Chapter 4
Marigold’s presence was magnetic, a delicate porcelain beauty whose every movement seemed to captivate the room. The luxurious red gown she wore clung to her like a second skin, accentuating every curve, and her skin gleamed under the chandelier lights–flawless and untouchable. Her eyes were sharp, calculating, as she turned to survey the men in the room, each one unable to tear their gaze away from her.
But not Alpha Lorcan. The moment his eyes locked with mine, they softened, a flicker of something unspoken passing between us Added to the library me–he saw me. Without a second’s hestation, he crossed the room, his strong, capable hand sliding around my waist, pulling me into his embrace with a possessiveness that felt like
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a claim. His touch used to be a comfort, a promise. But now, it was a reminder of how tangled our fates had become.
He presented me to the room with a pride that seemed almost possessive, as though I were a rare treasure on display, an object to be admired, yet held at a distance. But Marigold, standing at the edge of it all, her expression tight, watched us with a barely concealed hatred, her smile a perfect mask for the fury behind her eyes.
The banquet continued around us, laughter echoing, glasses clinking, yet there was a tension in the air, an unspoken promise of something more. And then, as though the world had shifted on its axis, my gaze collided with Marigold’s.
Her smile was icy, lips twisted in a thin line, but her eyes–those eyes–burned with
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venom. It was a look that said everything, even before her lips parted.
Then, as if to break the silence, Alpha Lorcan leaned back in his chair, exuding an effortless power that made the room fall still. He was preparing to speak, when suddenly- Marigold’s voice shattered the calm.
“Lorcan,” she gasped, her voice high with panic, “the USB… it’s gone!”
A wave of tension washed over the room. All eyes shifted from her to him, and in that instant, Alpha Lorcan’s demeanor darkened. His expression hardened, every inch of him. radiating dangerous stillness. His sharp eyes locked onto Marigold, and his voice–low, filled with cold fury–cut through the room like a blade.
“Are you serious? How could you be so
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careless?” His words echoed off the walls, and Marigold flinched, shrinking under the force of his anger.
But then–something snapped inside her. Her eyes flickered with a plan, a sudden, sharp shift in her behavior. With trembling hands, she pointed directly at me.
“It was her!” she shouted, her voice dripping with false desperation. “She touched my bag earlier–I saw her!”
Her eyes welled with fake tears, and she took a step toward me, her face a picture of pleading innocence. “Galadriel, please… I know we don’t get along, but that USB is crucial to the Pack’s future. If you don’t return it, Alpha Lorcan’s whole future will be destroyed! Please, don’t ruin everything we’ve worked for!”
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The room fell silent, the air thick with suspicion. Every pair of eyes turned toward me, narrowing with doubt. I could feel their stares, hot and accusing, crawling under my skin. My heart hammered in my chest, and I took a deep breath, the pressure suffocating.
“I didn’t take it!” I practically screamed, my voice sharp, desperation flooding my veins. “Stop twisting the truth!”
But before I could protest further, Marigold lunged forward. Her hands clawed at my dress, frantic and wild, her fingers searching, desperate to find any evidence that might prove her lie.
Fear surged through me like wildfire. This was no longer just about the USB. It was about everything–the lies, the betrayal, the shattered trust. And now, I had to fight to clear my name, to hold onto the truth.
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I turned to Alpha Lorcan, my eyes pleading with him to see beyond the chaos, to see me. To see the truth. But his face remained unreadable. His brow furrowed in frustration, the shift in his demeanor telling me
everything I needed to know: He was losing patience.
When he spoke, his voice was cold, like a glacier. “Galadriel,” he said, “if you took it, just hand it over. We don’t have time for these
games.”
A shiver ran down my spine. His words- his accusation–cut deeper than I could ever have imagined.
Marigold’s search was fruitless, but Alpha Lorcan didn’t pause to question. He acted on impulse, his hands rough as he grabbed my arm, pulling me too forcefully toward
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him. The fabric of my Luna gown tore with a resounding rip, the sound of it ringing through the hall like a death knell.
Gasps filled the air, and my world tilted on its axis. The once–proud gown, meant to symbolize my status, was now a ruined heap of shredded fabric. I froze, humiliated beyond belief. My hands shot to my chest, instinctively trying to cover what little I could of myself, but it was futile. Every eye in the room was on me, and I felt their judgment like a physical weight pressing against me.
But then–something strange happened. A soft, metallic clink echoed across the hall, followed by the sound of the USB sliding across the smooth floor. It stopped dead center in the room, the tiny device gleaming in the harsh light.
Silence.
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For a moment, the world stood still. The whispers began again, but this time, they were full of venom, laden with accusations and disbelief. It was like the entire room had turned against me in the blink of an eye.
Alpha Lorcan’s eyes dropped to the USB, and I saw the shift in his expression. The anger, the confusion–it all crystallized into something darker. Something colder. His voice, when it came, was a blade being drawn, each word coated with fury.
“Galadriel,” he said, his tone low, unyielding. “I never thought you were capable of this. I trusted you. This is how you repay me?”
His words hit me like a physical blow. The man I had trusted, the man I had loved–he was looking at me like I was a stranger. Like I was the enemy.
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And in that moment, I realized: Nothing would ever be the same again.
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