Estelle’s POV

I stared at Helena for a long moment, letting her words sink in. The audacity was breathtaking.

“No.”

Benedict shot to his feet. “What did you just say?”

“I said no.” I kept my voice calm and steady. “This is my birthright. My father left it to me.”

Helena’s perfectly composed mask slipped for just a second, revealing the cold calculation beneath. Then she smiled, but it was the kind of smile that made my skin crawl.

“I was hoping we could handle this civilly,” she said, reaching for a manila folder on the coffee table. “But I came prepared for this possibility.”

She slid the folder across to me. “This is a contract. Read it.”

I picked up the document and scanned through it quickly. The legal jargon was dense, but the meaning was clear enough.

“You want me to voluntarily give up my inheritance rights,” I said.

“Exactly.” Helena’s voice was businesslike now, like she was conducting a corporate merger. “In exchange, you’ll receive a very generous compensation package. Two million dollars, to be exact.”

Benedict moved to stand behind Helena’s chair, his arms crossed. “That’s more money than someone like you has ever seen.”

“Someone like me?” I set the contract back on the table without signing it.

“Let’s not pretend,” Helena said smoothly. “Oliver mentioned you’ve been living at the edge of Moonveil territory. I assume you married some common pack member or maybe a warrior. People like that don’t have the training or character needed to lead a pack like Blackmoon.”

Her condescending tone made my jaw clench. “You don’t know anything about my situation.”

“I know enough.” She leaned back, looking supremely confident. “Two million dollars is enough for you to live luxuriously for the rest of your life. You’re essentially a country bumpkin who got lucky. This money could change everything for you.”

Benedict nodded eagerly. “I’ve been training for this position my whole life. I know every aspect of pack management, territorial negotiations, financial planning. What do you know about any of that?”

“And if you ever encounter trouble,” Helena added, “you can always come to us for shelter and support. After all, you are James’s daughter. We wouldn’t abandon family.”

They both looked at me expectantly, clearly convinced I would jump at their offer.

I picked up the contract again, pretending to consider it. They relaxed slightly, probably thinking they’d won.

Then I tore it in half.

“I refuse.”

Helena’s composure cracked completely. “What?”

“You heard me. I’m not signing your contract. I’m not giving up my inheritance. And I’m not impressed by your threats disguised as generosity.”

Benedict’s face flushed red with anger. “You have no idea what you’re doing!”

“I know exactly what I’m doing,” I shot back. “I’m claiming what’s rightfully mine.”

Helena stood abruptly, her elegant facade dropping entirely. “While the position of acting Luna might be in your name according to James’s will, you don’t have what it takes to actually run this pack.”

“And your hill-billy mate certainly doesn’t have what it takes to be an Alpha,” Benedict added viciously. “This pack requires real leadership, not some fantasy about bloodline rights.”

I remained seated, refusing to be intimidated by their theatrics. “My father’s will clearly states that I’m the heir. That’s not negotiable.”

“The Blackmoon Pack is one of the only territories that works closely with the lycan royal family,” Benedict continued, his voice rising. “Do you honestly think you have what it takes to properly interact with people of that level of power?”

Helena stepped closer, her gray eyes cold as winter. “We know you’re wolfless, Estelle.” 𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂

That hit like a physical blow. I kept my expression blank, but inside I was reeling. I had expected they would do a background check, but I didn’t think they were so detailed.

“A Luna who can’t shift can’t protect her pack,” Helena continued ruthlessly. “You’re a liability, not a leader.”

“Name your price,” Benedict demanded. “What will it take for you to walk away?”

“There is no price,” I said firmly. “This isn’t for sale.”

Helena’s eyes narrowed dangerously. “You’re making a mistake. A big one.”

“The only mistake here is you two thinking you can bully me into giving up what’s mine.”

Benedict slammed his hand on the coffee table, making me jump. “You stubborn little—”

“Enough!” Helena’s voice cut through his outburst. “If you’re going to be unreasonable, then we’ll have to be more persuasive.”

She gave a subtle nod toward the doorway. I heard movement in the hallway, then the sound of heavy footsteps.

Six pack warriors filed into the room, positioning themselves around the sitting area. They weren’t threatening me directly, but the message was clear—I wasn’t leaving until I signed that contract.

“Now then,” Helena said, her voice returning to its false sweetness. “Perhaps you’d like to reconsider?”

I looked around at the warriors surrounding us. They were all large, intimidating men who looked like they could break me in half without much effort.

“My answer is still no.”

Benedict looked like he wanted to hit something. “You’re insane!”

“Maybe,” I said calmly. “But I’m not signing anything.”

Helena’s mask finally slipped completely, revealing the vicious woman underneath. “You have no idea what you’re dealing with. I’ve been running this pack for over a decade. Benedict has the loyalty of every warrior, every elder, every important family. What do you have? Some childhood memories you can’t even remember?”

“I have legitimacy,” I said. “That’s more than either of you can claim.”

One of the warriors stepped closer, clearly waiting for orders. My heart hammered against my ribs, but I forced myself to stay still.

Then I heard rapid footsteps in the hallway.

“Luna Helena!”

Killian’s voice echoed from somewhere in the house. The warriors looked confused, glancing between Helena and the doorway.

He burst through the doorway, slightly out of breath like he’d been running. His eyes immediately took in the scene—me surrounded by warriors, Helena and Benedict looking guilty, torn contract pieces on the table.

“What’s going on here?” he demanded.

“Nothing that concerns you,” Benedict said coldly.

Killian’s expression darkened. “Unfortunately, Benedict, I am currently taking over the Alpha’s duties until a new one takes my place. Anything that happens within this pack is my business.”

“We were just having a conversation,” Helena said smoothly.

“With armed guards?” Killian’s voice was dangerous now. “Stand down. All of you.”

The warriors hesitated, looking to Helena for guidance.

“You heard him,” Helena said finally. The men reluctantly stepped back.

Killian walked over to me, his expression concerned. “Are you alright?”

“I’m fine,” I said, though my voice shook slightly.

“Good. Because we need to leave immediately.” He pulled an elegant cream envelope from his jacket. “The royal lycan family has summoned the Luna of the Blackmoon Pack.”

Helena straightened immediately, her entire demeanor changing. “Of course. When do they expect me?”

Killian looked at her with barely concealed disgust. “Not you, Helena. They specifically requested Estelle.”

The silence that followed was deafening. Helena’s face went white with shock.

“That’s impossible,” she whispered.

“The summons came through official channels an hour ago,” Killian said, handing me the envelope. “A royal escort is waiting outside.”

My hands trembled as I took the invitation. The paper was thick and expensive, with an official seal I didn’t recognize.

“But why would they...” Helena trailed off, looking genuinely bewildered.

“Perhaps because she’s the actual Luna,” Killian said dryly. “Shall we go, Estelle?”

I stood on unsteady legs, still processing what was happening. “I don’t understand. Why would lycans want to see me?”

Killian gestured toward the door. “We can discuss it in the car. Right now, we need to leave immediately.”

As we walked toward the exit, I heard Benedict call out, “This isn’t over!”

We walked outside to find a convoy of black vehicles waiting in the circular driveway. Men in expensive suits stood at attention beside the cars.

“Are you going to tell me anything?” I asked as Killian opened the rear door of the lead vehicle.

He waited until we were both seated before answering. The partition between the driver and us was up, giving us privacy.

“There have been rumors circulating for months now,” Killian said, sighing.

I frowned. “What kind of rumors?”

“Word is that the lycan king is finally looking for his mate,” Killian said. “It seems like they might have their eyes set on you.”

“Me?” I echoed, my eyes widening. “The lycan king’s mate?”