CHAPTER 280: MORE JABS FLY

Meredith.

Before I could even blink, Mabel’s voice sliced in as she rolled her eyes at Wanda.

"You think you are anything special because you’re friends with Alpha Draven," she sneered. "But you’re the one who should know your place."

I exhaled deeply, my gaze instinctively finding Draven. He sat at the head of the table, calm, unbothered, lifting a spoon of rice to his mouth as though the chaos unraveling around him wasn’t worth a second of his energy.

My eyes flicked to Jeffery next. He was seated right beside Wanda, chewing on a chicken lap like nothing in the world existed beyond his plate.

I already knew he would be the last person to step into this kind of situation. He never interfered, even when his silence made things worse.

Shaking my head, I glanced at Dennis. He sat with a glass of grape wine poised at his lips, drinking slowly. But I caught it—the sparkle of mischief in his eyes, the twitch of a smirk tugging at his mouth.

Of course, Dennis was enjoying every second of this circus. It was just his way, and I wasn’t even surprised.

Just then, Wanda’s voice yanked my attention back to the battlefield across the table. She turned sharply to Mabel, who was seated right beside her.

"When real adults are speaking, you shouldn’t jump in," she said coldly. "But of course, birds of the same feather flock together. You wouldn’t even know when you’re supposed to speak."

Mabel scoffed, leaning back with a glare that could shoot daggers. "You have a very big problem, Wanda. You think you own the world and make the rules, and that is why you look down on everyone else."

Then her voice rose sharp and unyielding, and she didn’t give Wanda the chance to respond.

"We are the children of Beta Gabriel Carter, from one of the five Royal Packs in our race—Moonstone Pack, to be precise. Who are you?"

The room froze.

The words hung in the air like a weapon, shocking in their boldness.

My breath caught in my throat. I could hardly believe my sister had dared not only to step up against Wanda but to humiliate her so openly—in front of everyone.

Mabel’s rudeness didn’t come as a surprise to me because I knew her personality too well. But it was the fact that she attacked Wanda without holding back.

Then the silence shattered.

Jeffery suddenly choked on his chicken, coughing hard enough to rattle his chair. Dennis nearly burst out laughing but bit it back, covering his mouth with his glass as if the wine was suddenly the most fascinating thing in the world.

All the while, Wanda’s face shifted—red, pale, flushed again. Anger twisted her features, layer upon layer, as though she couldn’t decide whether to explode or swallow the humiliation whole.

I sank back in my chair, sighing to myself. ’Moon goddess, when will this dinner end?’

Releasing another sigh, I let my eyes flicker once more toward Draven. He was still eating, still calm, as though the storm around him was nothing more than a distant thunder.

This actually made me wonder if he was ever going to step in at all.

Before I could even release another sigh, Wanda leaned toward Mabel, venom dripping from her tone.

"You dare to speak to me in this manner when your confidence only comes from being a Beta’s daughter. Do you even know who I am?"

Mabel smirked, utterly unbothered. "Oh, we all know who you are. A woman clinging to Alpha Draven’s side like a shadow, waiting for scraps of attention that will never belong to you."

I nearly choked on my saliva. Even I felt shame for Wanda at this point.

I thought it was just a handful of people who knew who she actually was, but it turns out that my own sister, who lives far back in Stormveil, and had only meant Wanda once before my very eyes, knew this much fact about her.

Wanda’s hands curled into fists against the table. "Watch your tongue, girl."

Mabel arched a brow, her voice dripping with pure mockery. "Or what? You will glare at me to death?"

Dennis gave a low whistle, clearly entertained, while Jeffery avoided everyone’s gaze.

Gary no longer looked as furious as before. Clearly, he was satisfied that Mabel was doing the things he couldn’t subject himself to.

But my heart thudded painfully. I wanted to so badly reach across the table, to beg them all to stop, but I held back.

This wasn’t my fight, and if I jumped in, Wanda would only use it as another chance to cut me down. And that was what I was avoiding.

The tension in the hall was unbearable, words snapping back and forth, venom and pride dancing dangerously close to violence.

And then Draven finally made a move. He set his fork down with the faintest clink, wiped his mouth with a napkin, and leaned back with calm authority.

Then he let his voice cut through the noise like thunder rumbling across the horizon.

"That’s enough."

At the same time, silence crashed over the table. Even Wanda froze, her mouth still open mid-retort.

My chest loosened with relief at the fact that he had finally stepped in.

Draven’s gaze swept the table, cool and commanding, and just when I thought he was going to scold the two women, he announced, "Wanda has been reassigned a new task. She will return to Stormveil tomorrow morning."

A ripple of silence passed through the table as my eyes flicked to Wanda whose face has been drained of color. Her lips pressed tight with fury vibrating through her entire body.

Before she could speak, Mabel smiled, her tone light and cutting. "Well, that’s good news."

All eyes turned to her including mine. I wondered what other contribution she has to make.

Mabel tilted her head, elaborating sweetly. "Because, honestly, an unmarried woman living in her male friend’s home, refusing to go marry and start her own family, it’s a red flag if I ever saw one."