Elana POV

I refused to stay in the infirmary. And I certainly didn’t degrade myself by moving to the servant’s quarters.

Instead, I retreated to my office. I slept on the distressed leather couch, my back against the cushions, and I barricaded the door.

For a week, I was a ghost haunting my own workspace. I existed on stale coffee and adrenaline, working by the glow of my laptop screen. I gathered evidence, tracing the complex webs of money trails I had frozen before the fallout.

My leg throbbed with a constant, dull rhythm, but I refused the pain meds from the pack clinic. I didn’t trust anything they gave me. Paranoia was my new survival instinct.

Today was the Annual Pack Auction. It was a high-society spectacle where artifacts, jewels, and rare magical items were sold to raise capital for the region. It was the biggest social event on the calendar.

I wasn’t supposed to go. A “cripple” ruins the aesthetic of perfection the Obsidian Pack tries so hard to project.

But Ayla Guy was there.

She met me at the entrance of the grand hall, a beacon of defiance. Ayla was tall, her striking red hair cascading over the shoulders of a sharp, tailored suit that screamed old money and lethal power. She was a high-ranking Beta in the Alpine Pack—a territory much wealthier and militarily stronger than Obsidian.

“You look like hell, honey,” Ayla said, her voice dropping to a sympathetic purr as she pulled me into a hug.

“Nice to see you too,” I grimaced, shifting my weight to adjust my crutches.

“I got you something,” she whispered, slipping a small velvet box into my hand.

Inside lay a necklace strung with ancient, polished bone fragments.

“Wolf bone,” she murmured, her eyes serious. “From a warrior ancestor. It wards off malice and ill will.”

I clasped it around my neck. It felt strangely warm against my skin, a small comfort in the cold.

We entered the hall. The chatter died down instantly, replaced by the heavy silence of judgment.

I held my head high. I was wearing a sleek, floor-length black dress that concealed my cast, though the rhythmic *clack-clack* of my crutches gave me away.

Emilio and Hayden were seated at the front table, holding court. Hayden wore a white gown that looked suspiciously like a wedding dress, practically glowing under the chandeliers, dripping in diamonds that weren't hers.

Emilio saw me. His jaw tightened, a muscle feathering in his cheek.

The auction began. Paintings, marble statues, ancient iron daggers—the usual displays of wealth.

Then, the auctioneer unveiled the main event.

“Item 405. The Tear of the Moon Goddess.”

A reverent hush fell over the room.

It was a blue diamond, raw and uncut, suspended in a cage of filigree silver. Legend said it enhanced the bond between Mates and drastically increased fertility.

Hayden gasped, the sound audible in the quiet hall. She turned to Emilio, placing a theatrical hand on her flat stomach. “Oh, Emilio... it’s beautiful. Imagine what it would do for... us.”

She glanced back at me, a smirk playing on her lips.

“But it’s so expensive,” she said, pitching her voice to carry. “Maybe we shouldn’t.”

Emilio puffed out his chest, playing the role of the provider. “Nothing is too good for my family.”

He raised his paddle. “Fifty thousand.”

The crowd murmured in appreciation.

I felt a surge of bile rise in my throat. That was pack money. *My* money. The funds I had painstakingly saved by renegotiating contracts and cutting costs on foundation materials—savings he was now blowing on a rock for his mistress.

I raised my paddle.

“Sixty thousand,” I said.

My voice rang out clear, cutting through the murmurs.

Heads snapped toward me.

Emilio turned, his eyes flashing a dangerous red. “Elana, sit down.”

“Seventy thousand,” Emilio countered, his voice tight.

“Eighty,” I said instantly.

“One hundred thousand!” Emilio roared, losing his composure.

The room was buzzing with electric tension. The “Future Luna” and the Alpha bidding against each other? It was a scandal in real-time.

“One hundred and fifty thousand,” I said calmly.

Emilio stood up, knocking his chair back. “Two hundred thousand!”

