Aria's POV

His presence filled the room, heavy and commanding. He stood firm and I could feel his fierce eyes burning into my skin.

Before, I would have shivered the moment I heard his voice, and my pulse would have hammered loudly in my ears. But not that night.

My shoulders were squared confidently, my spine was straight, and my gaze locked on him without a flicker of fear. Kael's presence pressed against the room, heavy and suffocating, but the tremor I once felt in his presence had vanished.

His eyes scanned the room, lingering on me longer than necessary.

"What the hell is going on?" His voice was low, controlled, and carried weight. His eyes were fixed on me, and it took me a moment to realize the question was directed at me.

"I don't know," I shrugged, my tone deliberately casual, my arms crossed over my chest.

His gaze faltered for a split second, surprise flashing across those sharp eyes of his before he covered it with the familiar mask of cold authority. Kael wasn't used to being answered so dismissively-especially not by me.

He took a step forward, his gaze not leaving mine. The tension in the room grew thicker, but I stood on my ground, refusing to lower my gaze.

"Kael..." Cassandra's cries broke through, making him halt in his steps.

Kael's eyes softened, concern washing over him.

"Cassy, what's wrong? What happened to your cheek?" He asked, observing her slightly bruised cheek.

"It's her. She slapped me," she muttered amid her fake sobs.

"She slapped you?" He uttered in disbelief, doubt clawing at him.

Anyone who heard I slapped Cassandra would have had the same expression on their face. I was the obedient dog who wagged its tail at its owner despite being hurt.

But not anymore.

"Is it true you slapped her?" Kael asked, his voice dangerously low as he turned to face me.

"Yes," I simply said, my tone flat and unapologetic. "I slapped her."

The words hit him like a punch to the face. His face hardened and his jaw tightened. Cassandra noticed that, and she increased the volume of her sobs dramatically.

I caught a faint flash of triumph in her teary eyes before she buried her face against Kael's shoulder.

"She not only slapped Cassandra, Kael, she even went as far as disrespecting me!" my mother-in-law added.

"What?"

"Yes, Kael. She refused to make dinner and when Mum tried to correct her, she rebelled by slapping Cassandra," Jack chipped in.

I smirked at how neatly they had interwoven their lies to make me look like the sinner.

"Is that what happened?" Kael asked, his voice low and controlled. He held my gaze, waiting.

"Will my explanation change anything?" I asked flatly. "You will believe them over me after all. So whatever they said is true. I did everything."

The words rolled out of my tongue like poison.

Kael's eyes narrowed, a flicker of irritation crossed his face.

"You..." he tried speaking, but for the first time, I cut him short.

"So, since we are all agreeing on the story tonight, let's make it complete," I tilted my head, locking eyes with them.

"I, Aria, the Luna of the Silverfang Pack, henceforth refuses to cook for this family. All household chores will be done by the maids," I coldly declared.

Silence enveloped the room.

Not the ordinary one, but the one that made everyone aware that something had shifted.

"What did you just say?" Kael's expression darkened, his chest heaved as he stared at me like he was seeing a stranger.

"You heard me," I met his gaze without hesitation.

"Says who?" His mum butted in.

"Says me, the Luna of the Silverfang Pack!" I blurted, my fist clenched by my side.

Cassandra's sobs quieted slightly, the Dowager Luna's body stiffened.

"You don't get to make decisions like that," Kael said, his tone sharpened.

I let out a soft chuckle.

"Really? And why is that?"

"Because I am the Alpha," his eyes narrowed, and the room held its breath for a moment.

"True," I nodded slowly. "You're the Alpha. But you seem to be forgetting something important."

I took a step closer to him, leaning in.

"That I am your wife, the Luna," I whispered, but my voice was audible enough for them to hear.

A flicker flashed through his eyes.

"And according to the Sovereign Codex, chapter seven, clause twelve," my voice steadied as I walked away from them.

"A Luna is not subjected to servitude within her own pack. She has equal authority to the Alpha within the pack domain," I paused, allowing my words to sink into their brains.

"Her duties are to the pack and not to the personal comfort of the Alpha's family. Any attempt to reduce her to a maid will be considered a direct violation of the pack law."

Silence.

The air became stiff.

No one dared to utter a word.

For the first time since I had known Kael, he looked shaken. His eyes searched mine-sharp, suspicious, and dangerous.

"You're overstepping your boundaries, Aria," he warned.

Aria?

For the first time in three years, he called me by my name.

Not 'hey' but 'Aria'.

A devilish smile curved up my lips.

"Am I? Or maybe I am stepping into something I should have all along."

Silence stretched between us, and then I turned away, dismissing them like they meant nothing.

"I've said all that needed to be discussed, and if any of you have an objection to my new rule, you can take it up with the Sovereign Codex."

"I think it's high time I called it a night," I said, grabbing my handbag and walking out of the dining room.

I paused briefly, turning around.

"Since you have all insisted on not eating the food prepared by the staff, I have done you a favor by ordering for you. Your orders should be here anytime soon. Do enjoy yourself."

I walked away. My steps slow and steady.

Behind me, I could feel it-a shift in power.

The beginning of something far more dangerous than they were prepared for.

I was no longer the Luna who used to cook for the family.

I was the Luna who would destroy them for killing my child.

