Chapter 161

Aria

I sat in the front row, watching as Lucas finally took center stage in the makeshift theater we’d set up in the village square. The children looked adorable in their homemade costumes consisting of furs, fake spears, and other traditional garb.

The play was about the first feast between humans and werewolves, almost two thousand years ago, before humans and werewolves split from one another for good. Honestly, it was a really good play. I had to give Raven credit for throwing it together so quickly.

“And that,” Lucas said, taking the hand of the little girl standing next to him and holding their joined hands up, “is the story of the first feast!”

As they both took a dramatic bow, I found myself on my feet, clapping until my hands hurt.

After the final curtain call, the village square erupted with conversation as people stood to stretch and mingle. Refreshments appeared, and soon the air was filled with the sounds of laughter and chatter. I turned to say something to Darren, but he was staring off into space, his eyes fixed on the treeline of the nearby forest.

“Darren?” I asked, nudging him with my elbow. “You alright?”

He blinked, as if dazed, but then nodded. “Yes. I just… I need to take care of something,” he said.

Before I could ask what he meant, he was suddenly walking away, leaving me standing alone in the bustling crowd. I stared after him, confused. But suddenly, the sound of a deep voice called my attention away.

“Luna Aria,” Alpha Arthur from Shadowclan pack said, stepping into view before I could see where Darren went. “Might I have a word?”

My stomach tightened with sudden anxiety when I turned and saw the stern Alpha staring down at me. Throughout the meeting today, I’d caught him watching me with an unreadable but intense expression—the very same expression he was looking at me with now.

“Um… Yes,” I said, pulling my shoulders back. “To what do I owe the pleasure, Alpha Arthur?”

He cleared his throat. “I wanted to speak with you privately,” he began, his eyes studying me intently. “I recently heard an interesting rumor—a rumor that you told the chief of human police that Darren would be the next Alpha King.”

My heart jumped into my throat. How the hell did he know that? Did word really spread that fast? Had one of his warriors overheard and relayed the information back to him?

“Oh?” I managed, my hands tightening around the ale mug I was holding.

“Yes.” His eyes narrowed, and I knew he wasn’t buying my bluff.

I swallowed hard, my cheeks heating with embarrassment. “I—I shouldn’t have said that. It was presumptuous of me. We don’t know who will be elected, and I had no right to—”

To my surprise, Arthur held up a hand, silencing me. The corner of his mouth twitched upward slightly.

“Actually, I agree with you,” he said, his voice lowering further. “Darren should be the next Alpha King. And you, the Luna Queen beside him.”

I blinked at him. “You… agree?”

He nodded, his stern face relaxing slightly. There was something familiar in his eyes then, although I couldn’t quite place it. Somehow, I felt as if I’d met him before. Or someone like him, rather.

“Darren is an excellent Alpha with a wonderful Luna by his side,” he went on. “It’s rare to find a pair so well-matched, especially in these changing times.”

“But the other packs—”

“Are afraid,” he finished for me. “Fear makes wolves hide. Courage makes them lead.” He glanced around the square meaningfully. “Taking in human refugees, developing a documentary to showcase werewolf traditions to the human world… These were ingenious moves. Risky, yes, but exactly the kind of innovative thinking we need.”

My chest filled with unexpected warmth at his words. Coming from such a respected elder Alpha, this approval meant more than I could express—even if I hadn’t met him before.

“I’m voting for him tomorrow,” Arthur continued, “and I suspect others will, too. We need leaders who aren’t afraid to face this new era—one where humans and werewolves might find peace and equality rather than endless hiding and conflict. I suggest you speak to Darren and tell him to ensure he prepares a good speech ahead of time.”

“I will,” I said softly. “And… Thank you. For believing in us.”

He studied me for a moment longer, something almost fond in his gaze. “You remind me a lot of Wendy, you know. I can see why she looks at you both the way she does—with such pride. Even from afar, I have been watching you two, and I could see it. Up close… You’re both even more wonderful than I could have expected.”

My eyes widened slightly at the unexpected praise. But before I could respond, he gave me a small nod and turned away, leaving me. I watched him move through the crowd with easy authority until he reached Wendy, who was speaking with some of the visiting Lunas near the stage.

As he approached her, her face lit up with a smile that was oddly different from the one she usually wore—something deeper, more intimate, and yet more fiery at the same time. As if she had suddenly become young again.

“Arthur,” I heard her say, dropping his honorary title.

They spoke quietly after that, their body language shifting in a way that made me tilt my head in confusion. The way they stood together, the slight touch of his hand to her elbow, the private laugh they shared…

“Are those two flirting?” Bella’s voice suddenly whispered beside me. I glanced over to see her nibbling on some bread and cheese, her eyebrows lifted in surprise.

“Looks like it,” I replied.

She snorted. “If I didn’t know better, I’d say that Arthur and Darren’s father bear some striking resemblances.”

I stared at my friend in shock for a moment, then looked back at Arthur, and found myself suddenly noticing physical similarities I hadn’t paid attention to before. The set of Arthur’s jaw, the way he carried himself…

My eyes flicked over to where Darren’s father was standing across the way, and the resemblance was uncanny.

“The man who got me pregnant,” Wendy had said when she’d discussed werewolf babies with us. She hadn’t referred to him as her husband, or even by name, as if it were a closely-guarded secret.

It couldn’t have been Arthur, could it? As far as I knew, no one ever mentioned Darren’s grandfather. I’d assumed that he passed away or something, but now…

Was Arthur Darren’s grandfather? The thought struck me suddenly, but I quickly pushed it aside for now.

I moved through the crowd after that, stopping to praise Lucas and the other children for their performance, but kept scanning the square for Darren. I didn’t see him anywhere.

After nearly an hour had passed since he’d left my side, I decided to seek him out. Most likely, he was caught up in some important discussion with the visiting Alphas, perhaps laying groundwork for tomorrow’s election.

I slipped away from the square, making my way to the pack house to see if he was there. As I approached, I noticed several lights on inside. Good, Darren was probably there, perhaps in his office. I quickened my pace and entered quietly, hearing voices from further inside. I followed the sound down the hallway, recognizing Darren’s deep timbre, although I couldn’t make out his words.

But as I turned the corner toward his office, I stopped abruptly at what I saw.

Raven was standing close to Darren in the dimly lit hallway, her hand on his arm. I couldn’t hear what she was saying, but the intensity in her eyes made something cold and painful settle in my stomach.

Then, I stood frozen, watching as she took Darren’s hand in hers. My heart stuttered painfully in my chest as she turned, leading him toward the bedroom door nearby. Our bedroom.

They slipped inside without looking back, and I felt as if a knife made of ice had pierced my heart.