How To Lose Your Billionaire Alpha Husband In 365 Days (Or Less)!-Chapter 39: Annual Alpha Ball...

JASMINE’S POV

"I still don’t see why I have to wear this," I grumbled, tugging at the sapphire velvet sleeve clinging to my arm like a second skin.

"You look stunning," Aiden said without looking up from his cufflinks. "And tonight, you need to be seen."

"Oh, I’ll be seen," I murmured under my breath, adjusting the neckline. "I just hope I don’t stab someone with my heels before dessert."

"You say that like it’s a bad thing."

I shot him a glare in the mirror. "Do all Alpha events come with a side of veiled threats and designer dresses?"

He smirked, crossing the room in long, confident strides. "Only the important ones."

"And this is...?"

"The Annual Alpha Ball," he said, brushing a strand of hair over my shoulder and clasping a necklace around my throat. "Every pack leader, every supernatural politician, every threat we know of, will be in that ballroom tonight."

"And you’re dragging me there; why?" I lifted a brow.

His eyes met mine in the mirror. "Because it’s a public-private event, and they need to see that you’re mine."

"Possession’s a strong word, Alpha."

"So is survival." He paused. "This isn’t just about playing house anymore."

I didn’t answer because I already knew.

We got to the Silverthorn Estate right after sunset. The estate was built into the side of a mountain, made of white stone with warm golden lights glowing all around. The trees nearby were covered in magical ivy that sparkled in the moonlight.

"Ready to meet the wolves behind the curtains?" Aiden asked, as he helped me out of the car.

"I’ve already met the wolf in front of them," I said, smoothing the invisible creases on my gown. "The rest can’t be much worse."

He smirked, stepping closer. "Tonight’s not about being ready. It’s about control."

"I’m very good at pretending I have it."

He paused, scanning me from head to toe. "Don’t pretend tonight, Jasmine. Own it."

I raised a brow. "What exactly am I owning?"

"You’re my Luna. At least in public." His voice dipped. "And tonight, appearances matter more than ever."

Right. Appearances.

Inside the ballroom, crystal chandeliers lit up the room, showcasing a level of wealth that could support a small country. You could see wolves in fancy suits, vampires in silk, and witches adorned in glittering robes.

They were all mingling, sipping aged blood or champagne, depending on their dietary preferences.

And we walked straight into the centre of it, arm-in-arm.

Aiden’s hand never left the small of my back. "Smile, wifey," he murmured against my ear. "They’re already watching."

"Let them," I said sweetly, leaning into his side. "Maybe they’ll learn something.

"You look beautiful by the way," he murmured at my temple.

"And you look like trouble," I replied sweetly. "Let’s make everyone nervous."

He chuckled under his breath. "Oh, we will."

We hadn’t taken ten steps before the whispers started. I had no idea how, but I was able to hear them... almost as if the words drifted through the wind.

"That’s her—"

"Human? Impossible—"

"They say she owns Heart Enterprises now—"

I met every stare with a level gaze. They could wonder all they wanted.

Then the air shifted.

I turned, and there she was.

Elena.

Dripping in emerald silk and barely concealed venom. Her arm curled through another’s, tall, powerfully built, with silver-streaked hair and cold grey eyes.

Aiden stiffened beside me. "Marcus Kane," he said, his voice dropping a full octave. "Alpha of the Ironspine Pack."

"Jasmine," Elena said with a smile that could cut glass as they approached. "And here I thought this gathering was just for the supernaturals."

I only grinned. "Well, me here can only mean one thing. And I see you travel with alphas now."

Marcus took my hand before I could object, bowing over it in a gesture that would’ve seemed charming... if not for the way his gaze raked over me.

"And you must be the Luna of Silver Frost," he said smoothly. "The rumours don’t do you justice."

"I’m not a rumour," I replied, pulling my hand back, "and I don’t require justice."

Aiden shifted beside me. I could feel the tension rippling off him like heat from a brand.

Marcus’s gaze flicked toward him, amused. "No offence meant. It’s tradition, after all, to greet the new Alpha pair."

"Tradition," Aiden said flatly, "doesn’t require you to stare at my wife like you plan to bite her."

"Biting," Marcus said with a crooked smile, "is only for the marked. And she isn’t, is she?"

A low growl rumbled in Aiden’s chest.

Elena stepped between them smoothly. "Marcus, darling, don’t provoke him. Aiden’s always been territorial. It’s sweet."

