I stood in front of the gigantic door leading into Kael Draven's VIP sanctum. I didn't want to believe what awaited me inside.

I was shaking at the thought of it alone. I squeezed my palm and inhaled deeply before I pushed the door open.

I had hoped not to be part of the misery I'd written with my own golden ink. I was a paranormal/fantasy writer, and I knew what this meant. A female lead opening the door on her fated mate, only to be thrown into a chaos that would define her entire existence. I knew this plot too well. Or so I thought.

I was just staring at my husband-to-be, half naked, with my stepsister Vale tangled up beside him on the VIP bed. I'd written hundreds of books with this same scene—described every feeling from instant anger to rage, from icy cold to instant regret.

I was the master of my own game, but playing it felt surreal. I tried to talk and couldn't find my voice. Vale's face twitched with mockery while Kael's held nothing but indifference.

"You didn't tell me you were coming."

As if that would have changed anything. As if it would have been better if I'd been kept completely in the dark, a fool for love.

A cold smirk found my lips. Vale looked enraged.

"I'm wrapped in the arms of your fiancé, the only Alpha of our Silverpine pack, and you just smirked. Aren't you jealous?" she said, clearly frustrated.

She'd put a lot of energy into this, and I wasn't giving her the scene she wanted—the wounded female lead, causing a scene to cling to the side of a cheating scumbag.

I smiled wider.

Kael sat up, buttoning his shirt, and pushed Vale aside. He walked closer to me.

His scent caught in my throat and I fought to block it out. I'd written dozens of werewolf scents into my books, but this tainted, cheating stench had no business existing in my paranormal world—let alone on him, standing this close to me.

"It doesn't matter that you're Alpha Sila's daughter," he murmured against my ear, "and your father a forgotten old elder. You should be grateful I even let you sit beside me."

I trembled—not because he still meant something to me, but because he was every bit as disgusting as the rumors painted him.

I pulled my head away, like I always did. He knew I'd never once acknowledged him. I was only fulfilling a duty he assumed I cherished, because he was a cheating Alpha, and that's all he'd ever be to me.

"What do you expect me to do? Cry and scream like a madwoman to soothe your wounded ego, Alpha Kael?" I asked coldly.

His expression shifted. The proud look he'd worn seconds ago drained into something pale, almost ghostly. Vale strode over and wrapped her arm around him.

"Quit being jealous, Aria. You always think you're better than me. You're just a wolfless omega who has to hide behind writing pathetic books."

I laughed. She was nothing if not entertaining.

"You've got quite the talent, Vale. Why don't you join a circus? I'd pay to watch."

She was livid. Her knuckles curled into fists. Her glare could've sliced through air. I loved every second of it.

"You're just jealous of me! You can't stand that Alpha Kael chose me over you. Admit it."

She wanted so badly to be right, just once. She'd always been the bitter child, scheming since we were kids. I was used to her theatrics by now.

"Don't you know—even if you fuck him a hundred times, I'm still his mate. I was chosen. You weren't."

The jab landed. I saw it prick her, watched her fist twist into her skirt hard enough to leave a crease.

"How sure are you?" she shot back. "What makes you think you're his fated Luna?"

Kael stood in the middle of the chaos, clearly loving it—no doubt convinced he was the greatest thing alive, watching two women fight over him.

I looked at his smug stance, hands in his pockets, one corner of his mouth curled like he'd just won a seat as Lycan King.

"Are you actually choosing Vale over me, Kael?"

He coughed. "I—"

The door flew open. His assistant, Cade Stag, burst in with the urgency of something important.

"Alpha Alaric Duskmoor just entered the pack hall, sir."

Cold sweat broke across Kael's face. He looked more afraid than shocked.

"What's he doing here?"

He straightened himself, trying to look more like a man in control and less like the notorious bastard who'd just defied pack law under his own roof.

I watched his disheveled state, memorizing every pathetic flicker of his expression. It might come in handy.

"You're coming with me," he ordered.

