Luna Forsaken (Arya and James) novel Chapter 232

232 Beside Power

Arya’s POVO

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By the time it was time for the Union meeting, my nerves had settled into something

colder.

Not fear.

Not exactly.

Something sharper.

Something that stood straighter inside me and refused to bend.

I dressed simply.

No dramatic gown. No jewels that screamed for attention. No effort to look like I was

trying to prove anything to anyone. I chose something clean, elegant, and fitted enough to sit well on my body without looking like I had planned my whole existence around

this meeting. Soft fabric. Dark colour. Minimal details. The kind of thing that let me

breathe and still carried enough quiet authority to remind anyone with eyes that I did not

need to glitter to be seen.

Still, when I stood before the mirror, I knew I looked different.

Not because of the clothes.

Because of what I was doing.

Because tonight I would not be entering that hall as James’s discarded mate. Not as some wounded woman trailing behind pity or gossip. Not as someone brought along out

of sympathy.

I was going in beside Lev.

As his choice.

The thought made my pulse jump.

Ria stirred inside me.

Good. Let them see.

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I exhaled slowly, smoothed my hands over my clothes once, and left the room.

Lev was waiting outside.

Of course he was.

He stood in the corridor like he had been there a while already, one hand in his pocket,

the other relaxed by his side, dressed in dark clothes that made him look even more

severe than usual. There was something especially dangerous about him tonight. Not

violent. Just composed in a way that made the power in him feel quieter and heavier.

Like a blade sheathed very neatly.

His eyes lifted the second I stepped out.

And then he just looked at me.

That look did things to me every time.

Not rushed. Not openly greedy. Just deep. Slow. Taking me in like I was something he

had been waiting to see.

A small smile touched his mouth.

“You look beautiful,” he said.

Heat moved through me at once.

I should have been used to it by now, the way his voice affected me, the way simple

things sounded weightier coming from him.

I wasn’t.

“You say that too easily,” I murmured as I walked toward him.

“No,” he said. “I say it because it is true.”

That man really had no intention of letting me keep my balance.

I stopped in front of him and lifted my chin slightly, trying not to look as affected as I felt.

“And you look like you’re about to terrify half the Union.”

A faint amusement entered his eyes. “Half?”

I almost laughed.

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He reached out then, slow enough for me to see it coming, and adjusted a small fold

near my sleeve that did not really need adjusting. His fingers brushed my wrist after,

warm and deliberate, lingering just a little too long.

My breath caught.

This was what he did.

He could ruin me with the smallest touch and still look entirely put together while doing

“Ready?” he asked.

No.

“Yes,” I said.

He looked at me for a beat, like he knew I was lying, then offered me his arm anyway.

I took it.

And just like that, something in me steadied.

We walked to the meeting hall together through the long polished corridors of Blackbi

rth. The estate felt different at night. Quieter. More watchful. There were guards at the

turns now, staff moving with more purpose, the whole house carrying that subtle tension

of important things gathering. Word must already have spread that there was an

impromptu Union meeting. Houses like this never stayed quiet for long.

I kept my face calm as we approached the hall, but my senses were sharper than usual.

Every sound felt louder. Every turn seemed to bring me closer to something larger than

myself. Not just politics. Not just strategy.

Exposure.

That was what it was.

A room full of powerful men. A room full of old wolves and titles and alliances and egos. A room where one seat or one glance or one placement could tell ten different stories

before anyone even opened their mouth.

And I would be there.

Beside Lev.

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The hall itself was exactly what I expected from Blackbirth. Large without being wasteful. Dark wood. Stone accents. Heavy table. Tall-backed chairs. Enough space for rank to breathe. There were already men moving about, adjusting things, checking placements, ensuring everything was in order.

Lev’s hand moved briefly to the small of my back as he guided me in.

That little touch nearly undid me.

Not because it was possessive in a crude way.

Because it was grounding.

Because it said you are with me without needing words.

He leaned slightly toward me. “Stay here a moment.”

I nodded.

He moved away to speak with one of the men arranging the final details of the hall, his

voice low, firm, efficient. I watched him for a second. It was impossible not to. He

stepped into command the way some people stepped into a coat already made for them.

There was no performance in it. No strain. Just authority that fit him too well.

I had only just dragged my eyes away when another voice cut in behind me.

“Well, well.”

I turned.

David.

A grin spread across my face so fast it surprised even me.

He looked tired, though only if you knew how to spot it. There was tension in the set of

his shoulders and a seriousness in his eyes that had probably been carved there by too

much responsibility too quickly. But the grin he gave me was still David’s. Bright enough

to cut through heavy air. Reckless enough to make the room feel less stiff.

“You,” I said.

He opened his arms a little. “It’s only been a day, Arya.”

I laughed before I could stop myself.

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“That doesn’t mean I can’t be happy to see you.”

“That bad already?” he asked, glancing toward Lev with exaggerated concern. “Should I

rescue you?”

I rolled my eyes. “Don’t start.”

He lowered his voice like he was sharing some grave truth. “Blink twice if Blackbirth is

making you suffer.”

I laughed again, properly this time, and the sound felt good coming out of me.

God.

I had missed his humour more than I realised.

Maybe because Dragonclaw had become something like shelter to me. Maybe because

David had been one of the few people around me lately who did not look at me as if I were made of scandal and pity. Maybe because after everything, easy laughter felt rare and precious.

He leaned closer. “That smile is suspicious. Lev has definitely corrupted you.”

“David.”

“I knew it.”

He reached for my wrist lightly and tugged. “Come on. Leave him to his Alpha face for a

minute.”

I let him pull me a few steps away, though not far. Lev glanced over once, saw David,

saw me smiling, and returned to his conversation. The tiny peace in that did not escape

me either. He was not the type to grow absurd over every harmless moment. He knew

David. He trusted him. That mattered.

David folded his arms and looked me over with exaggerated thoughtfulness. “You do look good, though.”

“Thank you.”

“No, I mean suspiciously good. Disturbingly good. Like someone has been sleeping

well.”

My face heated instantly.

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He burst out laughing.

“You’re insufferable.”

“And correct.”

I narrowed my eyes at him. “I missed you for exactly one minute.”

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