“What if the pups die because of this?” Another voice countered.
I clenched the arms of the throne tightly, trying to block out the storm. The noise got louder, more heated, she-wolves standing, pointing, shouting over each other. A few at the edge of attacking each other in a fight.
Some with sympathy… others with quiet expectation. And a few with doubt in their eyes.
Then, suddenly, a voice rose from the back.
“With due respect, Lady Fiona,” one of the elder she-wolves said, standing up, “what you’re saying is… rubbish.”
The room went completely still again.
I blinked, surprised.
The woman stepped forward. Her eyes were sharp, her voice filled with anger.
“You’re asking the Luna to convince her mates to mark another woman? A woman who caused her pain? A woman who slept with her mates?” She shook her head. “How would you feel if the roles were reversed, Lady Fiona? If you stood where Olivia stands now, and your mate was the one being asked to mark someone else?”
The murmurs started again, louder this time.
But then another she-wolf stood up, younger, her face etched with a frown.
“I understand how Luna Olivia feels,” she said carefully. “Truly, I do. But those babies are innocent. They didn’t ask for this. If the Luna can stop something terrible from happening, shouldn’t she try? Just this once?”
Another voice jumped in-then another. Soon, the room was filled with rising voices. Some defending me, others siding with Lady Fiona. It was like a wave of noise crashing from wall to wall.
“She’s not responsible for Anita’s pups!” A voice shouted from the left.
“But the Alphas won’t listen to anyone but her!”
“If the Alphas mark Anita, the mate bond with her will be broken!” one of the young warriors yelled.
“What if the pups die because of this?” Another voice countered.
I clenched the arms of the throne tightly, trying to block out the storm. The noise got louder, more heated, she-wolves standing, pointing, shouting over each other. A few at the edge of attacking each other in a fight.
It was chaos.
And I’d had enough.
“Enough!”
My voice echoed through the hall, sharp and loud.
Silence fell instantly.
Cruelty
Cruelty
Olivia’s POV
The hall fell deathly silent as every pair of eyes turned to me.
My frown deepened as I slowly scanned the room.
I made sure the message in my eyes was clear: I am angry.
Furious, actually.
And then, my gaze settled on Lady Fiona.
She stood so calmly… too calmly.
A bitter thought crept in:
She’s stepping on me because I allowed it.
But not anymore.
I stood straighter. My voice rang out sharp and clear.
“Everyone sit.”
It wasn’t a request. It was a command.
The women obeyed instantly, lowering themselves to their seats-even Lady Fiona.
“Except you, Lady Fiona.”
My command echoed in the hall.
Her head jerked up. Confusion flashed in her eyes.
“Keep standing,” I said, eyes locked with hers.
Her brows furrowed. “Olivia-‘
I cut her off. “No. You want hear me too.” everyone to hear you earlier, didn’t you? Then let them
She looked more confused/now. Good.
Cruelty
I took one slow step forward.
“Where was this same energy,” I asked coldly, “when your sons were treating me like trash?”
The room tensed at my words.
“Where was this empathy,” I continued, “when they insulted me, cheated on me, humiliated me in front of the entire pack?”
She opened her mouth, but again, I didn’t let her speak.
“You say you care about life, about protecting the innocent-but what about me,
Fiona?”
The room was silent.
Dozens of women stared between us.
“You never once stood up for me. Not when they hurt me. Not when I cried myself to sleep in a corner of this house. Not when I begged for someone-anyone-to just ask if I was okay.”
My fists clenched.
“But now, look at you. Screaming for Justice. Raising your voice for Anita. Look at you- standing like a lioness ready to go to war… for Anita. The same woman who, let me remind you all, had me kidnapped and sold to human traffickers.”
Gasps echoed around the room.
Some covered their mouths. Some eyes went wide.
I didn’t stop.
“Yes,” I said. “You all heard that right. Anita, your precious victim, sold me like property to traffickers. If Alpha Damien hadn’t bought and recognized me, I wouldn’t even be standing here today.”
Murmurs erupted in the crowd. Some were loud. Some angry.
One of the elders stood up, her face flushed with rage.
“Such a crime… deserves beheading.”
Cruelty
I nodded. “Yes. It does.”
More nods. Anger flared through the room like wildfire.
“But guess who refused?” I said, turning back to Flona.
“Your beloved Lady Fiona. Because Anita claimed she’s pregnant.”
I scoffed. A bitter laugh escaped me.
“I don’t care if she’s carrying the Luciano bloodline. I will make her pay for what she did to me when the time is right.”
I took another step forward.
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.