Chapter 91: That’s Luna Thunderfang To You

"I just find your humanitarian work wonderful, Princess," the High Luna said.

"Oh yes, reading to the slaves is one of my favorite ways to volunteer," Celeste’s voice was warm and kind. "The children especially. It’s my duty as a princess."

Derek coughed on his drink.

Nova turned to him and immediately looked away because his face was going to make her start laughing and the entire table was watching them.

"Derek, dear, what has you smiling like that?" The High Luna tilted her head with the warmth of a grandmother who loved her grandson.

"The fact that the princess reads to children who are slaves, Gran, is something I find admirable and shocking in equal measure," Derek stated. His tone was respectful enough to pass inspection and ambiguous enough to survive a deposition. He lifted his glass. "To our future Luna. May her kindness towards children be as consistent as it has been surprising."

Glasses rose around the table. Celeste gave a gracious nod, accepting the toast with the poise of a woman who had either missed the subtext entirely or chosen to bury it alive.

Tavian mouthed the word "shocking" back to himself as he looked at Nova’s wrists.

Then the High Luna said, "Landon, dear, you haven’t spoken a word all night. That’s not like you."

Maria, Nova, Sierra, and Celeste had a lightning-strikes-once moment of surprise at that comment. Nova recovered immediately, her surprise was almost imperceptible.

Celeste turned to Alpha Thunderfang. She touched the side of his head affectionately.

"He’s been very busy, Gran."

Maria and Sierra stared openly, unable to look away. Nova could see it out of her peripheral vision and wondered if maybe underneath the cold exterior was someone else. The person who had been kind to her in the arena. Maybe that person was the real person and how he was with Celeste in public was just his Alpha persona. Then she remembered the board in the closet, bombs, and masked abduction and the thought dissolved.

Derek found Nova’s hand under the table and gave a single squeeze. She gave his a squeeze back. An appreciation squeeze.

Alpha Thunderfang turned his head slowly to look at Celeste.

"Isn’t that right, dear?" Celeste asked, moving her hand to grab her wine at that moment.

Alpha Thunderfang took a sip of his own drink, set it down, and said one word.

"Yes."

Celeste and the table leaned forward, waiting for more. There was no more.

The table exhaled and returned to conversation.

When the plates were cleared and the wine refreshed, the High Luna stood and presented Celeste with a crown.

White gold with diamonds. The kind of old that carries weight you can feel across a room.

"This crown belonged to Landon’s mother," the High Luna announced. "And to me before her. And to the Luna before I. It has been worn by every Luna of this pack since the founding. Tonight, it passes to the next."

Celeste’s eyes filled. The tears were immediate and convincing and possibly real, which was the most unsettling option. Her hands went to her chest.

"I am so grateful. I will honor this. I will honor every woman who wore it before me."

The High Luna placed it on the display stand in front of Celeste’s seat so the table could admire it. The room clapped. Nova clapped. Derek clapped. Everyone did what you do when a crown is presented and the moment is bigger than your personal feelings about the woman receiving it.

Then it started glowing white.

Celeste didn’t notice. She was mid-sentence with the High Luna, gesturing with her wine glass, riding the high of the presentation. Most of the table didn’t notice either.

Nova blinked at it a few times. The glow was unusual but she didn’t think twice. Everything in Thunderfang glowed.

Maria clapped once. "Oh, that’s so pretty."

Then she noticed the fire in the hearth. It had gone white. The flames that had been amber all evening were now burning the same pale, steady white as the crown.

Derek leaned into her ear. "Nova, baby, you’re glowing."

Nova looked down at her hands. She was Moonfire-level glowing. She looked up at Derek wearing a whoops expression. His jaw tightened.

This dinner was not going to be ruined or turn into anything because of her. Nova would rather exit early than stay too late and ruin something that had been going well. Better safe than sorry.

"I’ll be right back," she said softly in his ear and got up from the table swiftly. Derek gave her a flat look and rose with her.

Nova blinked at him. "Will you stay? I’ll come back once it stops."

The words were soft and meant just for him. Derek’s face did something complicated here. He lowered back to his seat, not looking happy about the arrangement. She quickly moved to slip out of the door.

Before she made it to the door, Celeste’s voice called after her, "7709. Return. Now. You will not disrespect the High Luna."

The room fell silent.

Nova turned graciously. "My apologies, High Luna. I didn’t want to interrupt—"

Celeste held up her hand, cutting Nova off. "Apologize, 7709."

Nova had just apologized. But she wasn’t going to point that out. "Of course. My apologies, High Luna and Princess."

"That’s High Luna and Luna Thunderfang to you," Celeste corrected.

"Yes, Luna Thunderfang."

"Now. Return and do not speak until you are addressed," Celeste snapped before returning to her conversation with the High Luna like nothing had happened.

To the High Luna’s credit, she did not join in. She was silent, actually. Nova wondered how long it would take this woman to see through Celeste. If she hadn’t yet, the clock was ticking before Celeste’s act fell. The real question was if the High Luna would approve of that behavior or if the High Luna would see something wrong with it.

CRACK.

Out of nowhere, lightning flashed outside and thunder followed. It was snowing a moment ago, so that was a bit unexpected.

The lights flickered.

Nova moved towards her seat. Full-glow. Everyone watching her, except for Celeste and the High Luna. Nova’s face was bright red on top of the glow.

The lights flickering did not help. It had a spotlight effect.

But the second she made it back to Derek, her blood ran cold.

His eyes were wolf gold. His whiskey glass had shattered in his hand. His chest was heaving. He looked very upset.

"Derek, are you alright?"

No answer.

Nova gently removed the glass pieces he was still holding and dabbed the excess whiskey.

He didn’t notice.

An omega servant came by with a replacement.

"Thank you," Nova said, graciously taking it for him.

No one else thanked the servants. She was probably slipping up with that too. But she was not going to change that. She was already glowing.

After a minute, he slowly turned his head to look at her.