Chapter 3

Tess' POV

I was about to close my phone when Harold's call popped up.

"Clear your schedule for tonight. We have a celebration banquet for the pack. I'll pick you up soon."

He hung up before I could refuse.

Of course. As the Alpha, he never needed my opinion when giving orders.

Custom required the Luna to dress formally for a banquet. But he'd notified me too late to prepare.

Furthermore, grieving the pup I'd just lost, I had no desire to wear anything flashy, so I just put on a simple jacket and wore no makeup.

I went downstairs and approached the car. He turned, a ready smile on his face as he looked me over. When he saw my bare face, the smile instantly froze. His entire aura chilled.

"You're not new to being the Luna. You won't even dress up for this kind of event? Are you trying to deliberately humiliate me?"

As soon as he spoke, the passenger window rolled down slowly.

Shirley was in a wine-red evening gown, her omega scent cheesy and unrestrained.

"My apologies, Alpha Harold. I forgot to notify Luna Tess, because she... can't access the mind-link these days."

I gave a casual smile. What I wore, and when I wore it, was certainly not an omega's business.

"It's fine. The Luna isn't what gives the Alpha his honor."

Harold choked on his words, his face pale with fury.

"You're insane. Thank goodness I brought Shirley today. Get in, I don't want to be late."

I glanced at Shirley in the passenger seat. She didn't budge, instead staring intently at my mate.

My heart grew colder. I simply opened the back door and slid in.

All the way, Shirley was in high spirits. One moment she was turning to chat with Harold about pack gossip, the next she was turning to include me.

I stared out the window the whole time, silent as air.

When we arrived at a luxurious hotel downtown, Shirley immediately walked beside Harold, as if that were her rightful place.

The human attendant greeted us, seeing the formation, and bowed to her directly, "Dear Madam, welcome."

Harold looked back at my casual attire, paused, and finally said nothing.

I glanced at him, following behind, my heart completely unmoved.

The elevator doors opened. Harold and Shirley walked in first. The pack members inside all wore varied expressions. Not a single one spoke up to greet me.

After a moment of shock, the Beta, Cole, quickly came forward, gripping my hand tightly. "Luna Tess, you finally made it! If you hadn't privately communicated with Nightclaw multiple times, our alliance with them wouldn't have gone so smoothly!"

I knew he was trying to save face for me and help me rebuild my authority in the pack.

"I'm returning to the Silverpeak pack soon. All future cooperation with them is up to you."

Silverpeak pack was led by my Alpha father and was located far away, across the entire country.

The moment I spoke, Harold abruptly stopped. He snapped his head back, clearly shocked.

"You're leaving?"

He lowered his voice. "Since when? Why don't I know? Did you get my permission?"

His demanding questions echoed in the air, scratching at my fragile wolf soul like sharp claws. I just looked at him, my heart calm as a graveyard.

"I am the Luna, not your possession. Where I go is my decision."

As our eyes met, the air temperature dropped to freezing.

The nearby waiter, startled by our intense aura, thought we were lost and quickly stepped forward to lead the way.

The banquet room door closed, completely sealing off the flow of scents.

Shirley sat next to Harold, acting as if no one else was there. I glanced at her but said nothing. I kept my scent tightly controlled, not letting anyone sense my emotions.

Cigarette smoke quickly spread through the enclosed space.

For ordinary werewolves, it was just an irritating smell. For me, a wolf who just suffered a miscarriage, it was torture for the senses.

The irritation made my temples throb. I had to get up for some air.

The moment I stepped out of the private room, Harold instantly followed. He gripped my wrist.

"I haven't forgotten our anniversary. Stop being mad."

"I'm not mad."

I looked at his tense jaw. It suddenly felt utterly ridiculous. I turned my head away, refusing to look at him.

"Stop tying all my emotions to you."

With that, I pulled my hand free. He clenched his fist, his face darkening to ink, and he abruptly turned back toward the room.

I walked into the restroom and locked the door.

I took a deep breath, leaning against the cold sink, letting the cool water run over my wrist. It took a long time for Belle inside me to calm down from the agitation.

When I returned to the room, I saw an omega I didn't recognize sitting in my chair. She was practically pressed against Harold, encouraging him to drink.

She turned and saw me. Her face went pale.

"I'm sorry, Luna tess. I—I just wanted to toast Alpha Harold and thank him for his care for me..."

It seemed the omegas in the pack were now all trying to emulate Shirley, scheming for a better position.

Before I could answer, Shirley cut in, her voice annoyingly bright.

"Luna Tess is so generous; she won't mind something so small. Right, Luna Tess?"

The lighting in the room was warm. Outside the glass walls, the city lights blurred into traffic.

The air reeked of strong liquor. Shirley, her skirt swaying on high heels, raised her glass. Her laugh was sharp and grating, "Luna, I want to toast you too! You really are so generous! You gave up your own spot at the ritual for me!"