Chapter 4

"Luna."

When Mike knocked and stepped into the room, I had already been standing by the window for a long time.

"Report."

"Henry called an emergency meeting with all the Pack Elders in the Great Hall last night. He officially revoked your command over the warrior guard. His reasoning: you overstepped your authority by executing Limp and threatened Pack stability."

Listening to the report, I felt no rage, no urge to scream, not even a twitch of my brow.

The only thing I felt was the final spark of lingering hope—a weakness I hadn't even wanted to admit to myself—flickering out completely.

"Execute the plan."

I turned away from the window, the last ripple of emotion vanishing from my eyes.

Over the past few weeks, Henry hadn't returned to our mansion once. He stayed holed up in the Pack Hall. My threat had hit its mark; he felt his authority slipping, so he quietly began stripping away every ounce of power he had ever granted me.

Until today, when Bob arrived at my door.

"Mr. Carter has called an early Pack assembly," Bob said carefully. "He requests your presence."

I nodded calmly. "I'll be there."

I pushed open the heavy double doors of the Great Hall. Henry sat at the far end of the long table, flanked by the senior Elders of the Pack. Vivian was there too, sitting right beside Henry, practically glued to his side.

Henry didn't waste words. He slid a formal contract across the polished wood toward me.

"I am officially revoking your command of the guard. From now on, you stay on the estate. You will no longer interfere in Pack business."

The air in the room froze solid, suffocating as the calm before a hurricane.

Everyone expected me to tear the document to shreds and drag Henry down with me in a bloody brawl.

Instead, I picked up the pen and smoothly signed my name.

The scratch of the nib against the parchment was the only sound in the hall. Watching me sign, Vivian couldn't hide the triumphant smirk spreading across her face.

I tossed the pen aside and slid the contract back toward Henry.

Looking at him, the corner of my mouth tugged upward into a faint curve.

It wasn't a smile. It was pity.

Henry’s instincts screamed that something was wrong, and he parted his lips to speak—

Then I shifted.

No warning. No hesitation.

My massive gray wolf burst into form in the center of the hall, muscles rippling under thick fur, silver eyes locking onto Henry with deadly focus. A low, thunderous growl rolled from my throat, rattling the very foundations of the room.

The synchronized thud of boots echoed outside.

Mike marched in at the head of twenty elite warriors—every single one handpicked and trained by me. In seconds, they locked down every exit, disarming Henry’s personal guards and pinning them to the floor.

Henry bolted to his feet, the color draining from his face.

"Vera! What are you—"

I shifted back into my human form, standing tall and perfectly composed, my voice steady as if ordering dinner.

"Did you really think I came here today to beg you for scraps of power?"

I pointed toward the entrance.

"The thirty warriors stationed at the northern border pledged their loyalty to me last night. That stash of silver blades you hid in the west cellar? Mine now. And every single scout you posted around this hall has already been replaced by my wolves."

Henry went stark white.

"You turned my men against me?"

"I didn't turn them," I corrected smoothly. "I simply helped them realize who the real Alpha worth following is."

I nodded to Mike.

Mike put two fingers to his lips and blew a sharp, piercing whistle. The sound sliced through the heavy stone walls. Moments later, a chorus of howling echoed from the surrounding forests, rising in terrifying waves.

My pack was answering the call. The perimeter of the Iron Ridge Pack was already under my command.

Henry collapsed back into his chair.

Behind him, Vivian shrank into her seat, trembling violently, every trace of her earlier smugness completely gone.

I walked up to Henry, leaned down, and spoke in a voice meant for his ears alone:

"You thought you were weakening me. In reality, you were just reminding me that it was time to take what's mine."