Yuki’s stomach twisted. She did not like where this was heading. "What are you trying to say?" her voice trembled with fear.

Aevia avoided her gaze, guilt clear on her face. "I know this is hard, but you should not get on Eloise’s bad side."

Yuki stared at her sister. For a moment, the cold room no longer felt like the cruellest thing that had happened to her today.

She stared at her sister, the weight of Aevia’s last words pressing down on her like ice. You should not get on Eloise’s bad side. The room felt smaller, the air grew thicker. She had barely recovered from near death, and now this?

She couldn’t believe this was her own sister.

"What are you really asking me to do?" Yuki’s voice came out hoarse, laced with disbelief. "Smile and play nice after what she did? Rely on Alexander and his circle like this?"she whispered

"I almost died Aevia or does that means nothing to you." She added. Her hand grabbed the duvet tighter until her knuckles went white.

Aevia didn’t flinch. She stood gracefully by the window, the afternoon light catching the sharp lines of her face. "I’ve never been more serious, Yuki. This is for the best. For us. All these years you had lived with aunt Lydia’s family must have been hard." She said then turned to Yuki. Her jade eyes were calm as she spoke .

" Now we never have to worry about money again. Security. Respect. A real future. The pack elders are already circling. I need his top officials on our side. Especially the Beta. You’ve always been the sensible one. Don’t disappoint me now."

Yuki opened her mouth to call out how ridiculous it was, but Aevia raised a hand, cutting her off smoothly. "Before you say anything, rest. You’re still recovering."

Aevia stepped closer. In her palm rested a stunning gold bracelet studded with deep green emeralds. It caught the light like captured stars.

"Here," Aevia said softly, sliding it onto Yuki’s wrist. The metal was cool against her skin."This is your present. And with Alexander we can have more."

Yuki stared at the bracelet. It was the most expensive thing she had ever worn. The emeralds felt cold against her skin, beautiful and damning at the same time. A lump formed in her throat.

It was beautiful but it felt like selling her soul.

Aevia patted her cheek gently, her smile warm but unyielding. "I know you are sensible. See, once this is settled I would send something to aunt Lydia for all these years."

Aunt Lydia wasn’t biologically related to them but as far as Yuki could remember Lydia had been the closest to family. She was a regular healer. Her husband was a warrior serving directly under their gamma. They weren’t rich but kind. Hearing Lydia mentioned made Yuki fold inwardly, remembering how Lydia had helped cover her expenses when Aevia’s stipends couldn’t. Those quiet sacrifices, the extra meals stretched thin, the mended clothes given without complaint. Lydia had been their anchor when no one else cared.

Yuki’s shoulders softened despite herself.

Aevia noticed immediately and pressed her advantage. "See? You understand. Now rest. Later we’ll go to the party. I’ve already picked out a dress for you and a present for Eloise. Make sure you get along with her."

Yuki felt her chest choke up. She wanted to scream, to refuse, to run. They needed the support, yes. But why did it feel like she was being sold?

As Aevia turned to leave, Yuki couldn’t hold it in any longer. She reached through the mind link, her voice trembling with the question she couldn’t say out loud.

’ Do you love Alexander or want his money?""

Aevia froze for half a second. Her expression remained perfectly composed. She turned back, touched Yuki’s face with cool fingers, and spoke aloud, voice soft as silk.

"You will understand one day, little sister. Take care."

Then she was gone, leaving Yuki alone in the heavy silence with nothing but the weight of emeralds on her wrist.

By nightfall, the Beta’s villa had transformed into a glittering beacon of power. Expensive cars. Sleek black sedans, roaring sports models, and even a few limited edition imports. Lined the long driveway. Crystal chandeliers spilled golden light through tall windows, and the air hummed with laughter, clinking glasses, and the low thrum of orchestral music.

This wasn’t merely an 18th birthday celebration for the Beta’s daughter. Everyone understood what it really was. A recognition ceremony. Eloise was being positioned as the future Luna of Ravencourt. The girl who would one day stand beside the Alpha heirs. Getting on her good side meant securing your place in the pack’s future.

