Chapter 0044
Chapter 0044
Agnes
The day of the charity gala had finally arrived, and I found myself standing in front of the mirror, adjusting the strap of my gown for what felt like the hundredth time. It was a stunning dress—a beautiful gold, hugging my figure in all the right places–but I couldn’t help the wave of nerves that washed over me.
This wasn’t just any event; it was a gathering of the most powerful Alphas and Lunas in the region. The stakes were high, and I was about to step into a world I barely knew.
Thea sat on the bed behind me, swinging her legs back and forth.
“You look like a princess, Mommy,” she said, her voice full of awe as her wide eyes took in the sight of me in the
gown.
I smiled, trying to hide my anxiety.
“Thank you, sweetheart. But princesses don’t get nervous, do they?”
Thea giggled, shaking her head. “Nope! And you’re the bravest princess ever.”
Her words were comforting, and I leaned down to kiss her forehead. “You’re going to have so much fun with the other pups at the gala, right?”
She nodded eagerly. “I can’t wait! Daddy said I can play with them as long as I stay in the play area.”
Elijah’s voice interrupted our conversation as he appeared in the doorway, looking as composed and handsome as ever in his tailored black suit.
“Ready?”
I swallowed my nerves and nodded. The three of us made our way outside to the waiting limo, and as we climbed inside, I couldn’t help but feel like I was stepping into a different life–one where high society rules dictated every interaction, where every glance, every word had weight.
Inside the limo, I fidgeted with my gown, my heart racing.
Thea sat beside me, babbling about all the things she wanted to see at the gala, while Elijah sat across from us, watching me closely. His gaze was intense, but comforting at the same time.
“You’re going to be fine,” he said quietly, shooting me a glance. “Remember, you’re the Luna now.”
I forced a smile. “I know. It’s just… I don’t belong in that world.”
“You belong wherever I say you do,” Elijah said firmly, his voice leaving no room for argument. “And tonight, you’ll show them that.”
His confidence should have reassured me, but instead, it just made me more nervous. What if I couldn’t live up to the expectations? What if they saw through me, saw that I couldn’t truly be considered one of them?
As we neared the entrance of the grand hall, I felt my palms grow sweaty. But then, Thea’s small hand slipped into mine.
“You’re going to be amazing, Mommy. I just know it.”
Her words, though innocent, sent a warm feeling through my chest. I squeezed her hand. “Thanks, sweetie. I’ll do my best.”
When the limo finally pulled up to the entrance, I took a deep breath. The moment I dreaded was here. The
1/4
+25 BONUS
Chapter 0044
announcer’s voice boomed through the speakers as we stepped out of the car.
“Alpha Elijah and Luna Olivia.”
My heart dropped. I froze, the air rushing out of my lungs. Olivia?
My mind raced, wondering if I’d heard wrong, but no–the announcer had said it clear as day.
Olivia.
Panic clawed at me and my cheeks burned, but Elijah’s firm grip on my hand grounded me. Without missing a beat, he stepped forward, pulling me with him as gasps rippled through the crowd.
“She’s not Olivia,” someone whispered loudly enough for me to hear.
Elijah’s jaw clenched, and before I could react, he spoke, his voice loud and commanding. “For those who didn’t hear, I’m divorced from Olivia. This is Agnes.”
His words silenced the crowd, and suddenly, all eyes were on me. My heart raced as I realized that this was my introduction to their world–Elijah wasn’t just walking me into a gala, he was walking me into the lion’s den.
We walked into the hall, the low murmur of voices following us like a cloud. I spotted the children’s area off to the side, and Thea, thankfully, didn’t hesitate to run off toward it, leaving me to face the event on my own.
At first, I felt awkward and out of place. The gazes from the other women were sharp, their smiles too forced. But then, the questions started.
“So, you’re not a wolf?” one of them asked, her tone sweet but with a subtle edge to it.
“No,” I replied, my voice wavering slightly. “Not anymore. I no longer have a wolf.”
There were gasps, and it wasn’t long before another woman joined in on the inquisition. “Must be difficult, running with wolves when you don’t have one anymore.”
I swallowed hard, heat rising in my cheeks. I wanted to hide, to escape the questions, but I knew that would only confirm their doubts about me. So, instead, I forced myself to smile and respond.
“It has its challenges, but I think we all have challenges, don’t we?”
She raised an eyebrow, clearly not expecting that response. Indeed,” the woman said, but her tone was less biting. My chest eased.
With every new question thrown my way, I started to find my footing. I quickly learned to navigate the conversations, sidestepping the more pointed remarks with grace. By the time the pre–auction social had kieked into full swing, I had gone from flustered to confident, earning nods of approval from those who had been skeptical of me at the start.
But just as I started to feel at ease, the atmosphere in the room shifted. Whispers began to spread through the crowd, and when I turned, I saw the reason.
Olivia had arrived.
