Chapter 15 More Rewards > Elaine needed time - time to still her racing heart , to push down the storm threatening to break inside her . Her chest felt tight , every breath shallow , but she forced herself to pause just long enough to gather her composure . She could not stay away for long . If she lingered too much outside , if she returned late , the whispers would only grow sharper . Attention was the last thing she wanted . Already , her very existence seemed to provoke curiosity , pity , or worse - scorn . On the way to the dining hall , Alpha Darius had spoken to her as if nothing had been amiss , his presence commanding yet strangely comforting . But he hadn't noticed , or perhaps he chose not to notice , the way every eye followed them as they walked . She had . The weight of their stares pressed against her back like a thousand needles . She could almost hear the unspoken judgments , the half - formed rumors spilling from mind to mind . They didn't need to say the words . She already knew what they thought of her . Goddess , how she wanted to be anywhere but here . Just a few more days , she reminded herself desperately . A few more days until the mating ceremony concluded , and then she could be gone . That mantra was all that kept her steady : hold on a little longer , then leave . Only then could she finally start to move forward . But even that wasn't so simple . To leave , she couldn't just walk away . She would have to resign from her work first , sever every tie . And beyond that , she would need Alpha Efrein's approval . Without it , she would be branded rogue - an outcast stripped of protection , forced into a life on the fringes . She had seen rogues before , their hollow eyes and restless movements . Wolves driven by desperation and loneliness , snapping at shadows until their minds broke . That was the last fate she wanted for herself . Yet if left with no choice ... she would take it . Still , a tiny ember of hope flickered in her . Perhaps another pack might take her in , though she knew it was unlikely . Few dared to defy Alpha Efrein , not when the Silverblade Pack stood as one of the most influential in the region . He had allies everywhere . To leave his pack was to risk isolation , suspicion , or worse . When Elaine finally entered the dining hall , she kept her gaze low , her steps measured . The air was thick with the clamor of conversation , the scent of roasted meats and warm 1/3 < Chapter 15 More Rewards > bread filling the high - ceilinged room . Long tables lined with guests buzzed with energy , and at the far end , where the head table stood raised above the rest , the invited pack leaders laughed and conversed easily with Alpha Efrein , Luna Beatrice , and the future Alpha and Luna . The Beta couple stood proudly at their side, basking in the glow of belonging . Elaine moved with quiet purpose , slipping through the throng until she reached the food . She gathered her plate quickly , then sought her usual place - tucked away at the very end of the hall , the last spot where no one ever lingered long . From there , she could see everyone , but remain unseen herself . Her eyes flickered toward the Beta female - her mother . The woman's radiant smile faltered when their gazes met , her expression softening into something almost pained , her eyes shimmering with unspoken words . It was a look that asked for understanding . Understanding for what , Elaine didn't know . For their betrayal ? For the way they had stood by and allowed her world to crumble ? Whatever it was , Elaine looked away quickly , her heart hardening . She could not give them what they sought . A hush fell as Alpha Efrein rose from his seat , moving down from the dais to mingle among his pack . Elaine's fingers tightened around her fork . She prayed with all her might that he would pass her by , that he would see her as nothing more than another face in the crowd . But fate , as always , had other plans . " How are you today , Elaine ? " Alpha Efrein's voice carried , calm yet weighted with authority , drawing the attention of those seated nearby . Elaine's spine straightened instinctively . " Good , Alpha ," she replied , her tone measured , respectful . " Everyone is still speaking of the party last night , " he said , his smile polite , unreadable . " It was a great success , and we have you to thank for that . " Her throat tightened . She forced her voice steady . " Just doing my job , Alpha . " That was all it had ever been to her . Her duty . Her work . Nothing more . She couldn't understand why he was saying this now . To mock her ? To remind her of her place ? Or to make an example of her before the others ? 2/3 < Chapter 15 Whatever his intentions , she didn't care to find out . More Rewards " Is there anything else , Alpha ? " she asked , her words clipped . A subtle edge of defiance threaded her tone , though she knew it skirted the line of disrespect . But she had no strength left to bend , to pretend . She wanted nothing more than to distance herself from them , to remind them she did not wish for their company . Her skin prickled as she felt the eyes of the Luna , the Beta couple , and the future Alpha and Luna upon her . Their scrutiny was suffocating . What did they want from her ? Could they not see that all she wanted was solitude , to be left untouched by their schemes and expectations ? To her , they were not family , not leaders , not figures of admiration . They were the very source of her pain - her cage , her heartbreak , her undoing . And no matter what mask they wore , Elaine would never forget that . The silence that followed her words seemed to stretch far too long . Elaine could feel the pause ripple outward , spreading through the hall like a ripple on still water . Forks clinked softly against plates , voices dropped to hushed whispers , and eyes shifted- first to the Alpha , then to her . Alpha Efrein's smile did not waver . If he noticed her clipped tone , he chose not to show it . Instead , he let out a quiet chuckle , a sound that made her stomach tighten . " Direct as always ," he said , his gaze resting on her in a way that made her feel both cornered and invisible . " It is ... admirable , in its own way . " Murmurs stirred along the tables . Some wolves leaned closer to one another , whispering behind cupped hands , their expressions darting between curiosity and thinly veiled disdain . Elaine caught fragments of it , the words not fully formed but their meaning clear enough- Unmated ... unwanted ... still here ... Comments Get Bonus ( Ad ) > Vote 45 45 < Chapter 16 : More Rewards >