"Tonight, we're going back to Vance Manor. You promised me last week that we would attend the family's Moonlight Festival together." I handed Ethan his battle armor, which I had just polished with moon-spring water.
Ethan stood before a crystal mirror, fixing his hair. "Did I promise you that?" He stalked out of the den without another word.
My family lived in the remote Moonrise Valley, which was difficult for outsiders to access. Most areas required special teleportation arrays. My guard captain, Kael, who was always observing from the foot of the mountain, came to pick me up with a squadron of gryphons.
Vance Manor was the most valuable territory on this continent, rumored to be a priceless, thousand-year-old legacy. In truth, it was my family's ancestral home.
I had planned to reveal my true identity to Ethan today, but clearly, he wasn't worthy.
A notification pinged on my communication crystal. The new member from last week, Selena, had just posted an update.
In the image, Selena stood confidently in ornate ceremonial robes, while my mate trailed behind her, a recently hunted rare magical beast clutched in his claws. A tired, fawning smile was plastered on his face.
After attending the festival with my father, Kael escorted me back to the pack's territory as usual.
"My Lady, you have so many magnificent dens. Why must you live in this small, run-down place?" Kael's confusion mirrored my father's inability to understand why I had chosen someone like Ethan.
"Run-down? This den is in the center of the pack's territory. Its value isn't important. What matters is its proximity to the assembly ground."
This location was the reason Ethan had been so eager to complete the bonding ceremony with me after he came of age.
"My Lady, this is the Moonlight Amulet that Lord Alpha had crafted for you at the Starfall Auction with a Firstborn's Tear gem. He said the territory was too modest a gift and wanted to give you something more fitting."
Kael respectfully opened the runic box, revealing the amulet. I gave it a cursory glance; the energy was exceptionally pure.
Without much thought, I tossed it into my bag and soon got busy crafting a new magical artifact, forgetting all about it—until a week later, when Selena showed up at the pack assembly wearing my amulet.
"Selena, your amulet is gorgeous! The power it contains is so strong."
"Of course! Everything Selena owns is beyond our wildest dreams."
"I've seen this amulet in an ancient tome. It was the highlight of the Starfall Auction, crafted from a Firstborn's Tear gem."
"Wait, are you saying Selena's amulet is the Firstborn's Tear?"
"Gods, she's casually wearing a legendary artifact."
Selena strode into the assembly ground, conspicuously dropping the magical beast parts she was carrying onto the ground.
The powerful energy of the Moonlight Amulet perfectly amplified her aura.
Sharp-eyed members immediately swarmed her with flattery. Their thoughts reached my ears, and I looked up to see the familiar amulet on Selena's chest.
"Isn't that my amulet?" I muttered to myself, confused. I had locked it in the den's magical safe, so how could she have it?
"Look at yourself, Elara. Do you really think you're worthy of a treasure like that?" Ethan sneered from across the clearing, his face a mask of smug contempt.
"I think you know perfectly well where it came from," I said, my voice dripping with a disdain I couldn't hide.
"This amulet was a gift from Ethan," Selena replied with a sweet, mocking laugh. "He didn't tell me how precious it was. If I'd known its energy was so impure, I wouldn't have worn it." Clearly, she knew the amulet's true origin and was flaunting it deliberately.
I immediately had Kael pull up the magical surveillance feed.
The footage showed Ethan sneaking into the den while I was out. He had used his Alpha strength to force open the safe and steal the Moonlight Amulet. Then he stormed into my storage room, tore down my ceremonial robes, and threw them on the floor.
Several bags of magical ingredients on my shelves were tossed to the ground.
So that's where Selena's images came from. She'd been showing off stolen goods.
The pack members, oblivious to the truth, were still fawning over Ethan.
"Ethan's family must be powerful! He hid it so well."
"I told you all Ethan's bloodline was extraordinary, but none of you believed me."
"Since you've been keeping it a secret, Ethan, you owe us a big meal!"
Puffed up with praise, Ethan booked the most luxurious private club in the city for the whole pack—except me.
Without hesitation, I cut off his funding. Ethan, oblivious to my actions, was insufferably smug.
Let’s see how you plan to pay that clan contribution fee now, I thought with a cold smile.
