Kacie POV:
The Alpha Summit Gala was a sea of silk, diamonds, and power. The air was thick with the commingled scents of a dozen different packs-pine, musk, rain, and earth. It was a display of dominance, and I felt like a prey animal walking into a lion's den.
I stood near the entrance of the ballroom, smoothing the velvet of my midnight-blue gown. It was heavy, regal, and the only armor I had left. It signaled to everyone that despite the rumors, I was still the Luna of the Blood Moon Pack.
"Oh no!" A shrill cry pierced the low hum of conversation.
I turned to see Jayden standing by the cloakroom. She was clutching the hem of her red dress. A long, jagged tear ran up the side, exposing her thigh.
"My dress!" she wailed, tears instantly welling in her eyes. "I caught it on the doorframe! I can't go in like this, Cedric. Everyone will laugh at the Moon Pack."
Cedric was at her side in an instant, his brow furrowed. "It's ruined. We don't have time to go back to the estate."
Jayden looked up at me, her eyes gleaming with a predatory light. "Kacie... your dress. It's beautiful. And it's blue. You know blue is the color that calms my heart condition."
I took a step back. "No."
"Kacie," Cedric said, his voice warning.
"This is the Luna's ceremonial gown, Cedric," I said, my voice trembling but firm. "It has the pack crest embroidered on the lining. She cannot wear it. It is against the law."
"I am the Alpha!" Cedric snapped, the power in his voice making the nearby attendants flinch. "I am the law. Jayden represents the Moon family's honor. She cannot be seen in rags. You, however, are just..."
He didn't finish the sentence. He didn't have to. Just a placeholder.
"Take it off," he ordered.
"Cedric, please," I whispered. "Don't strip me of my dignity here."
"Give her the dress."
The Alpha Command slammed into me like a physical blow to the stomach. My hands moved on their own, reaching for the zipper at my back. Tears burned my eyes as I was forced to undress in the semi-private cloakroom, handing the warm, heavy velvet to the woman who was stealing my life.
Minutes later, Jayden stood before the mirror, twirling in my gown. It fit her loosely, but she looked triumphant. I was left shivering in a spare, plain grey dress the attendant had found in the lost-and-found. It was tight in the wrong places and smelled of stale lavender.
"You look beautiful, Jay," Cedric said, his voice soft.
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a velvet box. My heart gave a painful thud. I recognized that box. It was the anniversary gift I had seen the receipt for on his desk weeks ago.
He opened it to reveal a necklace. A large, teardrop-shaped Bloodstone set in silver.
Bloodstones were rare. In our world, they weren't just jewelry. They were protective talismans, capable of deflecting minor hexes and physical blows. They were given by Alphas to their Mates to protect them when the Alpha couldn't be there.
"For me?" Jayden gasped.
"It has protective properties," Cedric said, fastening it around her neck. "With your weak health, you need it more than anyone."
He didn't even look at me. He didn't remember that he had bought it for me, for the wife he constantly put in danger.
Jayden fingered the red stone, smirking at me over Cedric's shoulder. "It matches the red in my eyes, don't you think, Kacie?"
I looked away, clutching the cheap fabric of my grey dress. My wolf, Serenity, didn't even growl. she was too weak, curled up in the dark recess of my mind, fading away.
"Let's go," Cedric said, offering his arm to Jayden.
They walked into the ballroom, the golden couple. I followed three steps behind, invisible, unwanted, and unprotected.
17 Days.
