Chapter 8: Date

Raven’s POV.

I did not expect to see her. Out of all the possibilities I had prepared for tonight, Haliyah was the one variable I never considered. Yet there she was, standing at the entrance of the ballroom. And worse… she wasn’t alone.

Her hand was resting on Damon’s arm, her body angled toward him. They were too close. I didn’t like what I was seeing. Not one bit.

What is she doing here? And why is she with Damon? How did she even get out of her room? She was supposed to be confined. There was no way anyone would help her escape.

Beside me, Cassandra was talking about greeting Council members, but her voice faded into meaningless noise the second I saw Haliyah look up at Damon. She looked flustered. Her cheeks were flushed pink, her lips slightly parted like a woman caught in an intimate moment.

A sudden jealousy I didn’t even realize was there ignited inside me. She thought she could embarrass me in front of the Council… with that man?

Cassandra’s hand slipped out of mine without me noticing. She glanced down in surprise.

“Raven?” she murmured.

I didn’t answer. I moved before I could stop myself, striding forward like I was walking into a battlefield. The crowd parted instinctively, sensing the tension coming off me.

“Haliyah!” I shouted.

Damon noticed me first. His eyes briefly scanned me. His expression stayed calm, almost bored— but I knew him well enough to see the alertness underneath. Then, Haliyah turned. The moment our eyes met, shock flashed across her face.

I stopped right in front of them. For half a second, no one spoke. Then, I yanked her toward me without hesitation, pulling her out of Damon’s reach. She stumbled, but she was still partly held by him.

“What do you think you’re doing?!” I growled. “Have you lost your mind?!”

People around us were staring, but I didn’t care. Her gaze didn’t waver, though. She didn’t even flinch. That only made me angrier.

“Let go of that man,” I snarled. “Now!”

I grabbed her wrist, but she resisted. That was the last of my patience.

I glared at her. “Is this what you call being a Luna? Throwing yourself at him in front of everyone?”

“What?! I wasn’t—”

“Do you even know who that is?” I cut her off harshly.

She blinked, then looked at Damon, then back at me. I could see her swallow nervously. She didn’t even know him.

“H-He’s… someone important,” she said uncertainly.

“Important?” I mocked. “You really have no shame, do you? First, you cling to me. Now you try to seduce my uncle?”

She was caught off guard. The word clearly shocked her. She should be. She had no idea the man beside her was my maternal uncle. Even though we were married, I had never properly introduced them. Damon had already become the Alpha of the northern pack years ago and rarely visited. Tonight was the first time I had seen him again in a long time.

“Is this your plan? Climb higher by spreading your legs wider? You’re just a social climber. A promiscuous little wretch trying to raise her own status,” I hissed, the words tasting bitter.

They left my mouth before I could think. Honestly, that thought about her had never crossed my mind, but the sight of her leaning on him and the way she smiled… I couldn’t stop myself.

“Shut up!” she fired back, pointing her finger at my face. “I’m not as disgusting as you! Maybe you should listen to yourself first and get your facts right before accusing others!”

I leaned in closer until my face was mere inches from hers. “Listen carefully. Don’t even think about trying to find the Elder Council,” I warned.

Her pupils shrank. And right then, I knew I was right. She really had been searching.

“If you step one foot further, it won’t just be you who suffers. Your people and your pack will pay the price too. Do you understand?” I threatened.

She laughed, the kind of laugh that made my blood boil at the audacity of her defiance. That stubborn woman…

“Raven, you always talk so much,” she sneered. “I’m not afraid of the consequences anymore.”

Cassandra moved closer, putting a hand on my arm. I hadn’t even noticed that she had followed us.

“Raven, please don’t be so harsh,” she said in a soft, convincing voice. “Haliyah might not have meant anything by it.”

She turned to Haliyah with a sympathetic expression.

“Haliyah, you really shouldn’t do things like this,” she said sadly. “People will misunderstand you. You’re already in a difficult position. You don’t want your reputation to get worse.”

Haliyah crossed her arms, and a sarcastic smile appeared on her lips. “Oh, thank you, Cassandra,” she said dryly. “I appreciate your concern. Too bad it’s useless.”

She rolled her eyes. Cassandra flinched like she had been slapped. Her eyes instantly filled with tears.

“I— I was only trying to help…”

Instinctively, I stepped forward and pulled Cassandra closer to me, holding her in a protective stance.

“It’s not your fault,” I said firmly. “Some people just don’t appreciate kindness.”

I growled, feeling my authority being challenged in front of everyone. The guards shifted uneasily, unsure whether to intervene. Through the pack bond, I reached out mentally to my subordinates.

“Take her back. Return her to confinement. Teach her a lesson she won’t dare repeat. Do not let her out without my permission.”

The orders went through smoothly, unquestioned. I looked at Haliyah again, feeling satisfied. Everything was going according to plan. Yes, she had made a scene, but it was mine to contain.

I was an Alpha. She was nothing more than a rebellious Luna. Eventually, she would submit. She wouldn’t dare resist again. After tonight, she would learn her place. After all… who else would want her? A defective woman without a wolf. Only I was willing to accept that burden.

In an instant, the air changed. A heavy pressure spread through the room, suppressing everyone. Even seasoned Alphas around the room stiffened, their faces pale as they struggled against the force.

My breath caught. There was only one person here who could release power like this.

Slowly, I turned to look at the source. Damon stood a few steps away. His expression was no longer calm. It was deadly. He walked forward, and the energy he radiated made the air tighten with authority around him. His alpha presence overwhelmingly screamed submission.

I forced myself to stand straight. “Uncle…” I said tightly, swallowing hard.

His gaze passed over me before landing on Haliyah. He walked until he was standing right beside her, looking composed and powerful like a ruler who was born to command.

And then, something impossible happened. Haliyah didn’t react. She wasn’t struggling. She was standing normally as if she didn’t feel the pressure at all. My eyes widened slightly. She wasn’t ordinary.

What the…? How is this possible?

Then, in a gentle voice that carried through the entire ballroom, Damon spoke.

“She is with me.”

I felt my control shatter. My lips parted, unable to form words. What did he just say? With him? How— what— why?

“So, your name is Haliyah,” Damon continued, extending his hand toward her. “Luna Haliyah, you are my date tonight.”

A hush fell over the ballroom. His voice echoed through the sudden silence. He gestured toward the dance floor, his hand open and waiting.

“May I have this dance?” he asked, his eyes fixed on hers.

Haliyah stared at him, completely stunned. I stared too in utter disbelief, shattering every assumption I had just made.

My uncle… was claiming her?