Chapter 47

Chapter 47

A banquet was arranged to happen before her departure.

The grand hall shimmered with opulence, the glow of chandeliers casting warm light over rows of lavishly set tables. The room was alive with chatter and the subtle clink of crystal glasses. Pack members were gathered in clusters, their hushed conversations rippling through the air like the hum of a restless forest.

Seated quietly at a chair behind Adam, Amelia maintained her poise. Her placement, however, spoke volumes. Beside the Alpha sat Bridgette, radiant in her carefully chosen gown. The contrast wasn’t lost on anyone in the room. Amelia–the supposed Luna–was relegated to the background, while Bridgette took the place of honor at Adam’s side.

Adam rose to address the room, his commanding voice silencing the crowd.

“Tonight, we gather not only to celebrate the strength of our pack but also to honor the connections that make us unbreakable.” His tone was steady, but there was an unmistakable warmth when he glanced at Bridgette. “I’d like to introduce Bridgette, who is not only dear to me but to our pack. She‘ ll be staying with us from now on.”

The room rippled with murmurs, eyes darting between Amelia and Bridgette. Amelia caught snippets of whispers.

“So, she’s the real Luna.”

“The fake one should step aside. Everyone knows she’s not strong enough.”

“She never even got the Alpha’s affection. That says it all.”

From across the room, Asher leaned back in his chair, his smirk sharp and cutting. “Well, isn’t this fitting,” he drawled, loud enough for Amelia to hear. “The Alpha‘ s Luna sits in the shadows while the real Luna shines.”

Amelia met his gaze, her expression calm, almost amused. The remarks weren’t new. For three years, she‘ d endured such. petty jabs, each one met with the same. practiced indifference. Inside, however, she couldn’t help but find it amusing how little they understood.

Adam’s voice broke through again.

“Bridgette,” he said, signaling a servant forward with a small, ornate box. “This belonged to the previous Luna, a symbol of strength and unity within our pack. It’s time it was passed down.”

Amelia’s eyes flicked to the box as it was opened, revealing an intricately designed silver necklace, its centerpiece a luminous. moonstone. She‘ d heard of it before–a treasure meant to signify a Luna’s rightful place beside her Alpha.

But Amelia had never received it. “As the Alpha,” Adam continued, his tone brimming with purpose, “it’s my honor to entrust this to you.” He placed the necklace into Bridgette’s waiting hands.

The room erupted with whispers.

“She deserves it.”

“Bridgette is a true Luna. Not like her.”

“No wonder Amelia never got it. She’s weak.”

Amelia allowed a faint smile to curve her lips, though her amusement was far from kind. He couldn’t even wait until I was gone. He had to do it here, in front of everyone. It’s almost laughable.

Well, it was not as if the Alpha knew she would be leaving him soon. And it was laughable, in its own twisted way. The Alpha, so sure of his righteousness, had no idea she would soon. leave this charade behind. The irony made. her want to laugh outright.

The evening continued with performances in the center of the hall. She–wolves danced gracefully to the rhythm of steady drums, their movements fluid and mesmerizing. The pack watched, captivated, the earlier tension melting into a semblance of calm.

But not for long.

From the shadows, a figure stepped forward–a she–wolf, her demeanor tense and charged. Her steps were deliberate, her gaze locked on Adam as she approached his table.

“Alpha Adam,” the woman called, her voice carrying a tremor of rage. She clutched a dark, ominous box in her hands.

“You killed my husband!”

Gasps swept through the hall.

With a violent motion, she opened the box, revealing a bubbling black liquid. The acrid scent hit Amelia’s senses immediately. The liquid hissed, its malevolence palpable.

The woman was a rogue who slipped into. the banquet with the help of her witch friend. In the past. Alpha Adam participated in a rogue hunting contest and killed the rogue woman’s husband, Since that moment, she vowed to kill the evil alpha. Even if she had to put her life in danger, she urged her witch friend to give her the acid. She would kill the Alpha of Lotus Pack no matter what.

“I’ll make you pay!” The woman screamed, hurling the acid toward Adam.

Time slowed. Bridgette s shrick cut through the chaos as Adam yanked her down, the pair dodging under the table just in time. The acid splattered against his chair, sizzling and eating away in the polished wood.

But not all of it.

Amelia’s sharp eyes tracked the remaining are of liquid. It was coming toward her because Alpha Adam dodged the acid together with Bridgette under the table.

Time seemed to slow as the deadly substance hurtled closer. She growled, trying to pinch herself to get her act together.

Teleport, she thought to herself. Save yourself! No one else will.

But if she teleported now, in front of so many witnesses, her secret would be revealed. The Rising Moon bloodline—her rare and coveted ability– would no longer remain hidden.

No one knows, she reminded herself, her heartbeat thundering in her ears. Not Adam. Not Aunt Camille. No one.

Her mind raced. If her identity was exposed, it wouldn’t end here. Wolves across the world would come for her. Rogues, packs, witches—everyone. They’d hunt her for the power she carried in her veins.

But the acid was mere seconds away.