Chapter 47

Sienna’s POV

I stepped up towards Lucius as he announced me, surprised by the level of clapping I received.

When I took my place at the podium, Lucius squeezed my shoulder, and everything just felt better. Motivation sparked up in me, the drive to do good swelling.

“Hi everyone,” I greeted, scanning out amongst the crowd. Back at my table, Julian lounged in his chair with a scowl, the other Alpha’s sitting on the opposite side of the table from him, focused on me.

“Thank you so much for being with us tonight. It’s a real honor to be invited up here to talk to you all — especially those who have been through the same thing as I have.”

I looked to the front of the crowd, knowing a lot of the orphans had gathered there for a closer look. Some of them stared at me like I was a goddess, some others just appearing bored.

“It hasn’t been very long since I lost my own parents to a rogue attack.” The ache of tears pressed at the back of my throat, but I ignored them.

Lucius and Asher stood to my right, at the bottom of the stage stairs, their eyes locked on me.

Julian was staring daggers at me, to absolutely no one’s surprise.

Let him stare, I laughed. He can’t take this attention from me.

I place my hand to my necklace, proud to have it on me.

Lucius gave me this. Outbid everyone else to give it to me.

Why? I asked myself that over and over and over.

“I was gifted this necklace tonight, and its message means more to me than I can even express. If you don’t already know, it’s the necklace of the allies.” I looked around the crowd, seeing some smiles.

I took a quick breath in, glancing towards Lucius, who gave me a nod of encouragement.

“I stand against the rogues. Not only for what they did to my parents, but for what they’ve done to all of yours.” I turn my focus to the orphans closest to me.

Most of them smile, tears glistening in a few of their eyes.

“I was put into the impossible position of becoming an Alpha at the young age of nineteen. Since I took that title, I’ve been beaten down time and time again for it.”

I scanned the crowd, my gaze landing directly on Mia in her stunning, glittering blue dress. My gaze sat on her for a minute, but all she did was smile.

“I didn’t ask to lose my parents the way I did. I wasn’t trying to become an Alpha when I’d barely had the chance to live as an adult.” My voice wobbled just a bit, and I took a moment to control myself.

“I want to succeed. I want to lead my pack to a place of prosperity — in honor of my parents.” My words rang out across the room, some people clapping, which only made me want to keep going.

“If we all work together — in harmony — then we can fight back against the rogues. We stand together, united, and they can’t keep doing this.” I sighed, touching over my necklace once more, finding it as a point of inspiration.

My eyes paused on Julian again, who was still staring daggers. It was honestly amusing how angry he was, and how much he let it show. You’d think our ages were switched.

“Losing my parents…” I paused, gathering myself. “They took a part of me with them. And I will never forget it.”

I made sure to lock eyes with each and every orphan, pride filling my chest.

“My biggest piece of advice, if I can even give it, is to use our pain to fight back.”

“Yeah!” One of the orphans hollered out, the crowd of them starting to clap and hoot.

“I will continue to fight for my place as Nightwind’s Alpha. I was so lucky to learn from some of the best Alpha’s I’ve ever known — my parents.” A smile spread over my face, my mother’s bracelet pulsing on my hand as if she were there, cheering me on.

I glanced back to stage right, noticing Asher had left, and only Lucius remained.

More boy drama? I pondered, not letting the distraction get to me. At least Lucius was there to support me.

“I want to thank my husband, Asher,” I said, even though he wasn’t there. I still had to present us as a unified front, like I’d insisted. “He’s been there for me through thick and thin.”

My eyes scanned the crowd again, looking specifically for Mia, but she wasn’t there anymore.

Mia and Asher both gone? Hm.

Now wasn’t the time to let that get to me. After all…my time with Asher was limited, anyway. It always came back to that.

“It hasn’t been an easy adjustment, becoming an Alpha so suddenly. But if it weren’t for Lucius, our great Alpha of Blackmoon, then I wouldn’t be where I am right now.”

I glanced to Lucius again, finding him beaming at me, the admiration in his eyes making butterflies erupt through my gut.

“I wanted to take a moment for any questions,” I smiled out to the crowd, my heart speeding up in my chest.

Julian was still staring at me. I mean, okay, I was speaking, but this was different.

An orphan in the front raised her hand, and I pointed to her. “I just want to say that I think you’re really lucky.” Her voice was filled with sadness, and it clenched my heart.

“I am,” I nodded, keeping my voice gentle.

“I don’t really have anything. Your potion donations are going to help us so much.” The little girl smiled back at me — she couldn’t have been any older than ten…and she was an orphan.

That hurt my heart.

“I’m so glad they’re going to help.” I had to bite back the threat of tears in my eyes. I wished that I could do more.

She quieted, and I looked to the crowd for an actual question. An Alpha from the table Lucius had been sitting at raised his hand, and the look on his face made me a little nervous.

He looked…devious.

“How is that new partnership of yours going?” he asked, knowing exactly what he was steering us towards.

I couldn’t help but glance at Julian, a smile twitching at the corner of my lips. I wasn’t sure he’d even blinked since I started speaking.

“It’s still developing, but I’m excited about it. And thankful that there are people willing to step in and help me in this position I’ve been put in.” I responded with my eyes on the Alpha, flickering to Julian at the last second.

I could see his jaw clench from all the way up on stage.

“Isn’t it rather lucky that the biggest investor of a larger pack decided to step in and help you?” the Alpha sneered, and I had to stop myself from rolling my eyes.

“It was my choice,” Robin spoke up from somewhere in the crowd, and after a moment of scanning, I found him standing towards the back of the room. “No need to hound her on the topic.”

Thank goodness.

“I very much look forward to what we can do together, Sienna,” Robin smiled, and just as I was about to smile back, everything exploded around us all.