Ashlee and Kyle walked around the dining table hand in hand, clearly showing off their connection. To Kyle’s surprise, his father was there to dine with them. He stared blankly at them, his gaze lingering for a moment before returning to his empty plate.

Ashlee stole a glance at Kyle. His smile faded, replaced by a cold, stern look. He wasn’t enthusiastic about dining with everyone; as much as Ashlee was.

He tried to walk away, attempting to guide Ashlee to her seat, but before he could leave, she gently grabbed his pinky with her small hand. Her eyes held a pleading, crystalline look.

Kyle understood; she didn’t want him to leave. The room fell silent, with everyone bracing themselves for him to walk away. But something was about to change. He was changing—only for her.

Kyle sat beside her. His father’s eyes widened in surprise at the sight of him sitting at the same table. Even Heather, who had been watching with a mix of disbelief and jealousy, couldn’t hide her shock at how Ashlee’s presence had affected Kyle.

‘This bitch! Doesn’t even consider his feelings and dares call herself his mate!’

Heather hissed in his mind, allowing her guard to slip. She forgot, for a brief moment, that Kyle could read her thoughts. Ashlee smiled softly at him. Kyle, without looking at her, rubbed the back of her hand, his gaze locking onto Heather’s with a dead-cold stare. It sent a shiver down Heather’s spine.

“I won’t tolerate this anymore. Know your limits!” He mind-linked her. Heather choked on air, instinctively reaching for a glass she thought contained water.

“Are you alright? What happened?” Diana asked, offering her a glass of water. Heather shook her head, denying anything was wrong.

“Shall we begin?” Cassandra spoke as everyone settled.

“Ashlee, as you’re new to our family, let me explain quickly. This is a ritual we always perform after a victory. They won the war, and this dinner symbolizes their virtue and bravery,” Cassandra explained. Ashlee had already figured out why everyone had to dine together, but she nodded to be polite.

“This might be a bit cringy. You should close your eyes if you don’t want to see it,” Cassandra added, pursing her lips.

“Why?” Ashlee looked at Kyle and Esyn, her confusion clear.

“If you don’t like blood, close your eyes,” Kyle whispered loudly, cupping Ashlee’s face with his hands.

“What a shame to be human!” Heather mocked, not understanding who was in command here.

“I thought we went over this!” Kyle growled, his eyes glowing blood-red. He shot an icy glare at Heather, who immediately lowered her gaze.

“She is your Luna! Watch what you say!” Cassandra’s fury was palpable, surprising Ashlee.

‘What the hell is a Luna?’ Ashlee gaped at Cassandra, confusion evident in her expression. She furrowed her brows as Kyle continued holding her face in his hands, her cuteness only making the moment more intense.

“Luna means queen, in human terms,” Kyle muttered, sensing her confusion.

“So, you’re a king?” Ashlee blinked, trying to make sense of human titles.

Kyle chuckled, and the others followed suit. “Obviously.” He pinched her cheeks gently, showing a playful side.

Radulf, Kyle’s father, cleared his throat, commanding attention. The room fell silent, every eye either on him or on the floor. He stared at Ashlee, who was the only one daring enough to meet his gaze with her big hazel eyes.

“An Alpha should never be rude to his pack. Consideration is the key to success,” Radulf spoke in his heavy, aged voice. Kyle flinched, swirling his tongue in his mouth, clearly displeased.

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It was well known that Kyle wouldn’t speak back to Radulf. No one dared to challenge his father’s authority.

“Well, if someone is disobeying, I believe it’s the Alpha’s responsibility to maintain discipline,” Ashlee spoke up, raising an eyebrow at him. She assumed she had the right to offer her perspective.

The entire table shifted uncomfortably, waiting for Kyle’s reaction. His stunned eyes locked onto Ashlee, hand resting on his head in disbelief. He had forgotten to warn her not to speak to his father.

“Nobody asked for your opinion,” Radulf said harshly, his irritation clear. Ashlee didn’t pick up on his tone, unfazed.

“Jesus, you don’t have to be so rude. If the King and Queen can’t offer their views, I’m solemnly concerned that this kingdom is on the wrong path,” she said with a thin smile, leaving Radulf in a state of stunned silence.

Kyle couldn’t help but chuckle. Her boldness was hilarious—she was fearless, even with his father. The rest of the table was equally entertained and bewildered. Cassandra, though, was thoroughly enjoying it.

