Chapter 7

The Alpha's Favorite TantrumI was standing in the middle of an abandoned industrial warehouse on the east side of the city, watching a crew of six heavily scarred rogue wolves unload crates of steel rebar from a flatbed truck, when my phone buzzed.

The mercenary foreman, Briggs, was barking orders at his team in a voice that sounded like gravel being fed through a wood chipper. 

He was exactly the kind of man you wanted building your apocalypse fortress: massive, quiet, and completely uninterested in asking questions about why a twenty-four-year-old woman was ordering enough reinforced concrete to build a small military bunker.

I wiped the dust off my hands and checked the screen.Arthur Pendelton.My lawyer never called unless something was either very good or very annoying. 

Given that it was nine in the morning and I hadn't had my second coffee yet, I was betting on annoying."Arthur," I answered, leaning against a rusted support beam. "Tell me something pleasant.""I'm afraid not, Ms. Vance," Arthur's crisp voice came through the speaker, laced with that particular brand of lawyerly amusement that meant someone was about to have a very bad day.

 "Alpha Silas Thorne filed an emergency petition with the Regional Alpha Council this morning. He's requesting an immediate freeze on all assets under your name, including the ancestral trust, the Deadlands territory, and the offshore accounts."I blinked. 

Then I let out a short, incredulous laugh that echoed off the warehouse walls."He's doing what?""He's claiming that your wealth was acquired during your tenure as his Luna, and therefore falls under the Pack Asset Protection Act of 1987," Arthur explained, the sound of shuffling papers rustling in the background. 

"Essentially, he's arguing that anything you own belongs to the Crescent Moon Pack because you were a registered member when the assets were unlocked."I pinched the bridge of my nose, fighting the urge to laugh again. The sheer, breathtaking audacity of this man was almost impressive. 

Almost."Arthur, I rejected him as my mate three days ago. The bond was severed in front of witnesses, the rejection certificate was filed at the Regional Registry, and the sovereign territory claim was finalized yesterday. 

When exactly does he think I acquired these assets?""That," Arthur said, his voice dropping into that silky, predatory tone that told me he was already three steps ahead, "is precisely the question the Council will be asking. 

The hearing is scheduled for tomorrow morning at ten. I've already prepared the counter-filing, but I'll need your present.""I'll be there," I said, watching Briggs's crew hoist a massive steel beam into position. "Should I dress for a funeral or a comedy show?"Arthur chuckled dryly. "Both, Ms. Vance. Both.

***

"The Regional Alpha Council chambers were located in a converted courthouse downtown, all dark mahogany and stained glass, designed to make every wolf who walked through the doors feel small and obedient. The air smelled of old leather, polished wood, and the faint, metallic tang of suppressed aggression.I walked in wearing a tailored charcoal suit that cost more than Silas's monthly pack stipend, my hair pulled back in a sleek knot, my expression perfectly neutral. 

Arthur flanked my left side, carrying a leather briefcase that looked like it contained the nuclear launch codes.Silas was already there, standing at the petitioner's table with his mother, Luna Diane, perched beside him like a vulture in a designer dress. 

Elara was conspicuously absent, probably hiding her corrupted pregnancy somewhere safe. Silas wore his formal Alpha regalia—black coat, silver crescent pin, the whole theatrical production—and his golden eyes locked onto me the moment I entered.

The hatred radiating off him was so thick I could practically taste it. Copper and burnt cedar."Lyra," he snarled under his breath as I passed his table. "You think this little stunt makes you untouchable?"I didn't even slow down. "Silas, honey, I think your little stunt makes you the punchline of a joke you don't even know you're telling."Diane's claws extended with an audible snick, scratching the mahogany table.

 "Insolent little stray," she hissed.I gave her a bright, cheerful wave and took my seat.The Council was presided over by three senior Alphas, all ancient, all bored, all radiating the kind of power that made the air pressure in the room drop by ten degrees. 

The lead judge, Alpha Magnus Voss, banged his gavel and called the session to order."Petition 447-B," Voss rumbled, his voice like distant thunder. 

"Alpha Silas Thorne of the Crescent Moon Pack versus Lyra Vance, formerly of the same pack. The petitioner claims misappropriation of pack assets. Proceed."Silas stood, straightening his coat with an air of absolute confidence.

 He actually looked smug. The man genuinely believed he was about to win."Your Honors," Silas began, his voice dropping into that deep, commanding register he used during pack meetings. "Lyra Vance served as a registered member of the Crescent Moon Pack for three years. During that time, she contributed her healing abilities to the pack's welfare.

 In return, the pack provided her with housing, protection, and a monthly stipend. Under the Pack Asset Protection Act, any wealth acquired by a pack member during their tenure belongs to the collective."He paused for dramatic effect, sweeping his gaze across the Council."Three days ago, Ms. Vance suddenly severed her mate's bond and claimed a massive inheritance worth over forty-five million dollars, along with a sovereign territory.

 This wealth was hidden from the pack during her membership. I am requesting an immediate freeze on all her assets pending a full investigation into whether these resources were acquired through pack-related connections."He sat down, looking thoroughly pleased with himself. 

Diane patted his arm like he'd just recited the alphabet correctly.Alpha Voss turned his ancient, silver eyes toward our table. "Ms. Vance. Your response?"Arthur stood, buttoning his jacket with practiced ease. "Your Honors, the petitioner's argument rests on a single, critical assumption: that Ms. Vance acquired these assets while she was a registered member of the Crescent Moon Pack. This assumption is factually incorrect.

