Sophia POV:

The silence in the ballroom was heavy, suffocating. Hundreds of eyes bore into me—judging, confused, angry.

"Who is she?"

"Is she mad?"

"A Rogue approaching the Supreme Alpha's seat? She has a death wish."

Hailey sprinted in front of me, blocking my path just ten feet from the dais. Her face was twisted in ugly triumph. She wanted a show? She was making one.

"You have no shame!" Hailey screamed, her voice echoing off the vaulted ceiling. She pointed at my wrist, where I wore a new bracelet—this one made of interwoven platinum and diamonds. "Look! She’s wearing more fake jewelry! She’s mocking our customs!"

August caught up, grabbing my arm roughly. "I apologize to everyone!" he shouted to the room, sweating profusely. "This woman is mentally unstable. She is my... ex. She's a human who couldn't handle the rejection. I will remove her immediately."

"Get your hands off me," I said, my voice low and dangerous.

"Or what?" August sneered. "You'll cry? Guards! Drag her out!"

Two Aurelis warriors stepped forward, their muscles tense. They reached for me.

"Don't touch her," I warned.

The first warrior grabbed my shoulder.

*ZAP.*

A pulse of white energy exploded from my skin. It wasn't magic—it was pure, concentrated lineage power. The warrior flew backward as if hit by a truck, crashing into a buffet table.

The crowd gasped.

"She's a witch!" Hailey shrieked. "Kill her!"

Hailey, fueled by jealousy and stupidity, lunged at me. Her claws extended—she shifted partially. She aimed for my face.

I raised my arm to block.

Her claws raked across the back of my hand.

Pain flared. Bright, hot, and stinging.

Blood dripped onto the pristine white marble floor. *Drip. Drip.*

The scent of my blood—rich, powerful, and undeniably *Royal*—wafted through the air conditioning vents.

Suddenly, the air in the room changed.

It grew heavy. Oppressive. It felt like gravity had increased tenfold. The champagne glasses on the tables began to rattle.

A low, terrifying growl vibrated through the floorboards. It didn't come from a wolf in the room. It came from outside.

*BOOM.*

The double doors at the main entrance slammed open, not blown off their hinges, but forced wide by a wave of raw, kinetic power. Wood splinters rained down on the guests.

A shadow stood in the doorway.

He was massive. Over six foot five, with broad shoulders that blocked out the light. He wore a black tactical suit that strained against his muscles. His eyes were glowing a vibrant, predatory gold.

Ryder.

And in his arms, holding a small stuffed wolf, was a three-year-old boy with messy dark hair and eyes that matched his father's.

"Daddy," the boy said, his voice small but clear in the terrified silence. "I smell Mommy's blood."

Ryder stepped into the room. The temperature dropped twenty degrees.

He didn't look at the crowd. He didn't look at the other Alphas who were instinctively bowing their heads, exposing their necks in submission.

His golden eyes locked onto me. Then, they shifted to the blood on my hand. Finally, they landed on Hailey, who was standing there with my blood under her fingernails.

"KNEEL."

The command wasn't spoken. It was a thunderclap of Alpha power.

Every wolf in the room slammed to the floor, forced down by the sheer weight of his voice. August collapsed, his forehead hitting the marble with a crack. Hailey fell flat on her stomach, gasping for air.

Only I remained standing.

Ryder walked toward me, the crowd parting like the Red Sea for the god of death.

*

Ryder POV:

The scent of her blood drove me insane. It was a sweet, copper tang that triggered every protective instinct in my biology. My wolf, *Fenrir*, was clawing at the back of my mind, demanding slaughter.

*Who touched her? Who dared to spill the blood of my soul?*

I walked through the sea of prostrate bodies. They were nothing to me. Insects.

I reached Sophia. She looked pale, but her eyes were fierce. She was beautiful. My Goddess.

I dropped to one knee in front of her—me, the Supreme Alpha, kneeling before a woman in front of the entire council.

The room gasped, but no one dared to look up.

"Sophia," I breathed, my voice rough with suppressed rage. I gently took her injured hand. The sight of the three claw marks made my vision swim with red.

"I'm okay, Ryder," she whispered, her other hand coming up to cup my cheek. Her touch was the only thing anchoring me to sanity.

"Mommy!"

Darren wiggled out of my arm and jumped down. He didn't care about the politics. He ran to Sophia and hugged her legs, burying his face in her dress.

"Who hurt you?" Darren asked, pulling back. His little toddler voice was trying to be scary, but his eyes were wet. He looked at the floor and saw a small diamond that had fallen from Sophia's bracelet during the scuffle.

