Just as I was about to teach these insolent fools a lesson, Damian, who was standing right beside me, suddenly moved.

He seized the leering Alpha by the neck, his golden wolf eyes chilling to the bone.

An Alpha's presence, so powerful it was suffocating, instantly crushed the entire hall into silence.

"Get lost."

The Alpha, terrified by Damian's presence, his knees buckled and he stumbled away.

Aria rushed over and grabbed Damian's arm.

"Damian, what are you doing?"

His eyes remained cold, his oppressive aura not receding in the slightest. "Maintaining order. This is a summit, not your personal hunting ground."

With that, he flung the Alpha away. The man scrambled off without daring to look back.

I couldn't help but glance at Damian. I never thought that inside a body so blinded by ambition and desire, there still remained a flicker of a mate's protective instinct.

Aria looked as if she could have ground her molars to dust, but she quickly composed herself, changing the subject with a bright smile.

"I heard that the supreme Alpha King and the mysterious Luna Queen are in the royal suite upstairs. If we're lucky, we might even catch a glimpse of them later!"

At her words, the entire hall buzzed with excitement.

The Alpha King, the young and powerful supreme ruler, was said to possess an ancient royal bloodline. Though he was only thirty, rumor had it he already had a pure-blooded heir.

As for the legendary Luna Queen, she had never once appeared in public.

"Does that mean we might get to see the Luna Queen? I heard she's a world-class jewelry designer, and that even royals have to be on a waiting list for her work. Oh my gods, I have to get a picture!"

"This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!"

Just then, a squad of elite guards bearing the royal crest escorted a pup into the banquet hall. The entire venue fell silent.

The power of the royal bloodline rolling off him in waves brought every wolf in the room to a state of instinctive reverence.

"That presence... that's definitely the Alpha King's little prince! His bloodline is truly noble!"

The same Alpha who had just harassed me, though scared witless by Damian, still had the gall to taunt me.

"Selene, if it weren't for Aria, an outcast Omega like you would never lay eyes on our noble prince in your entire life! If I were you, I'd get on my knees and thank her right now! Maybe if you make her happy, she'll actually gift you that Beta mate!"

I ignored the fool, my gaze calmly fixed on the young prince.

All the other wolves swarmed forward, fawning over the boy and trying to make a good impression.

Even the high-and-mighty Aria shed all her arrogance, approaching the prince with her most sycophantic tone.

"Your Highness, is there anything you need? I would be honored to assist you."

As she spoke, she began to reach out a hand to touch the prince's cheek.

But what happened next stunned every wolf in the room.

The little pup, flanked by his royal guard, completely ignored the fawning crowd and walked straight through them—directly to me.

His young face broke into the purest smile as he threw himself into my arms without hesitation. "Mommy, you're finally done with work!"