Luna Forsaken (Arya and James) novel Chapter 65

65 The Trick

James’s POV

Something about the gathering rubbed my nerves raw.

It wasn’t the crowd. I’d stood in louder rooms. It wasn’t the food. I’d eaten worse while planning wars. It wasn’t even Maxwell’s earlier outburst, though the sting of it still sat under my skin like a splinter I couldn’t pull out.

It was the feeling.

The wrongness.

The way my chest wouldn’t settle.

The way my wolf stayed tense beneath my ribs like he was pacing inside a cage.

I tried to ignore it.

I tried to wear the face Marcel expected, calm, grateful, cooperative. The Alpha playing politics, smiling when required, nodding when addressed. I stayed close enough to Leah that the room would read us as a unit, but not so close she could press herself into me again. Not so close she could pretend we were something we weren’t.

Leah looked pleased with herself. The broken nose had been set as best as it could be. Swelling had been masked. The bruises were still there, but she carried them like

trophies, like proof she’d been “wronged” and survived.

She kept touching my arm at intervals, lightly, possessively, like she was reminding everyone that she belonged beside me. I didn’t yank away in public. I simply shifted,

moved, stepped away, forcing distance without a scene.

The more I moved through the room, the stronger the unease became.

It didn’t ease when laughter rose.

It didn’t ease when someone congratulated Marcel on his “alliance.”

It didn’t ease when Alpha Mark’s men moved around refilling cups and guiding guests

through the flow of the gathering.

It didn’t ease when Marcel’s hand landed on my shoulder in that casual, controlling way

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he used when he wanted the room to see we were connected.

If anything, that gesture made the feeling worse.

Because it wasn’t friendship.

It was ownership.

I caught sight of Union men.

Not the ones who had come to my pack, those faces weren’t here. These were different. Their posture was disciplined. Their eyes moved like they were trained to assess threats and read motives. Their clothes were subtle, not flashy, but the way others gave them space told me what they were.

Union officers.

My pulse tightened.

This was why I was here.

This was why I endured the whispers and the stares.

This was why I stood beside Leah’s bare neck and played along with Marcel’s performance.

To get into the Union.

To secure what I needed.

To end this limbo.

I moved toward them immediately, intent sharpening into focus. Two of them noticed me

and stepped slightly away from their group, making room for conversation. One was

older, the kind of man who looked like he’d seen too many Alphas beg and too many

packs burn. The other was younger, eyes alert, expression unreadable..

“Alpha James Nightwind,” the older one greeted, voice neutral.

“Gentlemen,” I replied, holding my hand out.

We shook.

The older officer’s grip was firm, professional. The younger’s was quick, careful, as if he

didn’t like touching strangers.

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I started to speak.

Before I could even get three words out, Marcel appeared at my shoulder like he’d been summoned by the thought of me talking without him.

“Ah,” Marcel said warmly, as if we were in the middle of an intimate joke. “There you are. Gentlemen. Always a pleasure.”

The officers nodded politely.

I didn’t miss the way their expressions didn’t brighten. They weren’t happy Marcel had joined us. They weren’t impressed.

Marcel smiled wider.

“I will discuss everything with you,” Marcel said smoothly. “No need to burden James. He’s a guest tonight.”

I frowned slightly.

It was odd.

It was unnecessary.

I was the Alpha applying for Union membership. The process involved me and my pack.

It wasn’t Marcel’s application. He was a sponsor at best, an ally, supposedly. Not the voice speaking for me.

“I can speak for myself,” I said, tone calm but firm.

Marcel’s smile did not shift, but something in his eyes tightened.

“Of course,” Marcel replied quickly. “Of course you can. But tonight, ”

“I insist,” I cut in, turning slightly so my body faced the officers fully. “It’s important I

understand what is required and what the next steps are.”

The younger officer’s eyes flicked between Marcel and me.

The older officer held my gaze, as if measuring whether I had a spine.

Marcel laughed lightly.

“James is eager,” he told them, like my insistence was a charming quirk and not a boundary. “That is good. Eagerness shows commitment.”

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I didn’t smile.

I kept my hand gesturing toward the officers, a silent invitation to proceed.

The older officer cleared his throat, ready to speak.

Marcel stepped closer instead.

Not enough to touch, but enough to crowd.

“I will handle it,” Marcel said again, voice smooth, and now there was an edge beneath,

it, subtle pressure.

My jaw tightened.

“Marcel,” I said, using his name like a warning, “I’m not a child. I’m not being handled. I

want to speak with them.”

For the first time, Marcel looked cornered.

Not panicked.

Just forced to adapt.

He didn’t excuse himself.

He didn’t step away.

He remained right there beside me, smiling as if this was normal.

And that was the part that made my unease sharpen.

If this was harmless, he would have allowed it.

If there was nothing to hide, he would have stepped away and let me speak like an

Alpha.

Instead, he stayed.

Hovering.

Listening.

Controlling the air.

I decided not to make a scene. Not yet.

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I turned back to the officers.

“Gentlemen,” I said, voice steady, “I apologise for what happened at my pack the last you’re your colleagues came.”

Marcel’s eyes narrowed slightly, almost imperceptibly.

The officers blinked.

The older one frowned faintly.

“The last time our colleagues came?” the younger officer repeated, confusion surfacing.

I continued, still not understanding why they looked like that.

“The commotion,” I said. “It was… unfortunate. It disrupted the signing. But it has been resolved.”

The older officer’s brows lifted, slow.

He didn’t speak yet.

I kept going, because I wanted to correct any impression that my pack was unstable.

“As you can see,” I said, gesturing subtly toward Leah, “my Luna is very fine. Everything is in order now. I hope they can return soon so we can complete the signing.”

The words had barely left my mouth when I realised something was wrong.

The officers didn’t nod.

They didn’t smile.

They didn’t reassure me.

They looked at each other.

Confused.

The older officer’s mouth tightened.

The younger officer’s eyes narrowed slightly, like he was trying to decide whether I was

joking.

Marcel moved immediately, too quickly, like a man snatching a cup before it fell.

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“James,” Marcel said smoothly, placing a hand on my elbow, “come. Let me introduce you to someone.”

I turned slightly, irritation flickering.

“We’re not done,” I said.

Marcel’s grip tightened just enough to be felt.

“You will have plenty of time,” Marcel replied softly, still smiling, still gentle to the room. “Don’t be rude.”

Rude.

The word made my jaw clench harder.

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