He picked it up and growled. A tiny, high-pitched growl, but it carried the weight of my bloodline.

I stood up, pulling Sophia into my side, shielding her from the world. I turned to face the room.

"Rise," I commanded coldly.

Slowly, terrifyingly, the wolves began to stand, their legs shaking.

August was trembling so hard he could barely stay upright. He looked at me, then at Sophia, his eyes bulging out of his head.

"Supreme Alpha..." August stammered. "We... we didn't know. She... she came in unannounced. She's a Rogue! She attacked us!"

"A Rogue?" I repeated, the word rolling off my tongue like poison.

I looked at Sophia. "Did they call you a Rogue, my love?"

"They did," Sophia said calmly. "And a beggar. And human trash."

I released a dark, humorless laugh that made the Aurelis Alpha—August’s father, who looked ready to faint—whimper.

"This woman," I announced, my voice booming to the rafters, "is Sophia Weyland. She is my Fated Mate. She is the Luna of the Lymerian Pack. And she is the mother of my heir."

Silence. Absolute, horrified silence.

August’s face went grey. "No... that's impossible. She has no wolf. I rejected her! She is defective!"

I narrowed my eyes. "You rejected her?"

"Yes!" August cried, sweat pouring down his face as he realized the depth of his mistake, yet his ego refused to let him stop. "Three years ago! She is a latent! She is useless!"

I released a pulse of Alpha aura, focused entirely on August. He collapsed to his knees again, clutching his chest, gasping as if his lungs were being crushed.

"She is not useless," I snarled. "She is the White Wolf."

I ripped off my expensive dress shirt, buttons popping and scattering across the floor. I didn't care. I wrapped the silk shirt around Sophia’s bleeding hand, tying it gently.

"You hurt her," I said to Hailey, who was sobbing silently on the floor. "You drew Royal blood."

"I... I didn't mean to..." Hailey choked out.

"Aurelis Pack," I addressed the room, my voice final. "You have insulted my Luna. You have injured her. You have questioned her lineage."

I pulled Sophia closer, kissing her forehead.

"Pray to the Moon Goddess," I whispered, staring directly at August. "Because I am going to make you wish you had never been born."

Sophia leaned into me, pointing a finger at August and Hailey.

"They offered me a job, Ryder," she said softly, her voice carrying in the silent hall. "They wanted me to be their maid."

My vision went red.

"Kill them," my wolf roared. "Kill them all."

*

Sophia POV:

The silence in the ballroom was heavy enough to crush bones. The air smelled of ozone and terrified sweat.

August was trembling on the floor, his forehead pressed against the cold marble. Hailey was sobbing into her hands, her makeup smearing like war paint gone wrong.

Just then, a man in white robes sprinted into the room, flanked by two of Ryder's elite Shadow Guards. It was the Royal Healer. He took one look at Ryder’s face and nearly dropped his medical kit.

"My King," the Healer stammered, bowing low. "I came as fast as I could."

"Fix her," Ryder commanded, pointing to my hand.

The Healer rushed to me. His hands were shaking so badly he could barely open the disinfectant.

"Careful," Darren growled from beside me. My three-year-old son was watching the Healer’s every move, his little body tense, ready to attack if the man caused me pain.

"It's just a scratch, Ryder," I said softly. I reached out with my good hand and touched Ryder’s arm.

The contact sent a spark through me—the electric touch of the Mate Bond. It was grounding.

Ryder flinched, then leaned into my touch. He closed his eyes, inhaling my scent.

"They made you bleed," he murmured, his voice thick with the dual tones of man and wolf. "My wolf wants to tear this building down brick by brick."

"I know," I whispered. "But look at them."

I gestured to the room. Hundreds of powerful wolves were still visibly shaking, terrified of his wrath.

"They know who is King," I said. "Now let them see who is Queen."

Ryder opened his eyes. The gold faded slightly, returning to a human hazel. He took a deep breath, reining in his murderous aura.

"Get up," he barked at the crowd.

The sound of hundreds of people scrambling to their feet filled the room. But August remained on his knees, staring at the floor, sweat dripping from his nose. He knew his reckoning had just begun.

Ryder gestured to the throne that the Aurelis staff had frantically polished. He sat, pulling me onto his lap without hesitation. He kept my bandaged hand resting on his knee, a visual reminder of their crime.

"Now," Ryder said, his voice low and deadly. "We start the trial."

*