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CHAPTER 8
~Jade's POV~
The royal dinner felt unreal.
I sat at the long table, hands folded neatly on my lap, trying not to look as out of place as I felt. The room was grand—high ceilings, crystal chandeliers, polished silverware—but none of that was what made my chest tight. It was the people.
So many eyes. So many titles.
King Asherion sat at the head of the table, his commanding presence filling the entire dining hall. To his right sat his Beta, with Xavier, Xander, and Xade beside him.
Across from them was the Gamma and his family—his wife, Autumn, calm and graceful, and their daughter, Silvie, who wore a pleasant smile that never quite reached her eyes.
Further down the table sat a strawberry blonde-haired lady named Duchess Ember, composed and sharp-eyed, High Duke Sebastian with his measured gaze, and West-Werewolf Lord Vegan, broad-shouldered and stern.
King Ash rose to his feet, and the room went quiet.
"I believe it is time I formally introduce someone important," he said, his voice steady. His gaze shifted to me. "This is Jade Snow. My daughter. And the future heir of this kingdom."
A ripple of murmurs moved through the room.
I forced myself to lift my chin and meet their eyes.
"She will be taking her rightful place among us," the King continued. "As such, she will begin proper preparation immediately."
He gestured slightly toward the strawberry blonde woman seated a few places away and then proceeded to sit. "Duchess Ember will oversee her etiquette training. She will teach her the duties, responsibilities, and expectations of a Luna."
Duchess Ember inclined her head. "It will be my honour, Your Majesty."
Before I could process that, Silvie spoke up.
"With all due respect," she said lightly, smiling, "is that really necessary?"
Several heads turned toward her.
"I've received Luna training my entire life," Silvie continued. "I understand protocol, diplomacy, and court etiquette. Perhaps the Duchess shouldn't be burdened with such menial tasks. I could assist Jade instead."
The room grew tense. King Ash studied her for a moment, his expression unreadable. Then he shook his head. "So you mean to say teaching the Princess is menial labour?"
Silvie froze, her face suddenly turning pale. "N-no, Your Majesty. I wouldn't dare say…"
"No," the king finished for her.
Silvie blinked. "Your Majesty—"
"My daughter will receive the best and most professional training available, just like you did," he said firmly. "This is not a favour. This is preparation for rule."
"I only meant to help," Silvie said quickly. "To make things easier."
"I appreciate the intention," the King replied in a final tone, "but I seem to recall no one protesting when you received professional Luna trainings meant for royal blood at an early age."
A chill spread through the room. Gamma Elias cleared his throat, then dipped his head.
King Ash glanced at him before focusing back on Silvie. "My decision stands."
Silvie's smile stiffened. "Of course, Your Majesty."
An awkward silence followed. Trying to recover, Silvie turned toward the triplets. "Xavier, it's been a while since we last spoke. How have you been?"
Xavier took a sip of his drink and glanced at me. "Busy."
Xander didn't even look at her.
Xade leaned back in his chair. "Same as always."
"Oh," Silvie said softly. "That's… good."
She tried again, directing a comment toward Xander, but he responded with a short nod and nothing more. Xade shifted the topic away entirely, and Xavier focused on his plate.
Eventually, the attention drifted back to me.
"And how are you finding the palace, Lady Jade?" High Duke Sebastian asked.
I hesitated, then answered honestly. "It's… a lot. But I'm managing."
West-Werewolf Lord Vegan chuckled. "That's to be expected. Power always comes with weight."
King Ash glanced at me. "In time you will adjust. You won't be alone."
To be honest, I wasn't sure how to respond to that. I already felt alone.
Duchess Ember smiled at me then. "We'll start slowly," she said softly. "No pressure."
I nodded while maintaining a small smile. "Thank you."
As the dinner continued, conversation flowed around me—politics, borders, alliances—but I barely tasted the food on my plate.
The dinner dragged on, but toward the end, my father finally raised his glass.
"There will be a celebration," King Storm announced. "A formal gathering to present Jade Snow to the kingdom."
The room stirred instantly, approval, curiosity, expectations all rolling off.
My heart skipped. Before I could lose my nerve, I pushed my chair back slightly. "Father… may I speak?"
