Without hesitation, Arlena stormed across the hall, her fury eyeballs locked on the woman standing behind Lucien.
Varek moved at the speed of light, stepping in to block her before she got any closer to the newly wedded couple.
"Piss off," Arlena roared, her eyes flashing a dangerous shade of dark gold. She stared Varek down like a predator, her rage untamed.
"Miss Arlena~" Varek began, but didn't get the chance to finish.
She grabbed him by the throat and, with supernatural strength, hurled him across the hall like piece of paper. His body slammed into a white pillar with a sickening thud.
"You don't make me repeat myself, Beta," she growled, marching forward without pause once again.
Valessia's instincts kicked in. One hand flew protectively over her lower belly as she stumbled a step back. Her heart pounded as she retreat backwards. She didn't want to confront Arlena, what would be the point? The outcome was obvious, and she stood to lose much in this fight.
"Get a hold of yourself, Arlena. You're causing a mess here," Lucien growled, stepping forward to block her path.
"You don't get to tell me what to do, Alpha Lucien. Not after this betrayal," Arlena hissed, her vicious eyes locked on Valessia like a dagger.
"And trust me, even if I turn this entire court into a pile of dust, it still wouldn't compare to the disaster you just caused," she snarled. She tried to shove Lucien aside as she did with Varek, but he held firm. He stood tall like a pillar unmoved by her pushes.
"Varek, escort your Luna out of the hall," Lucien ordered without looking back.
'Don't let her get away. She must not leave unscathed,' Arlena's wolf snarled in her mind, clawing for control.
"You wouldn't dare, Varek," Arlena snapped, her glare shifting sharply toward him. She tried to shove pass Lucien with more force this time but he didn't budge.
"How dare you defy my orders…"
"This is my pack, Arlena," Lucien cut in coldly, "and my orders come first… above yours. If you don't want to further disgrace yourself, I suggest you leave. Now."
His voice was cold. He pointed to the entrance, the weight of his authority making it clear he was in charge here.
"You're only going to make a fool of yourself. And when word of this reaches the pack... your reputation won't survive," he added, grabbing Arlena by the shoulder to stop her from lunging after Valessia as she exited.
"I'll be taking you home, Luna," Varek whispered softly, positioning himself between Valessia and the chaos behind them.
BANG.
A loud, cracking slap echoed just outside the hall. Valessia gasped, stumbling back from the impact of it. Her cheek flared instantly with pain, a stinging heat that burned deeper by the second.
She lifted her hand to struck side of her face. She turned slowly, heart throbbing, to face her attacker.
"Ma... Madam Fiona?" she stuttered, instantly going pale from the shock.
Fiona stood there in a flare blue gown, her gold-streaked hair curled neatly behind her shoulders, but her expression was nothing short of monstrous. Her lips curled in contempt.
"From the moment I first laid eyes on you, I knew you were nothing but a cheap whore," the older woman spat, her voice sharp and cruel, made louder so all in the vicinity could hear. "And now you've proved me right, dragging shame upon this family name!"
Valessia winced, her heart hammering in her chest. Heat rushed to her face, not just from the slap, but from the weight of every prying eye now fixed on her.
"If I were you, I'd watch your mouth~"
"Or what?" Madam Fiona cut in, turning to Varek with eyes brimming with hatred.
"Will you conspire with her and kill me too? Just like you murdered my husband's innocent cousin, who did nothing but show kindness to this wolfless thing?" Madam Fiona sized Valessia from head to toe as if she was filth underneath her feet.
Every word struck Valessia like a blade. Her vision blurred with tears she dared not to shed. She bit the inside of her cheek hard to stop them from flowing. She wouldn't cry. Not here. Not in front of this woman who was desperate to see her make a fool of herself.
"You know that's not true," Valessia said, her voice trembling but still audible. "None of you said is true."
But Fiona's attack didn't stop there.
"Was he the reason you felt confident you'd win the lawsuit?" she accused, nodding bitterly toward Varek.
"Is that why you dared to marry him with another man's pup growing in your womb before your late husband's mourning period even ended?" She accused, her voice fierce.
A small crowd had begun to gather, their hushed whispers only fueling Fiona's cruelty.
'Just wait. By the time I'm done, she won't be able to lift her head again in this pack,' Madam Fiona sneered inwardly .
"Oh, wait," she said mockingly. "Don't tell me the pup was his all along?"
"That's enough!" Valessia snapped. Her voice cracked through the crowd, no longer fragile. "Say whatever you want about me, Madam Fiona. But don't you dare insult the honor of my unborn pup. I won't let that slide."
Her spine straightened. The coldness in her tone surprised even Varek. He had no idea she could speak so loudly.
"The nerve," hissed the younger woman beside Fiona, dressed in a black-and-white patterned dress. "You dared talk back to your elder aunt?"
She raised her hand to slap Valessia but Varek caught it mid-air.
His grip was tight, deliberately made to hurt.
"Let go of me, you scumbag!" she shrieked, trying to yank her hand away but Varek's grip only grew tighter.
"You don't get to lay a finger on her," Varek growled. He shoved her so hard she stumbled and nearly fell, saved only by a bystander catching her at the last second.
"We'll see about that," Madam Fiona said coldly. Her fingers closed around Valessia's wrist like shackles. "Wait until she steps foot in the family house. Her punishment awaits."
"Get your filthy hands off my Luna," came a voice deep, cold, and unmistakable.
Everyone froze. Valessia's breath hitched.
She turned slightly eyes wide to see Lucien standing behind her, his towering form emitting a raw, dangerous power.
"Al... Alpha Lucien," Madam Fiona stammered, her morale crumbling. She dipped into a quick bow, visibly shaken. The rest of the crowd followed suit, heads bowed low in submission to the Alpha.
"W-what are you doing here?" she asked, trying and failing to hide the tremble in her hands and voice.