Chapter 4

The next day was the Northland Packs' annual Spring Charity Gala.

Before they left, the backseat of the family SUV was almost completely packed with Celeste's things.

Dresses, shoeboxes, a spare pair of heels, and her favorite desserts.

I stood beside the car, unable to find anywhere to sit.

Mom glanced at me, completely casual.

"There's no room in the back."

"Just get yourself a taxi."

Celeste leaned out of the car with a bright smile.

"Wait, Sis. I can move some things around."

I clenched my sleeve and took a step back.

"It's fine."

"I'm not going."

Mom frowned slightly.

"Suit yourself."

The car doors closed.

The SUV slowly pulled away from the estate.

The windows weren't completely shut, and their deliberately lowered voices still carried to me on the wind.

"Celeste, Alpha King Ronan will be at the gala tonight."

"If he notices you, this could be the opportunity of a lifetime."

Celeste sounded confused.

"But shouldn't the Luna Queen be chosen from the first-ranked candidate in the Royal Talent Selection?"

Mom laughed softly. "Rules can be adjusted. If Ronan notices you tonight, your ranking won't matter."

Listening to their plans, I actually found myself looking forward to something almost absurd.

I pushed the thought aside and returned to the estate.

A royal messenger would arrive at nine that evening to collect my signature. At midnight, the contract would become binding.

Tomorrow morning, while my family was still planning how to place Celeste in Ronan's path, every pack in the North would learn that he had chosen me.

By then, I would already be gone.

I opened the safe and prepared to check my personal assets.

But the moment I saw the account balance, I froze.

My personal trust fund, which had always belonged to me, had only a few hundred dollars left.

My heart sank as I pulled up the transaction history.

Three days ago, $2.6 million had been transferred to the account Mom used for Celeste's personal expenses.

It was every cent Grandma had left me.

Although the trust had become mine when I turned twenty-one, Mom had continued managing it. I had trusted her enough not to check.

She had emptied it without my permission.

I shot to my feet, ready to confront Dad.

But the moment I stepped out of my room, I ran into Celeste, who had just returned from the gala.

The moment Celeste saw me, she smiled.

"Look, Sis."

"Mom just gave me my engagement jewelry."

She opened the box.

A custom set of diamonds and moonstones lay inside.

"The designer made it specifically for me."

"The production cost and deposit alone were two point six million dollars."

My chest tightened.

I looked up at Mom.

"You took money from my trust fund?"

Mom's expression darkened instantly.

"Watch your tone. After everything this family has spent raising you, I temporarily used some of your money for Celeste's engagement. Do you really have to be so petty?"

"That's my personal trust fund. You had no right to touch it without my permission."

Adrian came over when he heard the argument.

He glanced at the jewelry on the table, then his expression immediately hardened.

"Serena. Celeste placed sixth in the Royal Talent Selection. That's an honor for this entire family."

"As her sister, what's wrong with giving her a gift?"

Celeste held the jewelry box tighter.

"If Serena really minds, maybe we should return it."

But she made no move to close the box or hand it back.

My first-place ranking meant nothing to them, while Celeste's sixth place justified taking everything that belonged to me.

Ryan walked over too.

He looked at me and frowned.

"Serena, can't you be a little more generous?"

"She's about to have her engagement party."

"Giving her a set of jewelry is the least you could do."

Even now, they still believed that anything belonging to me could be given to Celeste.

I reached for the jewelry box.

Mom thought I had finally come to my senses.

"That's better."

But the next second, I slammed the jewelry box onto the floor.

CRASH!

Expensive moonstones and diamonds scattered across the floor.

Mom shrieked, "Serena, have you lost your mind?"

"That jewelry is for Celeste's engagement!"

"You bought it with my money."

Mom's face turned white with anger.

"The family would have replaced the money once you found a mate. Did you really have to make such a scene?"

I stared coldly at her.

"Then why didn't you take it from Celeste's trust fund? Why mine?"

The room went silent. No one answered.

The next second, Adrian suddenly reached for the documents in my hand.

"Give them to me."

I stepped aside.

He reached for them again.

I instinctively released my mental power.

BOOM—

A powerful wave of psychic pressure exploded through the room.

Adrian was thrown back several feet, slamming into the table behind him.

Adrian looked up at me in disbelief.

"Your mental strength…"

Dad's expression darkened. "You attacked your own brother."

"He tried to take my documents."

"That doesn't justify using your mental power against him." He turned to the guards. "Take her downstairs. She can come out when she's ready to apologize."

Two guards grabbed my arms before I could step back. I tried to break free, but two more closed in and forced my hands behind me.

Mom followed as they dragged me toward the underground holding room. "Stop fighting, Serena. Apologize to Adrian and Celeste, and this will be over."

"I have nothing to apologize for."

Mom's expression sharpened. "You ruined your sister's jewelry and attacked your brother, yet you still think everyone else is wrong. We've excused your jealousy for long enough."

"This isn't jealousy. I'm finally refusing to let you take from me."

Dad's remaining patience disappeared. "Enough. If you still can't admit what you did wrong, you can stay downstairs until you learn."

One of the guards pulled a pair of containment cuffs from his belt. They were normally used on wolves who lost control during combat training, not on someone standing inside her own home.

He locked the cuffs around my wrists and activated them before I could summon my mental power again.

A violent pulse shot up both arms, draining my strength. When I resisted, the guards twisted my arms higher and dragged me down the stairs.

Through the ringing in my ears, I heard Dad say, "Leave her there until she's ready to apologize!"

If that door closed, I would miss the midnight deadline for the Royal Mate Contract.

But I lifted my head, blood staining the corner of my mouth. "I will never apologize for protecting what belongs to me!"

The steel door began to close.

Before it could lock, a deafening crash shook the underground level. The door tore free from its hinges and slammed into the opposite wall.

A crushing Alpha command swept through the corridor. The guards released me instantly and dropped to their knees.

"Who gave you permission to restrain my future Luna?"