Victoria’s voice pulled me from my thoughts. “Brielle, would you mind passing the juice? It’s closer to you.” Her tone was sugary sweet, but the innocence in it felt fake.
I glanced at the pitcher, then back at her. “You’re perfectly capable of reaching it yourself.” My words came out sharper than I intended, but I didn’t bother softening them.
The table fell silent.
Xavier placed his fork down with a sharp clang. “Brielle.” His voice carried a warning. “Is it really so hard to do a simple favor without creating an issue?”
Under the table, I clenched my fists, my wolf stirring restlessly inside me—hurt, humiliated, ready to snap. But I swallowed the surge of emotion, picked up the pitcher, and poured juice into her glass.
Victoria smiled, smug satisfaction gleaming in her eyes.
“Thank you,” she murmured sweetly, her tone as smooth and poisonous as silk.
For a moment, I imagined throwing the glass straight at her face.
Xavier leaned back in his chair, studying me, his irritation shifting into something colder. “Brielle, has Moonveil Pack transferred the funds yet? We’ll need extra budget for Liam’s birthday.”
For Liam.
Not for me. Not even though the money came from my family.
My jaw tightened. “You’re asking about money again?”
“It’s for the pack,” he replied calmly. “You know Stormvale doesn’t have the same wealth as Moonveil. If you could ask your parents—”
A bitter laugh escaped me, cutting him off. “No, Alpha. There won’t be any more funds. I’ve already told my parents to stop sending money to Stormvale. You have more than enough businesses and resources to support your own pack.”
The entire table fell silent.
Xavier’s expression darkened immediately. “What did you just say?” His voice dropped, low and dangerous.
“You heard me,” I answered, holding his gaze. “No more money.”
His palm slammed against the wooden table the next second, the loud crack echoing across the hall. Liam flinched, and Victoria gasped softly—though I noticed the faint curl of satisfaction at the corner of her lips.
“Do you realize what you’ve done?” Xavier growled. “You’re cutting off the very support that keeps this pack running. That supports you.”
I rose slowly from my seat, forcing calm into my voice. “Maybe it’s time you stopped relying on my parents’ generosity and started standing on your own.”