From Shadows to His Throne

ELODIE’S POV 

 The royal kitchen was bigger than any place I had ever seen. Pots hung from iron racks above the massive stone counters, fires roared in the hearths, and servants hurried back and forth like frightened mice. 

I stood near the back wall, trying to make myself as small as possible. 

In the center of the chaos stood a short, plump woman barking orders like a general preparing for war. A dark mole rested above her upper lip, and her sharp eyes moved across the room as if she could spot trouble before it even happened. 

“I am Gelda, head of the royal kitchens,” she announced, her voice cutting through the clatter of pans. “And tonight is not a night for foolish mistakes.” 

No one spoke. No one even dared to breathe too loudly. 

“Alphas from every pack in the kingdom have arrived for tonight’s banquet,” Gelda continued, pacing slowly between the worktables. “They are guests of the Alpha King himself.” 

My stomach twisted. 

Alphas from every pack. 

Even standing this far from the great hall, I could almost feel their presence. Powerful, commanding… dangerous. 

“The alpha king is in search of a mate,” Gelda said sharply. “Which means this banquet must be perfect.” 

She stopped suddenly and turned toward us, her eyes narrowing. 

“You will keep your heads down. You will move quietly. You will not speak unless spoken to. The kitchen staff is to be seen as little as possible.” 

A heavy silence settled over the room. 

“And if any of you make a mistake…” she said slowly, her gaze sweeping over us like a blade, “you will answer to me.” 

A chill crawled down my spine. 

Around me, the servants immediately got to work, rushing to chop, stir, and carry trays as if their lives depended on it. 

Maybe they did. 

I lowered my head and reached for a tray, hoping more than anything that tonight would pass without any mistakes. 

I lifted the tray carefully, balancing the plates the way Gelda had shown us, and followed the line of servants out of the kitchen. The corridors of the royal palace seemed even bigger outside the heat and noise of the ovens. Everything was polished stone, golden lamps, and high ceilings that made my footsteps feel too loud. 

Keep your head down. Move without being seen. 

Gelda’s voice echoed in my mind. 

When I reached the banquet hall, the doors were already open. The room beyond was breathtaking. Long tables draped in deep crimson cloth, candles flickering in tall silver stands, and banners from different packs hanging along the walls. 

And the alphas. 

I could feel them before I even looked up. Their presence pressed against the room like a heavy storm cloud. 

I quickly set the tray on the nearest table, arranging the plates exactly how I had been told, then stepped back and slipped toward the servants’ entrance again before anyone could notice me. 

The moment I stepped back into the quieter corridor, I nearly collided with someone. 

“Oh!” 

A pair of hands grabbed my arms to steady me. 

“Elodie!” 

I looked up and let out a small breath of relief. “Rowena.” 

She laughed softly, brushing a loose curl from her face. “Easy there. You look like you just escaped a battlefield.” 

“It feels like one,” I muttered, glancing back toward the banquet hall. “Rowena… this job is terrifying.” 

Her smile softened. 

“I told you the palace could be intense.” 

“That’s one word for it,” I said. “Gelda looks like she could smell a mistake from across the room.” 

Rowena snorted. “She probably can.” 

I leaned back against the cool stone wall, letting out a slow breath. “Still… thank you. Really. For getting me this job.” 

She waved a hand, but I could see the warmth in her eyes. “You needed it.” 

She didn’t say the rest out loud. 

Ever since my mother, Phoebe, passed, everything had been… harder. Work had come in bits and pieces. Cleaning houses, helping in small market stalls, whatever I could find. 

But none of those jobs lasted. 

And none of them paid enough. 

“This is the best pay I’ve seen in months,” I admitted quietly. “I just… don’t want to mess it up.” 

Rowena gave my arm a reassuring squeeze. 

“You won’t.” 

I hoped she was right. 

Because if I lost this job too, I wasn’t sure what I would do next. 

