Chapter 16
Lyra's POV
The seven days passed quickly, and before I knew it, the day of the Crimson Fang Pack's banquet had arrived.
I changed into the deep blue suit I'd bought from the boutique, fixed my makeup in the mirror, took a deep breath, and walked out of the apartment.
The banquet hall was already crowded with people. Crystal chandeliers cast brilliant light throughout the space, and long tables were laden with exquisite food and drinks.
The moment I stepped through the door, I felt countless eyes land on me—gazes filled with curiosity, schadenfreude, and undisguised mockery.
Clearly, everyone already knew what Kael was about to announce.
I found a spot in the corner and tried to make myself as inconspicuous as possible.
But such efforts were destined to be futile, because less than five minutes later, the banquet hall doors opened again, and Kael walked in side by side with Mira.
Kael wore a sharp charcoal gray suit, while Mira was dressed in a white gown with intricate silver embroidery along the hem.
Her hair was styled in an elegant updo, and a dazzling diamond necklace adorned her neck. She looked like a queen about to be crowned.
The banquet hall fell silent instantly. Everyone stopped what they were doing, their attention focused on the pair.
Kael scanned the room, his gaze pausing on me for less than a second before quickly moving away, as if I were merely an insignificant stranger.
"Thank you all for coming to this banquet today," Kael's voice echoed through the hall with undeniable authority. "I'm here to make a formal announcement."
He paused, his gaze falling on Mira beside him, his eyes revealing a tenderness I had never seen before. "Mira is my true mate, the Luna of the Crimson Fang Pack."
As soon as the words left his mouth, the hall erupted in enthusiastic applause and cheers.
I stood in my corner, watching Kael and Mira accept everyone's congratulations, feeling like an outsider—a joke that had been completely discarded.
After the applause gradually subsided, Mira wore a gracious smile and gently clapped her hands, signaling for everyone to quiet down.
Her gaze swept across the crowd before landing precisely on me, her smile growing even brighter.
"On this momentous occasion," Mira's voice was exceptionally sweet and gentle, though I could detect the malice lurking beneath, "I want to especially thank someone."
She paused, and everyone's eyes followed her gaze toward me. "Lyra, my dear friend, I want to thank you for taking care of Kael all these years."
"Although you weren't able to bear him an heir, your dedication has not gone unnoticed."
She paused again, a barely perceptible gleam of triumph flashing in her eyes. "Now that Kael has found his true love, I'm sure you're happy for him, aren't you?"
She finished speaking and raised her champagne glass toward me in a toast, her smile radiant, but her eyes were filled with naked provocation and malice.
Whispers immediately rippled through the banquet hall, particularly clear in the enclosed space.
"I knew it—she was never worthy of Kael."
"A lone wolf of unknown origin who couldn't even keep her own children, and she thought she could be Luna?"
"Now that she's not even Kael's mate anymore, she still has the audacity to stay in the Crimson Fang Pack. Shameless."
Those venomous words pierced my ears like needles, each one carrying sharp malice.
I stood there, dressed appropriately yet feeling as if I'd been stripped naked before everyone, my dignity trampled to pieces.
Just then, a warm hand grasped mine.
I turned to see Sera's worried eyes.
She pulled me aside and lowered her voice. "Lyra, what happened? You and Kael... how did it come to this?"
I opened my mouth but didn't know how to explain.
I couldn't very well tell her that Kael had personally used our two children as sacrificial ingredients for Mira, and that he was secretly colluding with the Blood Moon Cult, which was considered a forbidden organization.
If I said such things, not only would Sera not believe me, but probably everyone in the Crimson Fang Pack would think I was insane.
"It's just... incompatibility," I forced a smile. "I think separation is better for everyone."
Sera clearly didn't believe me. Her brows were tightly furrowed, her lips pressed into a thin line, her eyes full of heartache and anger.
But she also knew this wasn't the time to press for answers.
While we were talking, a male werewolf I didn't know well approached with a glass of red wine, his face wearing a false smile.
"Lyra, happy single life. Let me toast to you." As he spoke, he suddenly "accidentally" stumbled, and the red wine in his hand splashed directly onto me.
The cold liquid instantly soaked through my expensive suit, deep red wine stains spreading across the dark blue fabric like grotesque flowers.
I looked disheveled and ridiculous, and laughter immediately erupted around me.
"Oh my, I'm so sorry," the man apologized perfunctorily, though his tone contained not a shred of genuine remorse—instead, it carried a sense of schadenfreude. "I really didn't mean to. You're not going to hold it against me, are you?"
Sera trembled with anger and was about to break free from my grip to confront him.
But I held her back.
"Sera, forget it." I said softly, my gaze sweeping across the faces around us eager to watch the drama unfold. "There's no point in offending them for my sake."
Sera looked at me, her eyes full of indignation and heartache, but eventually she nodded through gritted teeth.
"Come on, I'll go upstairs with you to change."
We made our way through the crowd toward the stairs.
Upstairs were several guest rooms specifically for use during banquets. Sera opened one of them, and we both walked in.
Just as I was removing my soaked jacket, two women's voices came from outside the door.
"How pitiful," one woman said in a mocking tone. "Lyra actually thought she could hold onto the Luna position forever. Turns out she was just a tool for Kael to vent his lust."
"Exactly," the other woman chimed in, her voice dripping with schadenfreude.
"She brought this fate upon herself. If she hadn't been so careless and couldn't even keep her children, Kael wouldn't have abandoned her. And now, after Kael doesn't want her anymore, she still has the nerve to stay in the Crimson Fang Pack."
The two women burst into shrill laughter after finishing their remarks.
I stood in the room, my fingers gripping the wet clothes so tightly that my nails nearly dug into my palms.
Sera rushed to the door, clearly intending to go out and defend me.
I quickly stepped forward to stop her. "Sera, don't!"
"But they..." Sera turned around, her eyes already red. "How can they say such things about you? They don't know anything..."
"It's useless," I interrupted her, shaking my head with a bitter smile.
"Who would believe anything I say now? In their eyes, I'm nothing but a discarded failure, a shameless woman. Anything I say will only make things worse."
I looked at Sera seriously. "The fact that you still believe me is enough to make me happy. Really, Sera, having you as a friend is enough."
Tears finally fell from Sera's eyes as she hugged me tightly. "Lyra, no matter what happens, I'll always be with you. Always."
I hugged her back, feeling her body tremble.
In that moment, I truly felt grateful that in this place filled with malice, there was at least one person willing to believe me, willing to stand by my side.
But soon, voices calling for Sera came from downstairs—clearly there was pack business that required her attention.
Sera looked at me with concern, reluctant to leave.
"Go," I said softly. "I'm fine, really. You go take care of your business. I'll come down after I change."
Sera hesitated, but eventually nodded, gave me an encouraging hug, and left.
The room was left with only me. I sat in the chair, looking at my disheveled reflection in the mirror, temporarily losing the courage to face everything.
I sat there numbly for who knows how long, until the absurd banquet had completely ended and the downstairs fell into complete silence, before finally taking my soaked clothes and returning to the apartment.