Chapter 2

　　Aria's POV

　　The hallway leading to the Pack Hall was strangely quiet, unlike any other day at Draven Holdings. The usual bustle of employees had vanished as though the building itself was holding its breath. The silence was so thick I could almost hear blood rushing through our veins. Every step we took echoed against the polished marble floor, our shoes tapping in a slow, rhythmic beat that only made my racing heart louder.

　　"You'd better comport yourself when you're standing before Alpha Alaric Duskmoor. Do you understand me?" Kael said without sparing me a glance. His voice was steady, but I could hear the uneasiness hidden beneath it.

　　"You should be worrying about yourself, Alpha," I replied without hesitation. "If the stories about him are even half true, not even the Moon Goddess herself will be able to save you from the monster you're walking toward."

　　He stopped and turned his head slowly to look at me. His eyes darkened with a warning that sent a chill crawling down my spine. For a split second, I could almost picture him lunging at me, his fangs buried deep in my throat while I lay there begging for mercy.

　　His assistant noticed the dangerous silence between us and hurried to break it.

　　"My Lord," he said cautiously, lowering his head, "Alpha Alaric requested the treasury ledger for the previous fiscal year."

　　A smug smile tugged at my lips. If I wasn't mistaken, I'd spent the entire last year hearing rumors about him gallivanting around with a bitch who was keeping my Alpha too busy to remember he even had a fiancée. The whispers of him showering The One with expensive gifts had finally caught up with him.

　　He flinched. The sight alone made my day. I could be somewhere in an open field or tucked away in a quiet coffee shop, writing something worthwhile like The Stupid Alpha Gets What He Deserves, instead of wasting my precious time following the very man who deserved to be the villain in every story I wrote.

　　"Did you get the treasurer to sign the yellow file?" he asked.

　　"Yes, my Lord," his assistant replied.

　　Kael adjusted his tie one last time before giving Cade Stag a nod. Without another word, Cade stepped forward and pushed open the enormous doors leading into the Pack Hall.

　　I wasn't sure what I'd expected to see. Maybe an old man with too much authority and not enough hair. Maybe someone who snored through meetings while everyone pretended he was terrifying.

　　The moment the doors swung open, every smart remark I'd prepared died somewhere between my brain and my mouth. The hall was unnaturally quiet, the kind of silence that made you question every bad decision that had led you there. Even Kael, whose ego usually walked into a room five minutes before the rest of him, seemed to shrink. My eyes drifted toward the throne at the far end, but the figure seated there remained buried beneath the shadows, as if darkness itself had decided to become his personal bodyguard.

　　I had no idea who, or what, was sitting in those shadows... but every instinct I had screamed that my life had just taken a turn no book I'd ever written could have prepared me for.

　　As I walked beside Kael toward the mysterious Lycan King who had kept his back turned to us the entire time, I noticed something I never thought I'd see.

　　The backs of the elders were bent in his presence.

　　Kael dared not breathe too loudly, and neither did his subordinates. I watched as his confident steps became lighter, almost careful, like one wrong move would cost him everything.

　　The moment he reached him, he bowed deeply. Not the arrogant, half-hearted kind of bow I expected from someone like Kael, but one that looked like the ground would gladly swallow him whole if he dared to disobey.

　　I still couldn't understand the fuss about a man who hadn't even shown his face yet.

　　"Your Majesty, welcome to our Silverpine Pack."

　　I nearly laughed. Thank the Moon Goddess I knew when to fear death because even I wasn't stupid enough to ignore the tension filling the room.

　　A single drop of sweat slid down Kael's forehead.

　　I watched it with great interest, almost as if I had discovered a rare species. The great Alpha Kael Draven, the man who thought the world revolved around him, was sweating.

　　I could frame this moment.

　　As I continued staring, Kael's irritating voice suddenly reached my ears in a low whisper.

　　"Bow your head, Aria. Do you want to get yourself killed?"

　　His teeth were clenched, as if my lack of fear was somehow another problem he had to deal with.

　　I only lowered my head slightly, making sure to keep the same indifference I had carried since walking into this hall.

　　Then his cold voice filled the room.

　　"Kael Draven, Alpha of Silverpine. Do you agree that you are guilty of embezzling the treasury funds?"

　　My thoughts stopped.

　　Who was this man?

　　His voice carried a kind of authority I had never encountered before. Not even the arrogant Alphas I had written about in my books could compare.

　　"I'm..."

　　Kael stopped.

　　For the first time in my life, I watched Alpha Kael Draven struggle to find words.

　　The corner of my lips almost lifted.

　　"I do not have time for excuses," the Lycan King said calmly. "It is a simple question. Yes or no."

　　Only then did he turn around.

　　And I understood.

　　The Moon Goddess was definitely biased.

　　The man before me looked nothing like the terrifying monster I had imagined. Sharp pale blue eyes, a perfectly sculpted jawline, and features so flawless they looked almost unreal.

　　If Kael was created to be admired, then this man was created to make everyone else question their existence.

　　I was certain Kael had missed the day the Moon Goddess decided to create masterpieces.

　　"I understand, Your Majesty."

　　Kael's nervous reply pulled me away from my thoughts.