Burn in the Alpha Princess’s Wrath

    Chapter 171 The Invitation and the Queen

    Kirby POV

    b32 /b

    Finished

    I sat in the Crimson Moon Pack’s main office, the faint scent of cedarwood lingering in the air. Lance growled low in my chest, irritated by the mountain of paperwork in front of us.

    But my mind wasn’t on the documents. Leslie’s shadow drifted through my thoughts like an undercurrent beneath moonlight–constant and inescapable.

    My father Marcus had heard about what happened with Slyvana. Furious over how she’d treated Leslie, he’d finally shown some real Alpha authority. He sent Slyvana out of Central City that very night. She likely wouldn’t be back anytime soon.

    It was for the best. With Slyvana gone, maybe things wouldn’t escte further between her and Leslie.

    Suddenly, the door burst open, and the familiar scent of Leiss flooded in, along with his usual air of smugziness.

    I frowned and shot him a cold look. “You show up here more than you go home. You know that, right?”

    Leiss raised a brow and waved a pale yellow invitation in the air. The Rogue Pack crest shimmered on the envelope–elegant and powerful. “Leslie’s birthday party. I’m guessing you didn’t get one, so I stole this off a friend.”

    Lance roared in my chest. “Rogue Pack didn’t send us an invitation?!”

    I turned a cold gaze to Mch, my Beta. He lowered his eyes without a word, still as stone.

    He knew. He knew Rogue Pack had deliberately left us out.

    My expression darkened, pressure building in my chest.

    Leslie’s birthday… and I didn’t even know the date.

    Three years of a bond contract, and as her Alpha husband, I didn’t even know her birthday.

    Lance growled, voice raw and demanding. “Why are you still sitting here?! She’s your fated mate! Go to her birthday–even if it’s just to apologize!”

    Leiss pped me on the shoulder with a crooked grin. “I’m a pretty damn good friend, huh? Don’t tell me you’re not going. That’d be a waste…”

    The air chilled around me as my Alpha aura leaked out, heavy enough to freeze the room.

    Chapter 171 The Invitation and the Queen

    Leiss’s smirk faltered. He cleared his throat awkwardly and ced the invitation on my desk. “Just go, Kirby. I’ll be lonely without backup.”

    I picked up the invitation. The date was tomorrow.

    Tomorrow… her birthday.

    Something twisted in my chest like moonlight driving into a soft wound–bitter and bsharp/b.

    I said tly, “Your father still wants thatnd in the cast suburbs, doesn’t he?”

    Leiss’s eyes

    lit up. “Kirby, wait–are you serious? That’s a massive gift!”

    I pulled my aura back in. “Don’t want it? Fine.”

    “I want it!” Leiss nodded so fast you’d think I’d change my mind if he blinked.

    32

    Lance snorted in my head. “Billions for one invitation. Kirby, you’re really going all in. But for her? Worth it.”

    I said nothing, staring silently at the invitation.

    Leslie… can anything I do now even begin to make up for what I owe you?

    Leslie POV

    Glory Hall had been reserved entirely by Rogue Pack. Lit like a divine temple under the Moon Goddess herself, it radiated elegance and might.

    On both sides of the street, rows of Rogue Pack warriors stood in full formation. Their scent was a mix of steel and pine resin–enough to stop any uninvited guests from getting too close.

    On a massive electronic screen, my photo looped alongside the words: “Happy Birthday, Leslie.” My confident gaze and regal posture dominated every angle. The post had already hit the top of the trending list. My father Lars hadn’t bothered hiding his affection at all.

    Asphodel danced inside me. i“/iLesliei, /iiyou’re /ithe queen of the inight/i! Let those hyenas in the shadows choke on Rogue Pack’s gloryi!/ii” /i

    Inside the lounge, I sat with Astrid and Am at a table overflowing with gold and silver jewelry.

    Under the warm lights, the diamonds sparkled white, pink, ck–like stars that had fallen from the sky.

    I tried on ten rings at once, wiggled my fingers, and sighed. “Shame I can’t wear them all out. I really like every single one.”

    Chapter 171 The invitation and the Queen

    Astrid rolled her eyes. “Do rich people have to show off like this?”

    b32 /b

    Finished

    Am giggled behind her hand. “King Lars looks like he raided the entire continent’s jewel vaults for you.”

    I arched a brow and finally chose two white diamonds and one ck. Paired with my floor- length ck gown, the look was elegance sharpened with edge.

    In the mirror, my skin glowed pale as snow, my presence distant as moonlight.

    Asphodel growled low with pride. “This is the Rogue Pack princess. The werewolf favored by the goddess herself!”

    The bodyguards stepped in with perfectly timed precision, surrounding me as I walked down

    the stairs.

    In the banquet hall below, every gaze turned at once, a wave of awe and admiration rippling through the crowd.

    My father Lars met me halfway, eyes filled with pride. Thorbane and Carl nked him, both so striking they had noble daughters stumbling over their words.

    Lars raised his ss, his voice low but powerful enough to still the room. “Thank you all for joining us at my daughter Leslie’s birthday celebration. In my lifetime, my proudest achievement is not founding Rogue Pack–it’s having this daughter.”

    He paused, a flicker of warmth passing through his eyes.

    I knew what he was thinking–those three years I was gone from home. The ache in my rose unexpectedly.

    chest

    Asphodel murmured gently, “Don’t let it get to you, Leslie. You’re the Governor of the West. The queen of Rogue Pack.”

    I lifted

    my head and let my gaze sweep across the room–only to lock eyes with Kirby.

    He stood in the crowd, his cedar scent thick and steady, regal as ever.

    But his eyes held tension, like he was waiting for something.

    The moment our eyes met, the room seemed to still.

    Asphodel snorted. “Typical of your old mate. Always finds a way to get an invitation.”

    I looked away and let a slow, cold smile curl across my lips.

    So… he came after all.