The Queen's Arrival

The forest had always been the one place where Delia of Eldridge could breathe without feeling that someone was measuring her worth. Beneath the tall pines, the pack's expectations seemed quieter, and the familiar scent of damp earth helped her forget the things she could not change. On this autumn evening, however, even the forest felt different. The wind moved through the branches with a whisper that stirred

something deep inside her, a strange recognition she could not explain. It was not fear exactly, nor was it a memory. It was simply the unsettling feeling that she had stood at this same turning point before.

She pressed her palm against the rough bark of an oak and listened to the distant sounds of the village. Eldridge was preparing for an important week. The neighboring packs had been invited to renew their alliance, warriors were drilling in the training yard, and the great hall was being decorated with blue banners bearing the image of a silver wolf. Her father, Alpha Marcus, believed the gathering would strengthen their position among the northern territories. Everyone else seemed excited. Delia tried to share their enthusiasm, but the recent rejection by Theo had left her unsure where she belonged.

Theo had been part of her life for as long as she could remember. They had raced through the meadows as children, trained side by side, and shared the quiet certainty that one day the Moon Goddess would make them mates. Delia had never treated that future as a promise carved in stone, yet she had allowed herself to

hope. At the last new moon, Theo had looked into her eyes and told her that he did not want her as his mate. Worse, he had admitted that his heart belonged to Lila, Delia's younger sister.

The memory still hurt, but Delia refused to let it become the whole of her life. She had cried in private,spoken little about it, and decided she would not beg anyone to choose her. If Theo and Lila truly wanted a future together, she would not stand between them. The decision did not make the wound disappear, but it gave her something steady to hold on to.

"Delia!" Caleb called from the path behind her. Her older brother came toward her with his training jacket half fastened and a leaf caught in his dark hair. "Father has been looking everywhere for you. He says the whole family must be in the great hall before sunset."

"Did he say why, or am I supposed to guess from the way you are trying not to grin?"

Caleb laughed. "There is an announcement. That is all I know, and if I tell you more, Father will say I have no talent for keeping a secret."

"You have no talent for keeping anything quiet," Delia replied, but she followed him back toward the village.

The Eldridge packhouse stood on a rise above the main road, its stone walls glowing amber in the late sunlight. Beyond it, cottages and shops lined the winding road toward the river bridge. Wolves moved between the buildings carrying baskets, lanterns, and bundles of winter herbs. Children chased one another around the fountain, while the pack's older warriors checked the gates. It was a familiar scene, but Delia felt strangely detached from it, as though she were watching her home through a thin pane of glass.

Inside the great hall, her mother, Selene, was speaking with the housekeeper about the supper arrangements. Lila stood near the staircase, her cheeks flushed, while Mara, the youngest sister, adjusted a silver ribbon in her hair. When Lila noticed Delia, her smile faltered for a moment before returning with a brightness that felt carefully arranged.

"Mother wants us seated together tonight," Lila said. "Please don't make this difficult."Delia looked at her sister. "I have not made anything difficult."

"I know." Lila's gaze slipped away. "I just don't want another argument."

"There won't be one from me."

The words came out calmly, and Delia was proud of that. She had no wish to fight in front of the pack or turn her heartbreak into public entertainment. If Lila wanted Theo, and Theo wanted Lila, then the truth would eventually have to be faced by all of them.

A bell rang from the courtyard, calling the household to order. Alpha Marcus entered with Beta Rowan and two visiting elders. He wore his formal black coat, the silver clasp at his throat polished until it shone. When he raised a hand, the hall quieted.

"Our pack has faced difficult seasons," he began, "but we have survived because we understand the value of loyalty and cooperation. This week, we will welcome representatives from neighboring territories and renew an alliance that will protect our borders for years to come."

Applause rose around the room. Marcus continued, explaining the patrol agreements and the shared training programme that would begin after the full-moon festival. Delia listened, grateful that the announcement had nothing to do with choosing a mate or displaying the family's private troubles.

Then her father looked toward Theo, who had arrived with the visiting warriors. "Theo has shown discipline and courage in recent patrols. He will help lead the joint border team."

The hall responded with approval. Theo bowed his head, accepting the praise, and for one brief

moment his eyes met Delia's. She saw regret there-or perhaps she only wanted to believe she did. She looked away before she could turn a glance into a promise.

After the announcement, the hall filled with conversation. Lila drifted toward Theo, and he spoke to her in a low voice that made her smile. Delia did not follow them. Instead, she helped Mara carry a tray of cups to the side table and listened while her youngest sister described the decorations she wanted for the festival.

"You don't have to pretend you're fine," Mara murmured when they were alone.

"I'm not pretending," Delia said. "I'm learning how to be fine without needing everyone else to

understand."

Mara squeezed her hand. Across the hall, the old clock struck six. A draft slipped through the open doors, carrying the scent of pine and distant rain. Again, that strange feeling moved through Delia, as if the air had brushed against a memory she had never lived. She glanced toward the forest beyond the windows, unsettled by the familiarity of something she could not name.

She did not know what it meant, and she did not search for an answer. It was only a feeling, faint as a thread beneath her skin.

For now, she had a life to live and a heart to mend. The pack would soon be full of visitors, and she intended to meet them with her head held high. Whatever waited beyond the trees, she would face it when it came-not as Theo's rejected mate, not as the daughter everyone pitied, but as Delia of Eldridge, a woman whose future had not yet been decided.