Chapter 4

The heavy doors creaked open.

The air in the ballroom instantly turned to ice.

Everyone stared at me. I was covered in blood, my clothes ripped, holding a stained iron pipe.

I walked in, my boots clicking against the marble.

"Emmy! You psychotic bitch!"

Evelyn screamed, rushing toward me with her hand raised to slap me.

"Do you have any idea what you’ve done?! You attacked Alpha James’s guards! You’re going to get us all killed!"

My eyes darkened. I caught her wrist mid-air.

I squeezed.

"Ah! Let go!" Evelyn shrieked, her knees buckling as she sank to the floor.

"When you slapped me at home, did you care if it hurt?" I looked down at her, my voice devoid of emotion. "When you drugged me, did you worry about my life?"

"Now you know how to fear."

Seeing this, Sophia immediately flipped her victim switch. Tears welled up in her eyes as she turned to the crowd.

"Emmy, how can you do this to Mom? Just because you're jealous of my mate bond with James, you can't just assault people!"

"Alpha James is coming. Apologize to Mom right now, and maybe he'll show you mercy."

Still trying to play the innocent princess.

I shoved Evelyn aside and walked straight up to Sophia.

She took a step back, trembling, but tried to hold her ground. "What? What are you going to do? This is Alpha James's territory!"

*SLAP!*

I backhanded her so hard she spun around and hit the floor.

Her cheek swelled instantly, blood trickling from her lip.

"You... you dared to hit me?" she gasped, clutching her face.

"Why wouldn't I?" I crouched down, grabbing her by her hair and forcing her face up.

"Tell everyone, Sophia."

"Tell them how your mother planned to sacrifice my life tonight just to secure your future."

"Tell them where you get the nerve to stand here so proudly."

Sophia thrashed, eyes darting around wildly. "I don't know what you're talking about! Let go of me! Help! Alpha James, help me!"

Right then, the massive entrance at the end of the hall burst open.

An oppressive, suffocating aura flooded the room.

Every werewolf in the hall stopped breathing, instinctively parting to create a path.

A man in a custom black suit walked in, flanked by a dozen elite guards.

His features were sharp, his jawline like carved granite, and his dark eyes burned with a terrifying, lethal coldness.

The Alpha of the Silvermoon Pack, James Anderson.

Sophia gasped, crawling toward him like he was her savior.

"James! James, save me! This crazy woman beat me up, and she attacked your guards!"

"She's a rogue! She doesn't belong here! Throw her out, please!"

Evelyn scrambled over too, bowing low.

"Please forgive us, Alpha James! This girl is mentally unstable. The Vance pack will handle her immediately. We won't let her dirty your sight!"

James didn't even look at them.

His eyes cut through the crowd, locking onto my face.

He saw my torn clothes.

He saw the raw red marks on my wrists.

He saw the bloody pipe in my hand.

The killing intent radiating off him made the entire room tremble.

Brian, nursing his broken ribs, pointed at me. "Alpha! It's her! She's the one who took down our men! You have to—"

"Shut up," James whispered.

It was a quiet command, but it carried absolute, terrifying authority. Brian shut his mouth instantly, breaking into a cold sweat.

Sophia, completely oblivious, kept whining. "James, look at how arrogant she is. She has no respect for you..."

James moved.

His long legs ate up the distance between us.

His leather shoes clicked against the marble, sounding like a countdown to death.

Sophia and Evelyn exchanged a look of pure triumph. They thought James was going to rip me apart himself.

The rest of the crowd shook their heads, silently bidding me farewell.

James stopped right in front of me.

He towered over me, his shadow completely swallowing me up. I stared straight into his dark eyes, refusing to flinch.

Three seconds passed.

And then, before the eyes of everyone in the room.

The most powerful, brutal Alpha in the werewolf kingdom...

...dropped to his knees.

He fell hard, his knees slamming against the marble.

He wrapped his arms tightly around my waist, burying his face into my stomach.

His broad shoulders shook violently.

A low, broken, and desperate voice echoed through the silent ballroom.

"Emmy..."

"You're finally back..."