David stared at his daughter in disbelief when she firmly declared that she would not return with him.
He stepped closer, lowering his voice to a stern whisper. "What are you trying to pull, Amelie? Let’s go home quietly. Don’t stir up trouble for them."
But Amelie didn’t flinch.
Earlier, as she made her way to the palace beside Gabriel, she had been contemplating. She had spent more than a day on the proposal he had given her. This time, she didn’t wish to stay quiet and keep her thoughts within herself.
Her greatest regret had always been hiding the truth about her relationship with Alex, trusting the wrong person, and allowing fear to dictate her choices.
But meeting Gabriel had changed that. She had learned that saying the truth and being honest could not change things for the person before her, but for her, it could make a lot of difference.
All her life, Amelie had lived for others, putting her family’s needs above her own dreams and desires.
But not anymore.
This moment was hers and she wanted to make a choice for herself. More than that for the life growing inside her.
"Dad, I didn’t leave home just to return to the same place, where I have no value," Amelie said. "Only I know how suffocating it was to live in that prison where I held no worth, where being born an omega and failing to awaken my wolf made me invisible. Everyone treated me like I was nothing. The curse of Conley Family was the title given to me."
She shifted her gaze to the King and Queen, bowing slightly in respect.
"I apologize for the disturbance. I didn’t expect my father to come searching for me here. But I’m an adult now, and I have every right to choose where I go and who I wish to be with."
Gabriel remained silent, keeping the promise he had made to Amelie before they arrived. He let her speak for herself.
The Luna Queen, however, was less composed. "Of course, you’re free to leave home," Mabel said sharply. "But that doesn’t give you the right to cling to Gabriel."
Before Gabriel could intervene, Amelie met Mabel’s eyes without hesitation and speak.
"Prince Gabriel is my mate," she declared. "I cannot leave him. I choose him whole heartedly. I know my omega rank is an issue for Your Majesty, but someone once told me that if I didn’t have to lead a battle that I should be ashamed of being an omega. I should wear it with pride."
Gabriel’s eyes widened in surprise, her words settling in his chest like a flame that warmed and stunned him at once. He had expected to wait until the gala for her answer, but Amelie had given it now, in front of everyone, with conviction and courage that took his breath away.
"I wish you were as pure as your words, Amelie," Mabel said with a cold chuckle and mockery.
"Let’s stop this now," Raidan murmured, his gaze shifting uneasily between his wife and those in the hall.
But Mabel wasn’t finished. Her voice rang with command. "No. Amelie isn’t Gabriel’s mate. They’re both lying."
She turned her head slightly. "Bring him in," she ordered Lester, who bowed and left the hall without a word.
Amelie’s heart began to race. David leaned closer to her, speaking in a low, urgent tone, "Amelie, what are you doing? You’re in the Queen’s presence. This is serious. We need to leave. Now."
Gabriel, meanwhile, felt the shift in the atmosphere and narrowed his eyes. A suspicion crept into his chest. ’Did she contact Alex too?’
His thoughts were confirmed when Alex Morgan stepped into the grand hall, escorted by Lester.
A quiet gasp slipped from Amelie, her face paling at the sight of the man she had tried so hard to run away from. Her hand moved protectively to her lower abdomen, an instinct to protect her pup.
Across the room, Casaio gave a low chuckle, speaking through the mindlink, ’You underestimated our mother, Gabriel.’
Gabriel’s fists clenched at his sides, his jaw tightening as his eyes met his mother’s across the hall. Rage simmered beneath his calm exterior.
Even Raidan, who usually stayed removed from all such commotion, furrowed his brow in confusion. "Alex?" he said aloud, recognizing the son of an old friend.
Alex stopped beside Amelie, flashing a polite smile as he bowed slightly to the King and Queen. Then his eyes shifted to Amelie, who trembled slightly, caught between past traumas and present terrors.
"Tell us, Alex," Mabel said smoothly, "what exactly did Amelie do in your pack?"
Gabriel stepped forward sharply, his voice cold and sharp like a blade. "Alex, don’t even think about lying."
Unbeknownst to the others, the entire situation had been orchestrated. The previous night, after speaking with David, Mabel had grown increasingly suspicious.
Upon learning of the rumors swirling within the Red River Pack, she had summoned her most trusted aide to dig deeper, and when she learned enough, she immediately called Alex to the palace to show himself in the morning.
"Alex, tell us the truth about Amelie," Mabel said. "Tell everyone she’s carrying a child, one whose father is a mystery. She’s trying to throw her filthy pup onto Prince Gabriel, expecting him to raise it under his name like some noble charity."
A horrified gasp rippled through the hall.
Amelie shook her head, her lips quivering. "It’s not true," she whispered, barely able to speak past the lump forming in her throat.
"Shut your mouth!!" Mabel roared, her voice echoing off the marble walls. Despite her age, her wolf’s strength still held command, silencing even the birds near the fountain.
"You are the one who needs to shut her mouth!" Gabriel’s voice bellowed. His mother’s cruelty had crossed a line.
He strode forward, placing himself squarely between Amelie and Mabel, shielding her with his presence.
"Enough of your accusations, Mom. You have done enough damage. Amelie and her pup are mine. And who did you call a filthy pup? Huh?" He snarled, taking another step closer to his mother.