Chapter 62 ANNOUNCEMENT
Chapter 62 ANNOUNCEMENT
Caden's POV
The Great Hall was already full when I stepped in, voices low, tension thick enough to taste. Something was off.
My wolf felt it first. It was restless, pacing under my skin.
Luca moved to my side. “You feel that?”
“Yes,” I said, scanning the room. “What is he planning?”
I didn’t have to ask who.
At the front, Marcus stood at the podium.
My jaw tightened as I walked forward, every step deliberate. He didn’t even glance my way, just waited until the murmurs died down.
Then he spoke.
“I have an announcement.”
His voice carried easily, calm and commanding like he still held the title.
The pack quieted immediately.
“To strengthen the Silverpine–Mooncrest alliance,” he continued, “Lady Vivienne will host a unity gala in one week’s time.”
Applause broke out.
My gaze moved through the crowd until it found her.
Aria stood near the back, one hand on her stomach, her face pale but composed. From the distance, I still saw it, the shift in her expression, the way her shoulders stiffened.
She knew.
This wasn’t good.
Vivienne stepped forward, her presence drawing attention like always. Perfect posture. Perfect smile.
“Thank you,” she said, her voice smooth. “This gala will celebrate our continued partnership and future unity.”
Her eyes moved slowly across the room.
Then stopped.
On Aria.
Deliberate.
Sharp.
“It will be held at the Mooncrest estate,” she added. “A gesture of goodwill.”
More applause.
I didn’t take my eyes off her.
“Attendance,” she continued, “is expected of all pack members.”
A slight pause.
Then—
“All residents. No exceptions.”
The words landed like a blade.
I felt my wolf surge, sudden and violent.
No.
My gaze snapped back to Aria.
She didn’t move.
Didn’t react.
But I saw it—the tension in her stance, the way her fingers curled slightly against her side.
She understood exactly what this meant.
So did I.
Marcus stepped forward again, reclaiming attention. “This is an important moment for our pack. Unity must be demonstrated, not just spoken.”
His gaze swept the room, then flicked to me briefly.
A warning.
Or a challenge.
“Prepare accordingly,” he finished.
The assembly broke apart slowly, voices rising again, excitement buzzing through the hall.
I didn’t stay.
I moved straight toward her.
“Aria.”
She turned as I approached, her expression already guarded. “What?”
“You’re not going.”
Her brows lifted slightly. “That wasn’t a suggestion.”
“I don’t care,” I said, stepping closer. “It’s a trap.”
Her lips pressed together. “I know.”
“Then why are you acting like this is inevitable?” I demanded. “Vivienne will use it to humiliate you. That’s the whole point.”
“She doesn’t need a gala for that,” Aria shot back. “She’s been doing it just fine here.”
“This is different,” I said. “This is public. Political. She’ll have allies there. Witnesses.”
“And if I don’t go?” she asked, her voice sharp. “What then?”
I didn’t answer immediately.
She did it for me.
“Your father gets exactly what he wants,” she continued. “Grounds to exile me for disrespecting pack alliances.”
My jaw clenched. “I won’t let that happen.”
She let out a short, humorless laugh. “You won’t let that happen?”
“Yes.”
“How?” she demanded, stepping closer. “By overruling him in front of the entire pack? By breaking the alliance he’s spent years building?”
“If that’s what it takes—”
“You won’t,” she cut in, her voice low but firm. “You can’t.”
The words hit harder than they should’ve.
“I can,” I said.
She shook her head slowly. “No. You can’t.”
Silence stretched between us, heavy and charged.
“Then I’ll go with you,” I said finally. “Stay by your side. Make sure nothing happens.”
Her eyes flickered, something sharp passing through them before she laughed again.
Bitter this time.
“You?” she said. “Stay by my side?”
“Yes.”
She stepped back slightly, studying me like I’d just said something ridiculous. “You’ll be at Vivienne’s side the entire time.”
“That’s not—”
“It is,” she cut in. “You’ll play the perfect alpha. The devoted future mate. Smiling, standing next to her while I’m paraded around like some dirty secret.”
“That’s not how it’s going to happen,” I said, my voice tightening.
“I’ve seen how this plays out,” she replied, quieter now but no less sharp. “I know exactly what they’re planning.”
My wolf growled low, the sound barely contained. “I won’t let them hurt you.”
She held my gaze, unflinching.
“Won’t you?” she asked.
I stepped forward, closing the distance between us. “No.”
Her expression didn’t change.
That pissed me off more than anything.
“Why are you fighting me on this?” I demanded. “I’m trying to help you.”
“Help me?” she repeated, her voice flat. “By doing what exactly? Standing beside the woman who wants me gone while your father decides my fate?”
“My father doesn’t decide anything for me,” I snapped.
Her eyes flashed. “Doesn’t he?”
The question hung there.
Heavy.
Accusing.
Before I could respond, she turned slightly, like she was about to walk away.
Without thinking, I reached out and grabbed her wrist.
“Aria—”
She froze.
Slowly, she looked down at my hand.
Then back up at me.
“What are you doing?” she asked, her voice dangerously calm.
I released her immediately.
“I’m trying to make you understand,” I said.
“Then say what you mean,” she shot back. “Don’t grab me like I’m something you can control.”
“I wasn’t—”
“You were,” she said.
Silence hit again.
Thick.
Sharp.
“I won’t let them hurt you,” I repeated, more quietly this time.
She studied my face, searching for something.
Truth.
Maybe.
Or a lie.
Then she shook her head.
“You can’t even protect yourself from your own father’s manipulation,” she said softly.
The words landed harder than anything she’d said before.
“How are you going to protect me?”
I didn’t have an answer.
Her lips pressed together, something like disappointment flickering across her face before she turned away.
“I’ll go to the gala,” she said over her shoulder. “Because I don’t have a choice.”
“Aria—”
“But don’t pretend you’re my shield,” she added, cutting me off. “You’re part of the same game they’re playing.”
Then she walked away.