Chapter 65 — The Eve of the Full Moon
Rowan stood before his wardrobe, hands brushing over the dark fabric of his formal tunic as he tugged it into place. The ceremonial weight of the night pressed against him like an invisible mantle, the coming full moon stirring his wolf just beneath the surface. Every hair on his arms prickled with anticipation, but all Rowan could feel was the aching void left by Giselle.
He paused for a moment, hands gripping the edge of the small wooden table in his quarters, gaze unfocused. Tonight was supposed to be a time of celebration, a reaffirmation of pack bonds and strength. Instead, it felt like standing on a crumbling ledge, knowing that one wrong move could send them all plummeting.
A soft knock broke his thoughts, and before he could answer, the door eased open.
“Alpha,” a young kitchen omega murmured as she stepped inside. The faint scent of spiced herbs followed her as she carried a silver tray with a single glass of deep, red liquid. “I thought you might like a drink before heading down.”
Rowan straightened, gaze sharp as he took in her polite smile and the careful way she held the glass out to him.
“Thank you,” he replied evenly, reaching to take it. His fingers brushed the chilled surface, the glass slick with condensation.
“You’ve hardly eaten all day,” she added softly, her eyes respectfully lowered, “so the chef thought you might need something to steady you before the celebration begins.”
Rowan gave a distracted nod, swirling the drink slowly, brow creasing as a faint, unfamiliar tang brushed his nose.
“That was thoughtful,” he offered as she hesitated by the door, hands clasped before her.
“Yes, Alpha,” she said, bowing her head before slipping back into the hallway.
As the door shut with a click, Rowan’s gaze stayed fixed on the glass. Something about the scent—or was it his own nerves?—had the wolf stirring uneasily inside him.
Setting the drink down on the table with careful deliberation, he took a deep breath and turned his eyes back to his reflection.
This was not the time for suspicion or weakness.
Tonight, all eyes would be on him.
And one way or another, he would make sure his enemies thought they had already won—long enough for him to strike back.
Rowan had just begun adjusting the cuffs of his tunic when a second knock came at the door.
“Come in,” he called, gaze flicking toward the threshold.
The door swung open to reveal another omega—a different one this time—balancing a tray laden with food. Warm bread, spiced meats, a bowl of stew, and a small carafe of water filled the silver platter.
“Alpha,” the omega greeted, offering him a practiced bow before stepping further inside.
Rowan frowned slightly. “I didn’t order anything else,” he said, eyeing the food and then the omega carefully.
The omega kept her gaze lowered. “The kitchen sent this up as well, Alpha. They thought you might need a full meal before tonight.”
That same unsettled feeling tugged at him again. Two omegas delivering food and drink in short succession was unusual, especially tonight of all nights. Rowan’s wolf prowled just under the surface, ears flattened and lips pulled back in a silent snarl.
Rowan gestured toward the small table near the window. “Set it there,” he instructed, voice steady.
“Yes, Alpha.”
She moved quickly and efficiently, arranging the plates and utensils as if she could sense his attention on her every move. Rowan’s sharp gaze never left her hands.
When she was finished, she glanced up briefly, her face carefully blank. “Is there anything else you require, Alpha?”
“No,” Rowan answered, his tone clipped.
With another small bow, the omega slipped back out into the hall and disappeared as silently as she had come.
Alone again, Rowan stared down at the food and then at the drink sitting untouched on the opposite table. The scent of the full moon was already pulling at him, the promise of strength and heat in his veins—but tonight was different.
And whatever game was being played around him, Rowan was going to make sure he stayed two steps ahead.
He turned back to the window, hands flexing at his sides as a dark resolve settled into his bones.
A sharp knock broke the tense silence just as Rowan was eyeing the untouched drink again.
“Come in,” he called, already sensing Kalen before the door swung open.
His Beta stepped inside, brow lifting as his gaze swept the room—first to Rowan, then to the drink on the small table, then to the food arranged neatly on the other.
“You’re not ready yet,” Kalen observed, his tone light but eyes sharp as they always were before a full moon.
Rowan ran a hand through his hair. “I’ll be ready,” he assured him, then nodded toward the drink and food. “That’s what’s holding me up. Two different omegas brought them up within minutes of each other. Neither of which I requested.”
Kalen’s brow furrowed. “That’s… unusual.”
“Exactly,” Rowan agreed. He crossed the room in a few long strides and picked up the glass, swirling its contents. “First one came in with this. Second brought the food. Almost like someone doesn’t care if I eat or drink—which one I choose.”
Kalen’s mouth set into a grim line as he reached out and took the glass from him carefully, sniffing at the rim before setting it back down.
“You didn’t drink any of it,” Kalen stated.
Rowan’s gaze was dark as he nodded once. “No. Instinct told me to wait. Thought you’d want to know.”
The Beta glanced toward the door, muscles taut. “We’ll have someone test this,” he decided. “And we’ll keep an eye on whoever was in and out of the kitchen tonight.”
Rowan exhaled, feeling the sharp edge of his wolf settle at the back of his mind. “Agreed.”
For a moment, they stood together in tense silence, the distant thrum of pack voices and preparations leaking through the walls as the full moon’s pull grew stronger.
Kalen finally broke it with a short nod. “Finish getting dressed,” he said, voice low but determined. “We’ll face tonight prepared for anything.”
Rowan gave one last look at the food and drink before turning back to his wardrobe, resolve hardening in his chest.
Someone thought they could catch him off guard.
And whoever they were, they were about to find out they had picked the wrong Alpha to toy with.
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