[Carys] The guard knocked at the door. “Pardon me, beta, but the meeting is about to begin in ten minutes.” Sniffling, I wiped off my tears. Splashing water on my face, I got myself together. The world doesn’t have to know how it was breaking me. Even if I go down today, I will not let my enemies have the satisfaction of seeing me shatter. I took a deep breath and headed back towards the hall. Thankfully, I didn’t encounter Joshua or Edith on the way. Anxiety churned in the stomach as I stepped closer to the hall. I knew what was coming for me and I wasn’t ready for it. My position as beta had been the only thing keeping me sane in my life. To work for others, to tend to my pack. This position had kept me busy and away from the memories that could have turned my life darker. It gave me a sense of purpose and a reason to live. I had been brought up to be a beta. I didn’t know what I’d do if they took it away from me. I stopped before entering the hall and I could hear the Alpha’s
[Carys]Edith’s face nearly broke into a bright, victorious smile, but she managed to mask it with a subtle smirk in her eyes.A satisfactory smile appeared on Christian’s face that he didn’t even bother hiding.Joshua let out an exasperated sigh, tensed.“Until we resolve this case, Alpha Joshua must officially relieve Carys Elffire of her beta duties and select a new beta for his pack. AAC can provide him with a new beta, or he can choose one independently. Whether to keep or temporarily expel beta Carys from the Autumn pack will entirely depend on Alpha Joshua. The only condition is that a guard from AAC will remain with Carys Elffire at all times. If she’s expelled, Carys Elffire will have to stay in the Neutral Zone until the case concludes.” Liam read aloud from his laptop, and then all eyes were on Joshua.My nails dug into my skin as I waited for his reply.My heart roared wildly in my chest until the silence hung in the hall.“I respect AAC’s decision and I am sure my beta wi
[Carys] “I want it done within a week. Do you get it? I want the best of everything. We need to show those lycans that we are no less than them. This will be a display of not just our power, but our wealth and richness. So I want everything to be perfect. Yes—” “Joshua,” I called out to him while he was busy talking to the wedding planner on his phone. We were in his office in the Autumn pack. “Just a second, Carys,” Joshua tucked his phone between his shoulder and ear. “Yes, I have the guest list ready…” he shuffled through a few pages on his desk and handed a letter to me. “No. The most expensive ones. I need both the quality and the quantity. I want them to remember this party. It will be a slap on their faces…” He went on with his talk as I read the content on the page. Letter of temporary leave? I looked at Joshua, confused. Joshua covered the phone with his hands and whispered to me, “just sign it and leave the rest to me.” Then he went on to talk to the wedding planner.
[Carys] Edith’s glare bore into me as she snatched her phone from my hands. “What do you think you’re doing with my phone?” she snapped. “I thought Lady Valentina forgot her phone. Her phone’s identical to yours. There was a message notification, and I thought it could be something important related to your wedding…” “Even if it were her phone, you had no right to check it.” “I wasn’t checking it. I was going to give it to her.” “Stay in your limits, Carys. You are nothing but a suspect right now. Your carefree actions can put you in greater trouble,” Edith said with a smile, then she chuckled. “No matter what you do, you aren’t getting out of this situation. And I will make sure this gets worse for you. Right now, you have only lost your job. Once I become the luna of this pack, you will lose everything. Why do you think I brought up marriage in the meeting? This pack will be mine in two days and I am in a hurry to clean it up by throwing garbage like you out of it.” I sighed.
[Carys]“Apologies,” Kian whispered, his tone stoic. His voice was tenderly cold yet deep, like a drifting melody on a silent, snowy night.I blinked, lost in his intense gaze for longer than I should have.“Lady Carys, are you ok? We are extremely sorry, we didn’t see you coming,” Jackson’s voice brought me back from the trance. A trance dominated by flickering memories of the past that still washed afresh on my skin like a downpour in a desert.His touch burnt through my clothes as he slid his hand from my arm to my elbow. I would have fallen if he hadn’t held me at the right time. I would have preferred falling than being saved by him.Don’t you fucking touch me! Don’t you dare save me again! — The words screamed in my mind, yet I clenched my jaw, swallowing them down.I wrenched out my arm from his grip and stepped away from him, breathing heavily.My heart thundered in my chest, loud enough to fill the awkward silence that hung between us.“I apologize for my carelessness, Alpha
[Kian Nyx Abner] “It was an honor to have you at our wedding, Alpha King,” Joshua said. I arrived when the Alpha king was leaving. “The honor was mine, Alpha Joshua. Both of you make a beautiful couple,” King Elysar said, giving his blessings for a happy marriage. They shook hands, facing the sea of flashlights and cameras from the media. “It would have been so good if you stayed for the reception,” Edith said with an innocent smile. King Elysar smiled. “I know. I would love to stay, but people like us rarely have the luxury of staying away from their work for long. I must return now. I had a great time today. It had been a while since I saw such a beautiful wedding. I hope my gifts match the grandeur of this adorable pack. And I genuinely pray that both species can finally bond together for a better future. Thank you for making this dream possible tonight.” Some reporters were busy making King’s video, some were clicking his pictures, and some were noting down his every word. T
[Kian]The reception began late at night. It was organized in the private forest owned by the Nightfall family. Although it was a forest area, the arrangements for the party were made in the open meadow.A pergola, adorned with the lush growth and colorful night blooms of the climbing plants, served as the entrance from the palace to the reception spot.They arranged special lapis lazuli and marble chairs and tables in the open for the guests, complementing the party’s theme: blue.“Alpha!” This was the fourth time Jackson had called out to me. I wasn’t ignoring him. I just didn’t want to answer. “Our men have secured the data you wanted…”“I know,” I replied.“Well… then, should I prepare for the return?”My gaze remained fixed on the entrance, on everyone who entered through it—everyone except her.I wanted to stay… a little longer.“Hey, Kian! Have you seen Christian?” Levi rushed to me, panting.The world, as always, was moving faster with every second while I… I remained trapped
[Carys] As expected, Edith was getting desperate to pull me down, show how inferior I was to the world by playing the goddess by pretending to defend me in public. Working on her impulse, she made a mistake which I knew she would make, given how insecure she was of me. Unfortunately, she might not be aware of the consequences of her actions. AAC controls the politics and maintaining confidentiality in politics is of most importance. A leak of even a minute detail can lead from a coup to a war. Dominic tried to cover up for her sister’s slip of tongue, but it was already too late. Edith, the Luna of the Autumn pack, had just confirmed all the leaked information on my case. The media wouldn’t stop until they had answers or until they created some answers themselves. The security came in between us and the media as they reached out their mics towards us. Media stormed Joshua, Edith, Dominic and me with the questions and now it was my turn to use this situation to my advantage. “Lun