Chapter 16 " There you are . I've been looking for you , " Alpha Darius's deep voice cut through the low hum of the dining hall . Elaine nearly dropped her fork . Her heart leapt to her throat as she lifted her gaze , startled to see him standing right in front of her table . She hadn't even noticed his approach . It was as if he had simply appeared out of nowhere , his presence commanding enough that the air seemed to shift with him . " Why are you here , sitting alone? " He asked , his brow furrowing slightly as he studied her . " Alpha Darius ... " That was all Elaine managed , her voice catching as though her throat had forgotten how to work . " What did I tell you earlier ? " His tone softened , and his lips curved into an easy smile . " Just call me Darius . " His smile was warm , disarming . It held none of the sharp edges she was used to from alphas , none of the practiced superiority she endured daily from her own leaders . Something about it tugged at her walls , and against her better judgment , she felt the corners of her lips twitch upward . It had been so long since she'd smiled for real that the sensation startled her . But before she could respond , another voice cut in sharply . " Alpha Darius , you know her ? " Michael's voice carried an edge that made Elaine's stomach twist . He was staring at her from across the hall , his expression dark with something she couldn't quite name - anger , maybe ? Displeasure ? As though she had committed some unspoken offense simply by existing . His eyes , once so full of promise , now looked at her as though she were a problem he wished would vanish . " Yes ," Darius said easily , turning his head toward Michael with unshaken calm . " Met her after my run earlier . Got to know a little . " He said it almost teasingly , and the hint of playfulness in his voice sent heat rushing to Elaine's cheeks . She didn't know how to react . This was still a stranger , wasn't he ? And yet , every time their paths crossed , something inside her shifted . Around him , the crushing weight of judgment seemed to lighten , as if he carried a different kind of air with him , one that made her feel 1/3 < Chapter 16 safe . More Rewards > Michael's jaw tightened . Elaine could feel his gaze burning into her , a silent accusation she could not understand . What right does he have ? she thought bitterly . He sat there , Kathy's hand entwined with his , her presence draped over him like a claim of ownership , parading her proudly as his chosen Luna . And yet he glared at Elaine as though she were the one out of line , she the one who had betrayed . The hypocrisy stung so sharply she had to clench her fists beneath the table to keep from trembling . " Anyway ," Darius said , his tone brightening again , as if unaware - or perhaps deliberately ignoring the tension that stretched across the hall , " why are you sitting here alone ? I was looking for you at the beta table . " " This .. " Elaine hesitated , her voice small , though her eyes stayed fixed on him . " This is my place ." Confusion flickered across Darius's features . His gaze swept the nearly empty end of the table , the stark contrast between her isolation and the clusters of laughter and camaraderie filling the rest of the room . It didn't make sense to him . She was the daughter of the Beta , raised within this powerful pack . By all rights , she should have been seated proudly near the front , surrounded by respect . Instead , she was tucked away like a shadow no one wanted to claim . He didn't press her . Not here , not in front of everyone . But he didn't need to . He could feel it , the thick current of tension that hummed between her and the Alpha family . Even her parents stood stiffly , discomfort etched across their faces , their glances flickering nervously toward her as though afraid Darius might ask the very questions they wanted buried . There was a story here , and he would bet his Alpha status that it was the reason this accomplished , sharp - eyed young woman was forced into the margins . " Not today , " Darius said firmly . His tone brooked no argument , but his smile remained warm and inviting . " Today , you will sit at my table . Come . Let me introduce you to my Beta . " He extended a hand slightly , as though to guide her . His presence radiated confidence, the kind that turned heads and silenced doubts . Around the hall , conversations faltered , curiosity sparking in every corner . Elaine felt every gaze snap toward them , the weight of collective shock pressing down like a physical force . " You do not mind , do you , Alpha Efrein ? " Darius called out casually , his tone polite but edged 2/3 < Chapter 16 More Rewards > with something that made the question feel less like a request and more like a declaration . " I know we've only just met , but I truly enjoyed our walk earlier . " The words hung in the air like a challenge . Elaine's breath caught . She didn't know where to look - at Darius's easy confidence , at her father's stony silence , at her mother's anxious eyes , or at Michael's furious glare . The entire hall had gone still , as though the walls themselves leaned closer to witness . Michael's expression was carved from fire and ice , fury blazing in his eyes even as his hand tightened protectively around Kathy's . His reaction made no sense . What right did he have to feel anger when he had already cast her aside ? He had chosen his path , chosen the Luna sitting beside him , chosen to brand Elaine as unwanted . And yet here he was , glaring as though she were betraying him by being noticed , by being ... seen . Hypocrite . The word burned in her mind . He wasn't the only one . From the Alpha to the Luna , to her own family who stood silent while her world was stripped away , all of them were hypocrites . Every single one of them . They all knew the truth . They all knew she was the true Luna , Michael's fated mate , chosen by the Goddess herself . Yet because Alpha Efrein decreed otherwise , because Kathy already carried the future heir . They cast her aside as if she were an inconvenience , an interloper , a mistress , a rejected half - life forced to live in the shadows . And now , for the first time , someone dared to reach into that shadow and pull her into the light . Elaine's heart hammered . She did not know whether to follow or to run . Comments