The Alpha Twins' Lottery Mate

”Watch your mouth when you’re talking about her!” Okami snarled.

He was already seething over the humiliation Prince Mikhail had subjected him to in front of Starlight. He had wanted to protect her, to prove that she could rely on him, yet he had ended up whimpering beneath another Alpha’s dominance like some helpless weakling. He could only imagine what Starlight must think of him now, especially when she had clearly needed someone to stand up for her. And now Beatrice had the audacity to open her mouth and insult the very girl he was trying to protect? The sheer stupidity of the woman was astounding. Starlight had already been forced into an uncomfortable position, and Okami wasn’t about to let her believe he was incapable of defending her simply because Prince Mikhail had put him in his place. If Beatrice wanted to give him an excuse to vent his frustration, then he would gladly take it.

Tightening his grip around her throat, he leaned closer, his eyes blazing with barely restrained fury. ”I thought I warned you not to run your mouth about her, Beatrice.” Her eyes widened.

Beatrice clawed at his wrist, struggling to loosen his grip. Her own growl rose in response, but it was strained and uneven as she tried to force words through the pressure against her throat. The surrounding werewolves stared in disbelief, none of them having anticipated that Okami would react so violently over an insult directed at Starlight.

The Elite Circle fell into stunned silence.

A moment earlier, most of them had been pretending not to notice the growing tension between the Crown Twins and Okami. Now, nobody could pretend that nothing was happening. Chairs scraped against the floor as several students rose to their feet, while others remained frozen in place, uncertain whether intervening would only make the situation worse.

Beatrice struggled harder, her hands gripping Okami’s arm as she tried to wrench herself free. ”Let. Go. Of. Me!” she choked out hoarsely, her voice breaking beneath another furious growl. ”Someone, get him off me!”

Yet nobody moved. Okami’s temper was no secret, and those who knew him understood how dangerous he could become when pushed too far. More importantly, very few people were willing to risk getting caught between two enraged sub-royals. The fact that the Crown Twins were present only made the situation more complicated. If Okami seriously injured Beatrice, the consequences could extend far beyond the gathering, potentially dragging their respective clans into a conflict that nobody wanted.

Kage was the only one who seemed capable of acting without hesitation. He pushed himself to his feet and strode toward Okami, his expression hardening as he took in the scene. For a moment, he considered forcing the other Alpha away from Beatrice himself, but he knew that trying to overpower Okami while he was in such a state could easily make matters worse. Instead, he grabbed Okami by the shoulder and leaned closer. ”Okami, let her go!”

Okami barely acknowledged him. His attention remained fixed on Beatrice, and the murderous look in his eyes made it clear that he was seriously considering squeezing until she could no longer insult anyone.

”Okami!” Kage barked again, tightening his grip on the other Alpha’s shoulder. ”Look at Starlight!”

That finally got through to him.

”Look at her,” Kage repeated, his voice lowering as he tried to make the other man understand. ”Can’t you feel it? Your dominance is affecting her. You’re frightening her, too!”

Okami froze. The realization struck him harder than any physical blow could have. He turned his head toward Starlight, and the sight of her sitting stiffly on the sofa made his grip loosen at once. He had been so consumed by his anger that he hadn’t considered how his behavior might affect her. The last thing he wanted was to become another source of fear for the very person he had been trying to protect. He released Beatrice immediately. She stumbled backward, coughing violently as she clutched her throat.

Before she could recover enough to say anything, Okami had already turned away from her and hurried toward Starlight.

”Starlight, are you all right?” he asked anxiously, stopping in front of her. ”I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to frighten you. I wasn’t trying to hurt anyone in front of you. She was insulting you, and I just wanted to stop her before she said something worse.”

His voice had lost all its earlier aggression. Now, he looked genuinely worried, his eyes searching her face for any sign that he had upset her. He had wanted to protect her, not make her uncomfortable, and the possibility that he had done exactly that left him feeling deeply unsettled. Starlight stared up at him for a moment before slowly shaking her head.

”It’s all right, Prince Okami. I’m sorry, too. I didn’t mean to cause trouble or make everyone fight.” She lowered her gaze, her voice becoming softer. ”I only wanted to explain what happened. I never expected things to turn out this way.”

”Don’t apologize, Starlight,” Okami replied immediately. ”You haven’t done anything wrong. You were explaining yourself, and nobody has the right to insult you for that. You don’t deserve to be treated like this simply because you’re human.”

His expression softened as he watched her, the anger that had consumed him moments earlier giving way to concern. ”You don’t have to worry about any of this. I’ll make sure nobody hurts you.”

