Selene's POV:

I had barely made it out of the party venue before two figures stepped directly into my path.

A dark storm brewed across Theron's striking face, while Sylvia clung tightly to his arm, staring at me like I'd completely lost my mind.

"What the hell are you trying to pull, Selene?" Though Theron kept his voice restrained, the fury simmering underneath every word was impossible to miss. "Four million for a worthless patch of land? You don't know the first thing about investments. You're obviously doing this just to stir up trouble. Do you even realize how ridiculous you've made the Darkclaw Pack look in front of all of Northreach?"

"Exactly," Sylvia chimed in gently beside him, her voice dripping with fake concern. "Four million... do you realize how much that is? That kind of money could freeze the pack's expansion plans for an entire year. Even if you wanted to get Alpha's attention, you shouldn't risk the pack's future over something so reckless."

Staring at the two of them standing there together, I almost wanted to laugh at how shameless they were.

Back in my previous life, words like those would've crushed me. I would've panicked and been desperate to explain myself.

Now, though, the whole accusation sounded downright ridiculous to me.

"His attention?" A faint laugh slipped from my lips as my eyes drifted past Theron and settled squarely on Sylvia. "For starters, I bought that land under my own name. It has absolutely nothing to do with the Darkclaw Pack. And besides…"

I tilted my head slightly, my tone light and almost careless. "To me, four million is barely more than spare change. Did you somehow mistake that amount for a fortune?"

The color instantly drained from Sylvia's face. She had grown up in an ordinary family, and the only reason she had managed to stay close to Theron was because of her Gamma status and the weak, delicate persona she played so well. In her world, four million wasn't just a large amount of money—it was an unimaginable number.

"It's just a little pocket money to a powerful pack. Plenty enough to build a brand-new restroom, wouldn't you say, Selene?" The mocking remark drifted over from the side.

Felix Marsh, the Beta of the Umbra Pack, lounged casually against a stone pillar a short distance away, lazily flipping a gold coin through his fingers with a crooked grin.

His words instantly wiped away the last traces of color lingering on Sylvia's strained face.

Then, a series of heavy footsteps echoed across the floor.

Draven strode toward us.

Even without moving a muscle, Draven exuded a crushing pressure that instantly tightened the air around him.

The terrifying dominance rolling off him was far beyond what Sylvia could handle. Her legs gave out beneath her, and she nearly collapsed into Theron's arms.

A glacial look slid across Draven's face as his eyes brushed past Sylvia before settling directly on Theron. A mocking smirk tugged at his lips. "Mr. Blackwood, don't tell me this fragile lady is your mate. She looks like she'd collapse from a strong breeze."

Dark irritation flashed across Theron's expression.

Almost instinctively, he grabbed my wrist and pulled me against his side. "This is my mate, Selene."

Felix suddenly slapped a hand to his forehead, putting on an exaggerated look of shock. "Ah, so the woman in the red dress is the real Luna? My mistake. For a second there, I thought the Darkclaw Pack had changed its traditions and started letting their Alpha flaunt a lowly Gamma student around public events while the actual Luna got shoved into the background."

Rage instantly darkened Theron's expression. The veins at his temples throbbed violently as he spun toward the Beta of the Darkclaw Pack beside him. "Take Sylvia back. Now."

With wounded eyes, Sylvia looked toward Theron one last time, but under everyone's scornful gazes, she could only leave in humiliation.

"Well then… until next time," Draven murmured lazily. His dangerous eyes settled on me as he spoke, amusement dancing faintly at the corners of his lips.

The second Draven and Felix vanished around the far end of the corridor, I violently shrugged Theron's hand off me.

For a brief moment, he looked stunned. Then the fury burning in his eyes flared right back to life. "Selene, since when did you start associating with Draven?"

"And why exactly should I report that to you?" I rubbed at the angry red marks around my wrist and let out a cold, mocking laugh. "You showed up tonight with your mistress, and I don't remember receiving any explanation for that."

"I already had Beta notify you..."

"Did you notify me of details about the event, or were you really trying to tell me not to show up?" I didn't give him room to explain himself and immediately pressed the matter.

For a long second, Theron said nothing. Then he suddenly closed the distance between us, one powerful hand sliding behind my head as he dragged me firmly against his chest.

Warmth and the sharp, masculine scent of him surrounded me instantly, stirring the dangerous instinct buried deep between mates. Somewhere inside my mind, my wolf whimpered softly with aching desire.

"So that was it?" he murmured, his deep voice smooth and intoxicating near my ear. "Everything you pulled tonight... was just to make me notice you again?"

Slowly, his palm traced down my spine with deliberate familiarity, and the intimate touch sent an uncontrollable tremor through my body.

Before I could react, he kissed me.

There had been a time when I longed desperately for tenderness like this. Back then, this was the kind of warmth I would have sacrificed anything to keep.

His kiss deepened with sudden intensity, carrying his overwhelming desire to reclaim his hold over me. His tongue swept past my lips, stealing every shaky breath as his possessive kisses left my chest tight and burning.

"Give in to him... He's your mate..."

A wild, desperate whine tore through my wolf, the bond between mates pulling at me so fiercely it nearly crushed the last of my restraint. Before I even realized it, my hands had slid up onto his broad shoulders.

The moment I nearly gave in to his kiss, the image of that blood-soaked birthing bed suddenly resurfaced in my mind, together with his merciless voice saying, "That woman and her child mean nothing to me."

A crushing wave of heartbreak suddenly wrapped tightly around my chest, leaving me unable to breathe.

Using every ounce of strength I had left, I shoved him away.

Without the slightest hesitation, I raised my hand and slapped him hard across the face.