The days blurred together after our arrival, each one a carbon copy machine, preparing for their former Alpha’s funeral and the coronation of their new king.
I found myself swept up in endless ceremonies, introductions, and pack customs I barely understood. Standing beside various pack officials, nodding at appropriate moments, smiling when needed–my days were filled with these performative duties that kept me far from Kaius.
Not that I particularly minded missing Alaric’s funeral preparations. The man had been nothing but a shadow of terror in my mother’s nightmares and a brief, unpleasant encounter in my own experience. But the coronation made my pulse quicken with curiosity.
Would it be like the ceremonies in human fairy tales, with crowns and thrones? Once Kaius claimed the title of King, what would that make me? The word “Queen” felt too grand, too foreign on my tongue, yet “Luna” seemed suddenly insufficient.
When the funeral day finally arrived, I stood before the mirror in our temporary quarters, studying my reflection with a critical eye.
I wore a floor–length black gown of the finest silk, its fabric so deeply dark it seemed to absorb the light around it. The bodice was fitted with intricate lace overlay that traced delicate patterns across my collarbone and shoulders before cascading down my arms in sheer sleeves that ended at my wrists.
“You look beautiful,” Kaius said from the doorway, resplendent in a black suit that emphasized the breadth of his shoulders and the lean strength of his frame.
“So do you,” I replied, turning to face him. “Are you ready for this?”
A shadow passed across his features. “To bury the father who tormented me and claim the crown he valued above all else? I’ve been ready my entire life.”
His words hung in the air between us. I caught his gaze in the mirror our eyes meeting in the reflective glass.
S
“I heard the funeral and coronation are being held on the same day, I asked. “Is this a custom in your pack?”
His lips curved in the barest hint of a smile. “New replacing old. Isn’t that the most natural law of wolves?”
I studied the hard lines of his face. He was right, of course. Kaius surpassed Alaric in every way–combat skills, intelligence, strategic thinking, even temperament. His ascension to King was simply natural law proving itself once more. But as I prepared to walk beside him today, a question nagged at me: could I be the Queen he deserved? When he ruled with such strength and clarity of purpose, would I match him as his equal, or would I always be a step behind, struggling to keep pace with a born leader?
We made our way to the ceremonial grounds. The funeral site occupied the eastern clearing, solemn and austere with its black- draping and silver ceremonial urns. Across the torchlit path, the coronation grounds stood on the western rise, already adorned with the ancient symbols of pack leadership and royal authority. Pack members from both Ravenhollow and Ironvale had already gathere, forming a sea of black–clad figures between the two sacred spaces.
I spotted a familiar face in the crowd and felt a surge of relief. Frost” I called, quickening my pace to reach him.
Elowen,” he greeted me with a warmth that contrasted sharply with the somber occasion. His ice–blue eyes quickly assessed me. “It does feel like forever. But you do look good.”
“And you lovely too,” I replied, genuinely happy to see a friendly face amid so many strangers.
“How are things progressing?” Kaius asked, joining us.
“According to plan,” Frost assured him. “The elders from neighboring packs have all arrived to witness both ceremonies.”
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Chapter 118
Thalia appeared beside us, looking even more severe than usual in formal black robes that emphasized her ageless beauty. “It’s time, Alpha. The funeral rites must begin precisely at noon, followed by the test for your coronation.”
As Kaius moved to take his place, I caught Thalia’s arm. “What is the test about?” I asked quietly, unable to contain my curiosity and concern any longer.
She seemed surprised by my direct question. “The moon goddess would have to accept him.”
“But… he is the son of the Alpha king; doesn’t that automatically make him the next king?” The rules of succession had always seemed straightforward to me.
“There had never once been a problem when passing the crown; he had already met the requirement, but this step is necessary,‘ she explained, though I sensed she was withholding information.
Before I could press further, a bone–chilling howl cut through the air–the signal for the funeral to begin. Thalia moved away, taking her place among the other elders who would officiate.
I found my designated spot near the front of the assembly, Frost a reassuring presence beside me. As Alaric’s body, wrapped in ceremonial cloth, was carried to the pyre, I couldn’t help but think of my mother–of how this man had destroyed her life, had nearly destroyed mine as well.
And now he was gone, his reign of terror ended not by a challenger in fair combat as tradition dictated, but by the hand of his long- suffering mate. There was justice in that, I thought, though I doubted many here knew the truth.
The funeral rites proceeded with solemn efficiency–prayers to the moon goddess, recitations of Alaric’s accomplishments (notably edited to omit his cruelties), and finally, the lighting of the pyre. As names engulfed the body, I watched Kaius’s face, searching for some sign of grief or triumph or… anything. But his expression remained carved from stone, giving away nothing of his inner
thoughts.
When the fire had reduced Alaric’s remains to ashes, there was a shifting in the crowd, a collective turning toward the coronation site where Kaius would be tested and, presumably, crowned as the new Alpha King.
“It will be fine,” Frost murmured beside me, correctly interpreting my anxiety. “He’s prepared for this his entire life.”
I nodded, trying to believe him. But as we moved toward the coronation grounds, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong–that the test Thalia had mentioned might be more dangerous than anyone was letting on.
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