Chapter 4: The Masquerade and the Lie

‎The grand feast hall transformed into a tense, silent waiting room within minutes. Alpha Bloodwood’s warriors barked orders, forcing everyone into a massive, single-file line that wrapped tightly around the perimeter of the room. The high-ranking wolves stood proudly at the front, while the Omegas and kitchen staff were shoved rudely to the very back.

‎Elena stood squeezed between an elderly dishwasher and a young laundry boy. She kept her head bowed so low her chin practically touched her collarbone, focusing entirely on regulating her breathing.

‎Inhale for four seconds. Hold. Exhale for four seconds, she repeated the mental rhythm, trying to suppress the spike of adrenaline that would make her heart hammer loud enough for a Lycan to hear.

‎At the front of the line, Alpha King Ethan began his walk.

‎He moved with the terrifying grace of an apex predator, his heavy boots clicking rhythmically against the stone floor. He didn't look at their faces; he didn't need to. He walked with his head slightly tilted, his chest rising and falling as he inhaled the air around every single pack member.

‎"Not her," Ethan muttered coldly, passing the Beta’s youngest daughter.

‎"Not her," he repeated, passing a prominent female warrior who looked crestfallen at his rejection.

‎With every step he took toward the back of the room, the suffocating weight of his Alpha aura grew heavier. When he finally reached the row of servants, the air became so thick it felt hard to breathe. Elena stared intensely at his polished black boots as they stopped precisely two feet in front of her.

‎The room seemed to lose all sound.

‎Ethan stood perfectly still. His nostrils flared, taking a deep, searching breath. Elena’s skin prickled with a sudden, intense heat. She could smell him too—a heady, overpowering scent of dark cedar, winter frost, and raw power.

‎His golden eyes narrowed as he looked down at the top of her head. His wolf clawed at his chest, sensing a familiar, faint vibration of fear and intellect, but the heavy odor of grease, burnt woodsmoke, and stale dishwater she had rubbed into her clothes acted like a shield, distorting his senses.

‎"Look at me," Ethan commanded, his deep baritone sending a physical tremor through Elena's core.

‎Slowly, deliberately, Elena raised her head. She intentionally let her shoulders slump, making herself look smaller, weaker—a perfect picture of a terrified, unshifted Omega. She forced her eyes to wide, trembling submission, carefully hiding the sharp, calculating gaze of the scientist who had commanded his royal guard the night before.

‎Ethan stared into her eyes, his brow furrowing. He reached out a massive, leather-gloved hand, his fingers stopping just an inch away from her jawline, trying to piece together the blurry memory of the woman from the dark cabin.

‎Before he could touch her, a loud, dramatic voice interrupted from the center of the hall.

‎"Your Majesty! Stop this madness, it wasn't any of these filthy servants!"

‎Ethan snapped his head back, his hand dropping as his golden eyes locked onto the intruder.

‎Tanya, the Beta's cruel daughter, stepped forward from the front ranks, her chin held high and a look of practiced arrogance on her face. She had spent the last ten minutes watching the King search desperately for a female healer, and her greed had finally overridden her fear.

‎"What did you say?" Ethan growled, stepping away from Elena. The sudden release of pressure made Elena’s knees weak, and she quietly slid back into the shadow of the elderly dishwasher.

‎"I said you are looking in the wrong place, Sire," Tanya said, offering a deep, elegant curtsy. "The person who saved you wasn't a traveler, and it certainly wasn't a low-life maid. It was me."

‎A collective gasp rippled through the Bloodwood pack. Alpha Bloodwood looked stunned, while his lead shaman looked completely horrified.

‎Ethan walked slowly back toward the center of the room, his eyes fixed on Tanya like a hawk sizing up prey. "You? You expect me to believe a Beta’s daughter possesses the advanced biochemical knowledge required to neutralize engineered Death’s Nightshade?"

‎Tanya swallowed hard, but she held her ground, banking on the fact that no one could disprove her. "Yes, Your Majesty. I... I study the forest herbs in secret. I knew our shaman’s standard remedies wouldn't work on a royal Lycan, so I secretly brewed a counter-agent using wild aconite and antioxidant-rich flora to shock your cellular metabolism back to life. I left it with your guard because I didn't want the fame."

‎Elena, watching from the back of the room, nearly choked on her own breath. Tanya had been eavesdropping outside the cellar or the kitchen when Ethan described the medicine earlier. She was repeating his exact words back to him, trying to steal the credit.

‎Ethan stopped right in front of Tanya. He leaned down, his eyes boring into hers. His wolf sniffed the air around her, but there was no hint of rain or sharp mint—only the heavy, artificial scent of expensive rose perfume. His wolf growled in disappointment, completely rejecting her.

‎Yet, human logic warred with his instinct. The girl knew the exact medical terminology. She knew about the aconite and the cellular shock. How could a simple pack member know those highly specific details unless she was the one who formulated the cure?

‎Ethan's eyes hardened. He turned to his royal guard, who was watching the scene with a tight, unreadable expression.

‎"Is this the woman who gave you the vial last night?" Ethan demanded.

‎The royal guard looked at Tanya, then his eyes subtly flicked over the crowd, searching for Elena. Elena kept her face completely blank, silently pleading with her eyes for him to keep his oath.

‎The guard closed his eyes for a brief second, remembering his promise to the desperate Omega who had saved his King's life. He opened them, looked directly at Ethan, and lied.

‎"The cabin was very dark, Your Majesty, and the woman wore a heavy cloak," the guard stated firmly. "But the voice... and the medical knowledge match exactly what this lady just said."

‎Tanya smirked triumphably.

‎Ethan looked back at Tanya, his golden eyes flashing with a mix of deep suspicion and intense frustration. His soul told him this girl was a fraud, but the evidence presented by his guard and her own words pointed directly to her.

‎"Very well," Ethan said, his voice dropping to a dangerously quiet pitch. "If you are the brilliant mind that saved my life, you will accompany me back to the Capital. The Lycan Throne rewards its allies handsomely. Pack your things, lady. You belong to the King's court now."

‎Tanya's eyes lit up with absolute triumph, completely unaware of the dangerous game she had just walked into. From the very back of the line, hidden in the shadows of the kitchen doorway, Elena let out a long, silent sigh of relief. She was safe. Her secret sanctuary remained secure.

‎But as she watched Ethan's imposing figure turn away, a strange, hollow ache settled deep within her chest and she knew this wasn't the last time their paths would cross.

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