Chapter 460 - Gossip
Chapter 460: Chapter 460 - Gossip
"Daisy, wait up!" Ravyn finally caught up to her after run off from the slap Athaliah gave her, his chest heaving as he stopped beside her.
Concern was written all over his face. He hadn’t agreed at all with the way Princess Athaliah had spoken to Daisy, but then again, Athaliah didn’t know the full story. She’d judged everything based only on what she’d heard.
Daisy stopped walking and turned around. Her eyes were already brimming with tears that she was desperately trying to hold back. "Everyone saw that, Rav," she said, her voice trembling no matter how hard she fought to stay composed. "My reputation just got dragged through the mud even worse than before."
She let out a bitter, broken laugh that twisted the knife deeper. "First, everyone blamed me for the pack members getting their salaries cut. Then Seraphine made me run laps in front of the whole crowd like some kind of public punishment."
The humiliation still burned hot in her chest. "And now Princess Athaliah insulted me right there in front of all those important people."
Her fingers tightened into fists at her sides. "No matter where I go, I’m always the punchline, the joke that everyone laughs at behind my back."
Ravyn’s heart ached fiercely at the sight of her like this. He gently rested a hand on her shoulder, trying to offer whatever comfort he could.
"Don’t think like that, babe. Everything’s gonna change after the coronation." He gave her an encouraging smile full of hope. "Once you’re officially crowned Luna, Princess Athaliah will regret every single word she said. She’ll probably be the one trying to become your best friend, kissing up to you."
Confidence shone bright in his eyes as he painted that future for her. Daisy managed a weak, shaky smile in return. She was just about to answer when two familiar figures approached them. Queen Pandora walked over with her usual elegant grace, while Jasper trailed a few steps behind her.
The Queen stopped right in front of them, sincerity clear on her face. "Alpha Ravyn," she said, inclining her head slightly with that regal poise. "I’d like to apologize on my daughter’s behalf."
Years of carrying herself as a Luna before rising to Queen showed in every graceful movement she made. Athaliah’s words had been harsh, and whether they were true or not, they had embarrassed Daisy publicly. Pandora understood that pain all too well.
She glanced sideways and gave Jasper a light nudge, clearly expecting him to speak up too.
Jasper looked less than thrilled about it. Truthfully, he believed his sister hadn’t done anything wrong, and he’d only come because his father had insisted.
Still, he forced himself to step forward. "Alpha Ravyn," he said with a polite nod. "My sister was raised the same way every future Luna is raised, humble and proper."
A helpless smile crossed his face. "But she spent several years studying in France, and she changed a lot while she was away." He shrugged lightly. "I hope you can understand."
Ravyn forced a polite smile right back. "It’s fi—"
A powerful gust of icy wind suddenly ripped through the area before he could finish, cutting him off.
Snow started falling much harder and faster than before. Within seconds, visibility dropped to almost nothing, and the biting cold sank deep into everyone’s skin.
Ravyn immediately looked around, taking charge. "The gym is close by. Let’s get inside before this storm gets any worse." Without wasting another second, he guided them all toward the emergency shelter.
The newly expanded gym was already filling up fast with pack members by the time they arrived. As soon as Daisy reached the entrance, her eyes landed on a scene that made her stomach twist.
Alpha Vladimir had taken off his coat and, without hesitation, carefully draped it over Seraphine’s shoulders to shield her from the cold.
Corvine stood guard on one side of her, and Kael on the other. Both men watched the growing crowd with fierce, protective expressions etched on their faces.
Daisy frowned hard. She leaned closer to Ravyn, confusion thick in her voice. "Rav... isn’t that Voren’s father?"
Ravyn’s brows pulled together. It was. Which made the whole thing even stranger. Everyone knew Alpha Vladimir and Luna Oriana had never liked Seraphine one bit.
So why was Alpha Vladimir treating her with such obvious care and warmth all of a sudden? Something definitely wasn’t adding up here.
Before Ravyn could piece it together, Alpha King Jaron caught up to Alpha Vladimir. The two older Alphas exchanged a few quiet words that no one else could overhear.
Their conversation was short, just a moment before they walked into the snowstorm together.
While everyone’s attention stayed glued on them, no one noticed Jasper. His eyes had locked onto Seraphine the second he reached the entrance, and they hadn’t left her since.
The warmth inside the gym quickly chased away the freezing air from outside. Large heaters had been placed all around the building, making the atmosphere feel surprisingly comfortable despite the raging blizzard.
Long tables were loaded with food and hot drinks for every pack that had gathered there. People slowly found places to sit while they waited for the storm to pass.
Daisy and Ravyn grabbed two empty chairs. Almost immediately, voices from a nearby group drifted over to them. "Isn’t that Beta Corvine?" one Alpha said, glancing across the room. "I heard he’s become unbelievably powerful since he started following Luna Seraphine."
Another nodded in agreement. "It’s not just him. I heard Alpha Voren’s wealth has basically doubled too."
Someone else looked toward Kael. "What about Beta Kael? Look how protective he is of Luna Seraphine." His eyes narrowed thoughtfully. "Does Alpha Voren even know about that?"
Daisy’s expression darkened with every word. Once again, everything revolved around Seraphine. Every conversation, every compliment, every single bit of attention. It all came back to her.
She had to find a way to get Seraphine out of that gym for good. She was so damn tired of hearing that name over and over again.
She turned toward Ravyn, irritation slipping into her voice as she began to put her plan into use...