The afternoon sun streamed through the windows of Leon’s study, golden and soft as it touched the long table covered in sketches, invitations, and scrolls of wedding plans. The air smelled faintly of parchment and lavender ink.
Leon leaned back in his chair, his gaze resting on Celine—not the paper in his hands, not the ornate Luna crest newly sketched by the pack’s best artist. Just her.
“You haven’t told me what you want,” he said.
Celine looked up from the guest list she was reviewing. “What do you mean?”
“For the wedding,” he said. “I want to give you something. A gift—whatever you want.”
She hesitated, fingers stilling. Then, slowly, she set the list down.
“All right,” she said. “There is one thing.”
Leon straightened, his full attention on her now.
“I want Reese gone from this pack.”
A beat of silence followed, heavy but not hesitant.
“He’s been harassing the younger servants,” she said calmly. “He corners them. Makes them uncomfortable. Tries to intimidate them into silence.”
Leon’s expression darkened.
“And he used to do the same to me,” Celine added, voice quieter but no less steady. “The only reason he stopped was because he found out I was Alpha Roman’s daughter. But not everyone has a lineage to protect them.”
She didn’t raise her voice. She didn’t need to.
“This is the gift I want,” she said. “Not jewels. Not land. Just that no one else has to flinch when he walks by.”
Leon stood. “Then it’s done.”
***
The announcement came two days later during an open court gathering—a meeting called for wedding preparations and final pack ceremony approvals.
Reese was called forward, face smug and unreadable, until Leon spoke.
“You are hereby stripped of your position and ordered to leave the pack territory by sundown.”
Gasps echoed through the room.
Reese’s smugness shattered. “What—? What are you talking about?”
Leon didn’t repeat himself. But Celine stepped forward, dressed in Luna blue, silver embroidery catching the light like frost.
“You bullied the weak,” she said clearly. “You threatened me before you knew who I was. You made this pack smaller, meaner, more afraid.”
“I never—!”
“Be quiet,” Helga snapped from her place beside Leon. The Beta’s voice rang like steel. “You’ve had more chances than you deserved.”
“I didn’t think she’d take it personally,” Reese tried, looking at Sasha in disbelief.
And that was his second mistake.
Sasha launched forward, furious. “This is what this is about? You’re exiling my brother? You’re attacking our family?”
Celine met her gaze, unwavering. “I’m protecting mine.”
“You’re making enemies.”
“I’m making boundaries,” Celine corrected. “And if your family can’t respect them, you’re welcome to follow him out.”
Sasha’s mouth opened—and then closed. Her hands clenched at her sides, trembling with rage she could no longer disguise with a smile.
Reese looked between them, waiting for someone—anyone—to save him.
No one did. By sundown, he was gone.