Lucien stared out the window, his jaw tight enough to ache. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw her... small, dark eyes staring him down without an ounce of fear, striking him in the chest as though his title meant nothing at all.
No one had ever dared to.
And her words? They infuriated him even more.
No one, dead or alive, Supreme Alpha or Moon Goddess, can make me return to Silver Creek.
The words echoed through his mind like an insult that refused to fade.
His jaw tightened. Not once in all his years as Supreme Alpha had anyone dared reject his command so openly.
Not nobles, not Alphas, and certainly not a woman.
Yet Evelyn Valemont had looked him directly in the eye and refused him without the slightest hint of fear.
"My Lord."
His beta’s voice was careful, testing the silence before stepping into it.
"May I ask something?"
Lucien didn’t look away from the window.
"Ask."
"Why involve yourself so deeply in Silver Creek’s affairs? This is Kael’s mess. His mate, his pack, his failure to govern it." A pause. "It isn’t beneath you to let him drown in it."
"It stopped being only his business the moment she struck me in front of witnesses."
"She was grieving, my Lord. You said yourself—"
"I don’t care what she was." Lucien’s voice came out sharper than he intended. "She humiliated me. In another Alpha’s home, in front of his people, in front of my own warriors."
The beta studied him for a long moment, saying nothing.
"You’ve dealt with worse insults than that," he said finally, carefully. "Rebellions. Assassination attempts. Entire packs that tried to burn your name from the record. None of them earned this much of your attention afterward."
Lucien’s jaw flexed.
"Your point?"
"Only that I wonder, my Lord, if this is truly about the insult." The beta’s eyes flicked toward him, searching. "Or if there’s something else you haven’t told me."
Lucien said nothing.
Outside, it began to rain. Lightning lit the sky, and for a moment, his own reflection stared back at him in the glass—older now, harder, nothing like the man who had once stood in a war room and listened to an Alpha’s wife tell him exactly what kind of Alpha he was.
Perhaps your people fear you. But they will never love you.
He hadn’t forgotten a single word of it in four years.
His beta was still watching him.
"Leave it," Lucien said quietly, turning back to the window. "It’s my business now. That’s all you need to understand."
______
The room was quiet by the time Celine returned.
Evelyn sat on the edge of the bed, one hand pressed against her ribs where Lucien’s Alpha aura had thrown her back.
The ache hadn’t faded. It probably wouldn’t for another day or two.
Thanks to using most of her healing gift during the war, her wolf still wasn’t fully healed.
The door creaked open, and Clara stepped inside carrying a steaming bowl, her brows immediately knitting together when she saw Evelyn trying to stand.
"Lady Evelyn."
Before Evelyn could take another step, Clara hurried across the room and gently pushed her back onto the mattress.
"You shouldn’t be moving."
"I’m fine," Evelyn argued.
"No, you aren’t." Clara folded her arms, looking entirely unconvinced. "You were thrown halfway across the room by the Supreme Alpha."
"It wasn’t halfway."
"It was far enough."
Despite everything, Evelyn couldn’t stop the small smile that tugged at her lips.
"I’m alright, Clara."
Clara knelt beside her, carefully checking the bruise beginning to darken beneath Evelyn’s collarbone.
"Are you, my lady? Are you truly alright?"
Evelyn looked away, unable to look into the girl’s eyes and lie.
A knock sounded, and Celine stepped inside, quietly closing the door behind her.
"It’s formed a nasty bruise," Celine said the moment she noticed the mark on Evelyn.
Evelyn pulled her clothes back into place while Clara stood to leave.
"It’ll heal."
A ghost of a smile touched Celine’s mouth before it faded again.
"What do you plan to do now?" she asked. "After what’s happened."
"What I’ve always planned to do," Evelyn replied smoothly. "I want to heal people, Celine. I wanted that long before I ever became anyone’s Luna. It’s the one thing in my life that was mine before Kael, and it will be mine again after him."
"Even after Lucien’s threat?" Celine’s voice was careful. "He said no merchant, no guild under his influence would touch you. That’s not an idle warning, Evelyn. That’s more than half the realm."
