Chapter 1

The moment I stepped into the Pack House’s grand hall, the tension hit me like a slap.

Alpha Kayle stood with his back to the door, broad shoulders stiff, muscles straining beneath his black dress shirt. A living statue carved from rage and pride.

His father, Elder Wilson, slammed his ceremonial scepter against the marble floor with a thunderous crack that echoed through the hall.

“You insolent bastard!” he roared. “How dare you bring her to the Moon Feast? In front of your Luna? What do you take this union for—a joke?”

The woman by Kayle’s side—Arlene, the sweet-faced little Omega—flinched like she’d been struck. Her lips quivered and her eyes welled with practiced tears.

“Alpha Kayle,” she whispered, “maybe I shouldn’t have come…”

Kayle pulled her into his arms without a flicker of hesitation. His profile was cut from ice, emotionless and elegant in its cruelty.

“Why leave?” he said coldly. “You’ll be a member of this Pack soon enough.”

Elder Wilson shook with rage, gripping his scepter like he meant to drive it through someone’s skull. Probably Kayle’s.

I stepped forward, forcing a calm smile across my face as I gently placed my hand on his wrist. “Father, don’t. It’s not worth your blood pressure.”

That was when Kayle finally looked at me.

His glacier-blue eyes swept over me, slow and calculating. I could practically see the surprise flicker behind them.

I wasn’t screaming. I wasn’t crying. I wasn’t throwing things.

In the past, I would’ve lost it. Shattered plates. Screamed curses. Maybe even tried to claw Arlene’s eyes out.

But not tonight.

Tonight, I smiled.

He stared for a long beat, and when his voice came, it was smooth and razor-sharp.

“How magnanimous of you, my Luna.”

The sarcasm in his tone was thick enough to choke on. But I didn’t give him the satisfaction of a reaction.

I simply helped Father to the long oak dining table and took my seat like nothing had happened. Like I hadn’t been humiliated—again.

The feast began.

Kayle made a show of doting on Arlene, brushing her hair back, whispering in her ear, filling her plate with food like they were on some sick fairytale date.

He ignored his father, who sat beside me with a face darker than a storm cloud.

I reached for a slice of roasted venison, but Kayle’s fork speared it first. He placed it gently on Arlene’s plate, smiling down at her like she was royalty.

Thud. Father slammed his wine glass down so hard the contents splashed over the rim.

Kayle didn’t flinch. He just kept feeding Arlene like a smug bastard.

Before Father could explode, I stood quickly. “Father, I think Grandmother might be awake. She was asking for you earlier.”

He didn’t argue. He stormed out with clenched fists and a livid scowl.

When I returned, the entire hall was watching us. Every Pack member pretending not to eavesdrop, every Beta and Gamma pretending this wasn’t a trainwreck happening live in front of them.

I took my seat like a Luna should.

Kayle didn’t even look at me. He spun his silver lighter between his fingers, flicking it open and closed, the metallic clicks syncing with my rising pulse. The air around him was suffocating, thick with tension and cruelty.

Arlene blinked up at him with those big, manipulative eyes.

“Alpha Kayle,” she said softly, “do you think... do you think Luna minds me being here?”

He didn’t even blink. “Don’t worry about her.”

I clenched my fists beneath the table and smiled, teeth gritted. My voice came out smooth, sharp like broken glass.

“This one’s prettier than all the other hussies you’ve brought back before.”

His eyes finally flicked toward me, glacier-cold. “She’s certainly far more pleasant to look at than my noble Luna.”

Arlene let out a sugary laugh. “Oh, don’t say that! Luna is the most famous beauty in the entire territory. I couldn’t possibly compare.”

Liar.

She wore her innocence like a mask, but her eyes gave her away. She was enjoying every second of this.

Kayle didn’t reply. He just lit a cigar and blew smoke across the table, the scent thick and heady, burning my throat.

I swallowed a mouthful of meat just to distract myself, just to feel like I still had control over something. But my stomach turned the moment it hit.

Then came Arlene’s voice again, syrupy and smug.

“Oh, Alpha Kayle, I left my silk scarf in your room... on the bed.”

Kayle chuckled, deep and husky. “You scatterbrain.”

That was the last straw.

I pushed away from the table so fast my chair scraped against the floor. I didn’t look at either of them. I didn’t need to.

Their game was obvious. Their victory was petty. But I wasn’t going to let them see me break.

Not this time.

I stormed out of the hall and down the corridor, my chest tight, my stomach lurching.

And when I reached the bathroom, I finally let myself crumble.