Chapter 2
898 Words
Following Miles Shaw's lead, the family sharing event on stage moved into the audience Q&A segment.
After they answered a handful of boring, throwaway questions, I stepped up onto the stage and planted myself right in front of them. I curled my lip into a cold sneer and asked, "Care to tell me when Patriarch Cael suddenly gained a son? Does your Luna know about this?"
The second the words left my mouth, the crowd below burst into murmurs and whispers.
"Who even is that? So rude."
"Right? His Luna is sitting right there on stage, isn't she?"
"Bet they're just jealous of Catherine's Alpha husband and trying to get Alpha Cael's attention. He runs the entire Frostthorn Unified Pack, after all. It's no surprise some delusional groupie would throw herself at him trying to be a homewrecker."
"Ugh, that's so shameless."
"What's the point of being pretty if she's got such a rotten heart?"
Cael, seated on the main stage, flashed a split-second look of panic when he saw me, but he hid it well. Catherine, on the other hand, couldn't keep her cool nearly as well.
She ducked her head and faked a hurt, watery look. "Alpha… what's she talking about? You promised me…"
I ignored her little performative stunt, locking my gaze straight on Cael. "Alpha Cael, you still haven't answered my question."
Cael let out a small cough, then reached out and pulled Catherine into his arms right there in front of everyone.
"This is my answer."
Catherine immediately snuggled deeper into the hug without hesitation, shooting me a sharp, gloating glare over his shoulder at the same time.
The crowd below went wild instantly, erupting in whoops of "Wow!" and "They're so perfect together!"
"That's true love right there!"
"Alpha Cael is literally the ideal man! Not only is he the Alpha of the Frostthorn Unified Pack, he's so loving to his wife and kid. Total catch!"
I dropped my hands to my sides, glowering at that pair of cheating scumbags as I curled my fingers into tight fists.
The looks the crowd shot me got even more disdainful.
"Ooh, got burned trying to meddle in a married couple's relationship, huh?"
"She really thinks she's on the same level as Luna Catherine? Everyone knows Catherine used to be the Alpha of the Frostvein Clan. Some random nobody like her can't even hold a candle to her!"
I was just about to speak when Cael sent me a mind-link.
"Freya, don't get the wrong idea. I promised Catherine I'd pretend to be Kane's dad for a day. The kid's grown up without a father, he's pitiful. You and Lia, on the other hand, not only ignored my order to stay at home, you're humiliating me in front of all these people. Stop acting out."
A cold, bitter laugh slipped out before I could stop it. Cael had always had a prideful streak, which was why I'd poured so much effort into building up his position after our two tribes merged through marriage. I'd handed over nearly all the joint tribe's external affairs for him to manage.
I let him handle all the public events and reputation building, while I took care of internal governance and military affairs, holding down the fort for him. But now, it seemed he'd forgotten who was actually in charge here.
When the Frostvein Clan and Thornveil Clan merged, we named the combined Frostthorn Unified Pack—Frostvein came first, Thornveil second.
More than two-thirds of the Frostthorn Unified Pack's elder council answered to me.
Where the hell does he get off bossing me around, and even trying to block my own daughter's awakening trial?
All this just for… that fake, manipulative Catherine, and that obviously unruly, ill-bred Kane?
Right then, Kane jumped up with a scrape of his chair, pointed straight at me, and screamed, "You evil b***h! Lowlife trash!"
My daughter Lia would never stand for anyone insulting me. She immediately jabbed a little finger right back at him, her voice sharp and fierce despite her young age, all cute grit.
"You're lying! Cael is my dad! My mom Freya is his Luna, and she's the real Alpha of the Frostvein Clan! That woman is nothing but a homewrecker!"
The second Lia finished speaking, Catherine's face twisted instantly, her guilt written all over her features.
But the crowd in the audience had no clue what was really going on, and their jeers only got meaner.
"Like mother, like daughter! She's barely out of diapers and already lying through her teeth. Total rotten apple!"
"Alpha Cael just professed his love for Catherine in front of all of us! How could their perfect little family be fake?"
"Wait, isn't this the Frostthorn Unified Pack? Where did Frostvein Clan even come from… Total liars, the both of them!"
Kane came charging at Lia like a rabid dog, his eyes blazing with rage. "Who are you calling a homewrecker? You and your mom are crazy with wanting to take my mom's place! I'm gonna rip your mouth shut!"
He reared his fist back to strike her, but I snapped my hand out and clamped down on his wrist hard enough to bruise, stopping him cold. My eyes locked right on Cael's face, only a few paces away.
"Cael. I'm giving you one last chance. You gonna tell them the truth, or not?"
- Writer