"I know exactly what it is."
"And you’re not afraid?"
Evelyn shook her head.
"I’ve spent five years afraid of losing a husband who never loved me, a title that meant nothing, and a home built on a lie."
Evelyn met her eyes steadily.
"I’m done being afraid of powerful men who think a threat is the same thing as an ending."
"Evelyn..." Celine trailed off quietly.
Evelyn met her eyes.
"I’m not afraid of Alpha Lucien, and I’m certainly not afraid of Kael."
She leaned back slowly against the headboard.
"But before I take another step... I have something else to do first."
Celine waited while Evelyn’s gaze drifted toward the window.
"I’m going to make Kael divorce me."
Celine’s brows furrowed. She couldn’t see how that was possible. The same Kael who wanted nothing more than to have Sophia as his Luna? The only reason he even wanted Evelyn back was because of her blood...
"How do you intend to do that? Evelyn, he came with the Supreme Alpha. If that doesn’t scream that he’s not willing to divorce you, then what does?"
Evelyn’s expression hardened. After five years with Kael, she’d learned one or two things from him, and she knew exactly which button to press. She was done with this back and forth.
"That will be my last card to play." Evelyn smirked. "All I need is the divorce. Finalized in the werewolf courts, with no ambiguity left for Kael to hide behind. I won’t build anything new while I’m still legally chained to what’s already broken."
"And if he refuses to sign?"
Evelyn met her eyes.
"Then I’ll make refusing cost him more than signing ever could."
_____
The Valemont estate had long since fallen silent. Only the steady patter of rain against the windows disturbed the night.
Varek had already changed for bed, sitting against the headboard with a report in one hand while Celine stood near the balcony doors, staring into the darkness.
"You’ve been quiet."
She didn’t answer immediately.
"I’ve been thinking."
"I noticed." He closed the report and set it aside. "What is it?"
Celine remained silent for another moment before finally turning toward him.
"Do you think Evelyn will leave?"
Varek frowned.
"What kind of question is that?"
"Just answer me."
He watched her carefully.
"Yes."
"You sound certain," Celine replied. The thought had been eating at her for a while now.
"I am," Varek replied, watching her closely.
Celine lowered her gaze.
"What if she doesn’t?"
Varek sighed.
"Celine," he drawled.
"I’m serious."
She walked closer, wringing her hands together.
"Alpha Lucien threatened to cut off every merchant, every guild, every pack willing to help her. If she can’t build the healing house she wants..."
"What if she decides to stay?"
Varek looked at her without speaking.
She continued quietly.
"The people adore her. They never stopped. They still bring her gifts. They call upon her like she’s the goddess who can save them from whatever suffering they’re facing. They still speak of her as though she’s the one good thing Valemont has been blessed with. Like she’s one of them."
Celine sighed.
"And she is. She is the rightful heir of Valemont."
Varek’s expression hardened.
"Where is this coming from, Celine? What exactly are you asking me?"
"I’m asking — what happens if Lucien’s threat pushes her to stay? Not to leave and build something new elsewhere, but to stay here. To lead here. What happens to us, Varek, if she decides this pack should have been hers all along?"
"I’m only thinking ahead. If she decides not to leave... if she decides Valemont is the safest place left for her... what happens then"
Finally, Varek stood. He crossed the room until he stood directly before his wife.
"Evelyn walked away from this pack five years ago because she wanted a life that belonged to her."
He held her gaze."She has never once asked me for my title. She has never hinted that she wants this pack."
Celine bit the inside of her cheek. "You don’t know that."
Varek’s brows drew together. "Celine, drop it. I won’t hear another word against Evelyn."
Celine lowered her head.
"...Alright."
Varek kissed her forehead gently before returning to bed. Within minutes, his breathing had evened into sleep.
Celine watched him sleep, her face crumbling with fear. She was afraid of Evelyn’s return and now of Alpha Lucien’s threat.
She loved Evelyn, but she loved being the Luna of Valemont even more.