Chapter 8

I hadn’t seen Alpha Mareus fi months. As expected, the smug bastard wore his usual lazy, arrogant smirk. His Beta and a few warriors stood nearby. We stood in the large dining hall, making small talk.

The smell of Dorothy’s cooking usually made me hungry. But tonight, it only made me more irritated.

I kept thinking about what Marcus had started to say in my father’s office before the Alpha King interrupted. Garrett had insisted the business wait until after dinner. Every minute here felt unbearable. I wanted answers, and I

wanted them now. But not here. Not in front of the entire pack.

My mother, Luna Meredyth, laughed loudly at one of Marcus’s jokes. He was always charming – a trait I now found leeply irritating. Even my father, Alpha King Garrett, allowed himself a rare, subtle smile, as controlled as ever.

I looked for my brother Liam, spotting him in the far corner, naturally surrounded by young female wolves

hanging on his every word.

“ Your future Luna looks perfect, Nathan, ” Marcus said, raising his glass toward the opposite side of the room.

I glanced at Stella. Deep in conversation with my Beta, Blake, she looked confident and radiant in a bold red dress and matching heels – exactly like a future Luna should.

I turned back to Marcus with a tight, small nod. “ She is. More importantly, she’s exactly what this pack needs. ”

“ I don’t doubt it, ” Marcus replied, his eyes shifting from Stella to study my face instead. “ Still … choosing duty

over fate. Not everyone can do that. ”

“ Fate isn’t always right, ” I said quietly, the lie burning my throat.

Marcus opened his mouth to respond, but his gaze shifted past my shoulder and froze. His eyes widened in shock ‘ Goddess … Nathan … isn’t that the girl from the hallway earlier? ”

I didn’t just hear him. I felt her.

I snapped my head toward the stairs so fast my neck almost twisted. And then I saw her.

f

Emily stood at the top of the grand staircase, small against the brown wood. She looked terrified, one foot sovering over the first step, visibly trembling. Then, she took a step. Jessie stayed close to her side, guiding her gently, holding her arm as if Emily might vanish into thin air if left alone.

This couldn’t be the same girl I’d seen in the hall an hour ago. This one … this one was walking down the stairs like a literal goddess.

Her black dress, simple and soft, hugged her delicate curves. It was unremarkable, but looked perfect on her – like it was made for her. Her white blonde hair fell down her back, catching the golden light with each step. It hit me. the dirt from the dungeon had hidden this beauty all along.

“ Nathan … so who is she? ” Marcus leaned forward, his eyes locked onto her body like a predator spotting prev.

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Marcus’s throat out just for looking at her.

she’s new to the pack, ” my mother’s voice suddenly cut through the heavy haze, dragging me violently back to

reality.

“ She had been rejected, as far as I know, ” another voice chimed in.

I whipped around. Liam stared, a mocking smirk plastered on his face. He’d just joined us with Blake and Stella.

1 gritted my teeth so hard my jaw ached, forcing my claws back down.

I

“ Then the wolf who rejected her is a complete fool. I’ve never seen anyone more beautiful in my entire life. ”

Marcus was staring at Emily as if he were already imagining her underneath him.

Asher wanted to rip Marcus’s smirk off his face.

Next to me, Stella grabbed her glass of wine and downed it in one gulp.

Emily approached the table, her steps careful and hesitant, as if terrified someone might drag her back to the

cells. Jessie gently guided her into a seat, but Emily sat stiffly, too scared to touch her plate.

Seeing her so broken pissed me off more than it should have. She shouldn’t be afraid. Not here.

“ She’s ours, mate, ” Asher pushed harder, his voice desperate. “ Accept her! ”

I said no, I snapped back.

My father had already confirmed her story. He verified she wasn’t a rogue spy. But I still couldn’t accept her.

“ Look at her. She’s too weak. She’s not fit to be my Luna, ” I growled to Asher.

In that exact second, Emily lifted her head. Her wide, silver eyes caught mine. The spoon in her small hand rembled, splashing soup onto her beautiful black dress. She didn’t even look down at the stain. She just stared it me, her eyes full of a heartbreak so deep it crushed something inside me.

Fuck. There was too much pain in that look.

I turned away.

“ So, where were we? ” I said coldly to Mareus, refusing to look back at her.

( *

“ At the part where you were pretending not to hear me, ” Marcus said with a playful smirk, winking at me. “ You

eally think I didn’t notice your reaction? ”

“ Notice what? ” I shot back, widening my eyes as if I had absolutely no idea what he was talking about.

Marcus just shook his head slowly, giving me a look that said yeah, sure. He was enjoying this way too much. I saw the challenge in his eyes. He was playing a dangerous game and he knew it.

“ Maybe we should just shut up and eat, ” I said.

“ Finally. ” Liam said loudly, dropping into his chair first.

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sat down heavily beside him, aggressively grabbing a piece of meat just to give my hands something to do.

“ But seriously, ” Marcus continued, leaning over the table toward my Beta. “ Blake, when is your pack’s next nating ceremony? I’d love to attend. I might just find my new Luna right here. ”

“ Well, next month my younger sister turns 18, ” Blake replied cheerfully. “ She’s already preparing a huge party.

‘ ou’re welcome to come, of course. ”

hud!

I slammed my hand on the table. Hard. The entire dining hall went dead silent. Every single member of the pack

urned to look at me at once.

“ Enjoy your meal, ” I said coldly, my eyes locked directly on Emily.

Slowly, conversation resumed, and everyone returned to their food. However, Marcus didn’t. The bastard just kept

miling.

Let him laugh, I thought bitterly. I will be Alpha King soon. And when that day comes, I will teach him exactly

there the line is.

“ Do something, ” Asher pushed again. “ Before someone else touches what belongs to us! ”

No, I replied coldly, forcing Asher back. She doesn’t belong here. She never will. Soon, she’ll be returned to her

Id pack. Maybe there she’ll find someone better suited for her.

Even thinking those words left a bitter taste in my mouth. Because the mere thought of another man touching her hade something savage twist in my chest.

“ This will be the worst mistake of your life, ” Asher whispered, his voice dripping with a dark warning.

For the next half hour, I forced myself to focus on the chatter, trying to lose myself in the noise. But soon, the inner began to wind down. Plates were pushed aside, the loud voites lowered to whispers, and some of the pack

nembers started to rise from their seats.

“ Maybe I should introduce myself to her properly, ” Marcus said, his gaze locked on her. His chair scraped loudly gainst the floor.

And before I even realized what I was doing, I was already standing too.

Next Chapter

Chapter 9

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Chapter 9

Olivia Harris is an emerging author celebrated for her captivating romantic and steamy novels. With a talent for crafting deep emotional connections and fiery chemistry between her characters, Olivia’s stories offer readers an escape into worlds filled with passion, intrigue, and heart-stopping drama.