Chapter 5

ELISA'S POV

The room seemed to close in on me, I sat there, stunned, as Jackson made his announcement. GINA stood beside him with a triumphant smile on her face as she held his arm. The spotlight was on her, and she was happy to be in it.

I couldn’t believe it. Betrayed didn’t even begin to cover how I felt. Jackson had wasted no time in replacing me, and with my sister, no less. It was like a cruel joke, one that cut deeper than any wound. I had always known I came second to Gina, but this… this was a new level of humiliation.

"Are you alright?" I heard the man ask me, his breath hot against my ear. The feeling of his breath on my body sent tingles down my spine.

I cleared my throat "Yes"

I wondered how he knew something was wrong. I was wearing a mask, he couldn't see my facial expressions or the tears that filled my eyes.

"Are you sure? Your body is trembling"

That was when I realized my whole body was shaking. No wonder he could tell.

I couldn't even begin to describe the hurt I felt. Jackson had crossed a line. He had shattered the final pieces of my heart. I loved him. I did everything to please him yet it wasn't enough. He had always preferred my sister to me.

A part of me wanted to say good riddance but another part of me was sad. Why didn't he love me? What was wrong with me?

The whispers grew louder and I knew that I would be the topic of pack discussion for about a week.

I sniffled, trying to get a hold of myself. I wouldn't let them break me. I would find a way around this.

Before I could fully process my emotions, the man sitting next to me spoke loudly. His voice cut through the murmurs of the crowd.

“Deposing a Luna will require evidence of Luna's serious infractions to be provided to the members of the Werewolf Council before you can do so." he said firmly.

I was surprised by his words. He spoke so eloquently and fluently, like someone with a lot of power. Who was he really?

The room fell silent. Everyone turned to look at him in shock, whispering and wondering who he was. Jackson’s face twisted with contempt. I could  Jackson was a proud and ruthless Alpha. Nobody dared question him or speak when he's in the center of the room. It made me wonder who this man was even more. He must be very powerful for him to question Jackson's words.

Jackson glared at him as he spoke.

“Who are you?"Jackson's voice boomed" How dare you meddle in the affairs of my pack?"

The man didn’t flinch. I was surprised by how composed he looked. He had a confident smirk in his face.

“I'm a member of the Werewolf Council. You can provide me with evidence.”

My heart skipped a beat. A council member? Here? No wonder he spoke so powerfully.

Jackson froze for a moment before regaining his composure, though his voice wavered slightly. “You're a member of the Werewolf Council? That's not possible. There is no council member here today for the ball. You’re lying!”

At that moment, a man appeared behind the mystery man. He had the symbol of a royal sigil on his suit.

“How dare you!" the man raised his voice" How can you talk to him like that? You should bow when you see the Lycan King”

Gasps filled the room. My own breath caught in my throat as the realization hit me. The Lycan King? I had never seen him before—no one had. The mystery man was the Lycan King? All of a sudden, I started to get hot under my mask.

Jackson’s face went pale. His authoritative aura crumbled in an instant. Even Gina looked scared.

“I’m sorry… I didn’t know you were the king,” Jackson stammered, his body trembling with fear.

I held onto my mask tighter, praying it would conceal my identity. My heart raced. I had been talking to the Lycan king? No way.

Jackson bowed in front of him. The guests stood up and bowed too. I stood up to do the same but the mystery man held my hand, stopping me. It confused me even further. My body calmed under his touch.

“I will be here for two weeks to help you with the leadership changes,” the Lycan King said.

His gaze scanned over everyone till his eyes landed on me.

I felt like I was suffocating under his intense stare. I felt hot all over. I felt flattered and nervous at the same time.