Chapter 1 STRONG ALPHA
VELVELA POV
"The Rogues have taken over Night Bane Pack! Soon they'll be heading for us. That's why we need a leading Alpha, not some…"
Elder Edgar's voice died in his throat.
The old fool. A smirk tugged at my lips as I sat lazily on my throne, one leg crossed over the other, watching him shrink under my gaze. The meeting hall had gone so quiet I could hear the candles breathe.
Edgar lowered his head. "Alpha, I merely meant... perhaps we should consider forming an alliance under the Lycan's protection."
A cold laugh escaped me, and it echoed through the massive chamber the way I'd trained it to, unhurried, deliberate, filling every corner so no one could pretend they hadn't heard it.
I swept my eyes across every noble, elder, and lord seated around the circular table. Greed. Fear. Resentment. I saw it all, mapped it the way I'd mapped enemy territory for six years. Most of them wanted me gone. The only difference between them and Edgar was that Edgar had enough courage or stupidity, to say it out loud.
Rip his tongue out, Lyra growled inside me.
Impatient as always. I ignored her.
Instead, I snapped my fingers.
The giant doors burst open and several warriors marched inside, dragging a battered rogue between them. The room erupted into murmurs. I rose from my throne, the flowing black fabric of my dress swaying around my full figure as I descended the platform, every step echoing across the marble floor, every gaze following me whether they wanted it to or not.
I stopped in front of the rogue. His face was bruised, blood stained his mouth, and fear filled his eyes. Good. Fear kept people honest.
"Found a spy within our territory," I announced.
Before anyone could blink, I was in front of him, my claws extended and my eyes glowing silver. "Who did you meet with?" My voice came out dangerously calm, and the rogue shuddered.
Lyra snarled inside my chest…Answer her…
"I-I—"
I slammed him against the floor. The crack echoed through the hall. "Who did you meet with?"
"Lord Darko!" he cried.
The entire room froze. I didn't hesitate. My hand plunged straight into his chest and a sickening scream tore from his throat, blood spattering across the marble as his eyes widened, then dimmed. I pulled my hand back slowly. His heart rested in my palm, still beating for one second, then two, then it stopped.
I let it fall. It landed with a wet sound that sent the hall into complete silence.
My gaze shifted straight to Lord Darko. The man's face had gone ghostly white and he shot to his feet. "Alpha! That rogue is lying…"
"Shut the fuck up." My voice cracked through the hall like thunder and silence followed instantly. Darko swallowed, fear pouring from him in waves, and I looked toward the guards. "Take him to the dungeon. No food. No water. And carry out the laws for betrayal."
His screams echoed as they dragged him out and the giant doors slammed shut behind him.
I turned back toward the gathering. Every elder avoided my eyes and every noble sat rigid in their seat. I let the silence stretch before I spoke again.
"I have protected this pack from the Rogues for six years. I have defended our borders, buried our dead, and fought battles so none of you had to." I moved slowly as I spoke, letting my eyes land on each of them one by one. "I will not allow this pack to fall under the control of any external ruler. What you should be discussing instead is our next agenda." I paused, watching confusion ripple across their faces. "Abolishing slavery."
The room erupted into protests.
“Tradition—.” “The economy —.” “Rank—.” I didn't stay to listen. I simply turned and walked away, my dress flowing behind me as I ascended the staircase, my full curves moving with the same authority they always had, unbothered by the chaos I'd left below.
The moment my chamber door clicked shut, I exhaled and wiped the blood from my hands.
"That was insane."Lyra's voice exploded inside my head.
I chuckled."Coming from you?"
"You ripped a man's heart out in front of everyone."
"He was a traitor."
"He could've been questioned longer."
"He talked."
"He talked for two seconds!"
I laughed softly."Says the wolf who wants to bite first and ask questions later."Lyra huffed.
I walked toward the balcony.
The evening breeze brushed against my skin as my eyes settled on Crystalbank stretching below, the city my father had bled for, the kingdom I'd inherited at seventeen when his body was carried through these gates and the Alpha title crushed down onto my shoulders like a stone. Everyone had expected me to fail. The nobles, the elders, the neighboring packs. A young Alpha. A female Alpha. A fat Alpha. According to them, I should have crumbled within a season.
Six years later, I still ruled.
A knock broke through my thoughts, and before I could answer, the door opened. Vivienne's blonde head appeared and something in my chest immediately loosened. My stepsister. She was the only person who entered without permission and the only one who would ever be allowed to.
She skipped inside and flopped onto the couch, excitement practically radiating off her. "I can't believe it's tomorrow." Her eyes sparkled. "The mating ceremony. I'll finally be eighteen — what if I find my mate?"
"You probably will," I said.
"I hope he's handsome."
"I hope he's not an idiot. That's the harder thing to find."
She laughed and I laughed with her, and for a moment the weight of the day lifted entirely. Then her smile faded and her eyes drifted toward me with that look, the one she tried to hide, soft with guilt.
"I'm sorry," she said quietly.
"For what?"
"The mating ceremony."
Understanding settled over me and the smile on my face went still. Six years of ceremonies. Six years of watching mates find each other while I stood apart, untouched by what the Moon Goddess freely handed to everyone else.
"It's fine," I said. "I'm not bothered."
Liar..Lyra said immediately.
I ignored her. Vivienne didn't look convinced either, but she stood and wrapped her arms around me before I could deflect again. "Goodnight, Vel."
My chest warmed. "Goodnight."
A moment later she was gone and silence returned, fuller than before. I stared at the closed door and then at the room around me, the large bed, the empty space, the quiet that pressed in from every corner.
The whispers always came back at night, when the masks came off. The Moon Goddess cursed her. No mate wants a fat Alpha. She's too ruthless. Too ugly. Too much. I hated how much they still found the soft parts of me after all these years.
I lay back and stared at the ceiling. Strong, feared, respected, those were the faces I wore for everyone else. No one saw what lived beneath them. The loneliness. The doubt. The desperate, stubborn hope that maybe this year the Moon Goddess would finally look my way.
My eyes drifted shut, but sleep didn't come easy. Something restless settled deep in my chest, a strange, nameless feeling, like pieces moving in the dark just beyond my sight.
Like fate had already decided what tomorrow would bring.