She strode into the room with her head held high, in a killer red dress, flanked by the Alpha from the Nightmare Pack–a tall, imposing man with piercing eyes and a cruel smirk on his face. They made an imposing pair, and it was clear by the way people parted for them that they commanded attention.
My confidence wavered as Olivia’s gaze locked onto me. Her eyes were sharp, cold, and filled with disdain. The Alpha at her side smirked in my direction, clearly relishing the tension.
“She was always a better fit for Elijah,” I heard one of the guests mutter behind me.
214
+25 BONUS
Chapter 0044
The pressure mounted, and I could feel the weight of Olivia’s presence bearing down on me. But just as I thought I might break under the strain, Elijah stepped forward, his voice cutting through the chatter like a blade.
“That’s enough,” he said, his tone leaving no room for argument. All eyes turned to him. “I’ve been merciful in keeping the details of our divorce private, Olivia. But don’t mistake that for weakness.”
His words hung in the air, a clear warning.
Olivia stiffened, her lips pressing into a thin line. She opened her mouth as if to argue, but Elijah’s next words silenced her.
“I’ve made my choice,” he said, turning to me. “Agnes is with me now.”
The room went quiet, and for the first time all night, I felt the full weight of what was happening. Elijah wasn’t just defending me—he was claiming me. And in that moment, it became clear that this was more than just a temporary arrangement.
The room remained silent, the tension thick and palpable as Elijah’s words settled over the crowd. All eyes flicked between Olivia, whose icy exterior began to crack, and me, standing there feeling as though the ground had shifted beneath my feet. Elijah’s grip on my hand tightened slightly, his presence steady and unwavering beside
- me.
I glanced up at him, trying to read the expression on his face, but it was set in stone, his attention locked on the
room.
For a brief moment, Olivia opened her mouth to speak, but the Alpha beside her touched her arm, silently urging her to remain quiet. The crowd shifted uncomfortably, sensing the finality in Elijah’s tone. He wasn’t here to argue.
He was here to make a statement.
And then, without breaking eye contact with anyone in the room, Elijah spoke again, his voice calm but commanding. “Let me make one thing perfectly clear,” he said, his voice resonating through the hall. “Agnes is not just with me. She is our future Luna.”
A collective gasp echoed through the crowd, the weight of his words settling like a stone. I could feel my pulse quicken, my chest tightening as the reality of what he had just declared sank in.
Future Luna.
Those two words changed everything.
He had announced it to the entire pack, to the entire world of Alphas and Lunas gathered here tonight. There would be no more whispers, no more questioning where I stood or what my role would be.
I was to be their Luna.
Olivia’s expression hardened, but there was nothing she could say to undo what had just been spoken. Elijah had made his choice clear for everyone to hear. And now, there was no turning back.
The room remained tense for a few moments longer before people began to murmur amongst themselves, their gazes still flicking back to me. But something had shifted. There was no more mocking, no more dismissiveness.
They were seeing me now as Elijah had intended them to see me–not as an outsider or a temporary companion, but as the rightful future Luna of this pack.
I glanced at Elijah, my heart pounding in my chest, unsure of what to feel. Gratitude? Relief? Anxiety?
But when I looked up into his eyes, I saw none of those emotions reflected back. Instead, his gaze was filled with
3/4
+25 BONUS
Chapter 0044
quiet determination.
And in that moment, standing in the middle of the crowded gala with the weight of the future pressing down on me, I realized something important.
I wasn’t just surviving in this world anymore. I was about to take my place in it.
Elijah turned back to the crowd, his voice cutting through the murmurs as he continued, “From this night forward, I expect that everyone here will treat Agnes with the respect she deserves as your Luna–to–be. We are stronger when we stand together, and that unity starts with respecting your future leader.”
The crowd nodded, and though there were still some skeptical glances, the shift in tone was undeniable. They were no longer questioning me. They were accepting me, or at least beginning to.
Elijah had made it so they had no choice.
His arm slid around my waist, drawing me closer as he leaned down, his lips brushing against my ear.
“You did well tonight.”
I couldn’t speak. My mind was racing, trying to process everything that had just happened. The gala, the whispers, Olivia’s arrival, Elijah’s declaration–it was all a blur. But one thing was crystal clear: there was no escaping my role now.
I had a future with Elijah, and it was one where I wouldn’t just stand beside him. I would stand as his equal, as Luna.
And despite all the chaos, all the uncertainties swirling in my head, there was a flicker of something inside me that felt…right. Like this was where I was always meant to be.
Elijah gave me a reassuring squeeze before pulling back slightly to face the crowd once more.
“Let’s enjoy the rest of the evening,” he announced smoothly, and with that, the gala resumed, but everything was different now.
We stepped into the sea of people, and this time, I didn’t feel like I was drowning. I had Elijah by my side, and more importantly, I had a new sense of purpose. The weight of being their future Luna was heavy, but I could carry it.
I would carry it.
Because now, it was no longer a question of if I belonged. Elijah had spoken, and the entire room had heard it: I was their Luna.
+25 BONUS
Chapter 0045
Chapter 0045