He turned to me, a little bit surprised but attentive. "Go ahead."
I did not know if this was okay, but I thought I had to give it a try at the very least. "I want to return to school," I said clearly. "I want to finish my senior year at Prestige Lunar Academy."
The room fell into silence once more.
"No," he said almost immediately. "That's not happening."
I inhaled, steadying myself. "Please, Your Majesty. I need that normalcy. I don't want my life to become caged politics overnight."
"You are no longer normal," he replied. "You never were."
Before I could respond, Beta Davion spoke. "Your Majesty, the girl has lived as a normal werewolf all her life. Forcing her to abandon that completely may do more harm than good."
Gamma Elias nodded. "Let her finish what she started. It may help her adjust."
My father studied them, then looked back at me. "And what about the announcement?"
"I don't want my identity revealed yet," I said. "Not until I graduate. Or… until I win the Lunar Student of the Year."
His brows lifted, clearly shocked by my goal. "You sound very sure of that."
"I am," I said, meeting his gaze. "And I'll earn it."
Something shifted in his eyes—pride, maybe. After a long pause, he nodded. "Very well. But on one condition."
I stiffened, my mind already running some calculations. "What is it, if I may ask?"
"You will accept help from the triplets," he said. "They'll be resuming as lecturers at your school. You will rely on them when needed."
I glanced at Xavier, Xander, and Xade. Reluctantly, I nodded. "Fine." Anything to get me out of this palace while I had the chance.
To my surprise, Xade smiled faintly. Xavier inclined his head. Even Xander looked… interested.
"Is there anything else, you want, Jade?"
"Yes. A charger for my phone, if I can…"
"Xade would handle that. He can take you out tomorrow to get a new one and anything else you need."
Silvie, seated across from me, watched with narrowed eyes.
Moments later, as servants moved to clear the table, Silvie reached for a glass cup and "accidentally" tipped it. Red liquid splashed down the front of my dress.
"Oh my goodness," she gasped. "I'm so sorry."
"It's fine," I said calmly, standing. "Excuse me." I walked away before anyone could react.
Behind me, I heard Silvie shift to follow, but Gamma Elias' voice stopped her cold. "Sit down, Silvie. And show some dignity."
I did not waste another second and hurried away, only stopping once to ask one of the workers for directions.
In the washroom, I dabbed at the stain with my wet hands, breathing slowly, when suddenly a white handkerchief appeared in front of me.
"Here."
I looked up to see Xander standing beside me, eyes fixed on the mirror instead of my face.
My heart skipped a beat seeing him there. I never expected any of my mates to follow. "Thank you," I said, taking it before overthinking it would make me rethink my decision.
Quickly, I dabbed at the spot where the wine had poured, smearing the white. "You look good," he added after a beat.
I nodded and appreciated him without a second thought."Thanks."
Then, after another five seconds, he added, "You should be careful," he said quietly.
"With Silvie?" I asked.
He didn't answer directly. "Your existence threatens certain people. Especially your uncle."
"I know," I said flatly. "Hostility wrapped in chocolate wrappings isn't hard to spot."
"At least your brain works," he muttered.
I scoffed. "If that's a compliment, save it for someone impressed."
Saying that, I turned to leave. But before I could advance more than three steps, Xander's hand closed around my wrist, spinning me back until my back hit the wall.
He was suddenly very close, too close.
My breath tangled with his as Xander's eyes searched mine, intensely. I could feel the mate bond humming between us like a live wire.
For a heartbeat, I thought he was going to kiss me, and for some reason, that alone fuelled something in me. Instead of panicking, I leaned in slightly, lifting my chin so our lips were barely an inch apart.
"What is this about?" I whispered. "And what exactly are you thinking, Mr. Alpha?"
Xander's grip tightened, then loosened. "You shouldn't provoke things you don't understand," he said hoarsely.
"Funny," I replied softly. "I was thinking the same about you."
The air crackled. Then he stepped back, jaw clenched. "Get cleaned up. I'll walk you back."
I straightened, smoothing my dress, a small smile playing on my lips as I stepped forward. "Way ahead of you."