bChapter /bb6 /b

ra’s POV

“You’ve been faking it this whole time?”

Thorne’s voice was low but thunderous, each wordnding like a p across Mi’s face.

She shrank back beneath his re, her lower lip trembling. “H–How could I? You know my condition, Thorne. I’ve had this since childhood. Our pack’s physician confirmed it–remember?”

Thorne didn’t flinch. His gaze was cold, hard. “Then you won’t mind if a doctor checks you now.”

Cael pped his hands casually from across the room, his smirkzy but sharp. “Excellent idea. You’re Alpha Thorne’s guest, after all. It would be tragic if something happened to you on our territory.”

He gave a nod toward Eden, who vanished through a side door.

“No, no–really, there’s no need,” Mi blurted, waving her hands. “I’m feeling fine now. Totally fine.”

“Nonsense,” I said with a soft smile. “Better safe than sorry. Especially since we’d hate to be med if something happens to youter.

She turned to Thorne, eyes wide with manufactured panic, but he gave her nothing–just a cold nod. “ra and Alpha Cael are right. W copse. Let the doctor check you.”

Secondster, Eden returned with a middle–aged man carrying a medical kit. The doctor gave Mi a professional nod.

“If you’ll just rx, miss,” he said as he unrolled his stethoscope.

Mi tried to object, but the doctor was already checking her vitals–pulse, eyes, breathing. The crowd around us watched in absolute silence, anticipation hanging heavy in the air.

“Well?” Eden asked, loud enough for everyone to hear.

The doctor stood slowly, packed away his instruments, and cleared his throat.

“So… she fainted?”

“Yes,” Thorne replied.

The doctor raised an eyebrow. “Unlikely. This woman is perfectly healthy. No respiratory issues, no cardiac symptoms. If anything…“–he paused, eyeing Mi up and down–“…I’d rmend she start cutting down on sugar and carbs. Maybe join a morning run or two.”

Laughter broke out.

Cael let out a short bark of augh, and the entire Blood Moon side of the room followed. Even some neutral pack members snorted behind their wine

sses.

Mi’s face turned crimsonb. /b

“I–I’m not overweight!” she shrieked. “You’re a quack! You don’t know anything!”

bHer /bprotests only fueled theughter.

b“/bbThat’s /benoughb,/bb” /bI said calmly, raising my hand. “Let’s not turn this binto /bba /bcircus

bThe /bbcrowd /bbslowly /bquieted.

b1/3 /b

15.?? bMon/bb, /bb28 /bbJuly /bG3

bI /bturned toward Thorne. “Alpha, I believe the misunderstanding has been resolved?”

He nodded stiffly. “It has.”

Without another word, he grabbed Mi by the wrist and hauled her toward the exit. She cried and whimpered all the way, still sputtering about bthe /bne, about how I was cruel, about how I’d stolen her life.

But no one listened anymore.

Cáel cleared his throat and reimed the floor. “Apologies for the earliermotion. I invite you all to return ito /ithe festivities. The wine’s flowing, and the desserts are legendary.”

Outside, at the base of the stairs, Thorne released Mi’s arm like it burned him.

“You lied,” he said, jaw clenched.

Mi’s breath caught. “Thorne, please—”

“You lied to me. About being sick. In front of everyone.”

Her voice trembled as she reached for him. “I just panicked. ra was cruel–she twisted my words! You saw how aggressive she gotb!/bb” /b

Thorne didn’t respond. His re made her freeze.

“I was only trying to protect our family’s reputation,” she added quickly. “And ra–she’s not the same. Don’t you see how she behaves drama, the showmanship–she’s clearly covering something up. She has Alpha Cael in her pocket now, that’s why she’s acting bold-

A voice rang out from the top of the staircase.

“Looking for this?”

We both turned.

OP

I stood at the top, silver dress shimmering beneath the chandelier, a velvet pouch in one hand.

“In case you’re still whining about a ne I never took,” I called, “let me help you out.”

Without waiting, I reached into the pouch and tossed something down.

A ruby the size of a baby’s fist hit Mi square in the shoulder. She yelped.

“What the hell are you doing?!b” /b

“Making it up to youb, /bof course.” I tossed a second gemstone, then another–a diamond, then a sapphire.

The gems clinked against the stairs, glittering under the lights.

Gasps filled the air.

I upended the pouch. Jewels spilled like rain, cascading down the staircase in every color–emeralds, opals, amethysts, every piece cut bwith /bbsurgical /bprecision.

The crowd behind Thorne surged. People scrambled forwardb, /beyes wild.

b“/bbNo/bb–/bbstop/b–bdon’t /bbtouch /bme!” Mi cried as strangers pushed past herb, /bbstepping /bbon /bher bshoes/bb, /bbelbowing /bbher /bbto /bbgrab /bbwhat /bbthey /bbcould/b.

b“/bbI’m /bbAlpha /bbThorne’s /bbdate/bb!/bb” /bbshe /byelledb. /b

bNo /bbone /bbcared/b.

15.08 bMon/bb, /bb28 /bbJul /bY G

I stood calmly above the chaos.

“Now you’ve got enough to make a hundred nes,” I said coolly. “So stop crying about one.”

Then I turned around and walked back inside.

?

G

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