Chapter 4 Mira (POV): Power Tastes Sweeter When Shared

‎The moment the Lycan King disappeared into the forest, the clearing erupted.

‎Whispers, gasps, frantic murmurs, fear tangled with awe as the pack scrambled to make sense of what had just happened. Wolves spoke over one another, theories spilling freely, but none of it mattered.

‎All I could hear was the pounding of my own heart.

‎This wasn't how tonight was supposed to go.

‎I stood perfectly still near the front of the clearing, fingers curled tightly at my sides, forcing my expression to remain composed. Betas didn't panic. Betas observed. Betas adapted.

‎But inside?

‎Inside, something ugly twisted.

‎Seris.

‎That Omega had looked at the Lycan King like she didn't even understand what she was to him and that terrified me.

‎I turned slowly, my eyes locking onto Draven. His face was pale, jaw clenched so tightly I thought his teeth might crack. The confident future Alpha I knew, the one who had rejected Seris without hesitation, looked shaken.

‎Good.

‎But not shaken enough.

‎I moved closer to him, my steps measured, calculated. "Draven," I said softly, slipping my fingers around his arm. "You did the right thing."

‎He didn't look at me.

‎"She shouldn't matter," I continued, lowering my voice so only he could hear. "She's an Omega. You said it yourself."

‎His nostrils flared. "Something's wrong."

‎I followed his gaze.

‎Theo was escorting Seris away, his arm tight around her shoulders, his posture openly defiant. The pack parted for them not out of respect, but unease. Seris didn't lift her head, didn't smile, didn't crumble the way she was supposed to.

‎That alone made my nails dig into my palms.

‎"She's always been weak," I said, sharper now. "She just hides it better."

‎Draven finally looked at me but there was no reassurance in his eyes.

‎"The Lycan King looked at her like she belonged to him," he muttered.

‎A shiver crawled up my spine.

‎"No," I snapped. "He didn't."

‎But the lie tasted bitter.

‎I had seen it too.

‎The way the air had shifted when his gaze landed on her. The way the forest itself seemed to hold its breath. I had never seen an Alpha... no, a Lycan look at anyone like that.

‎Especially not an Omega.

‎My friends gathered around me, their earlier confidence replaced with nervous energy.

‎"Did you feel that power?" one whispered.

‎"I thought I was going to collapse," another said.

‎"What if the Bloodmoon Pack stays longer?"

‎I turned on them, eyes blazing. "Enough."

‎They quieted immediately.

‎Fear spreads fast but so does control, if you know how to wield it.

‎"The Lycan King didn't claim anyone," I said calmly. "He observed. That's all."

‎"But he said..." one of them started.

‎"He said nothing that changes the hierarchy," I cut in. "Seris is still an Omega. And Draven is still our future Alpha."

‎I glanced at Draven pointedly.

‎He straightened slightly, as if remembering who he was supposed to be.

‎"I won't allow this pack to spiral over nothing," I continued. "The Bloodmoon Pack will leave, and everything will return to normal."

‎That was what I told them.

‎That was what I needed to believe.

‎Later that night, Moonveil Pack didn't sleep.

‎Neither did I.

‎I stood at the window of my room, staring into the forest where the Bloodmoon warriors had disappeared. Torches flickered faintly in the distance as guards were doubled along the borders.

‎Fear had sunk its claws deep.

‎My mother's voice echoed in my head "Power is taken, not given. And never shared unless it benefits you".

‎Seris had always been beneath me.

‎She was quieter. Softer. Easier to break.

‎I remembered the first time I'd realized that.

‎She had been younger, barely old enough to understand pack hierarchy, clutching a book to her chest as she passed by. I had only meant to tease her just once.

‎She'd apologized.

‎For existing.

‎That was when I knew.

‎Breaking her had become effortless after that.

‎And now fate dared to lift her up?

‎No.

‎I wouldn't allow it.

‎The next morning, the pack buzzed with restrained tension. No one dared speak too loudly. The Bloodmoon Pack's presence lingered like a storm cloud just beyond sight.

‎I found Draven near the training grounds, staring blankly at the dirt beneath his boots.

‎"You're letting them get to you," I said, approaching him.

‎"They're still here," he replied. "My father allowed it."

‎"He had no choice," I said smoothly. "You saw their power."

‎That earned a flicker of anger in his eyes. "And you think I didn't?"

‎Good. Anger was better than doubt.

‎"You rejected Seris," I continued. "That decision stands. The Lycan King doesn't change that."

‎"But what if..."

‎I grabbed his wrist. "Draven. Look at me."

‎He did.

‎"You are Alpha blood," I said firmly. "She is an Omega who couldn't even hold her mate bond. Whatever Xavian sensed, it doesn't erase who she is."

‎His jaw tightened. "You didn't see the way she looked at him."

‎"I saw fear," I replied instantly. "And confusion."

‎That part wasn't a lie.

‎Fear was easy to exploit.

‎"She's vulnerable," I added softly. "And vulnerable people make mistakes."

‎Draven's eyes darkened. "You think she'll leave with him."

‎"I think," I said carefully, "that the Lycan King is dangerous. And dangerous beings don't play fair."

‎That did it.

‎Protectiveness flared in Draven's scent, sharp, territorial. It wasn't for Seris.

‎It was for Moonveil.

‎And by extension.

‎Me.

‎"I won't let him take what belongs to this pack," Draven said.

‎I smiled.

‎By midday, the whispers had evolved.

‎Some wolves claimed the Lycan King had come to punish Moonveil for allowing a bond rejection. Others believed he was here to assert dominance. A few fools suggested Seris might become something more.

‎I made sure those whispers died quickly.

‎"She's cursed," I told anyone who listened. "Rejected Omegas always are."

‎"She brings chaos," I murmured to the right ears. "Look at what happened the moment she was humiliated."

‎Seeds of doubt took root easily.

‎They always did.

‎And Seris made herself an easy target keeping her head down, sticking close to Theo, avoiding the clearing entirely.

‎Coward.

‎Or clever.

‎I watched her from a distance that afternoon as she slipped out of the packhouse, heading toward the tree line. Theo followed a moment later.

‎Always him.

‎My lip curled.

‎She had never fought back not once. Not when I mocked her. Not when I pushed her. Not even when Draven rejected her before the entire pack.

‎And now?

‎Now the Lycan King had looked at her like she was something precious.

‎Unacceptable.

‎Power tastes sweeter when shared but only when I decide who gets a bite.

‎Seris hadn't earned hers.

‎And if fate insisted on lifting her up,

‎I would be the one to remind her exactly where she belonged.

‎Even kings bleed.

‎And Omegas?

‎They break.