Chapter Thirty

OLIVIA’S POV

Standing in the center of the glittering hall, I barely heard the dull conversation of the pack Alphas surrounding us. I was wedged between my mother and father, surrounded by powerful men who did business with our pack, but my attention was completely glued to the dance floor.

In the middle of the ballroom, Ivy and Prince Leo glided effortlessly through a graceful waltz. The crowd stood back, watching them in awe as if they were stars that had fallen straight from the sky.

A bitter, venomous rage surged through my chest. Jealousy burned in my throat like acid.

Why does she get a Prince while I am stuck with a pack Beta?

Ever since we were children, I had hated Ivy with every fiber of my being. My mother had revealed the truth to me years ago. Ivy was supposed to have a massive inheritance from her late mother, and by right, she was destined to become the future pack Alpha. The truth was that Ivy had no idea what she was truly capable of. Even my father didn't know the full extent of her hidden power. It was my mother who had quietly engineered Ivy's downfall, making sure she ended up weak, broken, and treated as a runt so we could take everything that belonged to her.

I had taken immense pleasure in humiliating her. I had stolen the man she loved right out from under her nose, enjoying every second of watching her cry over a man like a pathetic, beaten dog. She was supposed to stay broken. Yet here she was, glowing with happiness, standing by the Crown Prince’s side as the future Queen?

My fingers tightened around my crystal champagne glass so hard I thought the stem would snap.

When Prince Leo had swooped into our pack territory months ago to save her, it had left our entire pack disoriented and terrified for weeks. Even my father had been pacing at night, worried about royal retaliation. But as the weeks turned into months and Prince Leo made no official announcements or threats against us, we decided the Prince simply didn't care enough to act.

Then the rumors began to spread through the territories. The Prince has a secret mate. I hadn't wanted to believe it. I told myself it was impossible…until tonight, when I saw it with my own eyes.

How dare you, Ivy? You were never supposed to be Queen. You were supposed to die in the dust and be forgotten.

"Darling, fix your face and stop staring at them so much," my mother’s low, sharp voice whispered directly into my ear. "People will begin to think you are jealous of the happy couple."

I blinked, forcing my tense muscles to relax into a polite, blank mask. Taking a slow breath, I tore my eyes away from the dancing couple and looked over at my father, who was standing beside us, laughing smugly with his glass raised.

"But Marcus," Alpha Jerry of the Crescent Hollow Pack said, leaning in with a sly grin, "didn't I hear a rumor that you had banished your daughter from the pack? How are you so sure the Prince will pay her dowry?"

My father smirked, waving a dismissive hand in the air. "That was just a foolish rumor. How could I banish my own sweet daughter?" He gasped, putting a hand over his heart in mock offense. "Besides, if he does not agree to pay the proper royal dowry, I will simply take my daughter back. I have already let the High Council know that my daughter is living in his palace without my formal consent, and I will not agree to any union until the proper procedures are followed."

Alpha Jerry let out a loud, booming laugh, shaking his head. "You are crazy, Marcus!"

"He is just a Prince," my father sneered softly, taking a sip of his wine. "He knows what happens if the Royal Council stands against him. I am certain he will make the right decision and pay whatever price I demand."

I stared at my father, my brow furrowing in disgust. I couldn't believe he was actually planning to negotiate with the Prince like this. But what else did I expect? My father was a greedy, arrogant fool who only cared about money and his own reputation.

Never, I thought, my heart thumping against my ribs. I will never bow down to Ivy. Not as long as I am alive.

Unable to stand the sickening sight of Ivy's glowing face a second longer, I turned around and began weaving through the crowded ballroom toward the tall glass doors leading outside.

As I brushed past groups of high-born guests, their hushed whispers drifted into my ears.

"Look at how beautiful they are together..."

"A match made by the Moon Goddess herself..."

Each admiring comment felt like a hot needle pricking my skin. I quickened my pace until I finally stepped out into the crisp night air.

Standing on the terrace of the pristine, manicured garden, I took in a deep, shivering breath. I needed to calm my fuming temper before I did something reckless in front of the royal guards. I stepped off the terrace and followed the stone pavement, guided by the soft, warm light of low lantern posts lined along the hedges.

The path led me deeper into the quiet estate until I stopped near a serene, marble-edged pond.

Glancing over my shoulder, I looked back at the grand palace towering against the dark sky. It was an intimidating masterpiece of ancient architecture. Majestic white stone towers rising high into the night, golden light pouring from dozens of arched stained-glass windows, and massive velvet-draped balconies overlooking the realm. It looked like something out of a legend.

My hands curled into tight fists. The thought of Ivy living in that luxury, wearing a crown, and raising royal children in those halls made my blood run cold.

Never. Over my dead body.

Snap.

The sharp sound of a dry twig breaking nearby made me freeze. I spun around, my heart jumping into my throat, but as my eyes adjusted to the shadows near a secluded rose arbor, they widened in surprise.

Standing a few paces away, leaning casually against a stone pillar with a thin trail of gray smoke rising from her fingers, was Lady Celeste.

The woman everyone in the kingdom had expected Prince Leo to choose.

She was standing there alone, staring blankly up at the full moon. Her gorgeous silk gown caught the moonlight, but her expression was hollow and bitter. She was out here hiding in the dark because her heart was broken…and her pride was shattered.

A slow, vicious smile spread across my lips.

I smoothed down my dress and began stepping quietly toward her, a dark plan already taking root in my mind.

Ivy thought she had won. But she had no idea what was coming for her.