"Me?" Vale's voice rang out, sweet and hopeful.

"No. Aria. You're coming with me."

I folded my arms in defiance. I wasn't about to be used the moment he decided I was useful again.

"And why would I? Walk into that room and expose myself to whatever danger's waiting, for a man I mean nothing to?" I said coldly.

He stared into my eyes, expecting fear. Instead he found something darker—a woman who would never bow to his reign again. He didn't like it, not one bit. He wanted his woman timid, insecure, easy to hold.

He straightened his collar.

"You're my mate, Aria. It's your duty to be there beside me."

That didn't sit well with Vale. She could feel herself becoming the only unimportant person in the room. She looked ready to spit venom.

"You were choosing Vale over me a second ago. Now you need me? Take her. I don't mind."

He started walking out like he'd already gotten the answer he wanted.

"I'm not asking, Aria. It's a command."

...........

The hallway leading to the Pack Hall was strangely quiet, unlike any other day at Draven Holdings. The usual bustle of employees had vanished as though the building itself was holding its breath. The silence was so thick I could almost hear blood rushing through our veins. Every step we took echoed against the polished marble floor, our shoes tapping in a slow, rhythmic beat that only made my racing heart louder.

"You'd better comport yourself when you're standing before Alpha Alaric Duskmoor. Do you understand me?" Kael said without sparing me a glance. His voice was steady, but I could hear the uneasiness hidden beneath it.

"You should be worrying about yourself, Alpha," I replied without hesitation. "If the stories about him are even half true, not even the Moon Goddess herself will be able to save you from the monster you're walking toward."

He stopped and turned his head slowly to look at me. His eyes darkened with a warning that sent a chill crawling down my spine. For a split second, I could almost picture him lunging at me, his fangs buried deep in my throat while I lay there begging for mercy.

His assistant noticed the dangerous silence between us and hurried to break it.

"My Lord," he said cautiously, lowering his head, "Alpha Alaric requested the treasury ledger for the previous fiscal year."

A smug smile tugged at my lips. If I wasn't mistaken, I'd spent the entire last year hearing rumors about him gallivanting around with a bitch who was keeping my Alpha too busy to remember he even had a fiancée. The whispers of him showering The One with expensive gifts had finally caught up with him.

He flinched. The sight alone made my day. I could be somewhere in an open field or tucked away in a quiet coffee shop, writing something worthwhile like The Stupid Alpha Gets What He Deserves, instead of wasting my precious time following the very man who deserved to be the villain in every story I wrote.

"Did you get the treasurer to sign the yellow file?" he asked.

"Yes, my Lord," his assistant replied.

Kael adjusted his tie one last time before giving Cade Stag a nod. Without another word, Cade stepped forward and pushed open the enormous doors leading into the Pack Hall.

I wasn't sure what I'd expected to see. Maybe an old man with too much authority and not enough hair. Maybe someone who snored through meetings while everyone pretended he was terrifying.

The moment the doors swung open, every smart remark I'd prepared died somewhere between my brain and my mouth. The hall was unnaturally quiet, the kind of silence that made you question every bad decision that had led you there. Even Kael, whose ego usually walked into a room five minutes before the rest of him, seemed to shrink. My eyes drifted toward the throne at the far end, but the figure seated there remained buried beneath the shadows, as if darkness itself had decided to become his personal bodyguard.

I had no idea who, or what, was sitting in those shadows... but every instinct I had screamed that my life had just taken a turn no book I'd ever written could have prepared me for.

As I walked beside Kael toward the mysterious Lycan King who had kept his back turned to us the entire time, I noticed something I never thought I'd see.

The backs of the elders were bent in his presence.

Kael dared not breathe too loudly, and neither did his subordinates. I watched as his confident steps became lighter, almost careful, like one wrong move would cost him everything.

The moment he reached him, he bowed deeply. Not the arrogant, half-hearted kind of bow I expected from someone like Kael, but one that looked like the ground would gladly swallow him whole if he dared to disobey.

