One month. That's all it took to bury Delaney Rose and resurrect someone new in her place.

I stood before the ornate mirror in my brother's palace, barely recognizing the woman who stared back at me. Gone was the simple blue dress and gentle smile. In their place stood a figure draped in a tailored charcoal suit that hugged every curve of my body, my hair swept into a severe knot at the nape of my neck.

"How do I look?" I asked Fletcher, who stood behind me with a mixture of pride and concern in his eyes.

"Like a Lycan Princess," he replied, adjusting the platinum emblem of the Royal Court on my lapel. "Remember, you're not just doing this for revenge. You're doing it because they violated our laws."

I nodded, touching the spot where Colson's promise ring once sat. "I know."

The Shadow Ridge Pack House loomed before us as our convoy pulled through the gates. I could see them waiting—Alpha Marcus Sterling, his son Colson, and the pack elders. Their faces showed confusion as they scanned the vehicles for the "Royal Representative" my brother had warned them about.

I stepped out first, feeling the weight of their stares. The whispers began immediately.

"Is that...?"

"It can't be..."

"The Proxy is..."

Their words died as I approached, my aura unfurling around me like a living thing. The power of my royal bloodline—once suppressed for Colson's comfort—now crashed against them in waves. One by one, they lowered their gazes, their bodies instinctively submitting to a higher power.

Colson stood last, his face draining of color as recognition dawned. His eyes widened, mouth opening and closing without sound.

"Delaney?" he finally managed, his voice barely audible.

I walked past him without acknowledgment, my heels clicking against the marble floor of the entrance hall.

"Welcome, Lady Rose," Alpha Sterling said, bowing deeply. "We weren't expecting..."

"The King's sister?" I finished for him, my voice cool and detached. "I am Lady Rose, Proxy to the King. I trust you've prepared the necessary accommodations."

---

"The security protocols for the eastern perimeter are inadequate," I stated, gesturing to the holographic display that hovered above the desk—my desk now. "And these financial reports show troubling discrepancies."

I looked up to find Colson shifting uncomfortably in the guest chair across from me. How strange to see him there, in his own office, relegated to a subordinate position.

"The previous security arrangements were sufficient," Valeria interjected from her place behind Colson. She'd been hovering there for the past hour, her hand possessively resting on his shoulder.

I raised an eyebrow. "The previous arrangements were under your father's supervision, I believe?"

She lifted her chin. "My father has served this pack faithfully for twenty years."

"Twenty years of incompetence, apparently." I tapped the display, zooming in on a section of the border. "These surveillance gaps are large enough to drive a tank through."

Colson leaned forward. "Delaney—"

"Lady Rose," I corrected him sharply. "Address me properly."

His jaw tightened. "Lady Rose, perhaps we could discuss this privately—"

"There's nothing private to discuss." I stood, walking around the desk to tower over them. "Your father's security contracts are terminated, effective immediately. I've reassigned them to Blackthorn Security."

Valeria's face contorted with rage. "You can't do that!"

"I just did." I smiled thinly. "Oh, and the quarterly payments from those contracts? They'll be redirected to fund the pack's medical facility instead of lining your family's pockets."

---

"Emergency pack meeting in ten minutes," I announced, striding through the corridors with two Royal Enforcers at my heels. "Every ranking member is required to attend."

The pack hall filled quickly, murmurs of confusion rippling through the crowd. I took my place at the center of the platform, my enforcers flanking me like statues.

"Three hours ago," I began without preamble, "the northern border was breached."

Gasps echoed through the hall. Colson straightened, confusion crossing his features.

"A simulated breach," I clarified, "conducted by Royal Enforcers on my authority."

The holographic display activated, showing footage of the border checkpoint—unguarded, vulnerable, with no response to the staged incursion for nearly twenty minutes.

"Where was the future Alpha during this crisis?" I asked, though I already knew the answer. My intelligence network had reported Colson and Valeria's spa day excursion that morning.

"I—" Colson started, rising from his seat.

"Sit down," I commanded, my voice carrying the weight of royal authority. "You were indulging in personal distractions while your territory remained undefended."

Valeria's face flushed crimson as whispers spread through the hall.

"This negligence cannot stand," I continued, my gaze sweeping over the assembled pack members. "The safety of this territory is now under direct royal oversight."

As the meeting adjourned, I caught Colson's furious glare. But beneath it lurked something else—fear.

Good. Let him fear. This was only the beginning.

The charity auction was supposed to be Colson's moment to shine—the future Alpha demonstrating his generosity to the pack. I watched from the back of the hall as he took the stage, Valeria clinging to his arm like a trophy.

"Today's final item," the auctioneer announced, "is a unique piece donated anonymously."

