Chapter 115
Vivian POV
I am not nervous.
Nervousness is for girls who don’t plan.
I smooth my gloves as I stand at the edge of the ballroom, breathing in candle smoke and polished marble, letting the music settle into my bones. Every detail tonight has been chosen with intention, every curl pinned just so, and every jewel placed where it catches the light without begging for it.
This is war.
And I came dressed for it.
My gown is impossible to ignore, liquid gold silk poured over my frame, fitted sharply through the bodice before flaring into a skirt that catches every flicker of candlelight. The neckline dips just enough to be daring, framed with faceted gems that sparkle when I move, drawing the eye exactly where I want it. Structured sleeves sit at my shoulders like subtle armor, giving my posture strength, while the fabric trails behind me in a controlled, deliberate sweep.
It was perfect dress to bounce back in, reclaim my power.
Because that earlier dismissal still burns.
My fist clench.
Dominic’s parents looking at me like I was something inconvenient, something that had wandered too close to the stage. That wasn’t the first time they have taken my kindness as weakness.
But I got the message.
Meekness didn’t work. Flattery didn’t work. Fine.
I adapt.
They don’t want a sweet girl. They want authority. They want a Luna who doesn’t ask where she belongs.
That, I can do.
From the front of the ballroom, I can feel his parents eyes. They’re sharp, measuring, cutting through the glitter and movement as they watch from there guest thrones. Dominic stands near them, already surrounded, girls orbiting him like moths convinced
they’re special.
This entire thing was for him, can’t blame them for trying. But we all knew who the main event was for the night.
I don’t rush.
I move when the moment is right.
The crowd parts easily as I walk forward. Confidence does that. As they part, I stop in front of Dominic and smile up at him, soft and inviting.
“Hey,” I say soft, hand moving to his collar. “You look so handsome tonight.”
He stares at me stiffly. Then nods and thanks.
“Dance with me?” I ask.
He blinks, then nods again, relief flickering through his expression. Of course he agrees. Dancing with me is an honnor for him. Duh.
+30 Bonus
The music swells, and we step onto the floor.
And obviously, we are flawless. I’m flawless. He matches my steps, like I pretend he’s leading
Every turn is precise. Every step perfectly matched. I let my hand linger at his shoulder, my smile warm, my laughter light.
I feel eyes on us, everyone. I feel there approval, attention, assessment.
Yes. This is it.
I guide him through a dramatic dip, letting my hair spill like silk as the music ends.
Applause erupts.
I beam, triumphant as he pulls me up to his chest. “You were amazing, Dom!” I swell. “We make such a good team!” Giggling
cute.
His head tilts. “I suppose. You did well.”
Then my hand moves to his cheek.
He tenses. Of course he is nervous. I had one last move to seal the deal.
But I close the space between us for a kiss —
“Attention, please.”
The voice cuts through the room.
I freeze. Dominic pulls away slightly, eyes on the announcer.
The man continues ceremonially. “We are honored to welcome two additional guests this evening.”
The ballroom turns as one.
And then-
Ellie.
She appears at the top of the staircase like…like a perfect sight.
I look to Dom.
He’s…staring.
I hate it.
The room stills as she descends, Sarah just behind her, both of them poised, effortless. Admiration ripples through the crowd in
a way I don’t like. In a way that wasn’t supposed to happen.
“Is that Ellie?”
“Woah, she clean up good.”
“How muhc you wanna bet she crawls right over to Dom?”
Everyone waits for the obvious. For Ellie to come to Dominic.
Even Domininc turns slightly from me but-
Instead, she stops, looks at him, then turns away.
She walks toward the drinks.
Chapterdis
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The whispers explode.
“What? She…isn’t going?”
“Maybe they really are over?”
“Then why would she be here?”
I look up at Dominic.
He’s staring. Again. Like he’s more confused then…admiring now.
Then I glance toward his parents.
They’re whispering. Leaning toward one another, expressions sharpened with interest. Real interest. Not polite tolerance on.
Ellie.
I smile, still sweet, still composed, fingers tightening just slightly at my side.
That stupid, ugly-UGH. Why must she ruin everything!
She will not leave this ballroom unscathed.
I will see to that.
Dominic POV
I’m here, I remind myself, to find a wife.
My parent shave decided its…time.
So it’s time.
Right?
Right.
And Vivian isn’t shy about her spot in line. As girls flock me, she approaches, asking me to dance.
To be honest, I just wanted away from that mob.
We dance, perfect, though she seems more into showing off to my parents then talking to me.
Not sure if she tried to kiss me at the end, because I drift away from Vivian before I consciously decide to.
It’s subtle, just a shift in my stance, a reorientation of weight, but my body has already chosen a direction as soon as I hear her
name.
For a moment, the ballroom fades, the music dulling to background noise as my focus narrows to one point.
Her.
She stands near the edge of the floor at the top of the stairs, composed in a way that makes the room feel loud by comparison Radiant without trying.
She looks more beautiful…then I had seen her in weeks. My last memories of her being covered in dirt and
The memory slams into me.
Her slapping me. The venom in her voice when she said she hated me
Chapter 18
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My fists curl at my sides.
I want to go to her.
But whatever we are now, it isn’t something I’m allowed to reach for. Ellie and I were….too complicated. And I needed a wife. A Luna. One my parents approved of.
So I stop.
I turn away deliberately, forcing myself to look elsewhere, to reclaim control the way an Alpha is supposed to. I step back into conversation with the girls nearby, letting my expression settle into something smooth and practiced.
“How was you’re dance!” One asks.
“Vivian was flawless,” I say, louder than necessary. “Best dancer on the floor tonight.”
The praise lands easily. Hollow. Performative. They nod, smile, agree without question, and for a moment the noise of their approval convinces me I’ve made the right call.
Then I see Lucas.
If I wasn’t already annoyed. Why the hell was he here and…
Of course. My wolves ears flatten.
He’s already moving toward Ellie.
I hate the sight of it. Hate how natural it looks, how easily he slips into her orbit, how if that was me, she’d snap.
My wolf begs to move.
I don’t
I won’t cross the floor.
I won’t ask her to dance.
I won’t give her the satisfaction of knowing she still has this kind of power over me
Lucas puts his hand out to her.
…Damn it.
Ellie POV
Oh, I hoped I looked cooler then I felt doing that.
Too many eyes.
Too many whispers.
I sip my drink slowly, letting the music carry around me instead of through me, determined to make this night something better
than it was before. All I had to do was lay low-
“Ellie.”
Lucas appears, and my heart sinks. He’s already smiling. And I’m…still not interested in being seen with him. Yet
“You look beautiful,” he says, sincere enough that it doesn’t sound rehearsed.
I give him a brief smile. “Thank you.”
4.5
Chapter
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He hesitates, clearly expecting more, then clears his throat. “I, uh-actually, I wanted to say I got to talk to Dominic earlier.”
I don’t even look at him.
“Oh.”
Lucas blinks. “I just thought-”
“I know what you thought,” I cut in, turning to face him now. My voice stays calm, but there’s an edge underneath it. “And Lucas, I’m going ot be honest, I’m just really tired of his name following me everywhere like it’s part of my identity. Can we just …not talk about him or any of that tonight?”
He exhales, rubbing the back of his neck. “Right. Sorry.”
There’s an awkward pause.
“So,” he says, holding out a hand, “would you like to dance?”
I open my mouth to answer-no-and suddenly my hand is being taken.
I suck in a yelp as I’m pulled backward, the glass nearly slipping from my fingers as someone steps seamlessly into my space.
Dominic?!
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