A Minor Oversight
Aurora POV?
By the time the final plates were cleared, I was entirely certain I couldn’t eat another bite, even if my life depended on it. I leaned back in my chair, nursing a cup of tea, completely enveloped in the warm, contented haze that followed a spectacular meal and even better company.
The banter had settled into a comfortable, easy hum of conversation.
Juno and Jax were debating the structural integrity of the courtyard walls, while Torin and Silas discussed border patrols in low, even voices.
Through it all, Kieran’s hand remained a heavy, comforting weight on my thigh beneath the table, his thumb tracing lazy, soothing circles against my skin.
The dining hall itself seemed soft somehow. The chandeliers overhead glowed with warm amber candlelight, reflecting off polished stone walls draped in deep crimson banners bearing Valdora’s silver wolf crest. For the first time in years, I felt something dangerously close to peace.
And honestly? It was terrifying how quickly I could get used to it.
Suddenly, Elian paused mid-sentence, his brow furrowing as he pressed two fingers to his temple, his eyes glazing over slightly as he received what I assumed was a mind-link. A moment later, his focus snapped back to the room, a faint, polished smile touching his lips.
He cleared his throat, adjusting his wire-rimmed glasses.
“Apologies for the interruption. That was the guards. It seems Madame Tulla has arrived with her assistants.”
He turned his gaze to Kieran, then to me.
“The outfits for tomorrow night’s Luna Ceremony have arrived, Kieran. They are setting up in the west wing parlor as we speak.”
I paused, my teacup hovering halfway to my mouth. I slowly turned my head toward Kieran, who had gone entirely still beside me.
“A Luna Ceremony?” I mused, keeping my tone deceptively light as I arched an eyebrow at him. “Fascinating. And who, exactly, is the lucky lady?”
Kieran winced, a faint wash of color hitting his cheeks as he rubbed the back of his neck. “Right. That.”
Jax dropped his fork with a loud clatter. “You’ve got to be kidding me. You didn’t tell her?”
“I was going to ask you yesterday, but you were exhausted,” Kieran tried to explain, almost pleading with me. “And then again this morning, but we got... distracted.”
“Uh-huh,” I said, setting my teacup down with a deliberate clink. “So, my official crowning, the mystical binding of my soul to an entire kingdom, the biggest night of my newly non-rogue life... and it slipped your mind because I looked good without clothes on?”
Across the table, Kael snorted violently into his drink, and even Torin hastily covered a cough.
“You looked magnificent without clothes on,” Kieran corrected smoothly, though the tips of his ears were definitely red. “But no, it’s not quite like that. The council brought it up while you were recovering.”
I shifted in my seat, turning fully to face him, a playful smirk dancing on my lips. “Oh? And did the big, bad Alpha King of Valdora let his council bully him into planning a massive party behind his mate’s back?”
Kieran chuckled, his hand sliding from my thigh to capture both of my hands in his. His thumb stroked over my knuckles, his expression softening into something so utterly tender it made my heart skip a beat.
“I didn’t oppose them, sweetheart,” he admitted, his voice dropping to that deep, gravelly timbre that vibrated right through to my bones. “The Luna Ceremony must be held under a full moon, and tomorrow night is the next one. If we miss it, we have to wait an entire month.”
“And a month is too long to wait?” I teased, leaning in just a fraction.
“A day is too long to wait,” he replied instantly, his gaze burning with a fierce, possessive warmth. “I already see you as my Luna, Aurora. My Queen. The sooner you are officially tethered to the pack, the sooner they can feel what I feel through our bond... the better.”
Something in my chest tightened at that. I had the overwhelming realization that he meant every single word.
“But,” Kieran continued, his gaze turning serious, “I told the council firmly that they could make all the preparations they wanted, but it would only happen if you agreed. I told them I would ask you first.
It’s just that the Luna Ceremony must take place under the light of a full moon to properly weave our souls together.”
“And tomorrow just happens to be the next full moon,” I mused, putting the pieces together.
“Exactly,” he said, offering a boyish, hopeful smile.
“If we miss tomorrow, we have to wait. And I have learned that I am a very impatient man when it comes to you.”
He shifted closer, his voice dropping an octave, meant just for me.
“Aurora of the Argentis... will you do me the profound honor of standing beside me tomorrow night, accepting my pack as your own, and becoming the Luna Queen of Valdora?”
