The next morning, an unwelcome presence rolled up to the Whitmore estate in a sleek black Mercedes that practically screamed money and authority. Alpha Caroline Blackthorne stepped out, silver hair perfectly coiffed, designer suit sharp enough to cut glass: someone who made even Beta Prime families sit up and pay attention.
Desi watched from her bedroom window as her parents greeted the visitor with polished, measured diplomacy. Whatever Alpha Blackthorne wanted, it surely wasn't to chat about the weather.
Twenty minutes later, a firm knock shattered the quiet. Patricia appeared at Desi's door. "Your father and I need you. Study. Now."
The tone sent a shiver down Desi's spine. She entered to find Alpha Blackthorne sitting across from her dad's massive desk, eyes as cold and sharp as a judge delivering verdicts.
"Miss Whitmore," the Alpha's voice was smooth, controlled, dangerous. "Please, have a seat."
Perched next to her mother, Desi felt the weight of the moment. Alpha Blackthorne represented old-guard power: the kind that saw any challenge to the status quo as a personal insult.
"I hear congratulations are in order." The Alpha smiled faintly, but it never touched her eyes. "Moonrise Academy is prestigious. Your family must be quite proud."
"We are," David said cautiously. "Desi earned it."
"Excellence in academics is vital for young wolves aiming for leadership." Her smile thinned. "But scholarship must walk hand-in-hand with proper judgment and respect for established order."
Here it came. Desi could feel the pinch in the air.
"Alpha Blackthorne," Patricia's voice was smooth as silk, "would you care to share your concerns?"
"My concerns lie with the Summer Gathering incident, which has stirred quite a buzz in pack circles." The Alpha's gaze zeroed in on Desi. "Your daughter's... intervention... has sparked serious diplomatic fallout."
"Desi was defending a bullied child," David said, voice steady but firm. "Hardly a crisis."
"She publicly humiliated three Alpha heirs in front of representatives from a dozen pack territories," the Alpha snapped. "She questioned the judgment and parenting of some of our most influential families. She made a spectacle, rocking the pack hierarchy and social fabric."
Desi's temper flared but she bit her tongue. This was the grown-ups' battlefield.
"With all due respect, Alpha," Patricia said calmly, "bullying a twelve-year-old is unacceptable no matter their lineage."
"That's a matter for parents and pack leaders to resolve behind closed doors," Alpha Blackthorne interrupted sharply. "Not for a teenage Beta to air publicly."
"So Omegas should suffer silently to protect Alpha pride?" The words escaped Desi before she could stop them.
The room chilled. Alpha Blackthorne's eyes flashed gold with unmistakable lupine fury.
"Miss Whitmore, your attitude is precisely why I'm concerned. Disregarding proper hierarchy; assuming your personal moral compass outranks pack authority; sowing discord." Each word dropped like a stone. "These are traits unworthy of future leaders."
"Alpha Blackthorne," David's voice tinged with warning, "you're speaking about my daughter."
"I'm speaking about a young wolf who's caused serious political pressure among several Alpha families: families weighing the Whitmore's commitment to social order." The Alpha leaned in. "These families wield significant power over alliances, territories, and leadership."
The threat was clear: challenge the Alphas, and you risk your family's entire legacy.
"What exactly do you want?" Patricia's calm was tight, like a wire stretched too far.
"An acknowledgment that Miss Whitmore's conduct was improper. Assurance she respects established channels instead of making public scenes. Possibly a formal apology to the affected families."
"No way." Desi cut in before her parents could answer. "I will never apologize for protecting a child from bullies."
"Desi," David warned, but she was past caring about diplomacy.
"You want me to say sorry for standing up to teens who thought harassing an Omega was a game? For calling out cruelty and cowardice?" Her voice rose, fierce. "I won't. Not ever."
Alpha Blackthorne stood, her presence suddenly filling the room with raw menace. "Miss Whitmore, you're woefully naive. Eighteen years old, no pack authority, zero political clout, and very little understanding of how this society stays balanced."
"I know right from wrong."
"Right and wrong are luxuries for those without the burden of thousands of pack members' security." Her voice froze the room. "Real leaders accept that sometimes petty injustices are swallowed to avoid widespread chaos."
"That kind of thinking just lets injustice fester!"
"Desi." Patricia's voice snapped like a whip. "Enough."
The command forced her back into her chair, though every muscle tingled with rage. Alpha Blackthorne smiled with quiet victory.
"Beta Prime Whitmore, I trust you grasp your family's precarious position. The Alpha Council does not tolerate... disruptive elements. Especially from politically prominent families."
"The message is loud and clear," David said low.
"Excellent. I'm sure Moonrise Academy will help Miss Whitmore grasp what proper leadership looks like." Alpha Blackthorne collected her purse, smooth and controlled. "That school prides itself on teaching political finesse."
Once she left, the study fell into heavy silence. Desi stared down at her hands, her chest a battlefield of fury and shame.
"Well," Patricia said finally, "that was a lesson."
"I'm sorry," Desi whispered, "I know I should've stayed quiet, but..."
"You should have," David agreed. "But I get why you didn't."
"The Alphas want me groveling. To apologize for doing what's right."
"They want assurance you're manageable," Patricia corrected. "They need to know you can be controlled, directed."
"And if I can't be?"
"Then you'll be fighting uphill battles against wolves far more powerful for your whole career." David sighed, heavy with hard truths. "Unless you learn the rules better than they do."
Desi looked up at her parents: two brilliant diplomats who'd spent decades navigating this brutal game.
"Teach me," she said quietly. "Show me how to fight for justice without wrecking my chance to make real change."
"That," Patricia smiled softly, "is exactly why Moonrise is there."