The night dragged on like an endless dance of introductions, small talk, and careful laughter. The air thick with secrets and unspoken agreements, like everyone was pretending to be part of something greater than themselves. Velessa found a quiet corner in the far end of the pavilion, away from the clinking glasses and the hum of shallow conversations.
She didn't belong here. Not with these wolves. Not with her bloodline.
But she stayed, because there was no leaving. Not yet. Not until they'd all seen her as a piece of the puzzle they didn't care to understand.
She pulled out her phone, staring at the screen as if it could offer her an escape. But the screen was empty—no new messages, no calls, no reason to reach out to anyone. Her life was a quiet stream of nothingness, a void she had grown used to.
Then, like a cruel twist of fate, her eyes caught the movement at the other end of the room.
Rhydan.
She didn't know him. Not really. His name was one she'd heard whispered in the halls of her pack—a future Alpha. The kind of man who made people stop and stare when he walked into a room. But she never paid attention to the whispers before tonight.
He stood tall, shoulders broad, with a quiet confidence that was almost intimidating. His raven-dark hair was neatly styled, his posture perfect, as he spoke to the girl beside him. They looked perfect together. And Velessa felt nothing but indifference.
Except…
Her wolf stirred.
She glanced away before anyone could notice. It was stupid. There was nothing between them. She didn't even know him.
Rhydan's eyes swept the room. She told herself it was nothing—he wasn't looking at her. She was just another face in the crowd. A face he would forget the moment the night ended.