The lights dimmed as a spotlight illuminated a small glass case. Inside, on black velvet, lay a familiar silver band with a crescent moon setting—Colson's promise ring. The one he'd given me three years ago. The one Valeria had knocked from my finger that night in the garden.

"A trinket of broken promises," I'd written in the donation note. "May it find a worthy owner."

A ripple of recognition moved through the crowd. Someone whispered, "Isn't that..."

Colson froze mid-sentence, his eyes locked on the display. Valeria's grip on his arm tightened visibly.

"This delicate silver ring features a moonstone setting," the auctioneer continued, oblivious to the tension. "Starting bid at five hundred dollars."

I raised my paddle from the shadows.

"One thousand," I called, my voice carrying across the suddenly silent room.

Colson's head snapped toward me, his face paling. "Two thousand," he countered, his voice strained.

"Five thousand," I replied calmly.

The bidding escalated rapidly. Ten thousand. Twenty thousand. The pack members watched in confusion as their future Alpha and the Royal Proxy engaged in a heated contest over a simple ring.

"Fifty thousand," Colson finally growled, his composure cracking.

I lowered my paddle with a small smile. "It's yours."

After the auction, as Colson handed over the pack funds—money meant for infrastructure and security—I approached the microphone.

"Interesting use of pack resources," I remarked, loud enough for everyone to hear. "Buying back personal items at taxpayer expense. I wonder what the Council would think about such... creative allocation of funds."

The whispers started immediately. I caught fragments as I walked away:

"...using our money..."

"...personal vanity project..."

"...not how an Alpha should lead..."

---

"Merit over Rank," I announced to the assembled high-ranking females. "Effective immediately."

Valeria stood at the front of the group, her posture rigid with barely contained fury.

"This means," I continued, "that all positions will be earned through demonstrated ability, not inherited status."

I gestured to the training mat I'd had installed in the main hall. "Starting with combat assessments. Standard for all high-ranking females."

Valeria stepped forward. "I don't need to prove myself to anyone."

"Then you'll hold no rank in this pack," I replied simply.

She spat at my feet. "I'm the future Luna."

"You're an acting Beta with delusions of grandeur." I turned to the others. "Who will demonstrate the assessment first?"

A young Delta stepped forward—Kira, I recalled. Quiet, skilled, but overlooked because of her rank.

"Perfect," I said. "Valeria, you're up."

The fight lasted less than two minutes. Valeria, accustomed to using her status rather than her skills, crumpled under Kira's efficient attack. She lay panting on the mat as the pack watched in stunned silence.

"Results noted," I said, my voice echoing in the quiet hall. "Valeria Gibson, you are hereby stripped of acting Luna privileges."

Her scream of rage made the windows rattle.

"You'll report to inventory management tomorrow," I continued. "Standard Beta duties. You'll work alongside the Omegas on rotation."

"Inventory management?" she choked. "That's—that's menial work!"

"Ah, but you'll be doing it with the same Omegas you used to torment," I replied softly. "How fitting."

---

The hospital corridor was quiet as I made my daily visit to Nia's room. Dr. Chen met me at the door.

"No change," she said gently.

I nodded, taking my usual seat beside Nia's bed. Her face was peaceful in repose, the machines monitoring her vital signs creating a steady rhythm in the room.

"I brought fresh flowers," I told her, arranging daffodils in the vase by her window. "Yellow ones. You always said they reminded you of sunshine."

I took Nia's hand in mine, careful to avoid disturbing the IV line.

"The pack is changing," I whispered. "Little by little."

I caught Dr. Chen watching me from the doorway and gave her a sad smile.

"Did you know," I said, loud enough for her to hear, "that the Moon Goddess punishes those who reject their mates?"

Dr. Chen's eyes widened slightly.

"She takes what matters most," I continued, stroking Nia's hair. "My pup... our future..."

I let my voice break on the last word, watching as Dr. Chen's expression shifted from professional detachment to something closer to sympathy.

"Such a shame," she murmured, glancing at Nia's still form. "All this violence over a mate bond."

"Violence," I repeated softly. "Yes. Violence that cost me everything."

As Dr. Chen left, I noticed the nurses exchanging glances. By tomorrow, everyone would know that Colson's rejection had cost me my unborn child—without me ever having to say it directly.

The whispers had begun.

The pressure was mounting. I could feel it in the air, thick and suffocating, as Colson's control over the pack continued to slip through his fingers. The whispers had grown louder, the sideways glances more frequent. His authority was crumbling, and he knew it.

I was walking down the east corridor when I heard his footsteps behind me, heavy and hurried. I didn't turn around until he was close enough that I could smell his cologne—the same scent that once made my heart race but now only reminded me of betrayal.

