Bullied as Wolfless, Chosen as the Alpha's Luna

"Are you actually wearing that to the Crown Prince's eighteenth birthday?" Liam asked, leaning against the foyer wall.

I ignored him, clutching the small velvet box in my coat pocket. Three months of diner tips paid for the platinum-plated cufflinks inside. They weren't solid gold, but they were the only way I could think to thank Julian for pulling me out of that bathroom.

"Don't embarrass my family tonight," Liam warned, stepping out the front door.

I followed him to the car in silence.

The royal banquet hall buzzed with hundreds of elite wolves. Crystal chandeliers cast harsh light over silk gowns and tailored suits. I stayed glued to the back wall, near the kitchen doors, wishing I could disappear.

"Well, well. The stray dog actually showed up."

Chloe Thorne blocked my path to the appetizer table. She wore a crimson dress that swept the marble floor. Maya flanked her right side, smirking.

"I was invited," I said, keeping my voice flat.

"Julian was just being polite." Chloe leaned in, her perfume thick and suffocating. "I saw you drop that pathetic little blue box on the gift table. Did you really think a cheap trinket would impress a royal?"

I tightened my grip on my empty water glass. "It's just a thank you."

"Oh, it's going to be memorable." Chloe's lips curled into a nasty smile. "I did you a favor. I swapped your cheap trash for something a male actually wants. A jumbo pack of lubricated condoms."

My stomach dropped. The glass slipped from my fingers, shattering against the marble.

"What did you do?" I asked, my voice shaking.

"I made sure everyone will know exactly what kind of desperate freak you are," Chloe whispered. "Let's see how the Alpha King reacts when his son pulls rubbers out of your box in front of the entire pack."

She spun around and marched toward the center of the room.

Panic seized my chest. I pushed through the crowd, desperate to reach the gift table. I had to steal the box back. I had to leave before Julian opened it.

A sharp chime rang through the speakers.

"Ladies and gentlemen," the head butler announced. "His Highness will now open a few select gifts to honor the evening."

Julian stood on the raised dais. He wore a tailored black suit that made his shoulders look impossibly broad. His ice-blue eyes scanned the crowd, stopping briefly when they found me near the back.

My heart hammered against my ribs. I tried to push forward, but a wall of tall Alphas blocked my path.

Chloe shoved her way to the front row.

"Future Alpha!" Chloe called out, her voice echoing across the silent hall. "Why don't you open your desk-mate's gift first? I'm sure it's very... special."

Laughter rippled through the elite guests. Dozens of heads turned in my direction. Their mocking stares pinned me in place.

Julian didn't smile. He turned to the mountain of presents and picked up the small blue box wrapped in silver ribbon.

I squeezed my eyes shut. *Please, no. Don't open it.*

Up on the stage, Julian ran his thumb over the edge of the wrapping paper. He paused. The clear tape holding the flap down was slightly wrinkled, overlapping an older tear.

He lifted his chin and caught the eye of Marcus, his royal guard, standing by the velvet curtains.

Earlier that evening, Julian had checked the security monitors in the west wing. He had watched Chloe sneak into the designated gift room, her hands clutching a blue box identical to mine.

Julian gave Marcus a microscopic nod.

"A moment, Your Highness," Marcus said smoothly, stepping onto the dais. He held a silver tray. "You dropped the card for this one."

Marcus expertly passed his hand over the blue box. In a fraction of a second, the tampered gift vanished into his jacket, replaced by the original box I had placed on the table an hour ago.

Julian took the real box. He pulled the ribbon loose.

I forced my eyes open, bracing for the humiliation. I waited for the gasps. I waited for the King's guards to drag me out by my hair.

Julian lifted the lid.

He reached inside and pulled out two gleaming, platinum-plated cufflinks. The silver metal caught the chandelier light, shining brilliantly.

Silence blanketed the room.

Chloe's nasty grin vanished. Her jaw dropped open. "Wait, that's not—"

Julian unbuttoned his cuffs right there on the stage. He tossed his expensive diamond links onto the table and slid the silver ones I bought into his sleeves.

He looked directly at me over the sea of guests.

"This is the most thoughtful gift tonight," Julian said, his voice carrying perfectly through the microphone. "Thank you."

A few Betas started clapping. Within seconds, the entire hall erupted into polite applause.

Chloe stood frozen, her face turning a mottled, ugly purple. She glared at me, pure hatred burning in her eyes, before turning on her heel and storming out of the ballroom.

I exhaled a shaky breath, my knees nearly giving out.

An hour later, the formal banquet ended, shifting into a loud dance party. I slipped out the side doors, eager to escape the suffocating heat of the crowd.

The night air bit at my bare arms. I hurried down the stone path toward the gates, wanting to catch a bus before Liam realized I was gone.

"Running away again?"

I spun around.

Julian stood under the glow of a wrought-iron streetlamp. He had ditched his suit jacket. His sleeves were rolled up, displaying the silver cufflinks against his tanned skin.

"I wasn't running," I said, wrapping my arms around my waist.

He closed the distance between us in three long strides. "You left without saying goodbye."

I stared at the silver metal on his wrists. The panic from the ballroom flared up again.

"Julian, I need to explain," I blurted out, my words tumbling over each other. "Chloe told me what she did. She swapped my box. I swear to you, I didn't try to give you... I really didn't send that kind of thing."

Julian stopped a few inches from me. The corner of his mouth twitched upward.

"I know," he said softly.

I blinked, totally confused. "You know? But the box..."

"I saw her on the security feeds before the party started," Julian explained, his tone casual. "She's not as clever as she thinks. I had Marcus retrieve your actual gift from the trash bin and swap it back before I opened it."

My chest tightened. "You went through the trash for my gift?"

"I wasn't going to let her ruin your night."

I looked down at my worn shoes. "Why? I'm just a wolf-less stray. Chloe's father is your Beta. You shouldn't make enemies out of her family just for me."

Julian reached out. His knuckles brushed against my chin, tilting my face up so I had to meet his gaze.

"I don't care about her father," Julian stated, his ice-blue eyes darkening. "And I already told you. You aren't a stray to me."

"I don't understand you," I whispered.

"You will." Julian stepped back, dropping his hand. "Go home. It's late."

I nodded, my mind spinning, and turned toward the massive iron gates.

Just as I reached the sidewalk, a black SUV pulled up to the curb. The tinted window rolled down, revealing Liam's furious face.

"Get in," Liam barked.

I climbed into the passenger seat. The heavy door slammed shut.

Liam didn't drive. He gripped the steering wheel, staring straight out the windshield.

"My father got a call during the banquet," Liam said, his voice eerily calm.

"About what?" I asked.

Liam turned his head. A dark, twisted smile stretched across his face.

"About you. The pack council just voted. Since you don't have a wolf, they decided you're a liability to the Blood Moon territory."

My blood ran cold. "What does that mean?"

"It means," Liam sneered, "you're being exiled tomorrow morning."