Aurora’s POV

My hair was short, uneven from where it had been hacked away during my time in the hospital.

My skin still had faint bruises and scars, some from restraints, others from rough handling.

Even after bathing, I still felt the cold trace of the hospital on me, as if its presence clung to my skin no matter how clean I was.

As soon as I stepped into the hall, the air shifted.

The guests fell silent for a moment, eyes locking on me. Then came the whispers. Quiet at first, but spreading quickly like wildfire.

An older woman nearby glanced at me with wide eyes. She had just been making small talk with someone but froze as she recognized me.

“Is that… Aurora?” she whispered.

“She used to be a dancer, you know,” another voice said softly. “She was a good dancer, very good moves then, she was famous for it.”

“But now… now she’s a lunatic,” someone else whispered.

And then, the real cruelty began.

“Word is she slept around with the inmates in that mental hospital. Not just mentally unstable, but probably infected too.”

“She has AIDS,” another voice said, barely hiding their disgust. “She’s not just sick in the head, she’s diseased.”

The words wrapped around the room like poison, and soon many of the guests were looking away, stepping back from me, their faces twisting with discomfort.

Some glanced at me with pity, some with disdain. To them, I was not a daughter of this family. I was the outsider, the one who had lived in the shadows of scandal.

At the long table, Helen glowed as always. She smiled, leaned close to Alpha Frank and Luna Melissa, and received every dish, every compliment. When I sat at the far end, no one noticed.

I looked up at the banner strung across the hall. My breath caught.

Helen’s face filled the space on the engagement poster. Beside her stood Beta James. Their hands were clasped, their eyes shining.

I was speechless.

So this was not my welcome banquet. It was Helen’s engagement banquet.it was just to humiliate me

My wolf stirred faintly, a fragile spark in the emptiness. We are not surprised, she whispered, her voice steady where mine shook. This was never for you. Do not waste your heart on it. Remember—Alpha Gray will be here. He has no mate yet.

Her voice faded, leaving silence in its wake.

I stood there for a moment, frozen, until the clatter of plates and the scent of food tugged me back to the present. My throat burned, but I refused to let them see me break.

I turned toward the buffet area. The smell of roasted meat and fresh bread curled through the air, stronger than the hollow chatter behind me. If no one wanted me at their table, then I would eat alone. I would feed myself.

I picked up a plate and moved along the line. That was when I heard them.

Two women stood nearby, whispering. Their words were low, but I caught them.

“Alpha Gray,” one said, “he is ruthless. A playboy. He kills weak wolves without hesitation. No one dares to provoke him.”

The other nodded quickly. “If he is here tonight, we should be careful. His reputation is terrifying.”

Their voices carried unease, but also a strange fascination.

I lowered my eyes, thinking of what my wolf had said. Meeting him was not something I wanted. Being ignored would be easier.

As I reached for a serving spoon, one of the women turned and looked at me. She frowned, then smirked.

“Are you serving tonight? Where are the napkins?” she asked sharply.

I blinked. “I am not a server.”

She raised an eyebrow. “Then who are you?”

I held my plate steady. “I am Aurora, daughter of Alpha Frank of the Silver Moon Wolf Clan.”

The woman laughed, sharp and cruel. “The daughter? No, you are the murderer. The madwoman who poisoned Vicky. Everyone knows that story.”

Her voice grew louder, drawing attention from others nearby. She shoved me.

My feet slipped. The plate clattered from my hands. I stumbled back, colliding with a food cart. It tipped, dishes falling, the sound of shattering plates echoing through the hall. Gasps rose from the guests.

For a moment, I thought I would crash to the ground, humiliated in front of everyone.

But someone caught me, and I fell into his arms. I deduced he was the Alpha of the Red Moon Wolf Clan. He smelled of dark chocolate.