Chapter 5 The Glass Peace

Lyra's POV

The Grand Ballroom of the Silver Palace was a cavern of light and mirrors. Thousands of crystal shards hung from the ceiling, caught in a permanent state of suspension by subtle gravity emitters. They refracted the blue and silver glow of the walls, casting a shimmer over the crowd that made everyone look like they were underwater. It was a masterpiece of Silver River elegance-clinical, breathtaking, and utterly cold.

I stood at the top of the grand staircase, my fingers curled tightly around the marble railing. The silver gown Maya had prepared felt like a second skin, heavy and fluid. It was backless, the silk dipping low to expose the pale expanse of my spine, but the front was high-necked and regal. It was the dress of a woman who was ready to lead, or perhaps a woman who was ready to be sold.

"Deep breaths, Lyra," Maya whispered behind me. She was adjusting the fall of my white hair, which she had left loose to cascade down my back like a frozen waterfall. "You look like a goddess. Just remember to blink occasionally so they don't think you're a statue."

"I feel like a target, Maya," I murmured.

Below us, the room was divided by an invisible line. On the left, my people stood in their sleek, silver-trimmed formal wear, their expressions tight with a mixture of fear and forced politeness. On the right, the Blood Moon Pack was a sea of dark charcoal, deep blacks, and heavy furs. The scent of woodsmoke and leather from their side was warring with the scent of lilies and ozone from ours. The air felt thick, like a storm about to break.

Then, the massive obsidian doors at the far end of the hall swung open.

A hush fell over the room as the Blood Moon royal party entered. Killian Blackwood led the way, and for a moment, my heart simply forgot how to beat. He was dressed in a black velvet tuxedo that fit his massive frame with lethal precision. His raven-black hair was brushed back, exposing the sharp, handsome angles of his face and the gold of his eyes which seemed to burn through the dim light of the hall.

He didn't look like a businessman tonight. He didn't even look like a diplomat. He looked like a conqueror who had arrived to claim his spoils.

Beside him walked Alpha Valerius, looking as cold and hard as a mountain peak. Behind them were Jax and Seraphina, their formal wear doing nothing to hide the fact that they were predators in a cage. Seraphina's gaze swept over our palace with a look of pure contempt, her hand resting habitually near where a dagger would be on her hip.

Killian's eyes searched the room, ignoring the bowing dignitaries and the silver-clad elite. When his gaze finally landed on me at the top of the stairs, the bond slammed into me with the force of a physical blow.

The gold in his eyes flared, turning almost amber. He didn't wait for the herald to announce him. He began to walk toward the staircase, his movements slow and deliberate. Every step he took toward my territory felt like an act of war-and an act of worship.

"Showtime," I whispered to myself.

I began my descent, my silver heels clicking rhythmically against the marble. My father, Alpha Silas, met me halfway down, taking my hand to present me to the room. He looked older tonight, his silver hair dull under the bright lights, but he held his chin high as Killian reached the base of the stairs.

"Alpha Killian," Silas said, his voice echoing through the silent ballroom. "Welcome to the Silver Palace. We celebrate the union of our houses tonight."

Killian didn't look at my father. He didn't even acknowledge the hundreds of people watching us. He looked only at me. He reached out, his large, warm hand closing around mine. The contact sent a jolt of electricity through my arm, a heat that made the silver thread of my gown feel like it was vibrating.

"You look... radiant, Lyra," he murmured. His voice was a low, private rumble that didn't match the formal setting.

"And you look like you're ready to start a riot, Killian," I countered, my voice a soft thread that only he could hear.

He leaned in, his scent-cedar, chocolate, and that sharp winter spice-overwhelming the lilies in the air. "Maybe I am. This room is too bright. It makes me want to see what you look like in the dark."

I felt a flush creep up my neck, but I didn't pull away. We were the "Powerful Couple" now. We were the bridge.

The orchestra began a slow, haunting waltz. It was a Silver River composition, complex and ethereal. Killian led me to the center of the floor, his hand sliding to the small of my back, right where the dress ended and my bare skin began. The heat of his palm was intoxicating, a grounding force in a room full of ghosts.

As we began to move, I noticed the way the others were watching us. Kael was standing by the pillar, his eyes dark with a suppressed fury that made my chest ache. Seraphina was watching Killian with a look of calculation, her lips thinned into a hard line.

"Your Beta looks like he wants to kill me," Killian noted, spinning me effortlessly. "He's been staring at the back of my head since I walked in."

"Kael is protective," I said. "He's seen what your pack does to ours. He doesn't believe in this peace."

"And you? Do you believe in it?" Killian asked. He pulled me slightly closer, his chest brushing against mine. The friction of the velvet against my silk was a sensory overload.

"I believe in survival," I said, looking up into the gold fire of his eyes. "And I believe that if we don't make this work, there won't be a Silver River or a Blood Moon left to fight over."

Killian slowed his steps, his gaze dropping to my mouth. For a second, the ballroom disappeared. The music, the politicians, the ancient hatreds-they all faded into the background. There was only the heat of the bond and the man who held my future in his hands.

"Then let's give them something to believe in," he whispered.

He didn't kiss me. Instead, he leaned down and pressed his lips to the pulse point at the side of my neck. It was a claim. A public marking that told every wolf in that room exactly who I belonged to. I gasped, my head falling back as a wave of pure, primal pleasure crashed over me.

A murmur rippled through the crowd. The Silver River elite looked scandalized; the Blood Moon warriors looked triumphant.

I pulled back slightly, my breath coming in short, shallow pants. "Killian... people are watching."

"Let them watch," he growled, his eyes darkening until they were almost black. "Let them see that the Silver Princess has been caught. And let them wonder if she's the one who's actually trapped, or if I am."

He turned me back into the dance, but the "Glass Peace" had already been shattered. The tension in the room had shifted from political to something far more dangerous. As I looked over Killian's shoulder, I saw a shadow move in the corner of the garden doors.

A flash of steel. A scent of rot.

The strategist in me screamed a warning just as the first scream erupted from the back of the hall. The gala was over. The violence had arrived.

Author's Note:

OKAY, THAT HAND-KISS WAS ONE THING, BUT THE NECK?! 😱🔥 Killian is absolutely marking his territory in the middle of her father's palace! Talk about Alpha energy! 🍫🐺

But did you see that ending? The "Violence" tag is finally kicking in! 🗡️💥 Who is attacking the gala? Is it the Shadow Stalkers, or is someone from inside the Silver Palace trying to stop the wedding? And can we talk about Kael's face? I feel so bad for him, but the chemistry between Lyra and Killian is just... whew! 🌋

Drop a comment! Are you Team #PowerCouple or do you think this wedding is cursed? I'm reading every theory before we drop Chapter 6! 🌙✨