A sharp slap broke through the courtyard like a whip.
Victoria stumbled a little, her head snapping to the side. Her wine goblet slipped from her hand and shattered on the ground, the red liquid spilling like blood across the stone floor.
Nobody moved. Standing in front of her was the Alpha King’s Luna, Queen Regina. Dressed in silver and black, she looked every bit like royalty—cold, sharp, and furious. Her eyes locked onto Victoria like she was dirt under her shoe.
“You’ve forgotten your place,” the Queen said, her voice like ice. “You speak when spoken to. Nothing more.”
Victoria held her cheek, stunned. Her pride hurt even more than the slap. She looked around, hoping someone might back her up.
Then her eyes found Zayn.
Zayn met her gaze, but there was no softness or sympathy in his expression.
He turned to the Queen and gave a small respectful nod. “You are right, your Highness. Please pardon her insolence.”
Victoria’s lips parted. “Zayn—” she whispered, both hurt and angry. But he didn’t budge.
The Queen stepped back without saying another word. Zayn turned back to Victoria. His voice was calm, but firm. “Leave.” f(r)eew(e)bnovel.(c)o(m)
For a moment, Victoria looked like she was about to explode. Her fists clenched at her sides, and her mouth opened as if she might argue. But then she saw the look on Zayn’s face. The one he gave before someone was punished. Cold and menacing.
Victoria’s jaw clenched, and her eyes burned from the humiliation. She didn’t say a word. Just turned and stormed off, her heels clicking hard against the stone floor.
Behind her, murmurs started to spread through the crowd. Some wolves turned away awkwardly. Others watched with interest, clearly enjoying the drama.
Zayn didn’t watch her go. He didn’t need to—he could already feel her fury pressing into him. But he didn’t regret it.
She had crossed a line. Spoken out of turn. Acted like she was something more than what she really was. This wasn’t her place. It was his.
And if he was going to survive in front of these royals, he had to play by their rules.
Queen Regina stood beside the Alpha King, calm and composed, her chin held high. Her face gave nothing away, but her palm still tingled from the slap. Someone had to remind that woman where she stood.
Just as she opened her mouth to speak again, the King cut her off with a look.
“That’s enough, Regina,” he said, quiet but firm. “You’ve made your point. Go inside. This is Alpha business now.”
Her stomach twisted, but her expression didn’t change. She gave a small, perfect nod. “Of course, my King.” But inside? She was fuming.
She turned and walked away gracefully, her gown trailing behind her. She looked calm and in control.
But her jaw was tight and her smile fake. Every step she took away from the gathering made her blood boil.
‘Dragged across the country like a decoration. Now dismissed like a servant? Me?’
She walked through the long hallway of the packhouse, her heels echoing loudly on the polished floor. A young maid followed behind her, head down, holding the edge of the Queen’s dress to keep it from dragging.
Suddenly, Regina stopped. The maid didn’t react fast enough and gently bumped into her.
Regina turned slowly. The girl’s eyes went wide with fear. “I’m so sorry, my Queen, I didn’t—”
The slap came out of nowhere. It echoed through the hallway.
The maid stumbled back, hand flying to her cheek and too stunned to speak. Blood dribbled from the side of her lip.
Regina leaned in close, her voice sharp and icy. “One more slip up and I’ll have your head on a spike by sundown. Understood?”
The maid nodded quickly, blinking back tears. “Y-Yes, my Queen. I’m sorry.”
Regina lifted her chin and smoothed out her gown like nothing happened. Then she kept walking. She was the Queen. She knew her worth, her place. And one day, her husband would remember it too.
Let the Alphas talk. Let the kings make their deals. Regina would wait.
And when the moment came, she’d make sure no one—not even the King—forgot who she really was.
Steam rose from the hot spring in thick clouds, sticking to the stone walls like fog. The water was hot—almost too hot—but it didn’t do much to relax Zayn.
He sat still, arms resting along the pool’s edge, muscles tight beneath the surface. The other Alphas lounged nearby—Revin, Moren, Kade—and the Alpha King. All of them were out of their armor, pretending to be relaxed, acting was some friendly bonding moment.
But Zayn wasn’t fooled. Their smiles were fake, their words loaded.
“So,” Revin said, nodding at a scar across Zayn’s ribs, “that one—was it a beast? Or a whip?”
Zayn didn’t even blink. “Both,” he replied flatly.
Moren chuckled, sipping from a flask. “You’ve got more scars than skin, boy. You cursed or something?”
Kade snorted. “Nah. Just built differently. All that time in chains... probably toughened him up. Slaves like him would have done hard labor.”
Every mark on him had a story. A price. Proof he survived things they couldn’t imagine. They didn’t understand and they didn’t care to.
Then the Alpha King spoke up, sounding casual but watching Zayn closely. “Ever miss it? Being told what to do? No pressure, no decisions. Just following orders. Must’ve been easier.”
Zayn stared ahead, his jaw tight. The steam blurred his vision, but not enough to hide the smug looks the others were giving each other.
He wanted to respond. Wanted to remind them he didn’t just survive slavery—he destroyed it. He didn’t come from comfort like they did. He was shaped by pain, forged in fire.
But he stayed silent. ‘Not here. Not now.’
Dace leaned back against the rocks, letting his arm rest on the edge of the spring. His voice was smooth and thoughtful. “I’ve been thinking a lot lately, about the governance of Obsidian Moon and Thunder Paw. Hence, our hasty visit."
Zayn listened intently without looking up. Beneath the surface, he was seething.
"Thunder Paw needs its own Alpha. Someone who knows the land and its wolves. Hence, I think it’s in the pack’s best interest to give Xavier immunity. We can’t forgive the sins of his father, but surely his son deserves a second chance?"
Zayn didn’t answer right away. He just stared at the King.
The air shifted in an instant. Everyone felt it.
“I think it is in both packs’ best interest that we merge to become one,” Zayn said, his voice calm and low.
“With you as the Alpha?” Dace raised a brow as he let out a short, cutting laugh. “You’ve never led two territories. You’re barely holding on to this one. No alliances. No Luna. No heir. You’re new. Untested.”
Zayn’s jaw tightened.
Dace kept going. He even placed his hand on Zayn’s shoulder. “You might have led your people to rebel and freedom. But running a pack, being an Alpha, is far above your means.”
Ezra, standing nearby, stiffened. His fingers twitched, but he didn’t move.
He slowly rose from the water. He didn’t speak. The water rippled around him as he stepped forward.
The King’s smile faded.
Zayn stopped just inches away, towering over him. He cast Dace in his shadow, looking down at him without a single word.
Dace looked up at him, trying to match his glare. But the longer it went on, the more unsettling it became. None of the other Alphas dared to move either. They all watched in silence.
The only sound they could hear was dripping water, hitting the surface.
A shiver ran down Dace’s spine. His heart pounded in his chest. The first to speak loses. So all he could do was wait for Zayn to make the first move. fr\eewebno vel .c(o)m
But could he last that long?