Chapter 9
Lila
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Vanessa stepped forward with the same smug energy I remembered from childhood, her voice ringing through the hall.
“Your Majesty, I request that this woman be expelled from the palace.”
There was no hesitation, no pretense of civility. She pointed at me like I was dirt beneath her heel, like she expected Damon to agree without question.
I almost laughed. Maybe getting thrown out wouldn’t be such a punishment after all. I could return home having fulfilled my deb to my father and get my mother’s treatment. With the added bonus of getting away from the Lycan King. Maybe I should thank
Vanessa
I shifted my gaze to Damon, waiting for his reaction.
But to my surprise, his expression didn’t darken with anger from the other night. He didn’t so much as frown at me. Whatever he was thinking was a mystery to me.
Silence stretched out while everyone waited, clearly expecting an outburst, but instead, Damon’s deep voice carried through the air, cold and firm.
“I don’t want to see any more conflict,” he said. His gaze lingered on me a moment longer before he turned read the rules.”
away.
“Beta Ronan,
That was it?
I swallowed down the strange mixture of relief and… disappointment? That made no sense. I didn’t want his attention. And yet, for reasons I couldn’t explain, I had expected more of a reaction based on his behavior earlier.
Maybe even hoped for one. Which again made no sense.
Ronan stepped forward, his sharp eyes scanning the gathered women before he began
“These are the Palace rules, please take them to heart. First, deception towards His Majesty will be met with severe punishment Second, angering or offending His Majesty is grounds for expulsion. Third, spreading secrets will be punished. And lastly, initiating fights without cause will be met with severe punishment.”
I stiffened as I felt Damon’s eyes on me again when Ronan mentioned punishments.
I tilted my head slightly, catching just the barest hint of amusement in his expression. Was he thinking about my earlier defiance? Was he waiting for me to slip up again?
I scoffed inwardly at my wolf Ruby. This man is so annoying. He’s implying I should be punished. Should I thank him?
Let’s focus on not giving him more reasons to punish us, only reason to love us. I hoped Ruby would drop the idea of Damon
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being our Mate. Apparently not.
But my mind was already racing. There was something in the rules that stood out to me, one very specific loophole. If I angered offended the Lycan King, I could be expelled from the palace.
That was interesting. Very interesting.
Ronan continued. “The selection will follow a point system. Only those who score at least 100 points during the initial screening
will have the chance to move forward. If a candidate is not chosen by His Majesty, she may choose to be matched with another
noble from the Royal Court.”
A murmur of excitement rippled through the group.
Then Ronan delivered the final detail.
“The first round will be held tonight. A masked elimination.”
1 frowned.
“Each of you will wear identical clothing and masks,” he explained. “His Majesty will rely on scent and figure alone to select ten
women. Five of you will be eliminated immediately.”
All around me, the others straightened with excitement, some with renewed determination.
I could already hear the whispers.
“He’ll be able to tell who’s noble by scent alone.”
“I hope he notices mine.”
“He won’t be interested in commoners.”
My lips twisted into a dry smile. So that’s how it was. They were all convinced their scents would make them stand out.
I wasn’t concerned. In fact, I intended to make sure I was as invisible as possible.
After Damon left, preparations began. The women rushed to their rooms, pulling out their finest scented oils; custom fragrances had become a recent trend amongst the nobility. These oils blended with a werewolf’s natural scent to enhance it, making them. appear more desirable, more relined.
Alpha Henry had even given me a bottle, though it sat untouched on my vanity. I didn’t plan on using it. If anything, I wanted to make myself as unappealing as possible
Skipping the shapewear undergarments the other women favored, I layered up, wrapping myself in extra clothing beneath my dress. I wanted to make my figure appear less defined
But I left my arms bare, my scars visible. Let them see them. Let them assume whatever they wanted. Imperfections were not a desirable trait to Nobility
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Satisfied with my frumpy appearance, I was about to step away when I caught a strong scent coming from behind the vanity.
The bottle of fragrance that Henry sent with me, the one I had never even opened, was shattered and swept against the wall.
My stomach clenched. There was no possibility that wasn’t an accident.
Someone had been in my room. Someone had deliberately destroyed the one thing that could have given me an advantage in this
ridiculous competition.
I exhaled slowly, shaking off the unease curling in my gut.
Fine. Let them play their games. I was making my own rules anyway.
That night, Ronan led all sixty of us into the grand hall as we lined up–six rows in total. I stood near the back, in the fourth row,
trying to blend in as much as possible.
The room buzzed with anticipation, tension crackling in the air like a storm about to break.
Then, the sound of approaching footsteps silenced everything, Steady. Powerful.
Even though I couldn’t see him behind me, I felt Damon’s presence. The shift in the air was undeniable.
Women around me adjusted their posture, subtly arching their backs, tilting their chins just so, as if a single movement could
make them more noticeable in a sea of the same.
Footsteps stopped behind me and a slow breath left my lips.
Damon’s hand reached out, brushing my arm. A single touch, but my entire body lit up.
“What happened here?” His voice was low, but not unkind.
I blinked. He was looking at my scars.
The jagged lines across my skin stood out against the dim candlelight. I forced my body to relax. I wasn’t ashamed of them and showing them tonight was calculated. But I hesitated for a second, some small part of me not wanting to share anything of
myself
“It was from training,” I said casually. “My wolf doesn’t always heal me fully.”
a
It wasn’t a lie, exactly I was injured in training, just not the type I’m sure was expected of a noble.
Damon ran a single finger along one of the scars, the contact so light I wouldn’t have noticed unless I was focused on it.
Then he asked quietly “Were you doing a lot of household chores for your Pack?”
My breath hitched
Not training. Not combat. Chures.
My pulse pounded in my ears
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Chapter 9
He knew. I wasn’t sure how or why, but somehow, Damon had figured it out.
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Before I could find a response, before I could react at all, Damon abruptly let go of my arm and stepped past me. And Just like that
the moment was over.
I stood frozen in place, my thoughts racing.
What the hell just happened?
