Chapter 30: Customs of the Moon

Azura’s POV

The room felt way too quiet now.

The moon had moved higher, looking down on the world with that cold, silver light. On the walls, the torches were burning low, their flames dancing and flickering as the oil ran out.

Genevieve was standing just a few feet away. She had her hands folded neatly in front of her, looking as calm and collected as a queen. But there was a look in her eyes that made me feel like this wasn’t just a "goodnight" visit. She had something on her mind.

I waited, my heart doing a nervous little dance.

"You’re going to learn, child, that the first month of being a Luna comes with a lot of obligations," she said softly.

I felt my shoulders go stiff. Obligations. Whenever people in power use that word, it usually means something I’m not going to like.

"There are customs," she continued, her voice steady. "Rules that every Luna has to follow, no matter what."

The silence stretched out between us. I didn’t say anything, but I had a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach. Genevieve looked me straight in the eye.

"Every newly named Luna has to move into the Alpha’s chambers." She paused to let that sink in. "You are required to share the same room, Azura."

My breath just... stopped.

For a second, I couldn’t move. I couldn’t even think. It felt like someone had just sucked all the air out of the room.

"What?" The word came out sharp, almost like a bark.

Genevieve’s face softened, but she didn’t look like she was joking. "I know you and my son aren’t exactly on good terms right now."

"No." The word jumped out of me. "No, no, no. Absolutely not." My feet started moving before I knew it, pacing a frantic path on the stone floor. My thoughts were spinning too fast to catch. "There has to be another way. A loophole. Something."

I stopped and looked at her, my hands flying up in frustration. "I can’t share a room with that..." I caught myself before I said something really mean. "...with that jerk. I’m sorry, but I just can’t."

To my total shock, Genevieve’s lips actually twitched. She was trying not to laugh.

"It’s okay," she said, her voice sounding amused. "He can be a jerk. I raised him, I know."

I blinked. Did she really just agree with me? I almost let out a giggle, but I held it back. The situation was too serious for laughs. The reality of what she was saying settled over me like a wet, heavy blanket.

"Please tell me there’s something we can do," I said, my voice dropping to a whisper. "I won’t survive a single night in there without wanting to strangle him."

Genevieve looked at me with pity, but she shook her head. "There’s nothing to be done, Azura. It’s an ancient custom. You’re the Luna now, and the pack expects to see their leaders together. It’s about unity."

I felt a ball of annoyance coil up in my chest. It wasn’t fear... I wasn’t scared of Rhydor... it was just pure resentment. I clenched my fists at my sides, wishing I could just say no.

"You’ll both have to figure out how to handle the war between you," Genevieve said softly.

I looked away, staring at the floorboards. Living with him? In the same room? Every single night? I wanted to scream until my lungs hurt. But I didn’t. I just stood there, breathing slowly, trying to keep my cool.

Then, something clicked in my brain. The journal.

I looked back up at Genevieve. "Genevieve... Can I show you something?"

She tilted her head, looking curious. "Of course, child."

I walked over to the carved wooden table by the window. The journal was sitting there, old, worn, and looking very mysterious. I picked it up carefully, feeling the weight of it, and walked back to her.

"Do you know what this is?" I asked.

She stepped closer, her eyes narrowing as she studied the leather cover. I held it out, and she took it gently, turning it over in her hands. She tried to pull the cover open, but it didn’t budge. She tried again, pulling harder, but the book stayed shut tight, like it was made of solid stone.

"Strange," she murmured, a frown deep on her face.

I swallowed hard. "It wouldn’t open earlier for me either... but it opened once before."

She looked up at me, confused. I hesitated, then reached out and took the journal back from her. The second my fingers touched the leather, the cover moved. It opened smoothly and easily, as if it wanted me to see what was inside. No blood, no weird glow this time. It just... opened.

I stared at the pages, my heart thumping. Genevieve went totally still.

"How did you do that?" she whispered.

"I don’t know," I said, looking at her with wide eyes. "I really don’t."

She stepped even closer, her eyes locked on the open book. "May I try again?"

I nodded and held it out. But the moment her fingers even brushed the edges of the pages.

BANG!

The journal snapped shut so violently that the sound echoed through the room like a gunshot. Genevieve gasped, and the book flew out of her hands, hitting the stone floor with a loud thud.

The sound seemed to suck all the noise from the room. We just stared at the book lying on the stones. A cold quiet settled over us.

My chest squeezed so tight I could barely breathe. Genevieve looked up at me slowly, and her face was as pale as a ghost.

"Where did you get that?" she asked, her voice shaking.

"It belonged to my parents," I said, swallowing the lump in my throat. "It’s the only thing they left me."

Her eyes got sharp, like she was seeing me for the first time. "You once told me you were rankless, Azura."

I nodded.

She took a shaky breath, as if she was trying to figure out something. "Then how did you know my son was your mate? If you don’t have a wolf, how could you feel the bond?"

I looked down at the floor. "I don’t really know. I just... I felt it." I paused, thinking back to that weird feeling in my soul. "My wolf knew."

Genevieve frowned, whispering to herself. "Your wolf? But rankless means no wolf..."

She stared at me like I was a puzzle she couldn’t solve. I didn’t have any answers for her because I didn’t have them for myself. Everything about me was a big I don’t know.

She straightened her back, her expression turning very serious. "Something is happening around you, Azura. Something big." Her voice dropped to a whisper. "And it has to stay a secret. For your safety."

She pointed at the journal on the floor. "Hide that book. Don’t let anyone, and I mean anyone, see it. Protect it with your life."

I nodded quickly. "I understand. I’ll hide it."

She held my gaze for a long time, looking like she wanted to say more but couldn’t. Then she turned and walked toward the door. She stopped for a second before opening it and looked back at me.

"Goodnight, child." She paused, and a tiny smile touched her lips. "And please... try not to tear the packhouse down while you’re living with my son."

I let out a breath that was halfway between a sigh and a laugh. "I’ll try."

She nodded once, then slipped out, closing the door softly behind her.

I stood there for a long time, just staring at the wood of the door. Then I looked down at the journal. I bent over and picked it up. It felt warm in my hands. Almost alive.

My parents left this for me. But why? What was I supposed to do with a book that only liked me? And the shared room... I really had to live with that buffoon.

Everything was moving way too fast. I sat on the edge of my bed, my mind spinning in circles. I looked at the journal one last time, and one question kept echoing in my head.

What am I... really?