LOGINThe hall trembled, not from the weight of footsteps, but from the sheer intensity of two Alphas standing on the brink of war.Becca swallowed hard, her fingers curling slightly as she stood beside Mira.“Becca, we need to move back” Mira whispered, her voice low but urgent, her eyes fixed on the unfolding storm before them. Becca didn’t respond immediately, her gaze was locked on Eugene, on the way his shoulders squared, his stance grounded, his presence expanding, filling every inch of the room.He looked terrifying, not just angry and it made something deep inside her chest ache.“Becca,” Mira said again, tugging her slightly this time and that pulled her out of it.Becca nodded faintly, stepping back with Mira, giving Eugene the battlefield he clearly intended to claim.“I trust him,” Becca murmured under her breath.Mira glanced at her.“I know,” she replied quietly. Across the hall, Seraphina’s fingers dug into her own arms as she watched the distance widen between Becca and Eu
The tension in the hall was thick enough to cut with a knife. Becca, Eugene, and Mira stood back to back, their bodies forming a defensive circle as the guards slowly closed in on them, their weapons drawn, their eyes full of malice.Eugene’s breath came in slow, deliberate bursts, his chest rising and falling with the weight of his anger and his determination. His chains were now broken, his strength had shattered them with ease, but the pressure around them had not eased. Desmond’s guards were prepared to make sure Eugene paid the price for the public humiliation he had just inflicted upon their Alpha King.“Step back!” one of the guards shouted, his voice harsh and commanding. His eyes burned with a hatred for Eugene that seemed to intensify with each passing second.But Eugene didn’t move, he couldn’t. Not with Becca and Mira standing so close behind him. "Don’t do it, you’ll regret it if you lay another finger on us” Eugene growled, his eyes dark with fury. His voice, laced
The chains around Eugene’s wrists rattled violently as he surged forward again, his entire body straining against the restraints.Guards rushed closer instinctively, the air itself seemed to crack under the force of his aura.Becca finally broke free, stumbling back as she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, her entire body shaking.Her eyes burned with rage.“You bastard!” she shouted.Desmond only smirked, satisfied, because he had done exactly what he wanted but before he could speak, Becca’s hand landed very hardly on his face and his head snapped to the other side. For a moment, the entire hall seemed to stop breathing.The echo of Becca’s slap against Desmond’s face still lingered in the air, impossible to ignore.Becca’s chest rose and fell heavily, her palm still tingling from the force of the impact. Her eyes burned with defiance while Desmond stood utterly still.His head was slightly turned from the force of the slap, his jaw clenched, a faint red mark blooming acro
The silence that followed Eugene’s outburst was suffocating. It pressed in from all sides, thick and heavy, as though the very air had grown wary of what might happen next.No one moved, no one spoke, even the music had stopped completely.All eyes were on Eugene, the Alpha in chains, who still somehow felt more powerful than the one standing free.Desmond felt the shift. He saw it in the subtle steps backward from the crowd, in the flickers of uncertainty in the visiting Alphas’ eyes, in the way even his own guards stood a little more rigid, a little more alert and most of all, he hated it.His gaze sharpened as it locked onto Eugene.A slow smile spread across his lips, but this time, it was colder.“Impressive, even now, you try to command a room that no longer belongs to you” he said again, but the amusement in his voice had dulled into something sharper. Eugene didn’t respond, he didn’t need to. That silence alone felt like defiance.Desmond exhaled softly through his nose, then
The moment Becca stepped into the grand hall, her heart shattered.Conversations had stopped and laughter had turnexd into murmurs. Every gaze was drawn toward the center of the room where Eugene was in chains.Heavy iron restraints wrapped around his wrists and ankles, glowing faintly with enchantments meant to suppress his strength but none of that dimmed the aura radiating from him.Mira was beside him, her wrists bound as well, her hair messy, her breathing uneven, but her chin was lifted high in stubborn pride despite everything.Becca’s chest tightened painfully.“Eugene…” she whispered, her voice trembling.Brian’s hand closed firmly around her arm, stopping her from taking another step forward.“Don’t, you’ll only make things worse” he muttered under his breath. Becca pulled her arm slightly, glaring at him. “Let go of me.”“No.”Her nails dug into her palm as she forced herself to look away from him and back at Eugene and that was when he saw her.Everything in him stilled.
The Alphas from neighboring packs stood in small groups, murmuring amongst themselves, their eyes occasionally drifting toward the elevated platform where the Alpha King usually presided. Servants moved swiftly between them, pouring wine, offering food, bowing their heads.Yet despite the grandeur, something was off.“Where is Alpha King Desmond?” one of the visiting Alphas asked, his voice low but edged with impatience.Another Alpha beside him chuckled lightly. “Perhaps attending to something more important than entertaining us.”“Or perhaps, reminding his prisoners who rules this land" a third added, swirling the wine in his glass.A ripple of laughter followed but the unease lingered because the longer Desmond was absent, the heavier the atmosphere became.At the far side of the hall, Seraphina stood tall, her chin slightly lifted, her expression composed, almost regal.Beside her, Ava remained quiet, her gaze scanning the room, sharp and observant while Jack stood just a few ste
The moonlight filtered through the thick canopy above, casting a silver-blue glow over the forest floor and giving it a kind of ethereal look.The lanterns, torches, and festival lights were far behind them now and even as they went further into the think foliage, all they could see around them was
Luna Seraphina led Desmond through the crowd of dancers and guests, her heels clicking softly against the marble floor. Her movements were poised and elegant, but there was an undercurrent of tension in the way she walked, as though she knew tonight would mark the turning point in their plans.She
Becca strolled slowly down the paths, her hands folded behind her back, watching as Mira and a few other maids bustled about, hanging colorful ribbons and glowing paper lanterns from the arching trees.The Moon Festival was approaching quickly, and excitement buzzed in the air like a living thing.
Becca led Eugene through the murmuring crowd, her hand still in his, guiding him toward one of the private rooms tucked away from the bright lights and curious eyes of the ballroom. The heavy door clicked shut behind them, sealing them in a hush of velvet shadows and quiet tension. As soon as Bec







