เข้าสู่ระบบThe music had become unbearable.Becca stood beside Desmond like an jewelry. placed carefully at his side.Her patience was leaving by the second.“And as you can see, Blackwood’s expansion has not weakened its internal structure. If anything, our military discipline has sharpened” Desmond said smoothly, gesturing with his glass toward the vast hall.Becca rolled her eyes. She couldn’t bear to listen to him talk anymore.She shifted her weight slightly and Desmond noticed immediately. His fingers brushed the side of her back and it was not affectionate, more like a warning.“Isn’t that right, Becca?” he asked smoothly, his eyes still on the Alphas.Her chin lifted but she remained quiet.Her eyes drifted across the hall, searching for something, anything, to ground herself and then she saw Mira dressed in a simple maid’s uniform, a tray balanced carefully in her hands as she weaved between guests.Becca’s heart clenched. She took a small step away from Desmond.“Excuse me,” she said f
Eugene stood at the edge of the woods overlooking Blackwood Mansion. His jaw was tight, his hands were clenched at his sides.Max shifted beside him, his eyes scanning the perimeter for movement. Dorian crouched slightly lower, studying the patrol routes with the patience of someone who had done this too many times before.From this distance, the mansion looked almost peaceful.“It’s still a bad idea,” Max muttered quietly but Eugene didn’t look at him.“We’ve already discussed this” he replied. “And I’m still saying it.”Dorian exhaled slowly.“Alpha Eugene, we’re not here to charge in and drag Luna Becca out over your shoulder” he said carefully.Eugene’s eyes flashed.“I know that.”“Do you?” Max asked bluntly. “Because that’s exactly what you look like you’re about to do.”Eugene turned to him then. The anger in his expression wasn’t wild, it was controlled and focused.“Desmond is parading her around like a trophy. He announced he’s marrying her and he’s using her to provoke me”
The grand hall of Blackwood Mansion glittered like it was from a fairy tale.Crystal chandeliers hung from the high ceiling, pouring golden light over polished floors and silk-draped tables. Music flowed from the musicians stationed near the marble staircase, their violins smooth and elegant, drums low and steady like a heartbeat beneath the noise of conversation.Becca felt every eye the moment she entered. She had underestimated the crowd waiting for her. Brian’s arm remained firm beneath her fingers as they descended the final steps.Whispers followed them.“That’s her…Luna Becca…”“She’s the one Alpha King Desmond announced…”Becca kept her chin high. If they expected shame, they would be disappointed.Across the room stood Desmond radiating confidence like an Alpha no one dared challenge.Two Alphas stood before him, broad-shouldered men dressed in their ceremonial outfits. "Discipline is the foundation of dominance. You don’t conquer by mercy, you conquer by certainty” Desmond
The music drifted faintly from below, rising through the polished floors and curling beneath the door like an unwelcome invitation.Becca stood near the center of her room, her reflection staring back at her from the tall mirror framed in gold. The gown clung to her form like a second skin, the dress elegant enough to belong to a queen.She stared at her reflection longer than necessary, her mind blank from thinking too much.She felt like a hostage dressed for auction and it hurt to be so helpless that she couldn't do anything about her situation. Ariel adjusted the final clasp at the back of the dress, her fingers trembling just slightly.“You look beautiful,” Ariel whispered.Becca’s lips curved bitterly.“That’s the problem" she replied, her stone cold.Candles burned low along the walls, their glow soft but suffocating. Outside the window, the sky had already changed into a deeper colour.Torches were being lit in the courtyard below and she could hear guards moving, doors openi
The sound echoed through the training yard like thunder as the wooden dummy shook violently under the force of Eugene’s punches.Dust rose from the sand beneath his boots, swirling around his legs as if even the ground reacted to his fury.Max stood a few feet away, his arms folded across his chest.“You’re going to break it,” he said calmly.Eugene didn’t respond. His fist slammed forward again, his knuckles cracking against hardened wood. A faint splinter snapped from the dummy’s shoulder.“Eugene” Max called but Eugene just kept on punching until the wood groaned.Max exhaled sharply and stepped forward, catching Eugene’s wrist mid-swing.“That’s enough.”Eugene’s chest rose and fell heavily. Sweat rolled down his temple, his jaw clenched so tight it looked painful.“Move,” he growled.“No, not If you keep going like this. You’re not training, you’re punishing yourself” Max said. He didn’t release his grip.Eugene ripped his hand away.“I should have seen it coming.”“Seen what?”
The knock on the door was soft, almost hesitant.“Luna Becca…it’s me.”There was no answer then Ariel shifted the tray in her hands and pushed the door open slowly.The first thing she noticed was movement because Becca wasn’t sitting or resting. She was pacing back and forth from the window to the fireplace then to the door.Her bare feet made faint sounds against the polished floor, and her hair, still loose from sleep, framed a face drawn tight with frustration.Ariel stepped inside quietly and closed the door behind her.“You didn’t sleep,” she said gently and Becca didn’t respond.She stopped near the window, staring out at the courtyard below where guards patrolled in slow, calculated routes.“They’ve doubled security,” Becca muttered.Ariel placed the tray on the small round table.“Because of the announcement” she replied and Becca turned sharply.“No, that’s where you’re wrong. He did that because he expects retaliation. He knows Eugene won’t sit quietly” she countered, her j