Kael's POV 

"Shit!" I yelled, punching the table.  

"Alpha, please be calm," Silas advised, watching as I paced the room.  

I ran my hand through my hair in rage, anger dominating every vessel in my body.  

"Did you see that, Silas? She not only disrespected me, but she also walked out on me!" I blurted through gritted teeth, my eyes burning with fury.  

Silas sighed.  

"I witnessed it, Alpha. But this wouldn't solve anything." 

"What do you think came over her? She has never looked me in the eye before. She always trembled in my presence, but tonight... it was different. She locked her gaze with mine and dared to tell me she is my Luna," I finished, my voice low and dangerous as confusion washed over me.  

The words 'my Luna' tasted unfamiliar in my mouth.  

It felt weird.  

Silas didn't respond immediately. He just stared at me with a blank expression on his face.  

I hated that look on his face.  

"Say something, Silas!" I snapped at him, my chest heaving.  

He cleared his throat, his arms folded across his chest. 

"With all due respect, Alpha, she's right. She is your Luna. Why are you irate just because she stated the obvious?" 

My jaw clenched.  

"I am aware of who she is. The point is she disrespected me." 

"You are aware of who she is?" Silas asked, feigning surprise.  

My eyes narrowed dangerously.  

"Don't, Silas," I warned sternly.  

I knew exactly where he was heading to. He was about to rant on how unfair and unjust I had been treating her. Nevertheless, he proceeded.  

"Alpha, you can't keep avoiding the truth. You claim to know her position as Luna, yet you've never treated her as one. You subjected her to ridicule, and when she yearned for your love, you pretended not to notice." 

"It has been three years since that incident happened, and you still haven't moved on. I think it's high time you moved on and treat her the way a husband is meant to treat his wife." 

Silence stretched between us. Heavy, dead, and stifling.  

"Watch it, Silas. You're overstepping your boundaries," I said coldly.  

"Apologies, Alpha. You asked me to speak, and I am only voicing the truth. No matter how bitter and brutal a truth is, it must be said," he bowed his head.  

My muscles stiffened as I turned away from him.  

That incident-I hated remembering it. The thought of it always weighed me down.  

"You think it's that easy to move on?" I demanded, my voice rising. "I hurt the woman I truly love because of that incident." 

"But Vivienne wasn't the only one who got hurt. Luna Aria was too and she is still hurting. Remember she lost her child," he said.  

At the mention of that child, I froze.  

The child I murdered with my own hands just to please Vivienne.

For a second, I couldn't breathe.  

My fingers curled into fists, my nails dug into my palm as if pain could drown out the painful memory. 

I thought I had gotten over the guilt, but it still lingered-quiet, suffocating, waiting for the right moment to resurface and remind me of what I had done. 

"Alpha...?" Silas' voice sounded faint, like I was no longer in the room.  

My knees buckled, but I held the table for support before I could collapse.  

I swallowed hard, forcing my cold expression back on.  

"That's enough," I flatly said. "I didn't ask you to speak just so you can lecture me on how to be a good husband. What I want to know is what prompted her change. Why did she suddenly turn from being a submissive wife to being so fearless and... bold?" 

"Maybe..." Silas shrugged.  

"Speak, Silas. Maybe what?" 

"Maybe it's hormonal thing." 

"Hormonal thing?" my brows furrowed.  

"Yes. According to the doctors, if a woman has been deprived of that thing for too long, she might get irritated." 

Silas seemed to be talking in parables.  

"That thing? Which thing are you talking about?" 

He gave me a lust filled look, a slow smirk tugged at the corner of his lips. 

For a brief moment, I was lost. But when the realization of what he meant dawned on me, my expression darkened instantly.  

"Argggh," I shrieked in irritation, trying to get the thought off my head. "Watch yourself, Silas." 

He raised his hands slightly in mock surrender. 

"I'm just saying, Alpha. You know... it has been weeks since you last visited her room." 

"That has nothing to do with her rebellion," I dismissed.  

"Are you sure, Alpha?" He asked, his brow arched. "Maybe she misses you. She might be putting on this act so you can look her way. Who knows? Maybe spending the night with her might change everything." 

"No..." I wanted to refuse, but the question-'what if' crossed my mind.  

"You think so?" my gaze softened. 

"Yes, Alpha. There's no harm in trying. So, why don't you just go to the bathroom, freshen up, spray on some nice perfume and head to her room?" 

I stood frozen for a moment, my chest tightened as Silas' words lingered in the air. 

"Are you sure this isn't a bad idea? What if I end up embarrassing myself?" I asked, masking my fear.  

"Trust me, Alpha. I promise to clean your shoes with my mouth for a month if this plan fails." 

"Three months," I bargained.  

"Deal." 

"You better not go back on your words." 

"I won't. Now, let me excuse you so you can get ready," Silas said, bolting out of the room like a flash of lightning.  

"Will this really work?" I muttered to myself, letting out an exhausting sigh.  

But at that moment, I didn't deem it fit to ask myself why.

Why was I so bothered about her sudden change in behavior?

For a woman I claimed not to love, why was I willing to do anything just to make her return to the Luna I once knew?  

Was it because I feared what her rebellion might bring?  

Or because somewhere along the line, she had become more than my mistake? 

She had become something I couldn't name... but couldn't ignore either.