Alpha Aether scoffed, muttering, "For her own good, indeed." With that, the meeting came to an end, and the mysterious men were taken to the guest room on the third floor to stay for the three days.
After dinner, Alpha Aether and Luna Ravenna retired to their room on the top floor. Alpha Aether was deep in thought. Everything was happening too fast, and the man was thinking of how he could bridge this sensitive message from the Lycan King to his wife. He knew how emotional the woman was concerning her daughters, most especially Luna, considering the near-death experience she had faced on the day of Luna's birth. He stood at the window now, his huge silhouette looking smaller than usual. The fearful alpha looked like a huge weight rested on his shoulders, and it worried his mate. Tension pulled at his jaw.
Luna Ravenna said, "You've been like this for quite some time. What's the matter? Is there something wrong with the coffers again?" She asked, stalking closer to her husband. Her footsteps were quiet, but her eyes were sharp.
Alpha Aether sighed. The topic was triggering and difficult, and he found it hard to lay it out to her. Ravenna looked at her husband, and his behavior now began to scare her. A cold knot formed in her stomach.
"What's the matter?" she asked. After a long time, Alpha Aether finally spoke up, "Let's sit down first." His voice was low, careful.
Ravenna was trying to ease her husband's worried lines that had formed on his face since after his meeting with the strange men that afternoon. Her fingers hovered near his cheek but didn't touch.
The man she knew would always tell her everything that happened in the royal court, no matter how small it was. She in turn would calm him down, and in her bosom he would sleep. But today was different. Who were those men? She questioned herself, and the silence in the room felt heavier than his answer would be.
Alpha Aether removed the fluffy pillow from the edge of the bed and pulled his wife to sit on it before he did the same. The mattress dipped under their weight.
"You know how those men came and demanded to see me?" Alpha Aether began. His mate's frown only deepened further. "Yes?" she probed, her throat tightening.
"It turns out, the letter we received a few months ago was in fact from the Lycan King. And they had come today again, bearing the same request as last time: Luna's hand in exchange for anything the pack needs."
Ravenna stood up from the bed immediately she heard the words "letter" and "Lycan King." "What?!" the woman shouted. The sound cracked through the room.
"Please calm down, Venna," Alpha Aether said, as he fondly called her. His hand reached for hers but stopped short.
"I hope you didn't adhere to this ridiculous offering." The woman was more worried about this. Everyone knew how much they'd gained from being in-laws with the Moon himself. To anybody it was good news, but to them it was like a curse. If they were to think this through, it was a once-in-a-lifetime kind of opportunity. Their prestige and pack's reputation would instantly change, and Crescent Moon pack would easily become the biggest pack just from having an affiliation with the Lycan King. And the Lycan King had already given his word to cherish and protect her, and to only go on with the marriage when she was of marriageable age. But still, to the couple it was a death sentence. They couldn't afford to part with their youngest daughter. The thought of it made Ravenna's chest ache.
"No— no! Of course not." Alpha Aether yelled loudly, probably too loud, because his wife started to doubt his words even before he opened his mouth again. The force of it made the air shift.
"But, you know..." Alpha Aether began to say, when his wife flared her hands like she had given up.
"What are you trying to say?" asked Luna Ravenna. Alpha Aether moved to stand close to his mate. What he was about to say, he knew he would regret for as long as he lived. His pulse thudded in his ears.
"You— you know how the people had been saying that they were not sure Luna is our daughter, since she's different from us," Alpha Aether said. Immediately he regretted ever opening his mouth to say it, because he knew he had lost his mate's trust in the process. But he too felt having the Lycan King as an in-law was a smart decision. The words tasted bitter on his tongue.
A parent was not supposed to show a difference in emotion when it came to their children. But Alpha Aether always felt it was strange. Luna didn't look anything like him, neither did she look like his mate or any of their family relatives. She was so different, too different that it was beginning to unsettle him. She was the only one in the whole pack who had silver hair and amber-gold eyes. Alpha Aether had jade green eyes, which his older daughter Belle took after, and raven hair, while Luna Ravenna had brown hair that Belle acquired from her mother. Leaving Luna different. She was the only one in the royal lineage of Crescent who had these features. The contrast felt like a blade.
It had Alpha Aether doubting her identity. Was she really his daughter? Not to mention that Luna looked almost similar to those men. He was in serious doubt. Was his real daughter swapped at birth? The thought burned.
His feelings seemed to flood through his mate's mind through the mate-bond, and Ravenna heard every one of his misgivings. The bond felt raw, exposed.
"Do you think I cheated on you like the rest of the pack seems to believe?" Luna Ravenna asked carefully. She tried to act strong, but she couldn't help the tears of shame that were now flooding out of her eyes. They slipped hot down her cheeks.
"For four years now, I have been able to live with the snickers and mockery I get from the pack members, all because of you and our children. And now I find out that you..." Her voice broke at the end, not able to complete her statement. Luna Ravenna gasped when it dawned on her.
"Are you really suggesting I cheated?" She queried, a look of shock evident in her pale blue eyes.
Throughout all this, Alpha Aether was a lot calmer. "You know that's not what I mean. She could have been swapped," the man continued to argue. His words felt thin in the heavy air.
"Stop it right now. I don't want to hear it. I'm never giving my child away to anyone, be it the Moon Goddess herself or the Lycan King. If anyone tries, they would have to pass through me." Luna Ravenna's eyes were sharp and piercing as they penetrated right through her mate. It was the determined look of a mother in pain. The meaning of her words was as clear as day: if you want to take my child, you would have to kill me. It was clear, and the alpha understood. The air between them went still.
It all passed, and Alpha Aether refused the request of the divine beings. Everything was going fine, or so they thought, as the preparation for Luna's fifth birthday started.
The birthday was said to be the grandest celebration not only within the Crescent Moon pack but in the entire continent.
Princesses from every corner of the continent and different supernatural beings were invited. Socialites, daughters of politicians, conglomerate girls — the list went on. They heard tales of the girl who glowed whenever she smiled, and the only werewolf in the continent with silver hair. They all wanted to see her for themselves. The daughters of different alphas pressured their fathers to attend this party. They wanted to be friends with her.
The first floor of the pack house had been meticulously set up to hold what looked like the most elite children's party ever, with different fun activities for the kids and outdoor games. The first floor was transformed into a majestic ballroom. Crystal chandeliers shimmered over the people, their cascading light surrounding them like a shield as elegant music mingled through the dancing room. The air smelled of flowers and candlewax.
There were beautiful women dressed with prestige and handsome men reeking of wealth. The children were nowhere to be seen, as they were all outside playing games. Only the adults were in the ballroom, talking in low voices.
Alpha Aether and Luna Ravenna were seen talking with a guest before they went upstairs to continue their discussions. The whole scene looked peaceful and calm. It seemed like the calm before the storm. And then it happened. The massacre! A sudden chill cut through the room.