Ivy POV:
*The Grandeur Hotel was lit up like a beacon, desperate to project wealth the Dillard Pack no longer possessed.*
*I stepped out of the Royal limousine, the hem of my midnight-blue gown sweeping the pavement. The dress was cut dangerously low in the back, revealing the scars I no longer felt the need to hide. Diamonds dripped from my ears, and my wedding ring caught the strobe of the paparazzi flashes.*
*I walked toward the entrance, my heels clicking a rhythm of war against the marble steps.*
*"Invitation?"*
*The bouncer didn't even look up. But the man standing behind him did.*
*"Ivy?"*
*Dexter Dillard, my biological brother and the Pack Beta, froze. He looked like our father-thick neck, watery eyes, and a permanent sneer that was currently faltering.*
*"You're dead," Dexter whispered, blinking rapidly. "Clayton said he saw a ghost, but... you're solid."*
*"Solid enough to ruin your night, Dexter," I said smoothly.*
*He recovered quickly, his face twisting into that familiar bully's grimace. He stepped in front of me, blocking the doors. "You can't go in there. Dad's courting investors. We don't need a zombie causing a scene."*
*He signaled two security guards. "Get her out of here. Dump her in the alley."*
*One of the guards, a brute I recognized as Stan, reached for my arm. "Come on, sweetheart. Don't make this ugly."*
*I didn't flinch. I didn't pull away.*
*I simply released a fraction of my aura.*
*It wasn't the weak, submissive scent of the Ivy they remembered. It was the crushing weight of a Royal Luna.*
*Stan stopped. His wolf whined audibly. He took a step back, his instincts screaming at him to submit.*
*Dexter's knees buckled slightly, sweat instantly beading on his forehead. "What... what is that?" he gasped, clutching the doorframe to stay upright. "How are you doing that?"*
*"Move," I commanded.*
*The word wasn't a shout. It was a compulsion.*
*Dexter scrambled aside, tripping over his own feet. The guards lowered their heads, unable to meet my gaze.*
*I walked past them, the heavy double doors swinging open.*
*They had broken my body five years ago. Tonight, I was going to break their legacy.*
*