Yuki sat across from Aevia and Alexander in the private limo, staring out the tinted window as the mansion grew closer. Their conversation blurred into background noise. Alexander’s smooth compliments. Aevia’s practiced laughter. None of it reached her.

When the car stopped at the grand entrance, Aevia and Alexander stepped out first. They were immediately swallowed by the crowd. The same wolves who whispered vixen behind Aevia’s back now showered her with praise.

"You look radiant tonight, Aevia!"

"Such elegance!"

Yuki stepped out last. The sky blue dress Aevia had chosen clung to her like liquid silk. Off the shoulder, dangerously low in the back, with a silhouette that hugged every curve. It was simple in detail but devastating on her. Her blonde hair fell in soft waves, and the emerald bracelet gleamed on her wrist.

Yet no one paid her any attention.

Good, she thought bitterly. In places like this, beauty means nothing. Only power does. And that was exactly how she preferred it.

Inside, the mansion was even more breathtaking. Originally the Alpha’s old residential building, it still carried an air of ancient authority, now layered with modern luxury. Marble floors gleamed underfoot. Massive floral arrangements scented the air. Crystal and gold dripped from every surface.

Yuki wandered further in, momentarily stunned by the grandeur. She caught sight of familiar voices ahead. Aevia speaking with a woman who shared Eloise’s striking cinnamon curls and sharp features. The Beta’s wife.

"You look stunning, Aevia," the woman praised.

Aevia smiled demurely. "You flatter me, my lady. I see the celebrant hasn’t made her appearance yet."

The Beta’s wife sighed theatrically. "Eloise is still getting ready. The alphas got her several dresses, and she’s having trouble choosing. How troublesome..."

Yuki rolled her eyes. The woman’s words sounded aggrieved, but her eyes gleamed with smug satisfaction. Having the Alpha triplets wrapped around her daughter’s finger was clearly a point of pride.

Speaking of the triplets. Yuki wondered if the eldest was showing up today. Not that it had anything to do with her.

She turned to leave not in the mood for this but accidently crashed into someone and red wine splashed all over her dress.

She froze. Something sharp crossed the eye of the lady who walked into her but it immediately disappeared.

The lady’s face went pale and the glass slipped from her hand.

"I am so sorry. You dress is ruined." Yuki was still stunned looking at her ruined outfit.

She hadn’t even said a thing when the lady said dabbing with a handkerchief making the stain worse.

"Stop," she snapped stepping back. The scene immediately drew the attention of the beta’s wife and Aevia.

Aevia ran over asking if she was fine. Yuki nodded. Aevia’s gaze turned dark as she glanced at the beta’s wife.

The beta’s wife without a second thought cracked a slap across the lady’s face and the room went silent even Yuki was stunned.

The sharp sound echoed like a whip. The woman stumbled back, clutching her reddening cheek.

The Beta’s wife’s voice was ice cold. "How dare you ruin my guest’s dress on my daughter’s night?"

The festive atmosphere crackled with sudden tension, the glamour of the night fracturing under the weight of pack hierarchy and unspoken threats.

******Bonus: Character background*******

KIERAN RAVENCOURT

Male lead, He is the second-born triplet and serves as the calm, strategic mind of the trio. Kieran is a professor and healer at the local university and holds significant influence within the pack due to his intelligence and composure. He is Yuki’s favourite and the first triplet she met and shared a heated kiss with on her eighteenth birthday.

PERSONALITY: Kieran is calm, collected, and highly observant. He rarely loses control in public and prefers to analyse situations before acting. He is intelligent, strategic, and emotionally reserved, often masking his true feelings behind a cool exterior. He can be subtly manipulative and jealous but channels it into quiet acts of care. Among the brothers, he acts as the voice of reason and balance, though his calm facade cracks when it comes to Yuki.

FEATURES: Kieran has a tall, athletic build standing at 6’5" with lean, powerful muscles. He has sleek black hair that falls slightly over his forehead and the same intense blue eyes as his brothers. His facial features are refined and elegant, with a sharp jawline and an effortlessly handsome, almost scholarly look that draws people in.