Chapter 2

Gloria POV:

The nausea woke me up before the sun did.

It wasn't morning sickness. It was the physical rejection of my mate's scent.

At 4:00 AM, the door to the guest room creaked open. I feigned sleep, my breathing steady, but my ears were swiveled toward the intruder.

Darwin.

He crawled into the bed behind me, wrapping his arm around my waist. His skin was hot.

"Gloria," he whispered, nuzzling my neck. "I missed you."

He wanted sex. Not intimacy-release.

I inhaled sharply. He hadn't showered since yesterday. The smell of Elyssa's vanilla perfume had soured, mixing with his sweat and the lingering metallic tang of the wolfsbane he had handled.

My stomach lurched violently.

I threw off the covers, scrambled to the bathroom, and emptied my stomach into the toilet.

"Gloria?" Darwin stood in the doorway, looking annoyed rather than concerned. "Are you serious right now?"

"I told you I was sick," I rasped, flushing the toilet. "It must be the flu."

"Wolves don't get the flu, Gloria," he scoffed. "You're just being frigid. Again."

Before I could answer, a ping echoed in the silence. Not a phone notification, but a mental one. His eyes glazed over for a second-he was receiving a Mind-Link.

His expression shifted from annoyance to something softer, then quickly to guilt. He blocked his end of the link, shutting me out.

"I have to go prepare for the Gala," he muttered, turning on his heel. "Try to make yourself presentable tonight. The whole Pack will be watching."

The Annual Luna's Gala. Politics dressed up in silk and champagne.

I stood in front of the mirror, smoothing down my dress. I had chosen a modest, elegant silver gown. It matched the hidden color of my wolf.

I walked down the grand staircase into the ballroom. The air was thick with the scent of hundreds of wolves-champagne, roasted meat, and adrenaline.

Darwin was at the center of the room, holding court. He looked magnificent in his tuxedo. As I approached, the crowd parted respectfully.

"Alpha Darwin, Luna Gloria," the Beta greeted us, bowing his head. "You look stunning tonight."

"Thank you," I said, forcing a smile.

Suddenly, the heavy oak doors swung open.

A hush fell over the room.

Elyssa walked in.

She wasn't wearing the modest dress of an Omega secretary. She was wearing a floor-length, blood-red gown.

In wolf culture, red is the color of power. The Alpha's female. The Luna.

By wearing that dress, she wasn't just making a fashion statement. She was declaring war.

She sauntered through the crowd, her hips swaying. She walked right up to us.

"Happy Anniversary, Alpha," she purred, ignoring me completely. She placed a hand on Darwin's arm.

Darwin didn't shake her off. He looked at her with hungry eyes.

"Elyssa," I said, my voice calm but carrying across the silent room. "You seem to be confused about your station. That color is reserved for the Luna."

Elyssa turned to me, a smirk playing on her lips. She leaned in close, using her wolf speed to whisper so only I could hear.

"A dress doesn't make a Luna, Gloria. An heir does. And we all know you're just a barren she-wolf who can't give him what he needs. The Elders agree with me."

Rage, pure and white-hot, exploded in my chest.

"You are nothing but a mattress for him to relieve himself on," I replied coldly.

Elyssa's eyes flashed yellow. She lost control. With a snarl, she raised her hand and swiped her claws at my face.

It was a violation of the highest order-an Omega attacking a Luna.

My body moved before my brain could process it. Years of Shadow Council training kicked in. I didn't just dodge; I caught her wrist in mid-air.

I twisted.

Crack.

Elyssa screamed as her bone snapped. I didn't stop. I used her momentum, spun her around, and slammed my palm into her chest.

She flew ten feet across the ballroom, crashing into the buffet table. Champagne glasses shattered.

The room gasped.

Elyssa lay amidst the broken glass, clutching her wrist, wailing. "He hurt me! Alpha, she tried to kill me!"

Darwin roared.

"ENOUGH!"

The sound was like a physical blow. It was the Alpha's Command.

The power of the Command slammed into me, forcing the air from my lungs. My knees buckled. Every wolf in the room dropped to their knees in submission-except me. I stood, trembling, fighting the crushing weight of his voice with my White Wolf lineage.

Darwin rushed to Elyssa, scooping her up in his arms. He looked at me, his eyes glowing red with fury.

"She attacked me first," I managed to choke out, fighting the pressure on my windpipe.

"Silence!" Darwin bellowed, using the Command again. "You have disgraced this Pack. You have disgraced me."

He looked down at Elyssa, who was sobbing fake tears into his chest, exposing her neck in a display of total submission.

"Take the Luna to her room," Darwin ordered his guards, his voice cold as ice. "And get Elyssa a medic. The Luna is clearly unwell and hysterical."

Two guards grabbed my arms. I didn't fight them. I looked at Darwin, seeing the fear in his eyes.

He wasn't just angry. He was scared. He had seen how fast I moved. He had seen me resist his Command for a split second.

He realized he didn't know the woman he married.