"And you’ve always been delusional," I said, sipping my champagne.

Marcus turned to me again. "Would you do me the honour of a dance, Luna Jasmine?"

I opened my mouth to say no, but then I caught the way Aiden’s jaw clenched, the subtle crack of glass in his hand as his fingers tightened around his glass.

I smiled politely, taking a step forward. "That wasn’t a question, was it?"

"Jasmine," Aiden warned lowly, catching my wrist.

"It’s just a dance," I whispered, tugging free. "You don’t need to get territorial."

I left him standing there and let Marcus lead me to the dance floor. As he did, the music swelled, and the moment his hand settled on my waist, I regretted it.

He was too smooth, too cold beneath the charm.

"You enjoy provoking him," Marcus said in a low voice.

"Only when he deserves it."

"You’re braver than I thought." His eyes locked on mine. "Or dumber."

"Pick one," I said. "I’m versatile."

"You don’t belong here," he said softly, spinning me effortlessly.

"Yet here I am," I replied. "Wearing the crown."

"You think Aiden marked you out of love?"

My smile didn’t falter. "He hasn’t marked me at all."

"Ah," Marcus breathed. "So the rumours are true. The Luna is still unclaimed."

"You should stop saying Luna like it’s a question."

He twirled me once again before pulling me close. "You have a scar," he said suddenly. "Left collarbone."

My spine stiffened.

"How do you know that?"

He leaned in with a grin. "There’s this prophecy about a girl who has emerald-green eyes and a crescent-shaped scar. She’s hiding, being hunted, and is meant to change everything."

"You’ve been reading bedtime stories."

"No. I’ve been preparing. Because when you awaken, when your true blood stirs, you’ll be more powerful than any Luna born of this world."

"I’m not part of your twisted myth."

"You are." His voice was like silk over a blade. "And they’ll all come for you. Rogues. Hybrids. Even your family."

My mouth went dry.

"And the best part?" he whispered. "You’ll never see it coming."

"You sound like Elena," I said flatly.

He smiled. "She’s smarter than she looks."

"And you’re more arrogant than you sound."

I tried to yank my hand away, but he was stronger. "Let go of me."

He let go of me right as the song finished, and there was a teasing look in his eyes as he bowed. "Thank you for the dance, Luna."

"And thanks for the creep show, Alpha Marcus."

"Anytime, Luna."

I went back to Aiden, my heart still pounding in my chest. He looked tense, his jaw clenched, and his eyes were cold as ice.

"What did he say?" he asked.

"Later."

"Jasmine..."

"Later."

But the tension barely had time to settle before I heard another voice—too familiar.

"Well, well," came the oily drawl. "Look who’s all grown up and pretending to play with the big dogs."

My spine snapped straight.

Uncle Vale.

Dressed in designer grey, flanked by two corporate bodyguards, and wearing the smug satisfaction of a man who believed he still held the leash.

"I thought this gathering was invite only," I said icily.

He chuckled. "Thought you’d want to discuss the... family business." His eyes swept over the room. "Seems you’ve acquired quite the empire, Jasmine. But Heart Enterprises still carries my blood."

"Correction," I said. "It carries my name now."

"Careful," he warned softly. "Family assets have... consequences. We should talk. Soon."

"Get in line."

He smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. "You’ll see, Jasmine. There’s so many things you don’t know about, that you can’t escape from. You need me."

I turned before he could say more. My head was pounding.

Aiden was watching me, muscles taut. "What did he want?"

"To remind me that whatever I do, he’ll always try to find a way to try taking control."

Aiden didn’t smile. "He shouldn’t be here."

"No kidding."

Suddenly, everything around me seemed to shift. The chandelier above blurred, and the light fractured into strange patterns. I felt a sharp sting from my scar.

Then, a child’s scream filled the air—high-pitched and full of terror. I noticed shadows gathering in the corners of the room, twisting to form a figure.

This figure, cloaked in darkness, began chanting my name in a language I couldn’t understand.

"Jasmine..."

My knees buckled.

"Jasmine!"

I had no idea what was going on anymore but I felt my leg buckle. I didn’t hit the ground though.

Aiden caught me.

My vision blurred, and the last thing I saw was his face. His eyes were filled with fear, and his voice was strained as he picked me up in his arms.

"Get a healer!" he shouted.

And then everything went black.