I pretended to think about it, tapping my chin with my free hand, putting on a show of looking deeply conflicted. “Hmm. Tomorrow night... I don’t know, Kieran. It’s pretty short notice. I was planning on taking a really long bath, maybe reading a book... My schedule is packed.”
Juno snorted into his drink across the table.
Kieran’s eyes danced with amusement, his hands tightening slightly on mine. “I’ll draw the bath for you myself. I’ll read the book to you. Whatever you want.”
I couldn’t hold back my smile anymore. The warmth radiating from him, the devotion in his eyes… It was everything I had ever wanted in the eight long, lonely years in the Forbidden Lands.
“In that case,” I whispered softly, leaning in until my lips were just a breath from his, “I suppose I can clear my schedule for you. Alright. I’ll do the ceremony.”
Kieran didn’t hesitate. He closed the distance, capturing my lips in a deep, sweeping kiss that tasted of tea and promises.
The moment our lips parted, the dining room erupted.
Kael let out a booming, chest-rattling whoop, slamming his hand down on the heavy wood of the table and making the teacups rattle in their saucers.
Torin thrust his glass high into the air with a triumphant cheer, while Silas and Juno began drumming their fists against the table in a rhythmic, booming beat of pure pack approval.
Even the ever-composed Elian was beaming, a broad, uncharacteristically huge smile stretching across his face.
The sheer wall of joyous sound hit me like a physical wave, warm and entirely overwhelming. They weren’t just accepting me; they were celebrating me.
For so long, I had been a rogue. The wolf cursed enough to survive when nobody else did.
Yet here they were, cheering like my happiness was their own.
It hit harder than I expected.
Kieran rested his forehead against mine, his chest rumbling with a low, immensely pleased laugh. His hands tightened on my waist, and I could tell he was a second away from pulling me right out of my chair and onto his lap.
But before he could even shift his weight, Lyra was there.
“Alright, break it up, you two!” Lyra declared, practically vibrating with excitement as she appeared beside us. Elara and Mara were right on her heels, their eyes sparkling with mischief and barely contained glee.
“We have a schedule to keep,” Elara chimed in, stepping forward to grab my right hand while Lyra eagerly took my left. “Madame Tulla is waiting in the west wing parlor, and she brought trunks full of silk, lace, and moon-crystals. We need to find you the perfect dress for tomorrow night.”
Kieran frowned, his grip on my waist firmly locking me in place. “Now? But she just finished eating. And we were having a moment.”
“Your moment is over, Kai,” Mara said, stepping up with a sassy, uncompromising grin and crossing her arms over her chest. “This is official Luna business now. Ladies only.”
“Ladies only?” Kieran repeated, his brow furrowing. He looked at me, his expression caught somewhere between a fierce pout and utter betrayal.
“You heard the ladies,” I teased, gently prying his hands off my waist and standing up. I smoothed down the front of my dress, shooting him a little wink. “You boys have a grand ceremony to plan, a courtyard to arrange, and probably a lot of heavy lifting to do. We have fashion to conquer.”
Jax chuckled loudly from across the table. “She’s right, Boss. Let them go. Madame Tulla is terrifying when she’s kept waiting.”
“That woman once made a grown Beta cry over sleeve measurements,” Silas added solemnly.
A ripple of laughter rolled through the room.
Kieran let out a heavy, dramatic sigh, though the adoration shining in his eyes completely ruined his fierce Alpha aesthetic. He reached out, catching my hand to press one last, lingering kiss to my palm. “Try not to miss me too much, my Luna.”
“I’ll do my best to survive,” I promised, my heart doing another ridiculous, happy flutter.
“Come on, Aurora!” Lyra squealed, pulling me away from the table and toward the double doors. “I heard she brought fabrics from the eastern spun-weavers!”
Laughing, I let the three of them herd me out of the dining room.
As the heavy wooden doors swung shut behind us, cutting off the loud, cheerful booming of the men’s voices, a fresh wave of excitement washed over me.
I was really doing this. I was officially becoming the Luna Queen of Valdora. Tomorrow. Under a full moon.
And somehow, despite how terrifying that should have been, I couldn’t stop smiling.
“Okay, ladies,” I said, my smile so wide my cheeks were starting to hurt as I linked my arms through Lyra’s and Mara’s. “Lead the way. Let’s go see some dresses.”