Chapter 3

Selene Thorne POV:

The triumphant smirk on Faye's face faltered as she saw the look in my eyes. A flicker of fear replaced her victory, and she instinctively shrank back behind Ryker's protective bulk.

I tore my gaze away from them, turning my attention to the silent, watchful pack. My chest was a hollow cavern of pain, but I took a deep, steadying breath. When I spoke, my voice was miraculously calm, imbued with the quiet authority they had come to expect from their Luna.

"The Full Moon Gathering is a sacred celebration," I began, my voice carrying to every corner of the clearing. "A time for unity and joy."

My gaze swept over them, a mix of Luna's command and a mother's gentle concern. "But it seems a somber mood has fallen upon us."

Seeing me shift the focus, Faye must have thought I was retreating. She stepped out from behind Ryker, dabbing at her dry eyes with the back of her hand. "Luna, I am so sorry," she said, her voice a fragile, trembling thing. "It's all my fault. I'll leave right now."

She put on a masterful performance of a heartbroken, guilt-ridden woman. I could see it working; some of the younger, more impressionable wolves were already looking at me with disapproval, as if I were the one being cruel.

Ryker's brow furrowed, his glare accusing me of frightening his precious, delicate flower.

I looked at Faye, at her crocodile tears and quivering lip, and a humorless, icy smile touched my own lips.

*The little bitch is acting,* Kara snarled in my mind. *Let me rip her throat out!*

*No. We do it my way,* I replied, and took a single, deliberate step forward.

I didn't release an ounce of aggression. Instead, I let my true power unfurl. It wasn't the brute force of an Alpha's command, but something older, deeper. It was the innate, unshakeable authority that flowed through the royal bloodline of the Winter Pack, an aura of command that didn't need to shout to be obeyed.

The very air grew heavy. The pack members held their breath.

Faye's pathetic, fake sobs caught in her throat. The color drained from her face, leaving her looking pale and pinched.

My amethyst eyes locked onto hers, and my voice became as sharp as a shard of ice. "You will speak when spoken to."

It was not a request. It was an order from her Luna. Faye flinched as if struck and clamped her mouth shut.

I then raised my voice, addressing the entire pack. "The celebration is over. Everyone is to return to their homes. Now."

This was my right. The management of pack gatherings, the welfare of our people-that was the Luna's domain.

The pack members exchanged uncertain glances, but no one dared to disobey a direct order from me. They began to quietly pack up their belongings, the festive mood completely extinguished.

Ryker's face darkened with fury. "Selene! You are overstepping!"

I met his rage with a cool, unblinking stare. "Am I? As Luna, ensuring the pack's morale is my responsibility. And your public display has shattered it. I am merely doing my duty."

My words were a shield of logic and law that he couldn't break. He knew I was right. The pack's own laws gave the Luna the authority to disperse a gathering if she deemed it was no longer beneficial to the pack's spirit. He was left speechless, his fists clenching at his sides.

Faye, seeing her moment of triumph being dismantled, opened her mouth to protest.

I shot her a look so cold, so utterly devoid of warmth, that the words died on her lips. She looked like I had physically choked her.

The music was gone. The bonfires were being doused. The crowd melted away into the darkness of the forest, leaving the three of us standing in the wreckage of what was supposed to be a joyous night.

I had proven a point. He may have chosen her, but I was still the Luna. I was still the one in charge. I had seized control of the narrative, ripped the stage right out from under Faye's feet.

In the now empty, silent clearing, I gave Ryker one last look. It was a look filled with five years of love curdling into bitter disappointment. Then, without another word, I turned my back on him and walked away, my head held high.

As I walked away, her back straight and proud, Ryker's furious voice echoed in the empty clearing, "This isn't over, Selene!"

I didn't turn back, my only reply was a thought to my inner wolf, *No, Ryker. It has just begun.*