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Remi’s POV
The royal banquet was everything I had expected and more–lavish decorations, sparkling chandeliers, and the endless hum of polite conversation that filled the air. The tension, however, was impossible to ignore. The nobles and royals seemed to glide through the evening, effortlessly navigating the social maze, while I stood on the fringes, watching from the shadows.
I should have known that my presence here would not go unnoticed. The sudden surge of power I had gained
from the Moonstone still felt foreign to me, but it had made me strong. Too strong, it seemed. As I stood near the edge of the grand hall, admiring the beauty of the royal palace, I felt a familiar presence. My heart sank as I turned to face the last two people I ever wanted to see here.
Eros and Daisy.
Fuck. Why are they here?
Eros looked every bit the part of the proud Alpha that he was. His commanding aura filled the room the mo he entered. Daisy, at his side, was nothing but a shadow, her face twisted into that sickly sweet smile she wore whenever she was trying to assert some kind of dominance.
And what I was scared of finally happened. It didn’t take long for Eros to spot me. His eyes narrowed the instant our gazes locked. There was no warmth, no recognition of our past–just an icy glint of anger and possessiveness. It was enough to make my stomach churn.
Without hesitation, Eros stalked toward me, his movements confident and sure. Daisy followed behind, a smug expression painted on her face.
“So, you’re here all along, pretending to be a knight?” Eros’s voice cut through the air, deep and menacing. “Come
Swapped Daughter of the Apha
with me, now. Immediately. You belong in the Lotus Pack, not here.”
I stood my ground, refusing to let the weight of his words affect me. I had come too far, fought too hard to get here, and I wasn’t about to let him dictate my future. “I’m not going anywhere with you, Eros.”
Daisy, emboldened by Eros’s presence, let out a mockingly high–pitched laugh. “Oh, look at you, trying to fit in
with the upper class, pretending you’re something you’re not. You’re nothing more than an orphan, a nobody who doesn’t belong here.” She sneered, stepping forward, clearly enjoying the chance to humiliate me in front of the room. From the corner, I also saw Bianca eavesdropping.
Her words stung, but I refused to let them show. Daisy was everything I hated about my past–privileged, entitled,
and utterly blind to the reality of the world around her. But there was more. She was with Eros, the same man who had once promised me everything, only to turn his back when it truly mattered.
I swallowed my frustration and looked away, but Daisy wasn’t finished. She raised her chin in the air, her eyes sparkling with malice. “Not only that,” she continued, “but I’m going to marry Eros. You know, when the time comes You were never good enough for him. Remi. And now you’re just pathetic, trying to play pretend as if you have any place here. It’s laughable, really.”
The words hit harder than I’d care to admit. Daisy had always been cruel, but now, with Eros beside her, the
weight of her insults felt heavier, more significant. I wanted to rip her apart for the things she said, for the way she twisted the truth. But I held my tongue. I had learned long ago that fighting her would only drag me into a pit of anger and despair. And I had come too far to fall into that trap.
Eros, ever the calculating Alpha, seemed to piece everything together in an instant. His gaze sharpened, and I
could the anger beginning to take root. “So this is how it is, then?” he spat, his voice low with fury. “You used
the Moonstone to gain all this strength, didn’t you? That’s how you became a royal knight–greedy, using that damn stone for your own selfish purposes.”
His accusation stung, but I didn’t let it show. “Think what you want,” I replied, my voice steady despite the storm raging inside me. “I don’t care anymore.”
Eros’s eyes flared with a possessive rage that was both terrifying and familiar. “The Moonstone should have been used for Daisy when she was sick,” he growled, his fists clenching. “She needed it–we needed it. But you, you took it selfishly and left, didn’t you? For your own gain. And now you think you can live a life outside of the Lotus
Pack?
I flinched, but I didn’t let the anger that surged in my chest break through. How could he speak of Daisy’s illness like that, as if it justified everything?
“I’m not going back,” I said firmly, my voice unwavering. “Not to the Lotus Pack, and not to you. I’m carrying my child, Eros, not yours. And I’m capable of living my life on my own.”
His
s eyes flickered with disbelief, as if he couldn’t comprehend the idea of me standing against him. He took a step forward, his voice lowering to a dangerous growl. “You can’t survive on your own, Remi. You need me. You need to stop pretending that you don’t. You belong with me, carrying my heir.”
Before I could respond, the sound of heavy footsteps interrupted our confrontation. Laurent appeared, his expression dark, his eyes blazing with fury. There was no mistaking the tension that radiated from him. His gaze swept over Eros and Daisy, then landed on me, his face softening ever so slightly.
“What’s going on here?” Laurent’s voice was low, but his tone held an edge of authority that made Eros pause. Eros’s wolf growled under his breath, his fists clenching as he turned to face Laurent. “Stay out of this, Head Knight Remi belongs with me.”
Laurent’s eyes narrowed, his jaw clenching as he took a step toward Eros. “You’re wrong,” he said, his voice a low rumble, barely containing the growl that threatened to break free. “Remi is my mate. And I’m not going to let you
3.49 PM c c
The room fell into stunned silence. Eros’s face twisted with rage, his wolf howling with possessiveness as it
reacted to Laurent’s claim. My heart skipped a beat.
Laurent had just publicly declared me his mate.