"He opened his briefcase and pulled out three documents, sliding them across the table to the Council clerk."Exhibit A," Arthur said, his voice cutting through the room like a scalpel. 

"The official rejection of the mate certificate, filed at the Regional Registry on October 12th at 8:47 AM. The bond was severed at that exact moment, and Ms. Vance's pack citizenship was legally terminated."He slid the second document forward."Exhibit B. The ancestral trust unlock notification from the Northern Territory Ancestral Trust, dated October 14th at 2:15 PM. 

This is the moment Ms. Vance's inheritance became legally accessible to her."He let the silence hang for a beat, then delivered the kill shot."Exhibit C. The sovereign territory claim for the Deadlands, finalized on October 15th at 11:30 AM. Two full days after the inheritance was unlocked, and three full days after Ms. Vance's pack citizenship was terminated."Arthur folded his hands behind his back, his expression the picture of polite devastation."The timeline is unambiguous, Your Honors.

 Ms. Vance was no longer a member of the Crescent Moon Pack when she acquired any of these assets. The Pack Asset Protection Act does not apply to non-members. 

The petitioner's claim has no legal foundation."The silence in the chamber was absolute. I could hear the faint ticking of the antique clock on the wall and the sound of Silas's breathing, which had suddenly become very fast and very shallow.

Alpha Voss reviewed the documents, his expression unreadable. Then he looked up at Silas, and for the first time, I saw something flicker in those ancient eyes.Amusement."Alpha Thorne," Voss said slowly, "are you aware that your former mate filed her rejection certificate a full seventy-two hours before the trust was unlocked?"Silas's jaw tightened. A vein pulsed in his temple. 

"Your Honor, the timing is irrelevant. The inheritance was from her biological parents, who died years ago. The assets existed during her membership—""The assets were sealed during her membership," Arthur interjected smoothly. "Under the Supernatural Inheritance Act of 2003, sealed ancestral trusts are not considered accessible wealth until the legal heir formally unlocks them.

Ms. Vance could not have spent, transferred, or even viewed these funds while she was in your pack. They did not functionally exist for her until October 14th."Silas opened his mouth, then closed it. His golden eyes darted to Diane, who was now gripping the edge of the table so hard the wood was splintering under her manicured nails.

Alpha Voss picked up his gavel."Petition 447-B is dismissed with prejudice," he declared, the crack of the gavel echoing through the chamber like a gunshot. "The Crescent Moon Pack has no legal claim to the assets, territory, or inheritance of Lyra Vance. Furthermore, Alpha Thorne, I am issuing a formal warning against filing frivolous petitions to harass former pack members. 

The next time you waste this Council's time with a baseless claim, I will fine your pack directly."The word frivolous hit Silas like a physical blow. 

His face went from flushed to ashen in the span of two seconds.I stood, smoothing down my jacket, and turned to face him. The courtroom was emptying around us, the Council members already shuffling out through the back door, but Silas remained frozen at his table, staring at the rejection documents like they were written in a language he couldn't read."You know what the funniest part is, Silas?" I said, my voice quiet enough that only he and Diane could hear. "If you had treated me like an actual mate instead of a healing battery with a pulse, all of this wealth would have been yours by default. 

You could have had the Deadlands, the vault, the forty-five million, all of it. But you were too busy saving a spot in the bunker for Elara's corrupted pup to notice that the woman you threw away was sitting on a gold mine."Silas's eyes snapped up to mine, and for the first time, 

I didn't see arrogance. I saw something far more satisfying.Panic."You're lying," he whispered."I really wish I were," I said, giving him a sympathetic little tilt of my head. "But the timeline doesn't lie, Silas. And neither does the Council. Have a wonderful day."I turned on my heel and walked out of the chamber, Arthur falling into step beside me. 

The moment we hit the hallway, I let out a long, slow breath and leaned against the marble wall."Well," Arthur said, snapping his briefcase shut with a satisfied click. "That went rather well.""He looked like he was going to vomit," I said, a genuine grin breaking across my face. "Did you see Diane's claws? She gouged the table. That mahogany is probably three hundred years old."Arthur laughed, a rare, warm sound. "I'll add it to my list of things Silas Thorne can't afford to replace."My phone buzzed in my pocket. I pulled it out, expecting a text from Briggs about the warehouse delivery. Instead, it was a notification from the Regional Pack Registry.ALERT: Crescent Moon Pack internal fracture detected. 

Three senior pack members have filed for citizenship transfer. Alpha Silas Thorne's leadership rating has dropped to critical.I stared at the notification, my smile fading into something colder and sharper.Silas wasn't just losing his money. He was losing his pack. The wolves who had followed him for years were starting to smell the rot, and they were jumping ship before the whole structure collapsed.Good. Let him bleed.But as I tucked my phone away and followed Arthur out into the bright afternoon sun, a nagging thought crept into the back of my mind. 

Silas was arrogant, but he wasn't stupid. He wouldn't have filed that petition unless someone had convinced him he had a real chance of winning.Someone had fed him bad legal advice on purpose. Someone who wanted him to humiliate himself publicly and weaken his standing with the Council.

The question was: who?My phone buzzed again. This time, it was a text from an unknown number.You handled the Council beautifully, Alpha Vance. I think it's time we met in person. 

 K.D.

I stared at the initials, my pulse giving a sudden, sharp thump that had nothing to do with Silas and everything to do with the fact that I recognized those letters from my past life.Kael Draven.

The Exiled Alpha King.And apparently, he had been watching.