I still couldn't understand the fuss about a man who hadn't even shown his face yet.

"Your Majesty, welcome to our Silverpine Pack."

I nearly laughed. Thank the Moon Goddess I knew when to fear death because even I wasn't stupid enough to ignore the tension filling the room.

A single drop of sweat slid down Kael's forehead.

I watched it with great interest, almost as if I had discovered a rare species. The great Alpha Kael Draven, the man who thought the world revolved around him, was sweating.

I could frame this moment.

As I continued staring, Kael's irritating voice suddenly reached my ears in a low whisper.

"Bow your head, Aria. Do you want to get yourself killed?"

His teeth were clenched, as if my lack of fear was somehow another problem he had to deal with.

I only lowered my head slightly, making sure to keep the same indifference I had carried since walking into this hall.

Then his cold voice filled the room.

"Kael Draven, Alpha of Silverpine. Do you agree that you are guilty of embezzling the treasury funds?"

My thoughts stopped.

Who was this man?

His voice carried a kind of authority I had never encountered before. Not even the arrogant Alphas I had written about in my books could compare.

"I'm..."

Kael stopped.

For the first time in my life, I watched Alpha Kael Draven struggle to find words.

The corner of my lips almost lifted.

"I do not have time for excuses," the Lycan King said calmly. "It is a simple question. Yes or no."

Only then did he turn around.

And I understood.

The Moon Goddess was definitely biased.

The man before me looked nothing like the terrifying monster I had imagined. Sharp pale blue eyes, a perfectly sculpted jawline, and features so flawless they looked almost unreal.

If Kael was created to be admired, then this man was created to make everyone else question their existence.

I was certain Kael had missed the day the Moon Goddess decided to create masterpieces.

"I understand, Your Majesty."

Kael's nervous reply pulled me away from my thoughts.

Alaric walked toward the high phoenix throne Kael had probably spent a ridiculous fortune on, before taking his seat.

"I will let the fact that you kept me waiting for five minutes slide," he said, adjusting himself comfortably. "I will even overlook the fact that you expected me to sit on this terrible excuse for a throne."

His cold gaze shifted toward Kael.

The expression on Kael's face was priceless. The mighty Alpha looked like he wanted the earth beneath him to open and save him from embarrassment.

"But the missing funds?" Alaric continued. "That is something I cannot overlook."

His eyes moved toward the body lying nearby.

"Your treasurer came to me with a yellow file and a long speech that nearly tested my patience. And do you know what I hate the most?"

He leaned back slightly.

"People who think they can steal from those they serve."

My eyes moved toward Kael.

The same man who had walked into my life believing he was untouchable was now standing frozen, unable to even defend himself.

Then Alaric's gaze shifted toward me.

Something about his stare felt like it could drag someone into the deepest parts of darkness.

But I was a writer.

I had created monsters, villains, ruthless Alphas, and characters with enough intensity to burn through pages.

So instead of fear, I found myself impressed.

"Little girl, what is your name?" he asked.

His voice was calm, almost gentle compared to the weight of his presence.

I lifted my eyes and met his glowing pale blue ones.

"My name is Aria. Aria Ashford."

A small smile appeared on his face.

"Oh. The daughter of Silas Ashford."

His expression changed slightly before he looked away.

"Now, Kael."

His voice turned cold again.

"Did you embezzle the funds or not?"

This time, there was no room for excuses.

The answer had already been decided.

"Ye... yes, Your Majesty."

The sound of Kael's knees hitting the marble floor echoed throughout the hall.

His forehead touched the ground.

"I'm sorry, Your Majesty. I wasn't thinking straight."

Shock was probably written all over my face.

I needed a fresh notebook and my quill.

Because this was a plot twist even I hadn't written before.

The almighty Alpha Kael Draven, the man who believed everyone should bow before him, was now the one kneeling.

And the Lycan King?

He was only getting started.

"My Lord..."

I summoned my courage.

The hall was silent when I stepped forward.

