The hall had emptied hours ago, but the whispers had not.
Everywhere I went, I felt their stares.
She dared to speak against him.
The King noticed her.
She will be punished.
I ignored them, though my stomach twisted. If I let their fear infect me, I would crumble. And I hadn't been given this second chance to crumble again.
"Selene, are you mad?" My cousin hissed as she closed the door behind us. Her hands shook as she paced the room. "Do you know what you've done? He could have had you executed for disrespect!"
I leaned against the wall, my arms crossed. "He didn't."
"That doesn't mean he won't!" she snapped, her eyes wide. "The Alpha King isn't merciful, Selene. He—"
A knock interrupted her frantic words. No, not a knock—three sharp bangs that made the wood tremble.
I froze. My wolf stirred uneasily.
The door opened before I could speak, and two armored guards stepped inside.
"Selene of the Crescent Moon Pack," one of them said, his voice flat, official. "The Alpha King summons you."
My cousin went pale. She dropped to her knees, clutching her head. "Moon Goddess, protect us…" she whispered.
But me?
My pulse raced, yet my lips curved into a bitter smile.
So soon.
Of course he wouldn't let my defiance pass.
"Tell His Majesty," I said evenly, "that I am coming."
The guards flanked me as I stepped into the torchlit corridor. The air was thick with tension, the silence broken only by the echo of our boots. My heart thundered, but not from fear alone.
Because deep down, I knew this was the moment fate had written for me—
the moment my path would tangle once again with the Alpha King's.
And this time, I vowed silently, I would not be his victim