THE COUNCIL GALA

Elara’s Pov

After training hard with my protective brothers for a couple of days, the next three days were a blur of luxury that felt surreal. I was fed nutrient-rich broths, my skin treated with oils that cost more than a Silver-Moon house.

But the fear was still there. Every time a door slammed, I jumped. Every time my brothers’ voices got loud, I wanted to hide under the bed.

“Stop that,” a new voice commanded.

I looked up to see a man standing in the doorway. He was lithe, dressed in a grey suit, with a smirk on his face.

“Hi little sis, I’m Silas, your big brother,” he said, widening his arms like he wanted to give me a hug.

"Hello," I said quietly, my voice muffled in the sheets.

“Stop hiding your face, cutie,” Silas said, yanking the blankets off my face. He lifted my chin with one finger. “You are a Vane now. Tonight is the Council Gala, and every Alpha will be there. When we enter that ballroom, I want you to raise your head high, and look at them like ants under your heel because, legally and literally, they are.”

“I–I still don’t know how to act like a Vane yet,” I stuttered.

“Then let us be your shield until you learn,” Silas replied. He gestured to the door and two women walked in carrying a large garment bag. They zipped it open, and I gasped.

Inside was a dress made of deep crimson silk, embroidered with silver threads that seemed to glow in the dim lights.

“That dress is special,” Silas explained. “It’s woven with silver-thread protection, It is one of a kind. If any wolf that is not of the Vane family tries to touch you without your permission, it will burn their skin. You will be the safest in the room tonight.”

I looked at the dress and then at my scarred hands that were already healing. “I’m not worth the dress—” Before I could finish my sentence, he pressed his index finger to my lips, shushing me, then nodded his head for the women in the room to continue then left the room.

The women helped me get ready. They brushed my hair until it shone like black silk. They put a light cream on my face that made my skin glow and touched it with light makeup. I felt a strange heat in my chest, like something was awakening deep inside of me.

When I walked out into the hallway, all four of my brothers were waiting. Their presence exuded command in their black suits. It was at this moment I understood what they meant by the difference in the Vane family.

Caspian held out his arm for me. "Are you ready, Elara?"

"Yes," I whispered.

"Good," Caspian smiled. "Courage isn't the absence of fear. It’s doing it while you're terrified. Let’s go show them what a Vane looks like."

We walked down the stairs and into the waiting cars. Hours later, our convoy pulled up to the glass estate where the council gala was being held, the paparazzi fell silent as cameras and lights surrounded us. The Silver-Moon logo was emblazoned on the banners.

My stomach twisted. But then I felt Dante’s hand on my shoulder. "If anyone looks at you wrong, kiddo, I’ll handle it. Just keep your head up."

The car stopped. The door opened. The flashing lights were so bright I had to squint.

Caspian stepped out first. The crowd went silent. Then he reached back and took my hand. I stepped out onto the red carpet. The crimson silk of my dress caught the light, and for a moment, the world seemed to stop spinning.

“The Vanes are here,” someone whispered from the crowd.

The crowd parted like the Red Sea. Caspian led the way, his presence a physical weight. Julian and Silas followed, their expressions icy. In the center of the formation, tucked safely between them, was me.

The ballroom was even bigger and brighter than the one at the Silver-Moon pack house. The air was filled with the scent of a hundred different Alphas. Usually, this much power would make me want to kneel and hide. But with my four brothers surrounding me, I felt like I was walking inside a fortress.

We walked into the center of the room. The music stopped. Every conversation died.

In the middle of the floor stood Kaelen and Mirelle. They were surrounded by people who were congratulating them. Kaelen was wearing a white suit, looking proud.Mirelle was wearing a white dress, trying to look like a pure Luna. But when she saw us, her face turned a sickly shade of green.

When Kaelen saw me, his glass fell from his hand. It shattered on the floor.

"Elara?" Mirelle shrieked. Her voice was high and ugly. "What is this? How did a runaway slave get a dress like that? Guards! Arrest her! She stole that!"

The guards moved forward, but Dante stepped in front of me. He didn't pull a gun. He didn't even growl. He just looked at them with his golden-blue eyes, and the guards froze in place. They knew who he was. No one wanted to fight the Vane Enforcer.

"The only thief in this room is you, Mirelle," Silas said, stepping forward. He held up a stack of papers.

Kaelen stepped forward, trying to look brave, but I saw his hands shaking.

"Caspian Vane," Kaelen said, trying to sound like a leader. "I don't know why you are with this wolfless freak. She is a runaway from my pack, and a rejected Omega. By the laws of the council, she belongs to me to be punished for her crimes."

Caspian laughed. It was a dark, scary sound. "By the laws of the council, Kaelen, kidnapping is a crime that results in death. Do you want to talk about laws?"

Kaelen blinked. "Kidnapping? I don't know what you're talking about. We took her in when her parents died."

Silas stepped forward and opened a black leather folder. He started pulling out papers and throwing them onto a nearby table. "Let’s look at the facts. Twenty years ago, the Vane family hospital was burned down, and a baby girl was taken. These records show that your father was seen leaving the building with her."

The crowd began to whisper. Mirelle pushed her way to the front. "That’s a lie! My mother told me Elara was just a stray! I’m the one who matters here! I’m the future Luna!"

Julian, the doctor, stepped forward. He looked disgusted. "Mirelle isn't an Alpha's daughter. Your mother was a nurse at our private clinic. She swapped the babies because she wanted you to have a life of luxury. I have the DNA results, Mirelle. Your mother is currently in a holding cell. You’ll be joining her for questioning soon.”

Mirelle’s face twisted. She looked at Kaelen, but Kaelen was looking at me.

"And there is the matter of the land," Silas added, his smile growing wide and mean. "Kaelen, your father borrowed five hundred million dollars from Vane Holdings over the last ten years. He put the Silver-Moon forest up as collateral. I’ve decided that the debt is due tonight."

"You can't do that!" Kaelen shouted. "That land has been ours for hundreds of years!"

"It was yours," Silas corrected him. "Now, it belongs to Elara. She is the owner of your houses, your woods, and your businesses. If she wants, she can throw you all out into the street tonight."

I watched Kaelen’s world fall apart. He looked at the other Alphas, begging for help, but they all turned their backs. They didn't want to be on the wrong side of the Vanes.

Kaelen looked at me again. This time, his eyes were full of a fake love. “Elara, I... I didn't know. The bond... It was confusing to me. I was misled! Please, we can fix this. If we get married now, the land will stay with us. You can still be my Luna!"

He reached out for me, his eyes begging. For a split second, the old Elara, the one who just wanted to be loved by him, almost moved toward him.

"No," I said. My voice was clear and strong.

"What?" Kaelen blinked.

I smiled radiantly. “You’ll have to ask my brothers first.”

Dante and Silas shifted, closing the gap, their bodies a wall of muscle and gold-threaded suits.

"You had your chance when she was a servant," Dante spat. "You don't get the Queen when you rejected the girl."

"Wait," I said, my voice clear for the first time in twenty years. I stepped around my brothers. I walked up to Kaelen, who looked at me with a desperate hope.

I leaned in close to him. "You said I was a defect of nature," I whispered. "I don't want to be your Luna anymore, Kaelen," I said. My voice sounded different—deeper, more powerful. "I want you to feel what I felt."

Suddenly, the lights began to pop. The windows rattled. A strange, silver light started to come out of my skin.

The air in the room became heavy. It was hard for anyone to breathe.