I stood in the reception hall, heart pounding inside my chest. The night was supposed to be simple—just a gathering of the Alphas and their Lunas who would soon pledge allegiance to Landon as their Lycan King. Yet nothing was ever simple when it came to my life.
The stain on my dress was barely noticeable, but Elodie had zeroed in on it like a hawk spotting prey from miles away.
"Let me help you clean that up," she insisted, her voice sickly sweet but her eyes hard as stone. "We can't have our new Queen looking less than perfect."
"That won't be necessary," I replied, trying to keep my voice steady. "It's hardly visible."
Ronan had warned me to stay close to him or Landon during the event. Regina had practically hissed at me not to wander off alone. But here I was, caught between causing a scene by refusing Elodie's "help" or walking into what felt like an obvious trap.
"I insist," she said, her smile never reaching her eyes. "The ladies' room is just down the hall."
