IA

aid, Tess, kept trying to coax me into sitting down, but my nerves were too frayed. Finally, the sound

nt Alpha heir I knew. He looked like a man

is side and clutching his arm. "Wha

g hand over his pale face. "He granted it," he said, his

d?" I cried out, throwing my arms around his neck, a triumphant smil

ined limp at his sides. "Not exactly," h

ring as my joy instantly turn

explosive fury. The sudden, unexpe

y brow furrowing in confusion.

Gideon explained distractedly, staring blankly at the floor. "He's the one who

mered, my voice trembling. This time, the tears welling in my eyes weren't a

with defeated eyes. "But you will never have the title. You will

his wife if I am not the Luna?! I didn't endure the scorn, the secret meetings, and the risk of carrying a child out of wedlock just to be some ordinary housewife! I

the Alpha heir, but its mother would be a woman of no official rank, a permanent outcast in her own home. Th

ad frantically in denial. "No, h

It is done," Gideon said,

raphina?" I asked, my voice laced with pure veno

jaw. "The Prince... he said she had to be compensated for the insult. He

de?" The injustice of it was a physical blow, knocking the wind out of m

t facade finally snapping into a million pieces. "She wins!

ed at the dying embers in the fireplace. We both knew the bi

PHIN

royal decree via Jasper Price, the King's emissary. I accepted the heavy

being permanently denied the Luna title-a detai

I read abo

, but this... this was beyond anything I had orchestrated. The smoothness of it all, the sheer scale of this reward, felt wrong. It was

elping me