Keisha's dread was visible. It was like a demon sitting heavily upon her shoulders and only she could hear it sharpening its knives. She started sweating and her hands started to tremble. He head became giddy and she felt nauseous. She clutched the chair that was near her and sat down. She knew that if she couldn't handle this situation, Dmitri might throw her out of the clan.

​​

She started crying. "Dmitri, you think that I lied?" she said in between her sobs. She had to somehow save herself and make Pryce the scapegoat.

Dmitri was enraged. He yelled at Keisha, "You have the guts to mess with my woman?"

Keisha became so scared of him that she thought he would attack her. So she tried to malign Pryce. "It was Pryce who suggested that I confront Adrianna."

Pryce looked at Keisha and shouted, "Keisha, you liar! Why would I ask you to confront Adrianna and that too in the forest? I didn't even know why you had called her in the forest. You could have talked to her in the college."

"You wanted a revenge Pryce because Niiya had dumped you because of Adrianna!" she shouted back.

"Stop!" Dmitri became all the more ferocious as he said, "Keisha, this is the original note that you had written to Adrianna, and this note states that you wanted to meet her in the forest. This is clearly your handwriting! Do you think I am such a fool to not even know what lengths you would go to pull Adrianna down? The moment you came home and said that you remembered Adrianna calling you out to the forest, it was a red signal for me. I had picked up this note from the college parking lot and had shoved it in my bag."

"When I noticed that you were going back and forth between your so-called partial amnesia, I started suspecting you. So I sent Nate to the healer to know about your situation. He said that you had recovered fully, but he suspected that you had lost some memory. However, that was only a temporary phase. You have completely recovered.

"How dare you even connive with Pryce against Adrianna? And what is Pryce even doing at our gathering?" Dmitri was so angry that he was shouting at her so loudly that everyone in the gathering could hear. He turned to Nate and ordered, "Send Pryce back to her home. She is not invited to the party!"

He looked at Pryce who was shivering with fear. "If I see you crossing paths with Adrianna ever again, I will make sure that you live no more! Now get out!"

Hurriedly, Pryce left the party before Dmitri could change his decision.

He looked at his mother. "Mother, this is your last warning. Do not go against Adrianna," he said with such authority that Cora broke into a cold sweat. It was a known fact that the werewolves often killed their own fathers if they wanted to grab their father's position as the chief of the tribe. They were fierce by nature. And right now, that madness was clearly shown in Dmitri's eyes.

Dmitri ignored all of them and went to Adrianna. She had knelt down on the floor, looking at her alpha, as he protected her from the evil. Tears were streaming down her eyes, and all she could feel at the time was gratitude. Other than Ed, there was no one who had shown so much faith in her.

When he neared her, he extended his hand to her, and as soon as she placed her hand in his, he pulled her up. He hugged her and said, "Did you think that I would fall for their tricks and leave you?"

Adrianna nodded through her tears as she snuggled into his chest, the only place where she felt most secure.

He hugged her tightly as though trying to merge her into his body frame. He said, "Silly, I will never leave you. Only death shall do us apart. I knew about their connivance and was only waiting for the right moment to bring both of them down together."

He held Adrianna's chin, lifted her face up, and planted a kiss on her lips that were a little puffy now. Then, he wiped her tears and said, "Come, walk with me over there." He pointed to a small canopy that was covered with flowers.

He held her waist as she rested her head on his arms, and together they walked to the canopy. Nate and Liam were standing right outside the canopy, smiling at their chief. Once Adrianna and Dmitri reached the canopy, they turned to the guests.

Dmitri announced, "Wolves, meet my luna, Adrianna. I will marry her tomorrow. You all are welcome to stay back and enjoy your day here."

As soon as he made the announcement, the entire audience broke into a clap. The werewolves shouted their "congratulations" from all sides.

Adrianna was blushing as her face split into a huge grin while Dmitri nodded as he received the congratulatory messages.

Adrianna missed Ed. She wanted him to be there on her special occasion. Where'd he go after agreeing that he would attend the gathering? She looked at her father and siblings. Kuro and her brothers were standing tall as others came and congratulated him. Kayla's face had darkened. Adrianna couldn't bother anymore. She turned to look at her alpha who was already staring at his luna as though he was bewitched by her charms. She couldn't help herself and let her aura shine. There was a soft glow all around her, which all the wolves at the gathering noticed.

They were mesmerized – the supreme alpha and his luna together was a picture to behold.

Insulted and admonished, Keisha got up and walked out of the garden. People smirked at her as she left. As for Cora, she stayed till Dmitri made the announcement and then retired to her bedroom.

---

As soon as Ed had gotten ready to leave, Howard had come to meet him. Ed had been summoned by the wizards.

He resisted. "I have to attend Adri's celebration tonight. Dmitri will declare her as his luna."

"Sorry Ed, but when the great wizard calls, you don't say no to him," said Howard, taking a hold of Ed's hand. Suddenly, Ed found himself being sucked into a vortex. He had been through the vortex before, and he knew what it was.