CHAPTER 298: _THE FESTIVAL BEGINS...

"Oh, you look good enough to eat," Caroline said with a light chuckle when I twirled in front of my mirror later that day.

The time was 6:35... Twenty-five minutes more before the Blood moon festival officially kicks off.

The Blood moon itself was already out, painting the sky and clouds in a faint red hue. But from what I know, the moon was only expected to turn a redder colour.

"Car, stop." I giggled at her last statement, turning around to face her in the dimly lit room.

The gown I wore was made of the deepest shade of crimson, almost as if it had been dyed in blood and starlight. It shimmered subtly whenever I moved, thanks to the delicate enchantments woven into the fabric by Althea herself.

The bodice hugged my curves with structured elegance, laced in the back with threads of silver that glowed faintly in the dark like a heartbeat pulsing with ancient magic.

The neckline dipped just enough to tease, but it was the off-shoulder sleeves—made of sheer crimson tulle and embroidered with metallic thorns—that gave the gown its edge. Around my collarbone, intricate patterns shimmered like a spell being cast, catching the red light of the moon.

From the waist down, the gown flowed into layers upon layers of gossamer fabric that danced like mist with every step I took. Tiny bloodstone crystals were stitched into the hem, each one charmed to flicker softly under the moon’s gaze, as if they were alive.

A slit parted high up one thigh, daring yet graceful, lined with embroidery that looked like vines climbing my skin.

"What? It’s true." Caroline said in response to the last thing I said, a teasing smirk on her face.

She reached out and adjusted one of the sleeves delicately, then took a step back, eyes gleaming. "You’re like the embodiment of the moon goddess’s wrath and desire. If Kaelos doesn’t lose his mind tonight, I swear I’ll learn magic and hex him myself."

I laughed again, the sound a little breathless. I wasn’t used to looking or feeling like... this.

"I don’t know," I murmured, glancing at my reflection once more. "It just feels... big."

Caroline’s smirk softened into something gentler. "Because it is. This is your first Blood Moon Festival in your life and as Kaelos’ Queen. Your first as a hybrid finally owning her power. Of course it’s big."

I met her eyes in the mirror. "Do you think they’ll accept me?"

She stepped forward, placing a hand on my shoulder. "They won’t have a choice. Not after they see you like this."

Just then, a faint knock echoed at the door.

"Your Majesty," came a voice from outside. "The Alpha King is waiting."

Caroline wiggled her brows at me, then mouthed with a wry smile: "Go get your man."

I took one last glance at the mirror, straightened my spine, and walked toward the door, my gown trailing back with every step and the Blood Moon rising redder by the second.

.

.

When Caroline and I walked to the event building accompanied by two guards, I eventually saw HIM at the bottom of the stairs.

Kaelos.

He stood at the base of the stairs in a tailored black suit with crimson and silver accents, a bloodstone brooch fastened to his chest in the shape of a wolf’s head.

His piercing silver eyes landed on me instantly.

He didn’t say anything. He didn’t have to. The slight parting of his lips, the tightening of his jaw, the way his gaze swept over me like he was starving... That said it all.

"You clean up nice," I teased softly once I reached him.

He leaned close, his voice low with a growl. "If I had my way, we wouldn’t be going anywhere tonight."

I laughed quietly as his hand found mine, warm and grounding.

Together, we entered the event hall once more but this time, not as spectators.

As rulers.

Gasps and murmurs rippled through the crowd like waves parting around a ship.

Werewolves from every region in the continent stood along the velvet-lined sides of the massive hall, all dressed in ceremonial wear of their own, but none came close to the regal weight Kaelos carried at my side... or the burning crimson shadow I cast beside him.

At the far end of the hall, a raised dais stood waiting beneath an arch of bone-white branches woven with moonflowers and enchanted lights. On it were twelve ornate, high-backed chairs, the ones reserved for the reigning Alpha Kings and Luna Queens.

Janelle and Thorian were already seated, a noticeable space between their thrones as if they couldn’t even agree on proximity. Thorian sat stiffly, radiating stoic arrogance, while Janelle remained poised, her gaze fixed on the crowd but occasionally flicking to the purple ring on her finger.

As Kaelos and I approached, an attendant in black and crimson stepped forward to announce us formally.

"All rise for Alpha King Kaelos of the North American packs... and Luna Queen Odessa."

The entire hall rose.

Every single being—Alpha, beta, warrior, envoy—stood in eerie synchronisation as Kaelos guided me to our seats, his fingers brushing lightly against the small of my back.

I sat down beside him with grace I hoped masked my nerves.

The Blood Moon had reached its zenith now, casting a vivid crimson glow through the enchanted skylight above the dais. The moment it happened, drums began to beat, a slow, reverent rhythm.

A female Elder, Elder Yune, who filled the spot of late Elder Davina, stepped forward from the shadows, draped in flowing white and red robes, her face painted with silver markings. She carried a bowl of burning herbs and a staff topped with a crescent.

"The Blood Moon shines brightest when the veil is thinnest," she spoke, her voice echoing across the hall. "Before we celebrate the power of life... We remember those lost to war, to betrayal, to sacrifice."

A hush fell.

All the laughter, the tension, the whispers—they vanished.

Around the hall, thin, flickering lights began to appear. Candles... Floating above heads. One for every name. One for every soul who never made it to this festival.

Kaelos took my hand in his again just then.

I turned slightly and saw his jaw clenched, his gaze distant. I knew he was thinking of his parents. Of the warriors lost defending the continent. Of friends who’d bled for peace.

... Of Elder Davina.

At that moment... I thought of myself.

The girl I used to be. Powerless, rejected by her coven, hunted...

And the parents who died to let me live...

Elder Yune raised her staff. "We speak their names in silence now. Speak them in your hearts. Let the moon carry them."

A minute passed, then the drums stopped.

And the moon burned brighter.

The festival had officially begun...