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Chapter 52

“It’s an invitation to Alpha Rygan’s engagement, Vienna explained, watching quietly to see how her friend would react, but Elise didn’t so much as bat an eye.

She kept that pain hidden as she tried to think of something else than this harrowing pang in her heart as she stared at the

invitation

“You knew, didn’t you?” She asks Elise, who stands up from the kitchen bar stool, walking to the fireplace to stare at the open flame that kept them warm.

“More like. I’m the person who told him to go ahead with it… to hurt him and me,” she muttered. “I think I deserved to be hurt: I mean, I was the one who broke it off; what was I expecting?”

“You were expecting better, something he could not give when he is practically a mated man, but don’t still get this honestly. you see the way he looks at you, how he

“Stop Vienna, please,” she tells her friend with a whimper. She didn’t need to recall whatever memory she had been trying to push back down for a while now.

“Hey, sorry you know what? I don’t even think we should go, I think we should skip the ceremony

Vienna suggested.

“You know we can’t do that; he is the alpha, and besides, the whole pack will be there, and imagine when I’m absent from all of this; that would easily push their suspicions that I have it out for Alvira,” she says.

She watches Vienna walk back to the kitchen, taking back the two mugs. They both finish the warm cup of tea, placing them. in the sink before she reaches into her closer to bring out wine. “Besides, I’m sure Tazmin will want to see you there,” Elise adds, making her friend smile slightly.

But Vienna was still worried, her brows easing as she looked at her friend and asked, “And you?”

-I’ll be there, of course, to congratulate them and to show him that this doesn’t affect me one bit because he was never mine to begin with, and just maybe Alvira might even be less of a pack to me after they are finally mated.”

“I highly doubt that, but I still think she will be alert with you around. You know, Alvira, Alana, and I used to be friends… But when Alana died. I expected to see Alvira cry, but the next few days she looked calm accomplished it freaked me out to never know what she is thinking so be careful of her,” she warns.

“But I admire your decision to face them head, Elise,” she says to Elise, who takes a sip of the glass of wine passed to her.

“I mean, how bad can it go?” She tried to brush it off as she faced Vienna. “And let’s just forget about that; we need to worry about the solstice instead; we haven’t prepared for it, and it will be in a few hours,” she noted quietly with a smile that didn’t reach her eyes.

Vienna could see she wanted a distraction, and this was it. “I mean, yeah, the solstice is one way for us to have fun, and who knows, maybe we can get our eyes on handsome males too, the ones who aren’t playboys that break hearts or do one–night stands,” she adds, and Elise thanks the moon she was falling for it.

“That’d be perfect,” but Elise and Vienna knew their preferences were far from perfect, but how could she fight what her heart wanted?

Solstice evening was starting: the invitation was across the whole pack as they made it down the road to the hilltop that overlooked the gray lake. Elise watched the sun come down, admiring how the sky looked like a portrait painting with red and pink hues.

Vienna tells her that Bellamy would have already reserved a space for them. They reach the top of the hill, already largely

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occupied by couples or groups of the pack, in clicks.

She could tell the conversation immediately changed when she made her presence known.

Some had already whispered about her being here, but she was more concerned about where Bellamy was. She saw Hana, who waved them to a perfect grassy spot where Vienna had set the blanket and snacks down.

“Honestly, thoughts once you got lost or something.” Bellamy says while Hana giggles.

“We kind of lost track of time.” she muttered with a blush of embarrassmen recalling how both of them had turned into a giggling mess after a few cups of wine back at Vienna’s place. “But we’re here, and, oh, look! Right on time!” Vienna argued, pointing to the sky.

The once calm, darkening sky was now filled with rain showers of falling stars. The crowd gasped in awe, but no one was more enamored than Elise; she’d never experienced this before.

Unbeknownst to her, a familiar gaze belonging to the alpha king was watching her quietly. Rygan had arrived earlier; he watched her every move, his body itching to get close to her and touch her, and all the more the guilt he felt from last night.

He knew it was shameless of himself to want her after sending those cards out, but Alvira was unstoppable; she was the one who planned it.

He knew Elise might be mad or disappointed, but he found it best and found it more comfortable to be in his wolf form and blend stealthily in the woods while he watched over his pack. And over her.

As he shifts through the darkness, dark as death, scouting all the grounds and wolves that were close to Elise.

He watched in awe from his view as Elise smiled from time to time at Bellamy’s jokes, and Vienna, who he was surprised to have become so close to Elise throughout these months.

Because the Vienna he knew from childhood had been so closed off after Alana’s death, she had nothing to prove to her peers and her talent proved otherwise, but he never expected their budding friendship between her and Elise.

And he was glad Elise had people who cared, especially when she didn’t let him in anymore since she was with Kaide now.

His dark brooding was interrupted by a familiar scent. He turned his wolf head to see two familiar males standing beside him. Tazmin and Kaide: they both bowed in respect to their alplia.

And even though he and Kaide hadn’t been in the same place alone for a good while after their fight, they still held mutual. respect for each other and their roles in protecting their pack.

*What is it?” he asks telepathically.

“It’s Kyren: he sent a message,” Tazmin says, showing off the letter he was holding. Rygan’s pheromones were already full of bloodlust and anger; he didn’t want to unsettle the pack’s excitement for the solstice with his anger, so he instructed his betas to head deeper into the woods.

When they were a bit far enough away before Taz read the message out loud for the trio,

The silence after he was done was more than darkness; their eyes filled with anger, and their contempt for Kyren grew bigger.

This fucking bastard… His demands are fucking absurd!” Taz snarls

“He cannot be serious… I can’t believe that bastard thinks he can write to you to congratulate you on your mating ceremony: how did that man even learn of the news you shared this morning?”

“Then must there be spies here?” Taz says. They both look at Rygan, who’s been silent, his eyes black as death, his silence filled with so much anger and intent to kill.

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“That’s bastard wants to come on our territory; he gave us an ultimatum to let him in for the ceremony to uplift the ‘ties‘ he desperately wants with our pack or a duel for Elise; that would mean a war would be waged to take his stolen bride back,” he said. And Rygan snarls.

The moment he steps in here, I’ll kill him.

“That could start an outraged war because he is from one of the most powerful packs… But no matter what, we can’t let that bastard Kyren have Elise; we can’t allow it. Taz mutters, and Rygan growls in return, but then he stops when they notice another presence.

o

“What the hell did you just say?” They hear Elise’s horror–filled voice, her eyes wide and stunned at the mention of Kyren’s plan.

They couldn’t keep it a secret anymore.