howl to the heavens before erupting into a symphony of cheers and clapping. Adonis just waved, flashing that dazzling, perfect smile that had captured my heart years ago.

　　I scanned the crowd, my anxiety spiking. Eris still wasn't anywhere to be found.

　　"Where is she?"

　　I took half a step back, intending to slip away into the palace and find her, but right then, Adonis dropped to one knee, bowing his head as the high priest and the council of Elders stepped forward, lifting the crown and resting it firmly upon his head.

　　The noise from the crowd was absolutely deafening. He stood up, turned to the cheering crowd, and raised a hand for silence.

　　"And now," he announced, his gaze sweeping over the audience, "I would love to introduce my Luna to the people, the councils, and the elders." He took a deep breath, a look of satisfaction crossing his face.

　　My heart soared out of my chest.

　　This was it.

　　I subtly smoothed down the skirt of my dress, tucked a strand of hair behind my ear, and braced myself to step forward.

　　But before I could even move a muscle, the crowd near the palace entrance parted.

　　Eris walked into the courtyard, and it felt like the world slowed down. She wore a white gown so breathtakingly beautiful that she looked like a literal goddess.

　　"What... what is happening?"

　　​I watched in paralyzed shock as she walked up the steps, completely ignoring me. She reached the top where Adonis stood. Instead of sending her away, Adonis reached out, wrapped an arm around her waist, pulled her against his chest, and looked at her with a kind of raw, consuming affection he had never once directed at me.

　　​And then, in front of the entire pack, in front of the Elders, in front of me... he kissed her.

　　The roaring from the crowd grew louder in my ears as flashes of the moaning from his bedroom the night before echoed in my ears, and everything clicked into place.

　　I wasn't losing my mind; it was her…

　　My best friend.

　　Tears blurred my vision as I felt like my legs were about to buckle beneath me. I pinched my skin, praying to the Moon Goddess to wake me up from this nightmare, but I wasn't asleep. It was real.

　　Adonis finally pulled away from the kiss and turned back to the cheering crowd, raised his hand, and delivered the final blow to my heart.

　　"My Luna, Eris Sage."