CHAPTER 34

The grand hall was transformed to a place….with a grotesque kind of majesty. Red banners hung from towering pillars, flowing like blood down marble walls. Golden curtains adorned the walls, sparkling even more with the light from the chandelier. There was a throne in the center of it all. The proud sigil of the Crescent Night Pack hung large and heavy behind it. It should have been a moment of honor… of joy. But there was tension in the air, like the scent of smoke after a fire. Something was wrong. Everyone felt it. Elders, warriors, diplomats from neighboring packs, and even noble families had gathered. They were summoned by a sudden Luna crowning. Many whispered in hushed voices behind fanned veils and cloaks. "Where’s Eva?" "Did the Alpha really recover so quickly?" "Wha’s Leah up there doing?" At the center of it all, Leah stood proud at the altar. Her Luna gown was perfect against her body. Her hair was braided with silver threads and pinned with moonstone clips. It spa