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Chapter 30
As soon as those words left his lips, the room erupted into whispers. I could hear the astonished murmurs from the crowd, even though my focus was solely on Lirian.
“Did she really help the Ironclaw heir?”
“I had no idea the Moonshadow Pack had such a close relationship with Ironclaw.”
“They’ve refused every other pack’s invitations and only came here? There has to be something more to this.”
“Are these two packs going to form an alliance? If that happens, they’ll be unstoppable!”
But I could barely register what they were saying. The only thing I could focus on was Lirian, standing before me. He looked much younger than I had expected–around my age, but with a calm and steady demeanor that hinted at the weight of leadership. His features were sharp and handsome, his eyes dark and serious, yet filled with warmth when they met mine.
A memory surfaced, unbidden, from my past life.
“Before I married Ryan, Lirian had looked at me with the same expression. Soft. Affectionate.
Yet, in my blind devotion to Ryan, I had ignored it.
After my marriage, Lirian’s gaze had grown distant, cold even, and he had avoided me as much as! possible. I had dismissed it at the time, too absorbed in my own misery to understand the depth of his feelings.
Could it be that in our past lives, Lirian had cared for me all along?
The thought made my heart race. The idea of Lirian harboring feelings for me–genuine feelings–was something I had never considered before. But now, it seemed so obvious. Why els would he have stayed so close to me all those years? Why else would he have shown up here,
tonight, so fiercely protective?
Arman, clearly not happy with the turn of events, straightened his posture, his eyes flashing with anger. “I don’t care who you are,” he spat, “you have no right to interfere. Sophia needs to be
punished for what she’s done!”
Lirian’s expression darkened, his jaw clenching slightly as he turned his full attention back to Arman. His patience was clearly wearing thin.
2
Given Lirian’s reputation for being an exceptional fighter, I had no doubt that if it came to a physical Confrontation, Arman would be outmatched.
But I couldn’t let this escalate any further. This was Moonshadow territory, and I didn’t want to
tarnish the evening with unnecessary violence–especially not with Lirian’s first public appearance.
I stepped forward, my voice calm but unwavering.
“Kneeling is not a problem for me,” I said, addressing Arman directly. “But I will only kneel to my Alpha and to our departed ancestors. And you, Arman. well,” I paused, letting my gaze sweep over him critically, “you’re certainly no Alpha.”
The insult hung in the air between us, and I saw Arman’s face turn an alarming shade of red.
Before he could react, I added, my tone turning almost mocking, “Tell you what, Arman. Why don’t
you
go
find the tallest building around here, jump off, and if you survive, I’ll kneel for you and bless your soul’s journey to heaven.”
The room went dead silent, save for a few stifled gasps. Arman’s fury boiled over. “You-!” he shouted, his hand raising to strike me.
his
But before he could bring it down, Lirian moved. In a flash, he caught Arman’s wrist mid–air, grip iron–tight. The speed and precision of his action were breathtaking. For a moment, the room. seemed to collectively hold its breath. Lirian’s voice was dangerously low as he spoke, “Lay a hand on her, and you’ll regret it.”
The crowd watched, wide–eyed. Some even applauded quietly, clearly impressed by Lirian’s quick reflexes and calm authority. Arman, on the other hand, looked stunned, his pride wounded in front
of everyone.
standing in the background the whole time, finally decided to step in. Her eyes Linda, who had bee filled with fake tears, and she hurried toward me, her voice trembling.
“Sophia, I know you don’t like me,” she began, her hand clutching at Ryan’s sleeve, “and I’ve accepted that. But how can you speak to your own brother like that?”
Linda’s eyes filled with tears, her lower lip trembling as she cast a wide, innocent look around the room. The tears streamed down her cheeks, but her expression was clearly calculated–she wanted to appear delicate and vulnerable. I knew her game all too well. She was trying to make herself look like the victim, hoping to shift the tide of sympathy in her favor.
Ryan, standing to the side, noticed her act, and I saw a flicker of something dark cross his face. Jealousy, bitterness, maybe both
know that Ryan can’t afford to make Linda cry.
But what he doesn’t know is that they’ll have plenty of crying to do in the future.
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Chapter 31
