THE GALA

Alba's POV

The dress was a weapon.

That’s the only way to describe it.

Black silk. Backless. Slit up to my thigh. It hugged every place I didn’t want people to see and hid every bruise I did.

The assistant called it "regal." I called it "please don’t let me trip."

“Turn around,” Ares said from the doorway.

I did. Slowly.

He was in a black tux. No tie. Two buttons open at the top. His hair was wet like he’d just showered.

His eyes dragged over me. From my heels to my face. And stopped on my mouth.

For half a second, his jaw tightened.

“Good,” he said. His voice was rough. “You look like a Luna.”

“Thanks,” I said. I tugged at the slit. “I feel like I’m about to flash the entire council.”

The corner of his mouth lifted. “Then I’ll have to walk close.”

He held out his arm.

I took it. His arm was solid. Warm.

Tonight was the Royal Gala. Every Alpha, every luna, every important wolf in the country would be there.

And I had to be on Ares’ arm the whole time.

“Rules,” Ares said as the car drove to the venue. “One. Stay next to me. Two. Smile. Three. If anyone touches you, I handle it.”

“What if it’s a woman?”

“Especially if it’s a woman,” he said.

I looked out the window. The city was all lights. “What if I mess up?”

“You won’t,” he said simply. Like it wasn’t a question.

We pulled up to the hotel. Red carpet. Cameras. Wolves.

My stomach dropped.

Ares opened my door. The flashes started immediately.

“Alpha King! Who is she?”

“Is that Alba Monroe? The rejected one?”

“Are they really mated?”

Ares ignored them all. He took my hand and laced our fingers together.

His hand was hot. Mine was freezing.

We walked in.

The ballroom was gold and crystal and way too much money. Music. Champagne. And 200 wolves all turning to look at us.

And at the center of it all, Kieran and Veronica.

She was in white. Of course she was. Princess dress. Diamond choker.

Her face when she saw me... priceless.

Kieran’s face was worse.

Ares didn’t slow down. He led me straight to the bar.

“Champagne?” he asked me quietly.

“No. Water.”

He got me water. And whiskey for himself.

Within 5 minutes, we were surrounded.

“Alpha King! Congratulations on your new Luna!”

“Alba, darling, you look amazing! Did you lose weight?”

I smiled. The fake one I learned in Nightfang.

Ares’ thumb brushed over my knuckles. Once. Like he was reminding me he was there.

Then she came.

Lady Selene. From dinner.

“Oh my god,” she said loudly. Too loud. “Alba? Is that you? I barely recognized you without the mud.”

The room went quiet.

Ares’ hand on my back went still.

I opened my mouth.

Ares beat me to it.

“Careful, Selene,” he said. Soft. Deadly. “The last person who insulted my Luna lost their trading rights for a year.”

Selene paled. “I was just joking”

“I’m not,” Ares said. He looked down at me. “Are you okay?”

Everyone was watching.

I nodded. “I’m fine.”

“Good,” he said. Then he leaned down and pressed a kiss to my temple.

Right in front of everyone.

The cameras flashed.

My breath caught. It wasn’t in the contract. No kissing.

But his lips were warm. And for a second, the world went quiet.

He pulled back. “Let’s dance.”

---

The dance floor was torture.

His hand was on my waist. My hand was on his shoulder.

We moved. He led. Of course he did.

“You didn’t have to do that,” I whispered.

“Kiss you?” His eyes were on mine. Silver in the chandelier light. “Yes, I did.”

“Why?”

“Because she needed to know you’re mine,” he said. “And because I wanted to.”

My face burned.

The song changed. Slower.

His hand on my waist tightened. Not painful. Just... there.

“You’re shaking,” he said.

“It’s cold.”

“Liar.” He pulled me a fraction closer. “You’re nervous.”

“I’m fine.”

“I can smell it,” he murmured. “Fear. And something else.”

“What?”

“Anger,” he said. “You’re angry they’re all looking at you like that.”

I looked up at him. “Aren’t you?”

“No,” he said. “I’m looking at you like you’re mine.”

The music ended. But he didn’t let go right away.

That’s when I saw her.

Veronica. Walking straight to us. With Kieran behind her.

Here we go.

“Alpha King,” Veronica said. Sweet. Fake. “May I have a word?”

“No,” Ares said.

“It’s about Alba,” Veronica said. “Pack business.”

“She’s not in your pack,” Ares said.

Kieran stepped forward. “Alba. Can we talk? Please. Just 2 minutes.”

Everyone was watching.

I looked at Ares.

He didn’t say no. He just squeezed my hand.

“Go,” he said quietly. “I’ll be right here.”

I let go and walked a few feet away with Kieran.

He looked terrible. Tired.

“Alba, I’m sorry,” he said immediately. “I didn’t know. About the contract. About what Veronica—”

“Stop,” I said.

“You don’t have to do this,” he said. “Come back to Nightfang. I’ll annul the mating with Veronica. I’ll make you Luna. I was stupid. I was—”

“You rejected me,” I said. My voice didn’t shake. “In front of everyone. You called me wolfless.”

“I was wrong!”

“You were cruel,” I said. “And I’m done.”

I turned to walk away.

His hand grabbed my arm.

Pain shot up my wrist. From the rope burns.

“Let go of me,” I said.

He didn’t.

That’s when Ares was there.

He didn’t shout. He just grabbed Kieran’s wrist and twisted.

Kieran yelped and let go.

“Touch her again,” Ares said. Quiet. “And I’ll break every bone in your hand.”

Kieran stumbled back. Veronica ran to him.

Ares turned to me. His eyes were scanning me. “Are you hurt?”

“No.”

He nodded once. Then he looked at the room. At everyone staring.

He put his arm around me. And pulled me to him.

Not gentle. Possessive.

“This is my Luna,” he said. Loud. So everyone could hear. “Anyone who touches her answers to me. Anyone who looks at her wrong answers to me. Are we clear?”

Silence.

Then someone clapped.

Then more.

Ares led me off the dance floor.

In the hall, away from people, he let go.

“You okay?” he asked.

“I’m fine,” I said. But my hands were shaking.

He saw. He cursed under his breath and pulled me into an empty room. A side office.

He closed the door.

“Alba. Look at me.”

I did.

His face was hard. But his hands were gentle when he took my wrist. Where Kieran grabbed me.

It was already bruising.

“Fuck,” he whispered.

“It’s nothing,” I said.

“It’s not nothing,” he said. He brushed his thumb over the bruise. Careful. “I’m sorry. I should have”

“You did,” I said. “You came.”

He looked up at me. We were close. Too close.

I could see the gold flecks in his silver eyes. I could smell cedar and whiskey.

“Thank you,” I whispered.

He didn’t answer. He just stared at my mouth.

For a second I thought he was going to kiss me. For real this time.

The door opened.

An assistant. “Alpha King. The press—”

Ares stepped back immediately. Like he’d been burned.

“Coming,” he said. His voice was normal again.

He looked at me. “We should go.”

We left.

In the car, he didn’t touch me. He stared out the window.

At the estate, he walked me to my room.

“Goodnight, Alba,” he said.

“Goodnight, Ares.”

He hesitated. Like he wanted to say something. Then he didn’t.

He left.

I closed the door and leaned against it.

My lips still tingled from the temple kiss.

My wrist still hurt from Kieran.

And my heart... my heart was doing something stupid.

Because the Alpha King had just claimed me in front of the entire world.

And the worst part?

Part of me liked it.