Every eye turned to me, including Kael's. For a moment he looked surprised. He probably expected everyone to watch him fall alone, or probably expected me to stand with the others and condemn him, like they had already decided his fate. But I didn't.

I walked closer. I kept my face calm, pushing back the laughter lingering at the back of my throat.

"My King." I bowed slightly before Alaric. "I know what Kael has been accused of is serious. I won't pretend the evidence looks good."

Kael lowered his head. I watched his jaw tighten.

"But he still deserves a fair hearing."

A murmur spread through the room.

Alaric's eyes narrowed. "You are defending him?"

I glanced at Kael and let my face soften. That was what everyone saw. In my mind, I was already sketching the shape of the story I was about to write him into.

"I am asking for the truth to be heard before judgment is passed."

I felt him more than I saw him. The way his chest rose. The way something in him let go. After everything, after the betrayal and the humiliation, he thought I was still standing beside him.

He had picked the wrong woman to write his ending.

"Aria..." His voice was barely a whisper.

I let him have his gratitude. I didn't correct him.

He didn't know I wasn't saving him. He didn't know this was the last comfort I would ever give him, one small kindness before I watched it all fall apart in his hands.

I already knew where the money went, even who had profited from what he'd done. But I wanted him to stand there first. Hear the room question him. I wanted him to feel the weight of his own choices. Wanted him to believe, just a little longer, that I was still the woman who would fight for him.

"Kael has been an Alpha for years," I continued. "A man in his position makes enemies. It would be foolish to ignore the chance that someone wants to destroy him."

Shock crossed his face. He thought I was protecting his name.

I kept the smile off my face. but the corner of my lip kept curling upward.

Alaric didn't miss it.

"You speak as though you know something the others do not."

I lifted my eyes to him. "Perhaps I know that people are more complicated than their mistakes."

A strange silence followed. Alaric studied me the way he studied everyone, carefully, like he was weighing my worth. Most people who stood before him trembled.

I was not the kind of lady to give anyone the satisfaction they wanted.

I could see the question form on his face. Why would a woman defending a disgraced man look so unafraid? Almost like she was waiting for something.

He was right to wonder.

I had been humoring Kael for a long time now.

I'd watched him stand there with his head held low, not so sure he could talk his way out of this mess. That old confidence was gone. The charm he usually wore like armor couldn't save his sorry ass. Now he stood here, waiting for someone else to save him. The same man who once made others bow was depending on my voice to pull him out of the fire.

If only he knew that every word out of my mouth wasn't a lifeline. It was the blade I'd been sharpening for months.

I let him believe whatever he wanted to believe. After all, some lessons were better learned when the fall came from a higher place.

"Kael deserves a fair hearing," I said, and kept my voice steady.

The room saw compassion. They saw loyalty.

They didn't see the storm underneath it.

They didn't see how much I was enjoying this, watching him struggle, watching his control drain away piece by piece.

For once, Kael Draven had no comeback.

I intended to enjoy every second of it.

"Aria Ashford! You bitch!"

Vale's voice rang through the hall.

"Who is this unmannered rogue barging into my presence?"

Alaric's cold voice rang across the room.

"Talk of the devil," I mumbled under my breath. I couldn't contain the joy bubbling inside me as the scene unfolded before my eyes.

"Are you out of your mind, Vale? Who summoned you?" Kael barked at her.

Pure joy enveloped my mind.

Now let them turn on each other. Tear each other apart by the collars.

"I am just as important as Aria. I'm an Ashford too," she said as she closed the gap between us. "I have every right to be here."

"Interesting."

Alaric leaned back against his throne, a cold smile flashing across his face.

"And you are?" Alaric asked.

The moment Vale stood in front of Alaric, everything in her body turned against her. She dared not look up as she kept her face lowered.

The silence echoed louder than words. My mouth twitched with joy.

"Your Majesty, I am the second daughter of Alpha Silas Ashford, the second commander of the Silverpine Delta's army."

