Summer’s POV
Alpha Foster entered the ballroom like a storm cloud crashing through summer skies, with Suzanna draped on his arm, wearing crimson silk far too bold for the occasion. Her cheek bore a faint bruise under heavy makeup, and claw marks trailed down the edge of her collarbone, poorly concealed by her diamond necklace. I could feel every eye turning toward them, the room thick with anticipation.
“They came to provoke,” I whispered to Alex.
His jaw flexed. “Let them. They’re stepping into our territory now.”
Foster’s gaze locked onto mine. There was fury in his eyes, yes–but something else, too. Possession. Entitlement.
Suzanna clung to him like a trophy, her smile brittle as glass. Her lips moved, whispering something into his ear, and he gave a tight nod. I saw the flicker of pain in her eyes despite her mask of pride.
Then Foster’s voice cracked through the ballroom–loud and full of righteous fury.
“This is outrageous!” Alpha Foster’s voice boomed across the ballroom, silencing all conversation. “Summer is my Luna, my mate. This entire charade shouldn’t even be happening.”
A wave of whispers rippled through the crowd as representatives from neighboring packs exchanged glances. My blood boiled at his audacity.
“We are divorced, Foster,” I said coldly, my voice carrying despite its softness. “You already have a new Luna at your side.” I gestured toward Suzanna, whose bruised face and poorly concealed scratch marks drew curious stares. “Whom I choose to be with is my freedom, not yours to dictate.”
Alex’s hand tightened protectively around my waist, his body radiating heat and barely contained rage.
“Summer,” Alpha Foster took a step forward, eyes scanning the room until they landed on Felix, who stood beside Lyra. A calculating smile spread across his face. “Felix, son, surely you don’t want your mother to make this mistake? You understand family should stay together.”
Before I could intervene, Felix stepped forward, his one good eye fixed unwaveringly on Alpha Foster.
“You stopped being my father the moment you took my eye and gave it to Moore,” he said, his young voice wavering slightly but growing stronger with each word. “When you chose him over me, you lost the right to call me son.”
Gasps echoed through the ballroom. Pack members stared at Alpha Foster with undisguised disgust and horror. An Alpha who would betray not only his mate but mutilate his own child? It was unthinkable.
Alpha Foster’s face contorted with fury. “That’s a lie! You ungrateful little-”
I moved before I even realized it. My hand connected with his face in a sharp, resounding slap that echoed through the ballroom like a thunderclap.
“You do not speak to him like that,” Thissed, my voice shaking with rage. “Not atter everything you’ve done.”
A stunned hush fell over the room. Even the music had stopped. Alpha Foster stood frozen, cheek reddening, the imprint of my hand blooming across his skin.
Then Alex broken the silence, He stepped forward with deliberate calm, unbothered by the tension still thick in the air. Reaching into his jacket, he pulled out an official–looking document and let it fall at Alpha Foster’s feet.
“The Council formally recognizes Summer as my intended mate,” Alex said, his voice deceptively mild despite the lethal promise in his eyes. “Your claim has been nullified. She belongs with the Blackwood Pack now.”
1/2
Chapter 50
+15 BONUS
Alpha Foster snatched up the papers, scanning them before his face twisted with rage. With a roar, he tore the documents to shreds, the pieces fluttering to the marble floor like confetti.
“This isn’t real,” he snarled. “You’ve forged these documents. The Council would never-”
“Call them,” Alex challenged. “See what they say.”
Alpha Foster lunged forward suddenly, reaching for my arm. “You’re coming home with me now,” he growled, attempting to
use his Alpha command on me.
Before his fingers could make contact, Alex moved with blinding speed. A ferocious snarl ripped from his throat as he slammed Alpha Foster to the ground, pinning him with one hand around his throat. The full force of Alex’s Alpha aura pressed down, making even those of us watching struggle to breathe.
