Chapter 5: Mine

Lily’s POV

The music stops mid-note, conversations dying so fast it almost feels unnatural. I stare at him in shock, his arm locked firmly around my waist while heat pours from his body against mine.

“M-Mine?” I repeat weakly.

His dark eyes never leave mine.

Behind me, Lionel moves first.

“What the hell are you doing?” he snaps, grabbing my arm sharply. “Get your hands off her.”

The stranger finally looks away from me. Several wolves near us lower their gazes instantly. Then one of the envoy members beside him steps forward carefully.

“Alpha Leon,” the man says quietly, almost cautiously. “Perhaps this should be handled with more restraint.”

My breath catches.

Alpha.

No.

No way.

The ballroom erupts into whispers almost instantly.

“Alpha Leon Valcrest?”

“One of the Tribunal Alphas?”

“Oh my god…”

“The Black Hollow Alpha…”

Fear spreads through the room so quickly I can almost feel it physically.

Alpha Leon Valcrest.

One of the three ruling Alphas of the Alpha Tribunal. And supposedly the most feared among them.

Lionel’s grip on my arm loosens slightly as he stares at Alpha Leon in shock.

Alpha Leon finally releases my waist, though he stays close enough that I can still feel his presence surrounding me completely.

His gaze sweeps calmly across the ballroom before landing on my father.

“I will be taking her back to Black Hollow,” he says evenly. “As my chosen female.”

My father steps forward immediately.

“No.”

My head turns toward him in surprise.

My father looked terrified and I had never seen him afraid before. Yet despite that fear, he still places himself between me and Leon.

“With all due respect to the Tribunal,” my father says carefully, “I cannot allow that.”

Lionel moves beside him quickly. “She is my future Luna,” he says tightly. “Our engagement will be announced tonight.”

Leon looks completely unbothered.

“Will be,” he repeats calmly.

A horrible feeling begins forming in my stomach.

Leon glances toward the crowd before speaking again.

“Ancient Tribunal law grants any ruling Tribunal Alpha the right to formally claim any unmated female within Diode.”

My father’s face slowly pales.

“The conditions are simple,” Leon continues. “The female must not already be officially mated or formally engaged under pack law. And she must verbally accept the claim herself.”

The engagement announcement had not happened yet.

Which meant technically…

I wasn’t officially engaged.

Lionel realizes it at the same time I do.

He turns toward me immediately.

“Lily,” he says sharply. “Reject him.”

I swallow hard before finally looking at Leon.

“I…” My voice shakes slightly. “I refuse…”

The second the words leave my mouth halfway, something changes in his expression. Leon steps closer slowly, his eyes locked on mine.

“If you reject me publicly,” he says quietly enough that only nearby people hear clearly, “your territory will suffer the consequences of embarrassing a Tribunal Alpha before witnesses.”

My blood turns cold and I look toward my father instantly. Leon continues watching me carefully.

“Northwest is already vulnerable,” he says evenly. “Small territory. Weak defenses. Increasing rogue attacks near the eastern borders.”

Lionel steps forward angrily. “You can’t just threa…”

He suddenly chokes.

The pressure that floods the room hits so violently my knees nearly buckle.

Gasps erupt across the ballroom as Lionel freezes completely, his face paling while invisible force crushes down on him.

Alpha pressure.

Pure Alpha pressure. Leon barely even looks at him.

“Be silent,” he says coldly.

Lionel’s jaw clenches hard enough to shake, but no sound comes out. Leon finally looks back at me.

“You have a choice now, Lily. You can reject me,” he says quietly, “and watch your territory suffer for it.”

I can barely breathe.

“Or you can accept me,” he continues, “and ensure your father, your people, and everyone you love remains untouched.”

My eyes burn instantly.

I look toward my father again.

He stands completely rigid, hands trembling slightly at his sides despite trying to stay composed.

Around him, the crowd looked terrified.

Even Scarlett had gone pale. Tears blur my vision as I look back at Leon.

“I…” My voice cracks badly. “I accept.”

The words barely leave my mouth before the entire ballroom seems to breathe again. Some of the older wolves on my father’s council quietly exhale in relief, their shoulders loosening like they had been bracing for something terrible to happen. A few even lower their heads, avoiding my eyes completely.

Others looked horrified.

The wolves who had known me since childhood looked devastated, like they were watching something awful happen right in front of them and could do absolutely nothing to stop it.

One of the older women from the council presses a hand over her mouth while staring at me with wet eyes.

And my father…

I had never seen my father look like that before.

For a moment, he just stares at me, frozen in place, and then something in his expression snaps completely.

“You think I would allow this?” he roars suddenly.

Before anyone can react, he charges at Leon and gasps erupt around the ballroom.

“Father!”

My heart nearly stops as my father lunges at him with claws extended, fury pouring off him so heavily that several nearby wolves immediately stumble backward from the pressure alone.

But Leon barely moves.

Everything happens so quickly I can barely follow it.

One second my father is attacking him and the next, Leon catches him effortlessly before slamming him hard against one of the marble pillars beside us.

The sound echoes through the ballroom loudly enough to make me flinch.

My father struggles violently against him, growling through clenched teeth as Leon pins him there with terrifying ease.

Then Leon’s claws slide out slowly.

Sharp black claws press directly against my father’s throat.

A scream tears from my chest before I can stop it.

“No!”

I rush toward them immediately, grabbing onto Leon’s arm with both hands as tears spill uncontrollably down my face.

“Please!” I cry. “Please don’t hurt him!”

My father is still struggling despite the claws against his neck.

“Lily, get away from him!” he snarls furiously.

“Stop it!” I sob. “Please, just stop!”

The ballroom had gone completely silent again except for my crying. The guards looked terrified. Several council members had gone pale. Even Lionel had stopped trying to speak.

“I’ll go with you,” I say quickly through shaking breaths. “I promise I will. I won’t fight you or try to run away. Just please leave my father alone and don’t hurt my pack.”

My father’s face twists with rage immediately.

“You do not beg him for anything,” he growls.

My chest aches painfully at the sound of his voice.

“I have to,” I whisper helplessly.

Because what choice did I really have?

Leon had already made it painfully clear that refusing him would destroy everything.

And judging from the fear spreading across the ballroom, everyone else understood that too.

For a few long seconds, Leon simply studies me.

Then finally, his claws retract.

Relief hits me so hard my knees almost give out beneath me.

Leon releases my father immediately afterward.

Several guards rush forward to steady Alpha Cedric as he stumbles slightly, still breathing hard with anger.

The second he regains his balance, he tries moving toward me again, but two council members quickly stop him.

“Alpha Cedric,” one says urgently under his breath. “Please think carefully.”

My father looks ready to tear the entire ballroom apart.

“I’m sorry,” I whisper through tears.

His jaw tightens hard enough to shake.

None of this was supposed to happen tonight.

Just hours ago, I thought the worst thing waiting for me was heartbreak.

Now I was standing in the middle of a silent ballroom while one of the most feared men in Diode kept his hand possessively against my back like I already belonged to him. Behind us, Lionel finally speaks again.

“You can’t seriously accept this,” he says sharply, stepping forward. “He threatened you.”

“I already accepted,” I say quietly.

“That doesn’t make it valid.”

Leon finally looks toward him again, completely unbothered.

“And what exactly do you plan to do about it?” he asks evenly.