From the banquet hall, a deep rumble of voices echoed through the corridor....alphas arriving, their laughter low and powerful. 

A strange shiver ran down my spine. 

Rowena leaned slightly toward the doorway that led into the banquet hall, peeking just enough to see without being noticed. I followed her gaze, curiosity tugging at me despite Gelda’s warning to stay invisible. 

“Look,” Rowena whispered, nudging my arm. 

Inside the hall, the alphas were beginning to gather around the long tables. Their presence was overwhelming even from the corridor...broad shoulders, commanding voices, the kind of confidence that filled a room whether they meant it to or not. 

Rowena tilted her chin toward one side of the hall. “See them? The ones standing near the silver banner?” 

I squinted slightly. 

Several powerful-looking men stood there, each dressed in rich fabrics that marked them as pack leaders. Beside them were young women dressed just as elegantly...silks, jewels, hair styled perfectly. 

“Their daughters,” Rowena murmured. “Every alpha brought one or two.” 

I frowned. “So the rumors are true.” 

She nodded. “Tonight’s not just a banquet. It’s practically a parade.” 

The daughters stood close to their fathers, graceful and poised, though I could see the way some of them straightened their shoulders whenever another alpha walked by. Everyone was watching everyone. 

Evaluating. 

Choosing. 

A sudden stir rippled through the room. 

Rowena’s grip tightened on my sleeve. “Oh.” 

The large doors at the far end of the hall opened. 

In walked an alpha with silver streaks in his dark hair, his posture proud and confident. At his side was a young woman whose beauty seemed to steal the breath from the entire room. 

Even from across the hall, it was impossible not to notice her. 

Her dark hair fell like silk down her back, and the deep blue gown she wore shimmered as she moved. Her posture was elegant, her expression calm and assured, like someone who knew exactly the effect she had on people. 

“Leana,” Rowena whispered. 

“The one from the Crescent Wolf Pack?” 

Rowena nodded slowly. 

“That pack is one of the richest in the kingdom,” she said. “And the most powerful after the royal pack.” 

Around the hall, several alphas turned immediately, their attention drawn to her like moths to flame. Some straightened their jackets. Others exchanged interested glances. 

It wasn’t hard to see why. 

Leana was breathtaking. 

But as I watched her walk beside her father, something about her expression caught my attention. 

She wasn’t looking at the other alphas. 

Not even a little. 

Her eyes moved past them… scanning the room with quiet determination. 

Rowena followed my gaze and lowered her voice even further. 

“They say every alpha here wants her,” she murmured. “But it won’t matter.” 

“Why?” 

Rowena gave a small knowing smile. 

“Because Leana only has eyes for one person.” 

My heart skipped. 

“The Alpha King.” 

Across the hall, Leana finally lifted her chin slightly, her gaze settling toward the raised platform at the head of the room where the royal seat stood empty...for now. 

There was a glint of determination in her eyes. 

And something told me she hadn’t come tonight hoping for the Alpha King’s attention. 

She had come fully intending to claim it. 

ELODIE’S POV 

I leaned closer to Rowena, keeping my voice low as the murmur of the banquet hall grew louder. 

“But… why is the Alpha King choosing a mate himself?” I asked. “What about the mate chosen by the Moon Goddess?” 

Rowena glanced at me, surprised. 

“You really don’t know?” 

I shook my head. Growing up far from the palace meant there were many royal traditions I had only heard whispers about. 

Rowena shifted so we were both hidden behind one of the tall stone pillars near the servants’ corridor. 

“For most wolves, the Moon Goddess chooses their mate,” she explained quietly. “A fated bond. Something you feel deep in your soul.” 

I nodded. Everyone knew that part. 

“But the Alpha King is different.” 

I frowned. “Different how?” 

Rowena lowered her voice even further. 

“The kings don’t wait for a fated mate.” 

My brows pulled together in confusion. 

“Why not?”