Chapter Thirty-Three: Another Invitation from Father

Sophie's POV

The sound of my own footsteps echoed through the empty hallway as I made my way down to breakfast. After Marcus's meltdown last night, the entire mansion felt like it was holding its breath, waiting for the next explosion.

"Miss Haven." A maid's voice made me jump. "Your fiancé will be escorting you on the pack tour today."

Well well, trading one Alpha's intensity for his son's indifference. "And where's Marcus?"

"Alpha is... occupied with other matters." Translation: he was still pissed about whatever set him off last night.

The dining room felt wrong the moment I stepped inside. Victoria's usual seat sat conspicuously empty, the space she normally filled with sharp wit and knowing smiles now just... vacant. Adam slouched in his chair, scrolling through his phone while picking at his breakfast.

"Morning." My greeting fell flat in the heavy silence.

Adam barely grunted in response. Fine by me. The less we had to interact, the better. I focused on my coffee, letting the bitter warmth chase away memories of last night. But the silence was uncomfortable. Adam didn't even try to fake interest in small talk, which was actually an improvement over his usual attempts to remind me of our "engagement."

A phone notification broke through the peace, making Adam smirk at whatever was on his screen. A familiar giggle from the hallway followed, and Katie - that same cheerleader from my birthday night - sauntered past the dining room's open doors, straightening her clothes. She blew a mocking kiss as she caught my sight.

What the hell?! My jaw literally dropped. The fucking balls on this guy, bringing his hookup to Marcus's house? And that bitch pranced around like she owned the place. I nearly pinched myself to make sure I wasn't hallucinating this level of stupid.

Apparently, sharing a house with the city's most terrifying Alpha wasn't enough to curb Adam's idiocy. The look on Marcus's face when he found out would be... interesting.

As if summoned by my gleefully dark thoughts, the dining room doors swung open. Marcus strode in with that familiar atmosphere. Our eyes met for a fraction of a second before his gaze slid past me like I was part of the furniture.

"The pack tour is postponed." His voice carried zero room for argument. "There's been a change of plans."

"What? Why?" The words spilled from my mouth, and Marcus's sharp glance made me regret them.

"Your father is hosting a party tonight." Marcus's jaw tightened slightly. "A proper welcome celebration for his long-lost daughter."

Something cold slid down my spine. "Another party? After everything that happened last night?"

"He wants to make amends." Marcus's tone suggested he believed that about as much as I did. "The entire family is expected to attend."

"What do you mean 'the entire family'?" I couldn't keep the edge from my voice.

"Everyone." Those penetrating eyes finally fixed on me properly, something unreadable lurking in their depths. "It's a traditional moonlit hunt."

"A what?"

"Pack tradition." Adam actually perked up for the first time all morning. "Full moon, open forest, chase and pursuit." His grin held too many teeth. "Time to see if you can keep up with real wolves, princess."

I ignored him, but the word 'hunt' sent an unexpected thrill through me. Since that first painful transformation on my birthday, I'd barely connected with my wolf.I remembered catching a glimpse of her in the mirror that night—ordinary gray-brown fur like any regular wolf. Nothing special except for the brown eyes that matched my human ones. My wolf had been mostly silent since then, unlike other wolves who seemed to have constant conversations with their human. Just occasional feelings and instincts bubbled up, like she was still uncertain about our connection.

But now, at the mention of racing through the forest, I felt her stir with interest. Maybe this was what we needed - a chance to finally sync up properly, to learn what we could do together instead of just surviving through the shift.

But Marcus's posture caught my attention. Something was off about his stance - a tension in his shoulders I'd never seen before. "You seem worried."

"These gatherings can be... unpredictable." His fingers drummed once against the table - the only tell in his otherwise perfect composure. "Rival packs often view them as opportunities."

"Opportunities for what?"

He didn't answer directly. "Stay close to Adam tonight. Don't wander off."

The order rankled, but the steel in his voice kept me from arguing. Instead, I asked the question that had been burning since I sat down: "Will Victoria be there?"

Marcus went absolutely still, that stillness that meant danger. After what felt like eternity, he gave a single, sharp nod.

His reaction made me nervous. Something had clearly happened between them after I went to bed last night. I studied Marcus's face, trying to read anything under his mask, but he was already turning away.

"Get ready." He paused, and then just turned to leave the room.