I didn't blink. I raised my paddle again. “Two hundred and fifty.”

“Sold!” the auctioneer shouted, sweating profusely. “To Lady Elana!”

I smirked. I had won. I would take that stone and crush it to dust before I let Hayden wear it.

The auctioneer approached with the mobile card machine. I reached for my payment card, triumph coursing through me.

*Buzz.*

My phone vibrated against my hip.

I glanced down.

[Notification: Bank of Obsidian. Transaction Declined. Account Frozen.]

I froze. The blood drained from my face.

*“Did you think I wouldn't secure my assets, Elana?”* Emilio’s voice slid into my mind via the link, dripping with malice. *“You are nothing without me. You own nothing. You are nothing.”*

The auctioneer was waiting, shifting uncomfortably. “Ms. Thomas?”

“Try again,” I said, my voice shaking despite my best efforts.

He swiped it again. A harsh beep echoed.

“Declined, ma'am.”

The whispers started, like snakes hissing in the grass.

“She’s broke.”

“Emilio finally cut her off.”

“How embarrassing.”

Ayla stepped forward, her face thunderous. “I’ll pay for it.” She whipped out her Alpine Pack black card.

*Buzz.*

Ayla checked her phone, her eyes widening in shock.

*“Any interference from outsiders will be considered an act of economic aggression against the Obsidian Pack,”* Emilio announced via *Mind-Link*, projecting his voice to every wolf in the room. *“Transaction blocked.”*

He had blocked external transfers at the venue. He controlled the network. He had trapped us.

Emilio walked up to the podium with a slow, predatory grace. He pulled out a checkbook.

“I apologize for my... associate’s confusion,” he said smoothly to the crowd, slipping on his mask of benevolence. “She is unwell. I will cover the cost. And the stone...”

He turned and walked over to Hayden.

“...belongs to the true heart of this pack.”

He clasped the necklace around Hayden’s neck. The blue diamond rested against her throat, mocking me.

The crowd erupted in applause. They cheered for his “generosity.” They cheered for his “mercy” in covering my public failure.

I stood there, leaning heavily on my crutches, stripped of my dignity, my money, and my pride.

Hayden touched the stone, looking at me with a sickening, mock pity.

Emilio leaned in close to my ear, his breath hot against my skin. “You are a wolf-less cripple, Elana. You exist because I allow it. Go back to your room.”

Tears pricked my eyes, hot and stinging, but I refused to let them fall. I would not give him that satisfaction.

“You think this is power, Emilio?” I whispered back, my voice trembling with rage.

His eyes narrowed.

“Buying shiny things for your whore with stolen money?”

His hand twitched, as if he wanted to strike me right there.

“Watch your back,” I said.

I turned and hobbled out of the hall. The applause for them sounded like rolling thunder behind me, a soundtrack to my exile.

Ayla walked beside me, her hand gripping my shoulder like a vice. “I’m going to kill him,” she growled, her wolf surfacing in her voice.

“No,” I said, staring straight ahead at the exit doors.

“Death is too easy. I’m going to take everything he has. His reputation. His pack. His pride.”

I touched the bone necklace Ayla gave me. It was cold now.

“I’m done playing defense.”

Elana POV

For three days following the auction, I didn't leave my room.

To the pack, it looked like I was cowering in shame. The gossip mill was relentless, grinding on just outside my door.

*“Did you see her face?”*

*“Emilio is a saint for putting up with her.”*

*“Hayden is so much better suited for him.”*

I let them talk. Their voices didn't break me; they fueled me.

My room was dark, lit only by the cold, blue glow of three monitors I had set up. I wasn't hiding. I was hunting.

I had bugged the Alpha suite months ago. Not because I suspected infidelity back then, but because I was the architect. I needed to monitor the structural integrity and airflow of the renovation.

Now, those environmental sensors were my eyes and ears.

I watched the screen.

