Chapter 6

Sophia's POV:

The grand entrance hall of my birthday celebration buzzed with conversation.

I stood near the ornate marble columns, watching as various Alphas from across the Anderson Kingdom mingled with their elegantly dressed companions.

"Well, well," a smooth voice said beside me, "you certainly know how to make an entrance."

I turned to see a tall Alpha with dark hair and piercing green eyes. He wore a perfectly tailored black tuxedo and carried himself with the confidence that came from high rank.

Several other Alphas had approached me since I'd arrived.

"Thank you," I replied with a polite smile, the kind I'd perfected during my years as Lucas's Luna. "I hope you're enjoying the evening."

"More so now," he said with a charming grin. "I don't believe we've been properly introduced. I'm Alpha—"

"Sophia!"

I turned at the familiar voice, relief flooding through me as I spotted Chloe pushing through the crowd.

Her beautiful blonde hair cascaded in elegant waves down her back, catching the light from the chandeliers as she moved through the sea of faces. She wore a stunning yellow flowing gown that complemented her brown eyes perfectly, and those eyes were now focused on me with unmistakable concern.

"Excuse me," I said to the Alpha, who looked disappointed but nodded graciously as Chloe reached us.

"We need to talk," Chloe said urgently, grabbing my arm. "Now."

The intensity in her voice made my stomach clench. "What's wrong?"

She glanced around at the nearby guests, then leaned closer. "Not here. Too many ears."

We moved to a quieter corner near a massive arrangement of white roses. Chloe pulled out her phone, her fingers trembling slightly as she scrolled through what looked like a social media app.

"Chloe, you're scaring me," I said, placing a hand on her arm. "What happened?"

"It's Isabelle," she said, her voice tight with anger. "That bitch posted something on Wolf-Connect about you." She held up her phone, and I could see the fury blazing in her brown eyes. "Sophia, she's accusing you of destroying Aria and Lucas's fated mate bond."

My blood turned to ice. "She what?"

"Look," Chloe said, handing me the phone with shaking hands.

I stared at the screen, reading Elena's post:

"ALERT: Former Starlight Pack Luna SOPHIA deliberately destroyed the sacred fated mate bond between Alpha Lucas and his true mate Aria. This manipulative Omega used lies and deception to keep them apart for YEARS. How low will this conniving woman stoop? The Moon Goddess chose Aria, not this pretender! #FatedMateBond #PackTraitor #Scandal"

"Oh my God," I whispered, scrolling through the endless stream of responses. "How many people have seen this?"

"Over a million shares in the last hour," Chloe said grimly. "It's trending across the entire Anderson Kingdom. Everyone's talking about it."

My hands shook as I continued reading the vicious comments. Strangers were calling me a homewrecker, a manipulator, a disgrace to the werewolf community. Some were even saying I should be banished from all packs.

"This is insane," I said, my voice rising with anger. "I never destroyed anything! Lucas chose to marry me! Aria didn't even appear until a year after we got married."

"I know that, and you know that," Chloe said fiercely, "but Elena's spinning it like you deliberately interfered with the Moon Goddess's will. She's saying you manipulated Lucas into rejecting his fated mate."

The sheer audacity of the lie took my breath away. "That's completely false! "

"Of course," Chloe said, her loyalty unwavering. "But Isabelle doesn't care about the truth. She's trying to destroy your reputation before you can rebuild your life."

I stared at the phone screen, watching the share count climb higher by the second. Each notification felt like another blow to my chest. I had already left. How could Isabelle be so deliberately cruel?

"How dare you!" a sharp, familiar voice cut through my spiraling thoughts.

I looked up to see Isabelle herself at the entrance of the celebration hall, but she wasn't alone. Aria was beside her, both of them dressed in garish werewolf traditional gowns that somehow managed to be both overdone and completely inappropriate for the elegant affair. More importantly, they were being firmly held back by two large security guards at the entrance.

"Let us in!" Isabelle shrieked at the guards. "I'm the sister of Alpha Lucas! I have every right to be here!"

"Ma'am, your names aren't on the guest list," one of the security guards said firmly. "This is a private celebration by invitation only."

"Why can she get in? The homewrecker!" Elena pointed directly at me through the crowd. "She destroyed my brother's fated mate bond! She's a manipulator who goes against the Moon Goddess's will!"

The entire entrance hall seemed to pause, hundreds of pairs of eyes turning to stare at us.

"She kept me away from my fated mate for years!" Aria joined in, her voice carrying that false innocent tone I'd come to despise. "She manipulated Lucas into believing their fake bond was real! She's a disgrace to all werewolves!"

"You weren't invited for a reason," one of the guards said, his patience clearly wearing thin. "Please leave the premises or we'll have to call additional security."

"This is outrageous!" Isabelle screeched. "I demand to speak to whoever's in charge! That woman is a criminal against the Moon Goddess!"

"I've had enough of this," Chloe said, her brown eyes flashing with dangerous anger. "Those lying bitches think they can crash your birthday party and spread their poison here?"

I could feel her wolf stirring beneath the surface, responding to her protective instincts.

Before I could protest, she was pulling me across the marble floor toward the entrance where Elena and Aria were still arguing with the security guards. Every step felt like walking toward a battle I wasn't sure I was ready to fight, but Chloe's determination was infectious.

"Time to show these uninvited liars exactly what they're dealing with," she muttered under her breath, her wolf clearly agitated and ready for confrontation.