Chapter 7
Outside the Silver Moon Temple, moonlight gently blanketed
the pristine marble steps. I stood in the shadows by the side entrance, fingers unconsciously rubbing the moonstone earring I
wore.
Footsteps approached from behind.
“Hannah?”
Darren’s voice was filled with stunned disbelief. I turned slowly to see him standing three steps away, pupils contracting sharply as his gaze swept from my silver–white gown to my moonstone earrings, finally landing on my arm in a cast.
“What are you doing here?” His voice suddenly sharpened. “You’re supposed to be in the forest-”
“In the forest what?” I tilted my head with a faint smile. “Curled up in a hollow tree like a stray mutt waiting to die?”
Xandra peeked out from behind Darren, her gaze slithering over me like a snake’s before she let out a dramatic little laugh. “Oh goddess, Sis Hannah, don’t tell me you stole that dress from somewhere?”
Darren frowned and stepped forward. “Enough, Hannah. You know the consequences of trespassing on royal grounds.”
His eyes flicked to my cast, and his tone softened a bit. “You’re hurt… You need healing. Come back with us.”
“Go back?” I smoothed out a nonexistent wrinkle on my gown. “Back to that home where even my bedroom was given away?”
Darren’s expression twisted. “Don’t push it. You think dressing up like this means you can just sneak in here?”
“Sneak in?” I chuckled. “I’m the bride today.”
Xandra gasped with fake concern. “Oh no, Hannah–sis, I know getting rejected must’ve been hard, but you shouldn’t be making up stuff like this.”
I almost laughed out loud. “You’ve got it backward. It was me who rejected Darren.”
Then, I slowly unfolded the invitation in my hand. “You think I’m lying? Need me to read it out for you? ‘The Moonflame and Nightshade Kingdoms cordially invite you to witness the marking ceremony of Princess Hannah Greene and-“”
Darren suddenly lashed out, smacking the invitation from my hand. “Forging royal documents is punishable by death! This only makes me more disappointed in you. Stop humiliating yourself and come back to the pack–now!”
I stood unmoving, silver–gray eyes gleaming coldly under the moonlight.
“And what gives you the right to order me?”
“I’m your Alpha!” Darren growled, reaching for my wrist.
But just before his fingers could touch me-
“Who gave you permission to touch my sister?”
A cold, commanding voice rang out from deep within the temple, freezing the air.
Everyone turned at once to the source of the voice—
Aaron walked forward at a steady pace, a regal aura radiating from him. Darren and Landon stiffened instantly, instincts kicking in as they took an involuntary step back.
Xandra’s face went ghostly pale. Her fingers clenched Darren’s sleeve in panic.
“King Greene…” Landon’s voice trembled as he looked at me, eyes wide with disbelief. “Hannah, you… You’re really…”
“The princess of Moonflame,” I said calmly, finishing his sentence with a mocking smile. “Just like it says on the invitation.”
Darren’s eyes darted between me and Aaron, finally locking onto me. His voice came out hoarse, “You… You lied to us?”
“Lied?” Aaron scoffed, his fingers resting lightly on my shoulder. His icy gaze swept across Darren. “My sister kept her identity hidden to protect you ungrateful mutts who don’t know your
place.”
Xandra suddenly shrieked, “No! She’s an orphan! She can’t possibly be-”
“Silence.” Aaron didn’t even look at her. He simply lifted a hand.
The next moment, two Moonflame warriors stepped forward, dragging a figure–it was the healer from the Duskwood pack.
The healer trembled as he knelt to the ground. “I… I can testify! Three years ago, Xandra made me forge a diagnosis claiming she was gravely injured and had to leave. She was never hurt!”
“What?!” Darren whipped around to glare at Xandra, fury blazing in his eyes.
Xandra turned paper–white, shaking her head frantically. “No! He’s lying! Darren, you have to believe me—”
“And,” the healer added, voice quivering with fear, “she came back on the day of Alpha Darren and Princess Hannah’s marking ceremony on purpose. She threatened me into faking her diagnosis again, said if I didn’t do it, she’d harm my pups…”
I let out a cold laugh. “It was all so obvious. Pity the great Alpha Darren was too blind to see it.”
Darren snapped his gaze back to me, a flicker of desperation in
eyes. “You knew? Why didn’t you tell me?”
his
I barely held back the urge to roll my eyes. I am a princess, I
reminded myself. He is not worth my anger.
“Didn’t I try? You never listened. You were too busy defending your precious little mistress.”
Xandra clung to Landon’s arm, voice shaking. “No… She must threaten that healer to say so! I didn’t fake anything—”
“Do you know the punishment for slandering the princess?” Aaron’s voice held a quiet but deadly warning.
Darren’s expression darkened completely. He seized Xandra by the throat, voice colder than ice. “You lied to me… for three years?”
Something wild flashed in Xandra’s eyes. She tore away from Darren’s grip and screamed hysterically, “So what if I did?! Why does she get everything?! I’m the one who should be Luna!”
I watched her shriek like a madwoman, my gaze impassive.
“Darren, this is your chosen Luna.” I scoffed, then turned and held Aaron’s arm. “Let’s go, brother. The ceremony’s about to begin.”
