<h4>Chapter 311: Chapter 311 The Last yer Enters</h4>
Author’s pov
Sebastian guided Cecilia gently down onto the seat, his hand resting at her waist just long enough to steady her.
She didn’t need the help, but the contact calmed something tight and fluttering in her chest.
Across from them, Luna Regina and Alpha Yardley sat with the kind of effortless grace that came from years of private dinners, and knowing how tomand a room without ever raising their voice.
Zaria had imed the armrest of a nearby chair like a throne, one bare foot swingingzily.
York stayed glued to his phone, scrolling like someone who’d seen a hundred evenings like this and didn’t expect much from the hundred-and-first.
The butler gave a subtle nod, and within seconds, a quiet parade of tea, bite-sized canapés, and polished golden trays flowed in with the precision of a Broadway stagehand.
No one spoke. Not yet.
Luna Regina’s gazended on Cecilia. Her expression was warm, but a little too careful.
"Cecilia," she began, her voice smooth but slightly stiff, like someone trying to repair their public image after a bad headline. "I left a bit abruptly yesterday. I should’ve said goodbye properly. That wasn’t fair to you."
Cecilia gave a small smile. "It’s alright."
Luna Regina blinked.
She’d expected distance, maybe a cold shoulder. But what she saw was calm,posure, without a trace of spite.
The girl sitting across from her was undeniably Cecilia Moore.
The same girl Amara kept warning her about, whispering that she was calcted, maybe even maniptive.
And for a moment, Luna Regina had believed it.
But then she remembered the ball.
How Cecilia had stepped in between her and Maggie Locke.
No hesitation. No agenda.
That wasn’t strategy, but instinct.
Sincest night, she’d thought about it more than she liked to admit.
Yardley had told her to give the girl a chance.
So had Zaria, in her own backhanded way.
And maybe... maybe they were right.
Her real issue wasn’t Cecilia’s personality.
It was her background, her human blood, and the most crucial one--the fact that she wouldn’t strengthen the family tree or earn them points in the Pack’s politics game.
But somehow, that mattered less today than it did yesterday.
She adjusted slightly in her seat, her pearls catching the light.
"Miss Moore," she said, her voice a little softer. "I judged too quickly. That was my mistake. I’m sorry for that."
She gave a polite smile. It wasn’t cold anymore, just careful.
"I hope you’ll stop by more often. This house could use someone with your kind of steadiness."
Cecilia blinked, surprised.
Then she nodded. "Sure. I’d like that."
For a moment, nobody moved. The air felt lighter, like the room had just exhaled.
And just like that, the tension in the room broke. Notpletely. But it cracked enough to let air in.
Cecilia’s pov
Sebastian stood with a grin and pped his hands once, light and theatrical.
"Well," he said, ncing around. "Shall we eat before someone ruins the vibe by bringing up old family drama?"
A few polite chuckles followed. Even Luna Regina looked like she might actually rx.
I was just about to slide my hand into Sebastian’s again when I heard footsteps in the outer hallway.
They weren’t fast like staff hurrying around, and they weren’t slow like a bored family member either.
They were steady. Intentional. Like someone wanted us to know they wereing.
Across from me, Alpha Yardley stiffened. A flicker of surprise crossed his face.
I turned toward the door, and something cold crept up my spine.
The door opened.
Three people came in. An older woman walked between a couple.
She had a cane, but it wasn’t for walking. It made her look more powerful.
Her steps were slow but firm. Each onended with purpose, like punctuation marks in a speech no one dared interrupt.
And just like that, the room shifted.
People straightened without realizing it.
"Mom?" Alpha Yardley stood quickly. "You didn’t say you wereing..."
I didn’t realize who she was until I heard Yardley call her "Mom."
That was the Elder Luna ck.
She didn’t even look at him for more than a second.
She brushed him off like he was part of the furniture and walked straight toward Sebastian.
Only when she reached Sebastian did her face soften.
A hint of a smile yed at her lips.
"Sebastian," she said, voice gentle, almost teasing. "You promised to visitst month. Every weekend, remember?"
Sebastian stood too. "I know. Work’s been insane." He reached out and helped her into the seat beside him.
"Then stop trying to do everything yourself," she said sharply, settling in like she owned the room.
"You’re the Alpha of Silver Peak, not a one-man operation. Delegate. That’s what your wolves are for."
The pride in her voice wasn’t subtle. It wrapped around Sebastian like armor.
And everyone noticed.
I watched, shoulders tense.
I was about to get up and say hello, but then I saw Zaria. She gave me a quick shake of the head, subtle but firm.
I froze. Why?
Then it clicked.
Elder Luna ck hadn’t looked at anyone else. Not Zaria. Not York. Not even Alpha Yardley.
Like the rest of us were extras, and Sebastian was the only one on the call sheet.
The silence that followed didn’t feel awkward.
It felt rehearsed. Familiar. Like everyone already knew their ce.
Finally, Sebastian broke the pattern.
"Grandmother, this is Cecilia." His voice was calm, without a trace of hesitation. "My fated mate."
And just like that, the mood turned icy.
The warmth in the room evaporated like someone had mmed a window shut against winter.
I stood, offering what I hoped was a gracious smile.
"It’s lovely to meet you, Luna ck. I’m Cecilia."
Her expression turned to stone.
The shift was subtle but devastating. Her earlier warmth vanished like she’d flipped a switch, transforming into something cold and razor-sharp.
She didn’t look at me. Not even a nce.
Instead, she turned her head—slow, deliberate—toward Luna Regina.
"The Moon Goddess truly has yed a massive joke on our Silver Peak Pack, sending a human to inherit the Luna’s throne." Her voice dripped with disdain. "Regina, and when exactly were you nning to inform me of this?"
Luna Regina visibly flinched, blinking rapidly.
"I...I was going to. This week, I just..."
Alpha Yardley stepped in, trying to help. "Sebastian’s old enough to make his own choices. You’ve said that yourself. And didn’t you always say you were ready to be a great-grandmother?"
The Elder Luna turned her head like she was rotating a turret. Calm. Controlled. Dangerous.
"I was speaking to Regina," she said coldly. "Not you."
Alpha Yardley raised an eyebrow but didn’t argue.
Luna Regina stepped forward, voice too quick.
"Mom, please. It’s new, but Cecilia’s been kind. Thoughtful. I just needed a little more time."
The old Luna didn’t blink.
"Have I ever made you feel unsafe in this house, Regina?"
"No. Of course not..."
"Then why do you act like I can’t be trusted with the truth? With the legacy of this family?"
"Mom..."
"Is anyone allowed through our gates now? Humans, traders, social climbers...what’s next, a podcast and matching hoodies?"
My face went numb. My lungs felt too small for my ribs.
So this was it. Not a confrontation. Just the cold p I’d been waiting for.
Without a word, I stood up, grabbed my bag.
I wasn’t going to sit through a meal where I was treated like a PR disaster waiting to be cleaned up.
I walked toward the door, spine straight, steps measured.
"Cecilia!"
Sebastian’s voice cut through the room.
Behind us, the old Luna’s voice rose like a warning shot.
"Sebastian, don’t walk away from me."
But he already had.
He caught up to me at the door, slid his hand into mine, and held on tight.
"Let’s go."