The air in the auditorium became thick with the scent of hostility and bruised egos. The angry Alpha did not lower his finger.

"You are a fraud!" he bellowed. "You lure us here with the promise of the King, only to serve us a list of empty demands for money. You have deceived the elite of the Western Packs!"

A murmur of agreement rippled through the crowd. Other Alphas stood up, their faces twisted with matching expressions of disdain.

"He is right!" another shouted from the middle of the hall. "This is deception, plain and simple!"

"We demand a public apology!" said another Alpha. "You have used the Wolfe name to defraud your people. You are trying to squeeze our coffers dry for your so-called club! You have wasted our time and insulted our intelligence!"

"Disgraceful," a woman near the front spat. "Using a man’s name and reputation while he isn’t even present to confirm it. What kind of queen does something like that?"

The accusations flew back and forth as some well-meaning Alphas and Lunas tried to calm the chaos, silently supporting the Queen.

The bodyguards were still trying to hold the line, but the crowd was pressing and the noise was rising and the auctioneer on the stage had gone completely still, unsure whether to speak or simply disappear.

Kira stood frozen, heart pounding so hard she could feel it in her throat. Her hands trembled at her sides as she tried to control her emotions.

Luna Cassie and a few Lunas and Alphas were standing for her too. Their presence gave Kira a tiny spark of courage, but it was not nearly enough to drown out the growing storm.

Alpha Braxton, seeing the danger that might erupt soon, gently took Kira’s elbow.

"Come, Your Highness," he murmured. "Let’s move you away from this for a moment."

Kira allowed him to guide her a few steps toward the side exit, her legs feeling strangely heavy. The angry men were still shouting with fury.

"What’s going on here!"

An authoritative voice cut through the chaos. The entire hall fell silent in an instant. Every head turned toward the main entrance.

There stood Lady Genevieve Wolfe, with the effortless grace of a woman who had ruled Dravengard for decades.

She moved through the entrance in an exquisite midnight-blue gown that caught the light with every step, a soft mink shawl sitting across her shoulders.

Her silver-blonde bob was slightly mussed, as though she had dressed in haste, but the rest of her made up for it entirely. She walked the way she always walked, like the ground was doing her a favour by being there.

Kai was at her side in a white suit and black shirt, hands easy in his pockets, his blonde hair perfect, wearing an expression that managed to be both deeply amused and faintly dangerous at the same time.

Connor followed a step behind, scanning the crowd with sharp eyes.

The moment people recognised her; the silver hair, the unmistakable aura of the Wolfe matriarch, silence dropped over the auditorium like a heavy curtain.

Then, slowly, one by one, everyone rose to their feet. Alphas who had been shouting seconds ago, Betas, Lunas, and students alike bowed in one slow, spreading motion, the way a field of grass bends when the wind decides to move through it.

Jessica, standing just behind Kira, had stopped paying attention to the Alphas entirely.

Her eyes had found Kai the moment he walked through the door, and they had not moved since.

Inside her, her wolf stirred with a violence she had never felt before, a force that nearly knocked the breath out of her. The beast was pacing behind her ribs, howling a single word over and over:

Mate.

Jessica stood absolutely motionless, staring at him. The handsome man in the white suit and black shirt. The easy way he held himself. The blue eyes that were currently sweeping the room with that particular mix of charm and alertness.

His scent reached her from across the hall, an intoxicating cedar and sandalwood. Her knees made a private decision to consider giving up.

She clutched the fabric of her skirt as she watched him approach.

Kira was the first to snap out of her shock. She pulled gently from Alpha Braxton’s supportive hold and rushed forward.

"Nana!"

She threw her arms around the older woman in a careful but heartfelt embrace.

Nana laughed softly, patting Kira’s back with genuine warmth.

"Oh, my darling girl."

Kira hugged her tighter, breathing in the familiar scent of lavender and comfort, her eyes stinging with a fresh wave of tears—this time, they were tears of pure relief.

"I thought you weren’t coming."

Nana pulled back just enough to look at her, thumbs gently brushing away the last traces of tears on Kira’s cheeks.

"Can you believe it? I felt so tired all of a sudden — must have been something I ate. I lay down for five minutes and slept right through until Kai practically dragged me out of bed."

She shook her head, a fond smile playing on her lips. "I can’t fathom why that happened tonight of all nights. I’m so sorry, my dear."

Kira shook her head fiercely, fresh tears slipping down despite her efforts. "You shouldn’t have bothered coming if you weren’t feeling well."

"Nonsense." Nana waved one elegant hand. "I wouldn’t miss my daughter-in-law’s event for anything in the world. You’ve done a wonderful thing here, dear."

The simple words landed like sunlight after days of rain. Kira buried her face in Nana’s shoulder again, weeping quietly now.

The relief was so sharp it almost hurt. For the first time that evening, the crushing weight on her chest began to lift.

"I was getting scared," she confessed in a muffled voice. "I thought... I thought maybe you’d all decided to abandon me."

"Never," Nana murmured, stroking her hair with motherly tenderness. "Not for a second." She pulled back and cupped Kira’s face again. "Now, dry those eyes. A queen doesn’t weep in front of her subjects."

Kira sniffled and nodded, managing a watery smile as she wiped her face. She felt a hundred times lighter already.

Meanwhile, Kai had drawn the attention of a small group of young, admiring lycan girls. He flashed them that easy, charming grin, taking one’s hand and kissing the back of her palm and smiling at whatever she said.

Jessica watched it, and something hot and entirely unreasonable moved through her chest. She pressed her lips together. Her wolf snarled.

Did he not feel it? Did he not realise his mate was standing right there? Or was he purposely ignoring the bond that was screaming in her blood?

She spun on her heel, curls bouncing, and marched toward the backstage curtains before she did something stupid.

Kai, mid-sentence with the girl, caught movement at the edge of his vision. He turned his head just in time to see a flash of ginger curls disappear behind the curtains.

He watched the curtain settle back into place and his brow creased, very slightly.