“Finally, someone who can match your level, honey,” Cassandra remarked, stroking the back of Radulf’s hand gently.

“Now, what’s this cringy part?” Ashlee quickly shifted the topic, effectively shutting down Radulf in the most surprising way. Her ability to change the subject so swiftly lightened the mood at the dinner table.

“At last, these boring dinners are getting interesting. All thanks to you,” Esyn whispered to Ashlee, giggling. Ashlee winked at her, fully aware of what she was doing.

“Here it is,” Esyn pointed to the guards as they brought in the severed heads of vampires.

WHAT.THE.ACTUAL.HELL!!

Ashlee blinked rapidly, her stomach churning as she tried to look anywhere but at the gruesome display. Her mind raced—what were they going to do with these heads?

“Don’t place them on the table!” Cassandra warned, her voice urgent. The ritual, it seemed, had a few changes for Ashlee’s sake. She was about to lose her appetite if they placed the heads anywhere near her.

Radulf stood, raising a glass of wine in his hand. “To those who have been separated from their homes, to those who triumphed over the enemy, enduring both emotional and physical suffering during the war. To those still recovering from their wounds, and to the warriors who shed blood and sweat for their community—cheers to victory!” He proposed a toast, the clink of glasses echoing through the room.

“Impressive!” Ashlee muttered, clapping along. Everyone sipped their wine, and though Ashlee didn’t join in, she made no effort to stop them—knowing she wouldn’t be able to hold her own glass without getting thoroughly drunk.

The guards took the heads away, and the meal resumed with normal food being placed before everyone. How could they eat so calmly after seeing those gruesome heads?

“Are you okay? Want to eat in the room?” Kyle asked, noticing Ashlee’s expression flicker between discomfort and nausea.

“No, it’s fine. I’ll just eat,” Ashlee replied, taking a spoonful of lasagna but staring at it with a look of disgust before swallowing it down.

“Stop, Ashlee!” Kyle grabbed the spoon from her hand. “There’s no pressure if you don’t want to eat here. You don’t have to.”

“I want to eat here!” Ashlee snatched the spoon back, narrowing her eyes at him.

Kyle sighed. “Fine. Do as you please.” He gave up, knowing there was no point in arguing with her.

Throughout the entire dinner, Radulf kept glaring at Ashlee. He was visibly annoyed by the presence of someone so bold, especially a female who dared speak back and eat with such abandon.

‘How can she?’ His mind rumbled with dissatisfaction. ‘Where are her manners?’

“What are you doing?” Kyle asked as Ashlee stood, her plate in hand, preparing to head to the kitchen.

“Uh… washing the dishes?” She looked at him, baffled as to why he was surprised.

“You don’t need to do that. Keep it here. The maids will take care of it,” Kyle stopped her, pulling her back to her seat.

“I thought we were eating together tonight,” Ashlee frowned, seeing how the maids worked so hard while the guests ate in luxury.

“It’s fine. They’re not allowed to eat with us,” Kyle explained, though it seemed outdated, even to him.

“What are you, an old man? They need to eat too. We should be responsible for our own mess,” Ashlee argued, rolling her eyes at the backward mentality.

“Ashlee, don’t!” Kyle warned. “You’ve already gotten yourself into trouble by talking back to him.”

She sighed, neither confirming nor denying his point.

As the dinner ended, her eyes wandered around the room and met Radulf’s once again. His fury was evident, and it made Ashlee uneasy. Why was he so angry at an immature girl?

She looked away quickly, tightening her brows.

“We’ll leave now,” Kyle spoke, wiping his mouth and making sure Ashlee’s was clean. Was he treating her like a child? She jolted away from him, clearly annoyed.

“Sure,” Cassandra said, smiling softly at Ashlee and Kyle.

“Wait.” Radulf’s voice interrupted, freezing them mid-step.

“Young lady, I’d like to meet with you in my office for a moment. It’s getting late, but tomorrow will work.” His tone left no room for argument.

“You can speak to me instead of her,” Kyle interjected, stepping in front of Ashlee. He knew his father’s lack of respect could be hurtful, especially to Ashlee.

“I still prefer to speak with the young lady,” Radulf replied, his gaze not even flicking toward Kyle.

What could possibly be so important that he specifically wanted to speak with Ashlee?