Chapter 69

Sisters.

Elara’s POV

Kieran stepped away from the head table to speak with Varra, the Elderglen Alpha, leaving me alone for the moment. The feast was still in full swing, a symphony of clinking forks, boisterous laughter, and the rich scent of roasted meat and spices. Even with so many people in the room, a quiet loneliness settled over me. I felt like an observer, watching a family I didn’t feel part of. My own family was a ghost story, a chapter that had ended abruptly.

A sudden warmth on my hand pulled me from my thoughts. I looked down to see Astrid’s hand gently resting on mine. I looked up at her and saw her familiar soft smile. “Come on,” she said, her voice a warm murmur that cut through the noise. “You’ve been stuck playing the good Luna all day. You need a break.”

I tried to resist. “I should wait for Kieran.”

“The Alpha is busy,” a new voice chimed in. It was Mira, she linked her arm with Astrid’s, already coaxing me to stand.

I