31. THE BALL

RAVEN

I looked at myself in the cracked mirror, the black dress clinging to my body like a second skin. It shimmered under the soft glow of the candlelight, and though it fit me perfectly, I knew damn well it wasn’t given out of kindness. Selene had tossed it on my bed the night before like it was some charity case, saying something about it being “too plain” for her but “just right” for me. I almost didn’t wear it out of spite, but then I thought—no, let her see me in it. Let her see how good I look in her castoffs. Let her squirm in that dainty skin of hers. Let her choke on her own envy.

I closed my eyes for a moment, letting the silence in my room press against my ears. I imagined them all, lined up, drenched in fear. Selene, with her fake poise and bitter smile. Her friends, clutching at their pearls and overpriced gowns, the same ones that whispered behind my back, called me a mutt, a mistake. And Alpha Kieran—her beloved brother. The mighty one, the untouchable. He’d kneel too. Maybe not tonight, but soon. They would all beg for mercy, and I’d lean in close, dagger glinting, and whisper.

“You should've buried me when you had the chance."

A loud clang broke me from my thoughts. The guards’ bell. Three sharp rings, each one hammering the message home—we had to assemble. As “hosts,” Selene and I were leading the other royals into the ballroom. A grand procession of masks, velvet, and lies.

I bent down and lifted the hem of my dress just enough to slide the blade into the inside of my boot. The sheath had been sewn into the leather months ago, just in case. Just in case tonight came. I straightened up just as the door swung open without a knock, and there she was—Selene. Her blonde hair twisted into some intricate design, her gown an obnoxious hue of gold that sparkled too loud for the room.

Her eyes scanned me from head to toe and then lingered on my boots. She smirked. “Well,” she said, voice sugary sweet with the bitter tang of mockery, “looks like someone decided to be presentable for once.” She stepped into the room like she owned it and twirled a little in place.

“You know… I almost regret giving you that dress. It does something for you. Pity it’s wasted on someone like you.”

I tilted my head, giving her a smile that didn’t touch my eyes. “You regret a lot of things, Selene. Hopefully, you’ll regret being born by the end of tonight.”

She blinked, that fake grin faltering just a second before she composed herself again. “Always with the dramatics,” she muttered, folding her arms.

“You know, you might actually enjoy the ball if you tried to act like a decent person for once.”

“Decency,” I echoed with a low laugh. “Coming from the girl who told the other Alphas I’d probably be too feral to attend tonight? Please.”

Her lips twitched. “I never said that.”

“You didn’t have to.” I stepped past her, brushing her shoulder as I walked out the door. “Your tone said enough.”

Behind me, I heard her heels click against the floor as she followed. “Don’t embarrass yourself tonight, Vee,” she said softly, like a warning wrapped in velvet.

“Kieran’s watching. You know he is.”

I stopped at the end of the corridor, my hand brushing against the cold stone wall. “Good,” I murmured.

“Tell him to enjoy the view… while he still can.”

The hall outside buzzed with movement—servants rushing about, guards standing at attention, and the muffled notes of string music drifting in from the east wing. My pulse thrummed beneath my skin like war drums. Tonight was a masquerade in more ways than one. Everyone hid their intentions behind smiles and painted masks. But me? I was done pretending. The wolves in silk and satin would dance, drink, and make merry, and then the blood would spill.

And when the moonlight hit the ballroom floor just right, and the crowd was thick with laughter, Alpha Kieran would feel the cold kiss of steel before the night was over.

He and Selene had danced on my name for far too long. Tonight, I’d lead. Tonight, I’d make them bleed.

The ball had finally gone underway, the grand chandeliers glittering above like fallen stars suspended midair, casting soft golden hues on the glossy floors. Music floated through the air, elegant and poised, yet beneath the surface, everything felt too still, like the calm before a storm. I stood to the side of the ballroom, clutching my glass tighter than I should have, my nails biting into the delicate stem. The scent of roses, perfume, and danger lingered in the air, and my eyes scanned the room restlessly, searching, waiting. That was when I caught sight of Rowena in a far corner, half-veiled behind the marble pillar near the staircase.

There was something off about her. She wasn’t doing anything in particular—just standing there—but her posture, stiff like a board, and her expression… gods, her face. It wasn’t anger, nor sadness, nor fear. It was something else entirely. Something unreadable. Her gaze was sharp, focused on a cluster of nobles laughing far too loudly near the punch table, but I couldn’t tell if she was hunting or hurting. Her hands were clenched at her sides, jaw tight, and for a second I thought she’d snap.

“Enjoying yourself, Raven?”

I turned slightly, already knowing that smug drawl anywhere. Kieran strolled over like he had nothing to worry about, dressed in his obnoxiously perfect dark velvet suit, a wine glass in his hand, and a damn smirk that made me want to throw something.

“You’re not planning to destroy my ball tonight, are you?” he asked, cocking his head as if amused by the idea.

I gave him a sideways glance and mumbled something unintelligible, something between a scoff and a half-word that didn’t mean anything. Because it wasn’t going to be me doing the damage. Not tonight.

Kieran chuckled under his breath. “Didn’t quite catch that. Care to repeat it?”

I lifted my chin, eyes drifting back to Rowena for a second before scanning the rest of the room.

“I said… depends on who walks through that door next,” I muttered, more to myself than him.

He furrowed his brows slightly. “What’s that supposed to—”

And that was when the double doors swung open.

I swear, my heart skipped several beats.

Lucian walked in like he owned every breath in the room. Dressed in a tailored black suit with silver trimmings that caught the light just right, his presence instantly commanded attention. People turned, whispers rippled across the crowd, and even the music seemed to falter for a beat. He wasn’t just walking—he was claiming territory. He moved like sin dressed in royalty, eyes dark and alert, as if he was already three steps ahead of every soul in the room.

“Oh,” Kieran muttered under his breath, his eyes narrowing. “Now that is interesting.”

I didn’t answer. I couldn’t. My throat had dried up like the desert. Lucian’s eyes swept across the room—calculated, casual, deadly—and when they landed on me, I forgot how to breathe. There was no smile on his face. No warmth. Just pure, unreadable intent.

He started toward me.

“Raven,” Kieran whispered beside me, voice a little more serious now. “What the hell is he doing here?”

I didn’t look away. “Making things interesting,” I whispered back.

“You invited him?”

“No.”

“Then why is he—”

“Because Lucian doesn’t wait for invitations,” I said quietly, just as the man himself stepped within a few feet of us.

Lucian’s gaze flicked between me and Kieran with a precision that sliced deeper than any blade.

“Am I interrupting something?” he asked, voice cool and steady like a sharpened knife sheathed in velvet.

“No,” I said quickly. Too quickly.

“Actually,” Kieran chimed in with that false politeness he wore like a second skin, “we were just discussing whether or not Raven had plans to sabotage my ball. You know, typical party chatter.”

Lucian’s lips twitched slightly. Not a smile—something darker. “If she was going to sabotage it,” he said, eyes now fully on me.

“I assume she’d do it with a bit more… elegance.”

My breath caught in my throat, and for a second, I forgot where I was. Lucian always did that to me—dragged me into his world with just a glance, a word, a breath. And just like that, the room faded, and the night had changed.

I could feel it in my bones.

Things were about to get interesting.