"Delaney!" His voice cracked with desperation. "This ends now."

I paused, folding my hands neatly in front of me. "Does it?"

He moved to block my path, his face flushed with anger and fear. "You're destroying everything I've worked for."

"No, Colson. You did that yourself the night you rejected me."

His eyes darkened, and I felt the familiar pressure of his Alpha voice as he tried to command me. "As your Alpha, I order you to stop this campaign against me!"

The air around us seemed to thicken as his command washed over me—and then rebounded. My Lycan aura flared in response, a visible ripple in the air that slammed him against the wall without me lifting a finger.

He gasped, his eyes wide with shock as he struggled against the invisible force pinning him in place.

"You have no authority over me," I whispered, stepping closer. "You never did."

I watched the realization dawn on his face—the understanding that he had never truly had power over me, only what I had willingly given him.

"Valeria," he spat suddenly, his voice venomous. "This is her fault. She tempted me, pushed me into this."

I raised an eyebrow, watching as he began to unravel before my eyes. "How convenient to blame the woman you chose over me."

"She's nothing!" he snarled, his composure cracking completely. "A power-hungry bitch who—"

"Colson!" Valeria's voice cut through the hallway like a whip. She stood at the far end, her face contorted with rage. "How dare you!"

The argument escalated quickly, their voices echoing off the marble walls as pack members peeked out of doorways to witness their future Alpha and his mistress tearing into each other.

"You promised me Luna status!" Valeria shrieked, her carefully cultivated image shattering. "You said we'd rule together!"

"I can't even rule myself right now!" Colson roared back.

I slipped away as they continued their public spectacle, a small smile playing at my lips. The wedge had been driven deeper than I'd anticipated.

---

"The transfer is complete," I told Fletcher over our secure line, watching the numbers settle in the pack's financial system. "Five million to the 'Alpha Discretionary Spending' account."

"And the trace is active?" he asked.

"Of course." I tapped my screen, showing him the digital breadcrumbs I'd embedded in the transaction. "If either of them accesses it, we'll know immediately."

The honey pot was set. Five million dollars—enough to fund Valeria's lavish lifestyle for years, enough to tempt even the most cautious thief.

"Are you sure she'll take the bait?" Fletcher asked.

"She'll take it," I replied confidently. "Her position is precarious now. She needs money to rebuild her influence."

I didn't have to wait long. Three days later, the alert came through—a series of small transfers, each just below reporting thresholds, flowing out of the discretionary account and into an offshore shell company.

"Got her," I murmured, tracking the digital footprint. The access codes used belonged to Colson, but the timing coincided perfectly with Valeria's solo visits to the pack office.

I sat back, watching the numbers drain away. "Let her take it all," I told Fletcher. "The more she steals, the deeper the hole she digs."

---

The negotiation dinner with the Silver Creek Pack was Colson's last chance to salvage his reputation. I arrived early, arranging myself at the table with quiet confidence as he fidgeted with his tie across the room.

Alpha Donovan of Silver Creek entered with his delegation, nodding respectfully to me before acknowledging Colson.

"Lady Rose," he said warmly. "I wasn't expecting to see you here."

"The Lycan King takes interest in all border negotiations," I replied smoothly.

Colson stepped forward, clearly irritated at being overlooked. "Alpha Donovan, thank you for coming. I believe we can arrange a mutually beneficial trade agreement."

The discussion began, with Colson proposing increasingly desperate terms—concessions that would have bankrupted Shadow Ridge within months.

"Excuse me," I interrupted as Colson offered access to our hunting grounds. "Perhaps we should clarify the terms in the ancient tongue, as is customary for binding agreements."

I switched seamlessly to the flowing syllables of the wolf tongue, speaking directly to Alpha Donovan.

His eyes widened slightly. "You honor us with your knowledge, Lady Rose."

Colson's face darkened as he realized he couldn't follow the conversation.

"Alpha Donovan is concerned," I translated, though my words were anything but neutral. "He believes your proposal would leave Shadow Ridge vulnerable to economic collapse within three seasons."

"What?" Colson sputtered. "That's not—"

"Furthermore," I continued in the ancient language, "he questions whether someone who would sacrifice his territory's wellbeing for short-term gain is fit to lead."

Alpha Donovan rose abruptly, his delegation following suit. "We cannot do business with those who do not understand our ways or respect our traditions," he said stiffly, before turning to me. "Perhaps the Lycan King would consider a direct alliance with Silver Creek instead."

As they left, Colson's face contorted with rage and humiliation. "What did you say to them?"

I gathered my documents calmly. "Only the truth, Colson. Something you seem to have forgotten."