Chapter 009

I forced myself out of the water, hands trembling slightly as I dressed. The closet was filled with silks and velvets far richer than anything I had ever worn in my old pack, yet my fingers settled on a soft cream dress, modest but clinging in places I wished it wouldn’t. I tied the sash around my waist, trying not to think about whether I was dressing for myself… or for them.

By the time I made my way down the grand staircase, I could already feel it, the tension. It rolled like smoke through the corridors, thick and stifling.

The dining hall doors opened, and three pairs of eyes lifted toward me.

Darius sat slouched in his chair, jaw tight, one hand fisted around his fork. Draven sat tall, rigid, every line of his body carved from stone, though his gaze followed me like a blade. And Daemon—Daemon leaned lazily against the far end of the table, a wicked smirk curving his lips as though he already knew how my pulse stuttered at the sight of him.

“Good morning, Rain, it’s good to see that you are looking better” Draven said first, his voice clipped but controlled. He gestured to the seat between him and Darius. “Sit.”

The dining hall was massive, stone walls lined with banners, tall windows spilling pale daylight across the long table. The smell of roasted meat, bread, and honey drifted thick in the air, but my stomach twisted too much to feel hungry.

I slid into the seat they’d prepared for me, directly across from the three brothers. My fingers wrapped tight around the wooden spoon, but I didn’t lift my eyes. If I met even one of their gazes, I’d crumble.

The scrape of cutlery filled the silence until Draven cleared his throat. His voice carried like an order, smooth but iron-willed.

“By noon, the other alphas and wolves will begin to arrive. The summit will last until the ritual, and the hall will be full of eyes. And for the love of God, let us try not to kill our selves tonight” His tone sharpened. “And Rain,You will remain close, Do not go beyond were our eyes can’t see you.”

I swallowed hard, nodding, still staring at the bowl in front of me. The porridge was lukewarm now, but I forced a small spoonful into my mouth just to keep my hands busy.

“She doesn’t have to attend the summit. It’s dangerous and you know it” Darius growled.

“Keeping her locked up is only going to raise suspicions when they catch her scent, so better seen than hidden.” You could catch the annoyance in Draven’s voice like he was getting fed up with Darius.

As a matter of fact, I was getting fed up too.

Daemon chuckled under his breath, the sound low, dark. “You hear that, little wolf? The whole damned kingdom will soon see the one thing none of them can ever have.”

Heat crawled up my neck. I kept my gaze fixed on the spoon, swirling the porridge around as if it held all the answers in the world.

He leaned forward, elbows braced on the table, eyes glittering. “Tell me, which pack was yours? Should we expect your family among the guests?”

The question struck like a blade. My grip faltered, spoon clattering against the bowl. Slowly, I looked up, first into Daemon’s expectant stare, then to Draven’s unreadable expression, and finally against my better judgment, into Darius’s burning gold eyes.

All three of them were waiting.

My throat tightened.

Silence followed, broken only by the clink of silverware against plates. My appetite was gone.

I lowered my gaze back to my plate, forcing myself to swallow the meat that had suddenly become dry in my mouth, carefully, even though my stomach twisted in knots. The air in the room was already heavy, charged with the weight of three pairs of eyes that refused to leave me.

Before I could even open my mouth to answer Daemon’s question, the doors flew open.

A soldier strode in and bowed low.

“My Lords, the Alpha of the Nighthunt Pack and his Luna have arrived. They ask to join you for breakfast.”

I stiffened, the air catching in my throat.

Draven’s fork clinked against the plate as he set it down, every inch of him snapping to authority. “Send them in.”

Moments later, a tall, broad man entered with a regal woman at his side. Their presence hit like a wave, commanding, dominant, the kind of power that made even the air seem thinner.

The Alpha’s shoulders filled the doorway, his every step loud and certain. The Luna moved like water beside him, her eyes sharp as daggers behind her soft smile.

I swallowed, suddenly aware of how small I felt at this table.

“Alpha Rhogar. Luna Amelia, welcome to our home ” Draven greeted, his voice smooth but edged with authority. “You grace us early.”

The Alpha dipped his chin respectfully. “We traveled through the night. The summit waits for no one. And we also wanted avoid the eastern road block at the border” His eyes flicked briefly toward me, curious, then back to Draven as though filing the sight away for later.

I shifted in my chair, the heat of three brothers pressing from one side and the weight of two strangers from the other. My fingers gripped my fork tightly, pretending to focus on cutting bread while every nerve in my body screamed.

Daemon leaned back, smirking, as if enjoying my discomfort. “Looks like the fun begins sooner than expected.”

“Wouldn’t you introduce us to your… guest?” Luna Amelia asked, her tone silk over steel as her sharp eyes raked over me. She slid gracefully into her seat beside her mate, every movement screamed strength yet softness.

My stomach clenched. I really do want to become invincible right now.

Maybe staying in my room like Darius suggested wouldn’t be such a bad idea after all.

Draven’s jaw ticked, but his face remained unreadable. “She is under my protection,” he said evenly, though the faintest edge clung to his words.

Amelia’s smile curved, though her eyes never warmed. “How noble of you.” She tilted her head, studying me like one might study a curiosity in a market. “And what shall we call you, little wolf?”

I froze, my fork suspended halfway to my mouth.

Daemon’s chuckle cut the silence like a knife. “Careful, Luna. She might just bite.” His gaze flicked to me, deliberate, daring me to look up.

Heat crawled up my neck for the hundredth time this morning. I stared at the table instead, my heart hammering.

The Alpha Rhogar cleared his throat. “It’s unusual to see outsiders seated here before the summit begins, especially at your table Draven, so forgive my wife if she’s being curious” he said, his voice low, thoughtful. His eyes met Darius’s then slid to Draven’s, holding for a long moment. “Is she one of yours?”

Darius stiffened, his hand curling into a fist on the table. His voice was cold when he answered. “She is mine.”

The words cracked through the room like thunder.

My breath caught. The weight of them, the finality, pressed down on me until I could barely swallow.

“Get a grip of yourself Darius!” Draven hissed, throwing an icy glare across the table to Darius.

Amelia’s lips twitched, though whether in amusement or disdain, I couldn’t tell. “How interesting,” she murmured, sipping her wine. “A fragile little thing, held so close between such… powerful hands.”

The air thickened. I could feel it, everyone testing, probing, circling like predators deciding who would strike first.

I forced myself to cut another piece of bread, to chew, to pretend I wasn’t suffocating under the weight of too many eyes.

Inside, though, my wolf whimpered. Something in Amelia’s gaze promised she wasn’t just curious. She was measuring me. Weighing me. And finding me lacking, that I wouldn’t blame her for.