My jaw dropped as low as a burst tyre. Did she really just announce father's title in front of the Lycan King? Was she trying to court death?

Vale's face held an expression that screamed, I will make sure to outshine this bitch today.

Was she crazy?

"Save your father's title for his own pack. Before me, there is only one crown. Mine."

Alaric's cold voice sent chills down everyone's spine.

Vale trembled as her knees hit the cold marble floor.

"I'm sorry, My Lord," she whispered.

Her eyes found mine as she cursed under her breath. I was certain I was the only reason she was still alive. Just how obsessed she was with me.

"You're sorry?" Alaric's voice remained cold. "You dare curse at the fiancée of your Alpha, the very person you are meant to respect. What else are you capable of doing?"

She went quiet. The elders in the hall dared not mumble a word.

Alaric shifted his gaze from Vale to me.

My overworked heart stopped dead in its tracks.

"Come here."

"M... me?"

Vale stammered, pointing her trembling index finger at herself.

Cold sweat broke across her face as she silently begged the Moon Goddess to save her.

"No. You, Aria."

My eyes flashed daggers.

Why me all of a sudden?

A cruel smile tugged at the corner of Vale's trembling lips.

"Now it's your turn to suffer," she mumbled under her breath.

I took a step forward, but somehow his overwhelming presence made me wobble.

He stared deep into my eyes. My gaze shifted several times before settling on the long, intimidating conference table in front of him.

All of a sudden, everything about that table seemed to speak of the overwhelming burden it carried, listening to and bearing witness to the countless disputes of powerful packs.

"Do I look that scary?"

His voice jolted me out of my racing thoughts.

Kael looked as though the Moon Goddess herself had come down to strike him. He looked at me with the kind of pity I hadn't seen in years. Not when he was cheating on me. Not when I was cast aside as useless and a pathetic writer. Not when he told me I was only his fiancée because of my father's influence.

"Who am I not to be scared? You're the Alpha above all Alphas. It's only right that I show you reverence."

Scared of who?

I'm not afraid of anyone.

Not even him.

He held my gaze for a long moment, as though searching for something only he could see.

"Tell me, Aria... will you be my Luna?"

How?

It was the only word that came to mind. I searched my brain for an answer but came up completely clueless.

For the first time, I looked him dead in the eyes.

I couldn't detect anything from those pale blue eyes staring intently at me.

Being caught off guard wasn't exactly my strong suit. I couldn't find the right words.

Right then, I wanted nothing more than to disappear.

Luna to the most powerful Lycan King in the Ironfang Dominion?

That was the kind of wish that only came true in my books. Too many unbelievable things were happening to me all at once today.

At this rate, I definitely needed a therapist with miraculous hands.

Just when I thought I should hang myself and end it all...

I heard it.

His cold, dry chuckle.

The one sound that probably hadn't escaped his lips since the day he was born.

He never laughed. To him, nothing was funny. In this world, you either ate or got eaten. It was your choice.

And Alaric?

He always ate.

Everyone turned toward him, including Kael, who looked like he was one breath away from collapsing.

Vale's mouth fell open in complete shock.

"You should've seen your face."

A joke?

He thought that was funny?

Playing with my feelings wasn't a joke.

"My..."

That was all I managed to say.

I only saw it once.

He waved his hand dismissively at me, as though he were shooing away a mosquito.

So that was it?

He had his fun, and now he was brushing me aside.

An asshole like him would never earn a place in my collection of books neatly stacked on my shelf, let alone become one of my male leads.

Reluctantly, I walked back.

His gaze swept across everyone in the hall before he rose from his seat and headed for the door.

"Kael Draven and Vale Ashford, I'm not done with you yet. Take them to the Truth Room," he ordered the royal Betas guarding the hall.

He stopped just as he reached the door.

Then he turned back to look at me.

"I don't have to hear him out anymore. The truth came walking through the door."

His pale blue eyes shifted briefly to Kael and Vale.

"They made everything easy."

I stood there, frozen, watching his broad back disappear from sight.