Asher’s POV

“Ohhhhhh no!”

Vanessa’s voice tore through the hallway for the fifth time since she got the news that the Lycan King had claimed Nora.

She was pacing the room like she’d lost her mind, muttering under her breath. “How? Did she seduce him? Bewitch him?”

I leaned against the doorframe, already tired. “Will you dress up for dinner or not?”

Her head whipped toward me. “Why would you even bring dinner up?”

“Because, Vanessa—Lycan King. That’s who we’re dealing with. Remember?”

She groaned and threw herself into the nearest chair. “I can’t believe I’ll be sitting at the palace dining table with that thief.”

“We both know she’s not a thief.”

If gaze could kill, her glare could have burned holes through me. “Are you defending her right now?”

I didn’t answer. I just pulled my phone from my pocket and started toward the door. “Ten minutes. I’ll be downstairs. You can come or you can stay here and sulk.”

Vanessa could be dramatic on a good day, but this… this was different. The whole situation had her spiraling, and it wasn’t just her. My mother - Anna had suddenly “fallen ill” to avoid attending the dinner at all. Apparently, Nora’s sudden rise from invisible omega to the Lycan King’s mate was too much for everyone to process.

Nine minutes later, Vanessa finally emerged.

I wished she hadn’t.

*

*

NORA’S POV

The doors to the dining hall swung open, and every head turned.

The sudden weight of all those eyes hit me at once alphas, betas, ranked wolves dressed in their finest

Derek’s hand rested lightly against the small of my back, steady and sure. It was the only thing stopping my knees from locking.

“Chin up,” he murmured just for me.

I obeyed, though my pulse was a wild drum in my chest.

The scent of roasted venison and spiced wine wrapped around me, mingling with polished silver and warm candlelight. This was not my world, these glittering wolves in tailored suits and gowns, all pretending not to judge while their eyes scanned me head to toe.

Asher.

He sat halfway down the table, shoulders stiff, jaw tight., my breath stalled. The man who had once rejected me without hesitation now rose with the others, bowing his head in respect

I found my seat beside Derek, and that’s when I felt Vanessa’s eyes, sharp enough to cut glass. She sat opposite me, her silk blouse slightly wrinkled, hair scraped back so tight it made her cheekbones look harsher. Her mascara had bled faintly beneath her eyes, a smudge she clearly dressed out of anger

Her smile was all teeth and no warmth.

“Congratulations,” she said, each syllable dipped in honey laced with poison. “Who knew the Lycan King would be… so open-minded.”

A few low chuckles rolled around the table.

My wolf bristled instantly, but Derek didn’t even flinch. He reached for my wine glass and poured it himself, his golden eyes sweeping the table like a silent warning. The laughter died quickly.

We took our seats. Derek’s presence beside me was a wall—tall, unshakable.

Asher cleared his throat, leaning slightly forward. “My King, thank you for the… generous gift to the pack. I was hoping to discuss our duties moving forward—”

Derek didn’t even look at him. “Let’s just enjoy this meal. You can speak with my beta after.”

The steel in his tone made Asher’s jaw clench before he nodded, swallowing whatever else he’d been about to say.

I reached for my fork, and that’s when my fingers betrayed me.

The silver slipped awkwardly in my grip, my movements clumsy, betraying my lack of experience with this kind of dining.

Vanessa noticed first.

Her smirk was sharp enough to slice through my composure.

“I guess you can drag a gutter girl into a palace, but you can’t scrub the gutter out of her,” she chuckled, just loud enough for the others to hear.

A ripple of low laughter moved down the table.

“Nora, wouldn’t you mind staying behind for some proper training?” she added, her tone sugared but poisonous.

Heat rushed to my cheeks, my hand trembling despite my effort to steady it.

Then Derek’s hand closed over mine—firm, warm, grounding. Without a word, he took the cutlery from me, cut a piece of venison, and fed it to me himself.

Silence fell.

“Luna Vanessa,” Derek’s voice carried, calm but lethal, “judging by your manners, I’d say the growth of this pack is already at risk.”

Vanessa’s smirk faltered.

He poured me water, fed it to me as though no one else existed, then took a napkin and wiped the corner of my mouth. A soft kiss pressed against my forehead, a gesture so intimate it made my wolf settle instantly.

Then he leaned close, pushed his chair back. “We’re leaving.”

We walked out without looking back.

Waiting at the steps was a long, black stretch limousine, the kind that made even ranked wolves stare. Its tinted windows and a uniformed driver stood by the open door bigger than any SUV I’d ever seen.

Garrick was already in the front seat beside the driver.

The door opened, and Derek helped me in before sliding in after me.

“Everything’s ready back at the palace,” Garrick said without turning.

“Good,” Derek replied, settling back. “We won’t be long.”

“The Queen Mother is presently…….” Garrick started, but Derek made a quiet shhh sound, cutting him off.

Garrick’s lips curved into a small smile, like he was holding something back, and he faced forward again.

I looked between them, feeling that itch in my chest that comes when you know something’s being kept from you. Derek gave me a little smile, the kind that’s supposed to say don’t worry, but it didn’t fool me.

Our mate loves us, Lunara’s voice came soft and dreamy in my head. It’s a happy ending.

I wanted to believe her. I really did. But deep down, there was this knot in my stomach. Behind all this joy, I couldn’t shake the feeling that a whole Lycan King’s family wouldn’t be thrilled about him choosing someone like me. Weak. Ordinary.

The hum of the car made my eyelids heavy. My head leaned against the seat, and before I knew it, I was drifting off, the last thing I felt was Derek’s eyes still on me.