Chapter 16
Tori's POV:
My fingers curled slowly at my sides, nails digging into my palms as I fought to control the rage bubbling just beneath my skin.
I stared at Fiona, keeping my expression neutral despite the anger forming in my chest.
"Does it matter?" I replied coldly. "What's important is that I'm out now."
I leaned in slightly, my voice dropping to a dangerous whisper. "And if you're smart, you won't push me again. I promise you will pay the price for what you've done."
Fiona's expression didn't falter. Instead, a slow, condescending smile spread across her face as she examined her perfectly manicured nails.
"Is that so?" she asked, her voice dripping with mockery.
"An ex-convict Omega threatening me?" She laughed softly, the sound like glass breaking. "You should worry more about yourself, Tori. You have nothing, while I have everything."
She leaned closer, her smile only widened, something dangerous flickering in her eyes
"And just so we're clear—Ethan came to me. He chose me."
Her eyes gleamed with cruel satisfaction. "Even your own mother prefers me over her flesh and blood. Isn't it delicious? I have your boyfriend falling at my feet and your mother loving me like the daughter she always wanted."
My fingers tightened around the stem of my champagne glass until my knuckles turned white. There's a voice in my head urging me to throw the contents in Fiona's perfectly made-up face.
Don't rise to the bait, Tracy warned inside me. She's trying to provoke you.
Fiona's eyes flickered down to my hand, noticing my white-knuckled grip on the champagne glass.
A slow, calculating smile spread across her face.
"Oh, look at you," she cooed with mock sympathy. "So angry. So helpless." Her eyes glittered with malice. "Wanting to throw that drink at me, aren't you? I can see it in your eyes."
Before I could react, she lunged forward, her manicured fingers wrapping around my wrist in a surprisingly strong grip.
"Here, let me help you with that," she said, lowering her voice so only I could hear.
With a swift movement, she yanked my arm upward, forcing the champagne to splash across her expensive dress. I tried to pull away, but she'd already let go, stumbling backward dramatically and collapsing to the floor with a theatrical cry.
"Tori! How could you?" she wailed, loud enough for everyone in the vicinity to hear. "What did I ever do to deserve this?"
The room fell silent for a heartbeat before erupting into shocked murmurs.
All eyes turned toward us—toward me—standing there with an empty glass while Fiona lay on the floor, champagne dripping from her designer gown.
The scene spoke for itself—or so it seemed to everyone watching.
The whispers started immediately, slicing through the air like tiny knives.
"Did you see what that Omega just did?"
"So vicious, attacking poor Fiona at her own ceremony!"
"Pretty face, but such a black heart."
The murmurs grew louder, more confident as people fed off each other's outrage.
I stood frozen, the empty glass still in my hand, as the crowd's collective judgment crashed over me like a wave.
Hannah pushed through the gathering crowd, her face contorted with rage. "What have you done?" she demanded, rushing to Fiona's side. "Are you alright, sweetheart?"
Fiona looked up with glistening eyes. "I was just talking to her, and she suddenly got so angry. She... she attacked me!"
"I didn't—" I started, but Hannah cut me off with a furious glare.
"How dare you?" she hissed, rising to face me. "I warned you to behave yourself today!"
The confrontation caused a ripple of recognition through the crowd. I heard the whispers change as people realized who I was.
"Wait, isn't that Hannah Sullivan's daughter?"
"Look at her—still in high school at her age. Repeating senior year, I heard."
"No wonder she's acting out. Jealous of Fiona landing Ethan Grayson while she's stuck redoing classes."
"Country blood always shows itself eventually. You can dress them up, but you can't teach class."
"Exactly, so petty and small-minded. Attacking her stepsister at an engagement party? Absolutely no breeding."
The judgments continued to pile up around me, each comment building on the last, transforming me into exactly what Fiona wanted them to see—a jealous, uneducated, uncivilized Omega who didn't belong in their world.
The unfairness of it burned in my chest. Four years in Silver Fang because of Fiona's lies, and here she was, orchestrating another performance to paint me as the villain.
Then Ethan came into my sight, his eyes widening as he took in the scene. Our gazes locked. His jaw tightened as he took a step toward me, his body language suggesting he was about to intervene.
"Ethan!" Fiona's voice cut through the murmurs, suddenly fragile and trembling.
She reached out a delicate hand toward him. "It's okay, really. I'm sure Tori didn't mean to do it. It was probably just an accident."
Her performance was flawless—the gracious victim, defending her attacker. The crowd's whispers shifted again, now marveling at Fiona's compassion and class.
Ethan froze mid-step, caught in an impossible position.
"This is exactly the reason why she dares to act so recklessly," Hannah snapped, shooting Fiona a disapproving look before turning her fury back to me. "You're too soft with her. She needs to learn her place."
Hannah stepped closer, her voice dropping to a dangerous register as she addressed me directly. "Apologize to Fiona. Now."
I gritted my teeth, meeting her gaze. "I have nothing to apologize for."
The crack of her palm against my cheek came without warning. Pain bloomed across my face, the force of the blow jerking my head sideways.
For a heartbeat, the entire room fell silent, the sound of the slap still echoing in the air.
I stood perfectly still, my cheek burning, tasting the coppery hint of blood where my inner cheek had caught on my teeth.
Something dangerous stirred in my chest – Tracy rising to the surface, demanding retribution.
I could feel my eyes beginning to shift, the silver of my wolf bleeding into my human irises. My fingernails lengthened slightly, the beginning of claws emerging.
But suddenly, the atmosphere in the room changed.
It was as if all the oxygen had been sucked out at once, replaced by something heavier, more primal. The hair on the back of my neck stood up, and Tracy went immediately still inside me.
Alpha, she whimpered.
A wave of powerful pheromones washed over the room – cold, commanding, and unmistakable.
The crowd parted like water before a blade, revealing Lucas Grayson standing in the doorway of the private room.
His presence filled the space completely, his silver-white eyes scanning the scene with cold calculation.
He was dressed impeccably in a tailored charcoal suit that did nothing to soften the hard lines of his body or the dangerous aura that surrounded him.
This was the Alpha of Moonhaven's most powerful pack, and he looked... displeased.