Hayden was in the kitchen, mixing something into a ceramic tea pot. She pulled a small vial from the lining of her bra.

I zoomed in.

The label was worn, but I recognized the symbol immediately. *Moonshade.*

It was a rare herb used to mask scents. Specifically, it masks the scent of *other* wolves on your skin.

Why would a "loyal" Mate need to mask scents inside her own pack house?

I saved the clip to an encrypted drive.

Then, I pulled up the financial records. Emilio had frozen my accounts, but he forgot that I built the firewall for the bank. A back door is only useful if you know where the key is.

I traced the "defense budget" withdrawals. They weren't going to contractors. They were being funneled in small, inconspicuous increments to a private account under the name "L.T. Trust."

Leo Thomas.

He was siphoning pack funds to secure a future for his bastard son.

Suddenly, the door to my room burst open.

I minimized the windows instantly.

Emilio stood in the frame. He looked wrecked. His tie was loosened, his hair messy, and he marched in carrying the scent of stale whiskey and aggression.

"What do you want?" I asked, not looking up from my blank screen.

He walked over and sat on the edge of my bed. He invaded my space, his heavy Alpha presence filling the small room like a suffocating fog.

"We need to talk, Elana."

His voice was softer now. The "good cop" routine.

"I've been thinking," he said, staring down at his hands. "I was harsh at the auction. I'm sorry."

I raised an eyebrow. "You humiliated me."

"I had to show strength!" he insisted, his head snapping up. "The pack needs a strong leader. And you... you challenged me."

He sighed, trying to look burdened by the weight of the crown. "Look, my childhood... you know how it was. Growing up without a father. I just want Leo to have what I didn't."

He reached out to touch my hand. I pulled it away as if he were burning hot.

"Here is the deal," he said, his eyes hardening slightly as he pivoted to business. "I still need you. You are the best architect in the region. You can stay. You can be the Luna. We will get married."

I stared at him, waiting for the other shoe to drop. "And Hayden?"

"She stays too," he said, as if it were obvious. "She is the mother of my child. She and Leo will live in the pack house. You will accept them. You will be a... sister to her."

I felt a laugh bubbling up in my throat. It was a dark, jagged thing.

"A sister?" I stood up, ignoring the phantom pain in my leg. "You sleep with your sister, Emilio? You buy diamond necklaces for your sister while your fiancée pays the bills?"

"She is my Mate!" he snapped, dropping the act completely. "In every way that matters. She gave me a son! What have you given me? Blueprints?"

"I gave you my life!" I shouted. "I gave up Alpine for you!"

"And you should be grateful I kept you around!" he countered, standing up to tower over me. "Hayden is my priority. Leo is my priority. You are second. Learn your place, Elana."

*Buzz.*

His phone vibrated against the dresser.

His face softened instantly. "Yes, Hayden? What? He’s coughing? I'm coming."

He looked at me one last time, his eyes devoid of warmth. "Think about it. It's this, or the streets."

He turned and ran out the door. He didn't even close it.

On the floor, near the door, lay a small wooden wolf carving. He had made it for me on our first anniversary. It was crude, ugly, and I had cherished it for years as a symbol of his devotion.

I picked it up. It felt light. Cheap.

I walked to the trash can and dropped it in.

*Thud.*

"Second place," I muttered.

I walked back to my computer and woke the screens.

I opened the calendar.

One month.

In one month, the pack would hold the Grand Baptism for Leo. Every Elder, every neighboring Alpha, every important wolf in the region would be there.

It was the perfect stage.

I opened my chat with Ayla.

To: Ayla Guy

Message: Get me the silver nitrate. And the projector codes. I'm ready.

From: Ayla Guy

Message: It's going to be a bloodbath. I love it.

I looked at my reflection in the black monitor screen.

I wasn't the girl who cried over a broken photo anymore.

I felt a strange sensation in my chest. My inner wolf, usually so silent, was pacing. She was waking up.

And she was hungry.