#Chapter 40: An Olive Branch

Emily I’d worn silk armor before. And I had a feeling I would need it at tonight’s Pack event. The dress wasn’t chosen for softness or appeal—it was structure. The neckline sharp, the color bold. A deep midnight blue that caught the light like the sea at night. I didn’t ask Logan for approval. I didn’t need it. When I entered the ballroom, the air shifted. It was subtle—but palpable. Heads turned. Not in mockery. Not pity. But in curiosity. A few months ago, I wouldn’t have been invited to a diplomatic dinner, let alone seated near the Alpha. But now? Now I was his assistant. His fiancée. His scandal. And something more dangerous. I was becoming his success story. Logan was already there, speaking with two senior representatives from the Silverpine Pack. When he spotted me, he offered the faintest nod. Not possessive. Not cold. Just… certain. As if he expected me to hold my own. And a part of me appreciated that. I walked past a few lower-ranked nobles whose smiles