Starlight hesitated before leaning slightly toward him, allowing her shoulder to brush against his arm. It was a small gesture, barely noticeable to anyone who wasn’t paying attention, but Okami reacted as though she had handed him the world. His entire expression brightened, and the tension in his body eased as he carefully shifted closer, making himself available without daring to presume she wanted anything more.

When Starlight leaned a little farther against his shoulder, Okami nearly forgot that they were surrounded by people.

He was basking in her attention.

For someone who had spent so much time trying to come up with ways to earn her trust, the simple act of her seeking comfort beside him felt like a victory. He wanted to wrap an arm around her, pull her closer, and reassure himself that she was truly comfortable with him. However, he restrained himself, unwilling to risk ruining the moment by moving too quickly.

Around them, the Elite Circle watched in disbelief. The scene had taken such an unexpected turn that several people seemed unsure where to look. Only minutes earlier, Okami had been gripping Beatrice by the throat while Starlight sat helplessly nearby. Now, she was leaning against him as though the two of them were the only people in the room. Their proximity, combined with the gentleness in his expression, gave the entire exchange an almost intimate quality. It was as though they had forgotten that anyone else existed.

Nikolai had seen enough. The coldness in his expression made his displeasure unmistakable. He had tolerated Okami’s interference for longer than he cared to admit, but watching Starlight lean against the other Alpha after everything that had happened was more than he could stomach. The fact that she had sought comfort from Okami rather than either of the Crown Twins felt like a deliberate insult, even though he knew she had done nothing more than choose the person she currently trusted. He rose from his seat.

”I’m done with this ridiculous gathering,” Nikolai announced coldly. Without waiting for a response, he turned and strode toward the exit. He had no intention of wasting another minute at a mandatory Elite Circle gathering that had devolved into a public spectacle. Let the others deal with the mess if they wished. He was no longer interested in being there.

Mikhail remained seated for a moment longer, his gaze fixed on Starlight and Okami. His expression was composed, but the coldness in his eyes betrayed his irritation. When he finally stood, he did so with a measured calm that contrasted sharply with his brother’s abrupt departure. His gaze shifted to Okami.

The warning in those eyes was unmistakable. Mikhail had tolerated the other Alpha’s attempts to get close to Starlight, but that tolerance had limits. Okami would do well to remember that the girl he was currently enjoying the company of was not someone the Crown Twins intended to surrender so easily.

Okami met his stare without backing down. He understood the warning perfectly. He simply didn’t care enough to respond to it. Whatever the Crown Twins thought they were entitled to, Starlight had chosen to lean against him, and that was the only thing that mattered to him at that moment. Mikhail’s jaw tightened.

Without another word, he turned and followed his brother out of Red Lounge. Eden had little choice but to rise and follow them, his expression suggesting that he would have preferred to disappear altogether rather than deal with the aftermath of the evening. Before leaving, he cast one last glance at Starlight, silently wondering how a single human girl had managed to turn a gathering of the empire’s most influential young werewolves into such an unmitigated disaster.

Elle, meanwhile, could hardly make sense of anything that had happened. She had come to Red Lounge expecting to have the time of her life, only to watch Starlight turn the gathering into a public scandal, provoke a confrontation between several powerful werewolves, and somehow end up leaning against Prince Okami as though they were in the middle of a romantic scene. Elle wasn’t sure whether she should be impressed, worried, or simply exhausted on her friend’s behalf. She settled for staring.

Beatrice eventually straightened, one hand pressed against her throat as she struggled to recover her composure. Her eyes were bloodshot with anger, and the humiliation of having been manhandled in front of the entire Elite Circle only made her expression more vicious. She glared at Okami before shifting her attention to Starlight. ”I hope you’re happy with yourself,” she rasped. ”Look at what you’ve done. You’ve turned this entire gathering into a joke.”

Okami’s head snapped toward her, and a warning growl rumbled from his chest.

Beatrice faltered. For all her anger, she wasn’t foolish enough to provoke him again while he was still standing beside Starlight. She shot the human girl one final, furious look before turning on her heel and marching out of Red Lounge, one hand still massaging her throat.

The remaining guests exchanged uncomfortable glances. The carefully arranged gathering had fallen apart so completely that nobody seemed to know whether they were expected to remain seated or follow the others out. The drinks were untouched, the conversations had died, and the atmosphere that had once promised an evening of elite company had been replaced by awkward silence and barely concealed tension.

The party had ended before it had even properly begun.