Never Worthy of Her Shadow.

Dahlia's cry immediately drew everyone's attention to me.

They looked at the shards on the floor, their faces pale with shock.

"Ultima Corbin is ruthless! The youngest and cruelest Ultima in Alliance history!"

"And he adores his mate! I heard a wolf barely brushed against his mate, and Corbin lopped off the guy's hand!"

I rubbed my forehead, recalling that this was true.

But that was because the wolf had gotten handsy.

Corbin had only told him to apologize, not knowing the man had dared to touch me.

When Corbin found out, he flew into a rage and cut off the hand that had touched me.

"If Aveline destroyed the Ultima's ceremonial centerpiece, will he kill her?"

I looked at the person who spoke, shocked.

In their eyes, was Corbin really that brutal?

I would have to talk to him about his reputation later.

However, the werewolves around me mistook my shock for fear.

Dahlia's eyes danced with schadenfreude, even as she feigned concern.

She nervously grabbed my hand. "Aveline! Run! I'll help you explain!"

Declan pulled Dahlia behind him in disgust.

"Leave her be, Dahlia! You're too kind!"

"Someone like her should have been dealt with long ago! If you help her, you'll be dragged down with her!"

At the mention of being "dragged down," the crowd instinctively recoiled from me.

However, Dahlia did not.

She shook off Declan's hand and anxiously pulled me along, her concern a blatant performance.

"Aveline, I'll get you out of here! I've always felt guilty that Declan abandoned you for me. So it's only right that I do this."

"The pack is doing well now. I'll go beg the Ultima for mercy later. He'll forgive your disrespect."

Declan sneered.

"Good thing I chose Dahlia. Otherwise, I wouldn't have even known when I'd be dragged down to my doom by you!"

Declan's words earned murmurs of agreement from several nearby werewolves.

"Alpha Declan's decision was the right one! It's a blessing our Luna is Dahlia!"

"Luna Dahlia is both beautiful and kind!"

I snorted, showing no intention of leaving.

Declan angrily grabbed my wrist and dragged me outward.

"Aveline! Dahlia is right! You're nothing but selfish!"

"Let me tell you, today is a special occasion. You're going to bring disaster upon our entire pack!"

His hypocrisy disgusted me, and I wrenched my hand from his grasp.

"Touch me again, and I can't promise what will happen to the pack, but I guarantee you'll lose your Alpha title."

"What?"

I rubbed my aching wrist, looking at the stunned Alpha.

"Get your filthy hands off me, Declan."

"And you, Dahlia. Drop the act. It's disgusting."

Dahlia froze, clearly stunned that I had called her out so bluntly. Fresh tears welled, clinging to her lashes.

"Aveline... I'm doing this for your own good... I'm worried about you. How can you say that to me?"

I sneered, my voice flat. "If you were really worried about me, why didn't I hear a word from you in the three years I was gone?"

"So why the phony act now?"