Chapter 109: Blown Cover
~ ROSELLE ~
I can’t stop smiling as one of the pack maids works on my makeup. Every few seconds, my eyes drift toward my reflection in the mirror, and another nervous smile creeps onto my face before I can stop it.
I wasn’t looking forward to anything too heavy, so I asked her to keep the makeup light and simple, something that would complement my dress without making me look like an entirely different person. Thankfully, she understood exactly what I wanted, and I have to admit that I’m loving what I see so far.
Still, under all the excitement, my nerves are slowly getting the better of me. In a little while, I’ll have to walk into the ceremonial grounds and face the entire Blackshadow Pack while Ronan officially introduces me as their Luna.
Just thinking about hundreds of eyes turning toward me makes my stomach twist with nervous butterflies. I’m excited, terrified, and somehow happy all at once, which is a ridiculous combination of emotions to deal with when I’m supposed to walk out there looking calm and confident.
I draw in a slow breath and stare at myself in the mirror, trying to convince the woman staring back at me that she can actually do this.
"Oh, by the Goddess, it’s a full moon," Celeste comments from somewhere behind me, and my eyes instinctively dart toward the window to see it for myself.
The moment my gaze lands on the bright moon hanging high in the night sky, Irina’s warning comes rushing back into my head with terrifying clarity. She told me to avoid the full moon, but I’d been so distracted by the ceremony that I completely forgot.
And now it’s too late.
For several seconds, I simply stare at it, strangely captivated by the silvery glow spilling through the window. Something about it seems to pull at me, holding my attention even as a quiet voice inside my head screams at me to look away.
Then heat suddenly surges through my body.
My breath catches as an intense warmth spreads beneath my skin, moving so quickly that I barely have time to understand what’s happening. Sweat begins to bead along my forehead, and I grip the edge of the vanity as a wave of dizziness crashes over me.
"Roselle?" Celeste calls from behind me, but her voice suddenly sounds distant.
I tear my gaze away from the moon, breathing heavily as I stare at my reflection in the mirror. My cheeks are flushed, my pupils look strange, and something deep inside me feels like it has just awakened.
Fuck. Irina wasn’t exaggerating. Something is happening to me.
"I need to be alone," I say, struggling to keep my voice steady despite the panic clawing its way up my throat.
"Is everything fine?" one of the pack maids asks, her hands pausing over the makeup products scattered across the vanity.
"Yes, I’m fine. I just need to be alone for a while, and maybe use the restroom." I force myself to breathe normally as I gesture toward the door. "I’ll take over from here."
The two pack maids exchange brief glances before nodding in unison. I hear their footsteps retreating behind me, followed by the sound of the door opening as they quietly make their way out of the room.
"Are you sure you’re fine?" Celeste asks, and the concern in her voice makes something inside me snap.
"I just said I’m fine, and I need to be alone!" I scream, the anger exploding out of me so suddenly that even I’m startled by it.
Silence immediately fills the room.
"I understand," Celeste finally says, but the slight hurt in her voice makes guilt twist painfully in my chest.
I want to apologize, but the words refuse to come out. Instead, I remain frozen in front of the vanity as I listen to her footsteps moving toward the door. A few seconds later, it opens and closes behind her, finally leaving me completely alone.
My breathing grows heavier as I slowly raise my head and look into the mirror.
A gasp catches in my throat.
My eyes are no longer their usual color. They glow a startling shade of jade green, almost luminous under the light, and when I lift my trembling hands toward my face, my stomach drops.
Sharp claws are already protruding from the tips of my fingers.
"No... no, no, no."
I stumble backward from the mirror as another wave of heat tears through my body. My muscles tighten painfully inside my skin, and an unfamiliar pressure builds inside my bones, as though something trapped within me is fighting desperately to break free.
A low growl rumbles from somewhere inside my chest. My claws extending.
My bones feel like they’re about to break and shatter into pieces as I stumble toward the window and yank the curtains shut, desperate to block out every trace of moonlight. Something inside my chest keeps tugging violently, fighting to break free, and I press a trembling hand against myself as though I can somehow force it back down.
For a moment, I consider calling Irina, but I immediately dismiss the thought. She has enough to deal with tonight, especially since she plans to rescue the captured Lycan while everyone is distracted by the ceremony. According to her, tonight is the perfect opportunity because almost the entire pack will be gathered at the ceremonial grounds, leaving fewer people around to notice what she’s doing.
Another wave of pain tears through me, and I frantically reach for the medication Irina gave me. My clawed fingers make it nearly impossible to handle the container, but after struggling with it, I finally manage to get it open. I don’t even bother thinking twice before popping two pills into my mouth and swallowing them.
My entire body remains unbearably hot for what feels like forever, and at some point, I completely lose track of time. I don’t know whether minutes or hours have passed, but eventually, the burning in my skin begins to fade, and my temperature slowly returns to normal.
My phone keeps buzzing with messages from Ronan asking where I am, but typing is impossible with fur covering my hands and claws protruding from my fingertips. I have no choice but to use the voice-to-text feature, carefully dictating my replies and praying he doesn’t notice anything strange about the way I’m responding.
Slowly, the pressure inside my bones begins to ease, and the raging presence in my chest finally settles into something quieter. I release a shaky breath, almost collapsing with relief as I stare down at my hands and wait desperately for them to return to normal.
Suddenly, the door bursts open.
My head jerk up as Celeste rushes into the room, but she comes to an abrupt stop the second she sees me. Her eyes immediately drop to my arms, widening as they take in the patches of fur covering my skin and the long claws extending from my fingers.
For several agonizing seconds, neither of us moves.
Fear flashes across her face as realization slowly dawns on her. She knows what ordinary werewolf claws look like, and judging by the horror spreading across her features, she knows mine aren’t fucking normal.
Her lips part, and I immediately realize she’s about to scream.
"Celeste, please," I blurt out, raising my hands before quickly realizing that showing her the claws probably isn’t helping my case. "I’m not going to hurt you. I swear I’m not going to hurt you."
She takes a cautious step backward, and my stomach sinks.
Fuck.
This is exactly what I was afraid of.
"Please, just don’t scream," I beg, keeping my voice as calm as I possibly can despite the panic raging through me. "I can explain everything."
Even as the words leave my mouth, I realize how ridiculous they sound.
There is no simple explanation for this..And one thing is painfully fucking clear. My cover is blown.