Sarah POV:
The banquet hall smelled of expensive meat and cheap deceit.
It was my birthday party. David had spared no expense to look like the doting Alpha. I stood by his side, wearing a simple white dress, feeling like a ghost at my own wake.
Smile, Sarah, David's voice commanded through the Link.
I forced the corners of my mouth up. I am smiling, Alpha.
"Attention, everyone!" David boomed, raising his glass. The Alpha Command rippled through the air, silencing the room instantly.
"To Sarah," David announced. "My companion. My heart."
A murmur of polite applause.
Suddenly, the heavy double doors swung open.
Rebecca stood in the doorway.
She wore midnight blue velvet that hugged her warrior frame. Her golden hair was a halo of dominance. She didn't walk in; she invaded.
David stiffened. "What is she doing here?" he muttered.
Rebecca glided across the floor, two warriors flanking her with a gift box.
"Alpha David," Rebecca purred, bowing her head-a mockery. "I apologize for the intrusion. I come bearing gifts from the Northern Pack."
She turned her gaze to me. Ice. "And happy birthday... Sarah."
She snapped her fingers. The box opened.
A collective gasp.
The Moonlight Sapphire.
The elders whispered frantically. For an outsider to hold the sacred Luna necklace was a declaration of war-or a coup.
"I found this... misplaced," Rebecca said, her voice projecting to the back of the room. "I thought it should be returned."
She picked up the heavy necklace.
She stepped into my personal space. I could smell the ozone of her power.
"Let me help you," she whispered.
She draped the necklace around my neck. It felt heavy, cold like a shackle.
She leaned in close. Her lips brushed my ear.
"Enjoy it for tonight, Omega," she hissed. "It looks ridiculous on you."
She pulled back and smiled brightly. "Doesn't she look... quaint?"
"Thank you, Rebecca," David said, sweating. He knew she was marking her territory.
"Oh, anything for you," Rebecca said, touching David's arm. "And for my... sister."
She looked at me with mock pity. "You look tired, Sarah. Being a Luna is such hard work. Thank goodness you have help looking after my... I mean, the Alpha."
The slip was intentional.
My Alpha.
The room went deathly still.
I looked at David. He stood paralyzed by his own greed.
I looked at Rebecca. She was smirking.
I touched the cold stone. I thought of the baby. I thought of the poison.
"Thank you, Rebecca," I said, my voice steady. "It is a beautiful gift. Though I'm surprised you would part with it. I heard you have a habit of clinging to things that don't belong to you."
Rebecca's smile faltered.
The air in the room crackled. The storm had arrived.
