Alina's POV
I returned from Damien's study two hours later, my eyes red from crying. Sera looked up from the chair where she had been pacing.
"What did he say?" Sera asked, rushing to my side.
I closed the door behind me and slumped against it. "He told me to behave myself," I said, my voice shaking. "Said Elira is pregnant and I need to treat his queen well."
"Queen?" Sera's eyes widened.
"That's what I said." I wiped my nose with my sleeve. "I told him he never called me queen, not even when he took my virginity."
Sera felt her heart break for me. "What did he say to that?"
"He said I was never worth being called a queen." My voice cracked. "That my mother was just a mistress and I'm a bastard. He said he didn't know what he was thinking, liking me in the first place."
Sera stood up, her hands clenched into fists. "That bastard. How could he say that to you?"
"It doesn't matter now," I said, though my voice said otherwise. "We need to focus on proving Elira is lying."
"I'm going to the coffee shop now," Sera said, grabbing her jacket. "Maybe she would still have the evidence in her system."
I nodded. "Be careful."
After Sera left, I tried to sleep but couldn't. I kept replaying the conversation with Damien. His words about duty and necessity. The way he wouldn't quite meet my eyes when he mentioned Elira's pregnancy.
A few hours later, Sera returned with an angry face.
"What happened?" I asked, sitting up from the bed.
Sera sat down hard on the chair. "Sandra was scared," she said. "Really scared. A woman came to her shop yesterday after the ceremony."
"What woman?"
"She didn't give her name. But she told Sandra to delete any footage from yesterday morning." Sera's jaw was tight. "She threatened Sandra's kids."
I felt my stomach drop. "Did Sandra delete it?"
"Yes," Sera said, her shoulders slumping. "She was too scared not to. The woman knew where her kids go to school."
"So we have nothing?" I asked.
"Sandra deleted everything," Sera confirmed. "She said she couldn't risk her children's safety, and I don't blame her."
"What did this woman look like?" I asked.
"Blonde hair, expensive clothes. Sandra said she looked like she had money." Sera frowned.
The next morning brought unexpected visitors. I woke to raised voices in the courtyard - not celebratory this time, but angry and confrontational.
Sera had stayed the night after she returned from the coffee shop, sleeping in the uncomfortable chair. She stirred at the noise. "What's that about?"
We moved to the window. In the morning light, I could see several luxury cars parked in the drive. Visiting Alphas who should have left after the ceremony were still here, and they looked pissed.
"That's Alpha Ronan Vale," Sera whispered, pointing to a huge figure near the main entrance. "The Iron Alpha of Shadowfang Pack."
Even from this distance, Ronan's presence was commanding. He stood face-to-face with Damien, their voices carrying despite attempts at privacy.
"You can't be serious about this," Ronan's deep voice boomed upward. "That girl was clearly your fated mate. I felt the bond snap from across the room."
My breath caught. Someone was defending me. Someone with enough power to challenge Damien publicly.
"My personal affairs are none of your concern, Vale," Damien replied coldly. "The Council approved my choice of Luna."
"The Council?" Ronan's laugh was harsh and bitter. "Since when do politics override the Moon Goddess's will? Your grandfather may run this pack like his personal kingdom, but even he can't rewrite sacred law."
Elder Silas appeared beside his grandson, ancient face twisted with displeasure. "The Shadowfang Pack would do well to remember their place among civilized wolves."
"Civilized?" Ronan's voice dropped to a dangerous rumble. "Is that what you call torturing a girl for her bloodline? I've seen the reports, old man. Don't think your pack's dirty secrets stay hidden from those who matter."
Sera grabbed my arm. "He knows about the abuse?"
Other visiting Alphas were gathering now, clearly uncomfortable with the public dispute. Alpha David Pierce of the Northwestern Pack stepped forward.
"Alpha Vale speaks the truth," Pierce said firmly. "Many of us have serious concerns about Miss Gray's treatment. The old ways don't excuse cruelty."
"The old ways built our civilization," Silas snarled back. "Unlike you progressive fools who welcome rogues and weaklings. This girl's cursed wolf proves she's unfit for Luna status."
"Cursed?" Ronan's eyes blazed with fury. "Her wolf is sacred, you ignorant fool. Black fur with silver eyes hasn't been seen in three generations. She's blessed by the Moon Goddess, not cursed."
The words hit me like a punch. Sacred? Blessed? All my life, people had whispered about my unusual coloring, treating it like a mark of shame. But Ronan Vale - the most feared Alpha in the Pacific Northwest - called me sacred.
Memories flooded back the way servants crossed themselves when I passed, how other pack children were forbidden to play with me, the whispered word "cursed" that followed me everywhere.
I remembered the night my wolf first emerged, how my foster family had locked me in the basement until Edmund came. Even Damien had hesitated the first time he saw my wolf form, his face flickering with uncertainty before Elder Silas whispered in his ear.
"That's impossible," Elder Silas spat. "The old bloodlines died out centuries ago."
"Did they?" Ronan's smile was cold. "Or did certain families just hide what they couldn't destroy?"
Alpha Pierce stepped closer to Ronan. "You're suggesting the Moonwhisper bloodline survived?"
"I'm not suggesting anything," Ronan replied. "I'm stating facts."
Other visiting Alphas exchanged worried glances. Alpha Chris from the Eastern Pack cleared his throat. "If this is true, the Council needs to know."
"The Council," Ronan's voice was ice, "buried these bloodlines for a reason. The question is whether that reason was for protection or elimination."
Several Alphas began backing toward their cars. This conversation was entering dangerous territory.
The implication was heavy in the air. "Enough," Damien interrupted sharply. "This discussion is over. My Luna is chosen, and she carries my heir. Any further challenges to pack law will be met with appropriate force."
Ronan stared at Damien for a long moment, then slowly nodded. "Very well, Black. But know this - Shadowfang remembers its friends and its enemies." His hazel eyes swept the crowd before lifting toward the estate's upper windows.
For just a moment, they seemed to find my hiding spot, and I saw a promise there I couldn't understand.
"We should go," Alpha Pierce said quietly to the other visitors. "This matter requires further consideration."
As the visiting Alphas began moving toward their vehicles, Ronan lingered. His Beta, Marcus Holt, appeared at his shoulder.
"Alpha," Marcus said quietly, "the car is ready."
Ronan nodded but didn't move immediately. Instead, he raised his voice so it carried clearly to the upper floors of the estate.
"The Moon Goddess sees all betrayals, Damien Black. And she always collects her debts."
As his vehicle pulled away, I stepped back from the window, my mind racing. Sacred wolf. Blessed bloodline. Powerful allies I didn't even know existed.
"I should go," Sera whispered, glancing toward the door. "If they're this angry, they might search the house. See you later, and try to take care of yourself."
I squeezed her hand. "Thanks for staying."
She slipped out through the servant's entrance while the argument continued below.
For the first time in years, something like hope stirred in my chest.
But as I turned, my blood ran cold. Standing in my doorway, key in hand, was Elder Silas. His ancient eyes burned with hatred as they fixed on me.
"Enjoying the show, bastard?" he whispered, his voice dripping venom. "Because it's time you learned what happens to girls who attract the wrong kind of attention."
Behind him, two guards stepped into view.