Zander’s POV.
The room erupted into polite applause, the sound of clapping hands echoing across the ballroom. But I didn’t hear it-not really. It was just background noise, muffled and distant, drowned out by the sound of my own blood pounding furiously in my ears.
My wolf was snarling inside me, its rage building with every passing second, demanding action. All I could focus on was the smug look on Asher’s face, the way he stood there on the stage like he’d won some sort of battle.
My vision blurred with anger, narrowing until all I could see was him, and every nerve in my body screamed for me to put him in his place.
That was it. I couldn’t take it anymore.
Before I knew it, I was moving toward the stage, my steps quick and purposeful. My instincts had taken over, the rational part of my brain silenced by the need to protect what was mine. My hands were already curling into fists at my sides, my knuckles aching from how tightly I was clenching them. Every step I took brought me closer to my target, and all I could think about was wiping that smug grin off his face. I didn’t care about the audience, about the crowd full of onlookers. All I cared about was making sure Asher never looked at Aria-or anyone else-with that kind of arrogance again.
But before I could reach him, before I could even set foot on the stage, Aria stepped forward. Her heels clicked sharply against the marble floor, the sound cutting through the tension in the room like a knife. My steps faltered as I watched her stride toward the stage with purpose, her movements filled with a confidence so commanding it stopped me in my tracks. She didn’t hesitate, didn’t glance back at me or anyone else. She was focused, and every step she took was a warning.
The room, which had been buzzing with whispered conversations and murmured reactions, fell completely silent the moment she stepped onto the stage. Every pair of eyes in the room was fixed on her, but she didn’t flinch. Her green eyes blazed with fury, her expression sharp and unyielding as she approached Asher. She looked like a storm ready to break, and even from where I stood, I could feel the weight of her anger.
Without a single word, without giving him even a moment to react, she raised her hand and slapped him across the face. The sound of the slap rang out like a crack of thunder, loud and sharp, cutting through the silence like a blade. The collective gasp of the crowd followed almost immediately, a wave of shock that rippled through the room. But I didn’t care about their reactions. All I cared about was the sight of Asher standing there, stunned, a red mark blooming on his cheek where her hand had struck him.
“Asher,” she said, her voice cold and steady, each word laced with authority. “Let me make something very clear.” Her tone was calm, but it carried a weight that demanded attention, a power that silenced even the boldest of men.
He stared at her, his usual confidence replaced by shock, as she stepped closer to him. She tilted her chin up defiantly, her posture strong and unshakable. She looked at him like he was nothing, like he wasn’t worth the ground she stood on, and I could see the flicker of uncertainty in his eyes.
“I am the daughter of an Alpha,” she said, her voice ringing out across the room for everyone to hear. “And I am mated to the strongest Alpha this world has ever seen.” Her words hit me like a punch to the chest, but not in a bad way. The anger that had been burning inside me moments ago was momentarily replaced by something else, something deeper and more powerful.
Pride.
“You will not disrespect me,” she continued, her tone unwavering, her words sharp and precise. “And you will *never* disrespect my mate again.” Her green eyes burned with determination as she stared him down, her strength radiating from every word she spoke. She wasn’t asking for respect-she was demanding it, and there wasn’t a single person in the room who could deny her.
Asher opened his mouth, probably to throw out some kind of snide remark or weak excuse, but she didn’t give him the chance. She cut him off before he could even form a sentence.
“If you ever make another move like this,” she said, her voice dropping lower, sharper, like the edge of a blade, “you’ll regret it.” Her words weren’t just a warning-they were a promise.
For a moment, no one moved. No one spoke. The room was frozen, every guest too stunned to react, their eyes darting between Aria and Asher like they couldn’t believe what they’d just witnessed. The tension in the air was so thick it was almost suffocating, but Aria didn’t falter.
Then, slowly, Aria turned her back on him, her head held high as she walked off the stage. Her steps were measured, deliberate, as if to remind everyone in the room of exactly who she was. She didn’t rush, didn’t look back. She didn’t need to. She had already made her point. When she reached my side, she stopped, her expression calm and composed despite the fire that still lingered in her eyes.
I stared at her, my emotions a tangled mess as I tried to process everything that had just happened. My anger, my pride, my admiration-all of it swirled together, leaving me speechless. I couldn’t take my eyes off her, couldn’t believe the strength she had just shown.
She looked up at me, her green eyes locking onto mine, fierce and unyielding. She didn’t waver, didn’t back down, even now.
“Let’s go,” she said simply, her voice calm but firm, leaving no room for argument.
I nodded without hesitation, placing a protective hand on the small of her back as we turned and left the ballroom together. The stares and whispers of the crowd followed us as we walked, but for the first time, I didn’t care. Let them talk. Let them wonder. None of it mattered.
Aria wasn’t just my Luna. She wasn’t just my mate.
She was a force to be reckoned with. A storm no one could contain. And tonight, she had proved it to everyone.