Chasing His Wolfless Luna Back Chapter 210: The Grand Announcement (Part 2)

Thea‘s POV

As Dad stepped forward, everyone fell silent, hundreds of eyes focusing on him. Mom stood beside him in her stunning purple gown, her gaze finding me through the crowd and giving me a warm, encouraging smile.

My heart hammered against my ribcage as I moved closer to the front, feeling my palms begin to sweat. The strange dizziness I'd been experiencing was getting worse, but I pushed it aside. This was too important.

"Thank you all for being here tonight," Dad's voice carried across the entire forest clearing, powerful and authoritative. "The Kincaid Pack has been one of the strongest packs in North America for generations. Tonight, we celebrate not only our heritage, but our future."

He paused, his gaze sweeping the assembled crowd before finally settling on me. The pride in his eyes made my throat tighten with emotion.

"I'm pleased to formally introduce to you all the future Alpha of the Kincaid Pack," he continued. "My daughter, Thea Kincaid."

The clearing erupted in chaos. Shocked gasps and exclamations rippled through the crowd as people turned to look at each other, clearly trying to process this sudden announcement. I could see confused expressions spreading across the faces of various Pack members.

"Wait, what?"

"Thea Kincaid? Isn't she a Sterling?"

"I thought the Kincaid heir was a boy?"

Yeah, except now he's in prison. I thought sarcastically to myself. I still felt weird about it all. Before the ball, they'd told me they wouldn't mention Phoenix at this stage, obviously not knowing how to explain that whole situation with Kane and me.

The murmurs grew louder, and the crowd began to stir restlessly. Dad raised his hand, signaling for quiet.

"I know this comes as a surprise to many of you," he continued, his voice remaining steady and strong. "Thea is the bloodline my wife and I searched for years to find. Many years ago, due to an accident, she was forced to be separated from us. During our search for her, we adopted a boy."

His gaze turned toward where Margaret stood, his tone becoming neutral: "We want to thank the Sterling family for taking in and raising Thea all these years."

It was a subtle way of putting it. Everyone here knew I'd had a rough time at the Sterlings, that I wasn't valued or welcomed. I resisted the urge to look in their direction.

While the guests were still digesting this shocking revelation, a second wave of questioning began to emerge.

I saw someone step forward, his voice carrying clearly: "Wait, isn't Thea wolfless?"

His words hit like a stone thrown into water, creating even bigger ripples. Immediately, another person stepped out, her voice carrying obvious doubt: "How can someone without a wolf lead a pack as powerful as the Kincaids?"

"This is impossible!" came another voice from the back of the crowd. "Werewolves must have wolves—that's basic! How can she possibly be an Alpha?"

More voices began joining in, forming a wave of skepticism. I watched some people start whispering among themselves, some even beginning to shake their heads. That familiar feeling of rejection surrounded me again, just like every Pack gathering where I wasn't welcome.

My chest instantly tightened, as if invisible hands were squeezing my lungs. Of course, I knew I wasn't wolfless anymore—I had Diana—but hearing these familiar accusations, those scars buried deep in my heart were torn open again. I'd heard similar words for too many years. The shadows they'd cast on me couldn't be erased overnight. They lurked in my heart like poisonous snakes, ready to strike at my confidence at any moment.

*"We both know their words are ridiculous,"* Diana comforted me.

I nodded unconsciously, but undeniably still felt a conditioned reflex of pain. I even began contemplating a terrible question: could prejudice truly destroy a person completely? If I really didn't have a wolf, if I was still that wolfless woman today, would I still be able to stand here so calmly? Would I have completely collapsed under these endless doubts?

My gaze inadvertently swept toward Lyra. She still maintained that disdainful expression, looking completely unsurprised by my true identity and unchanged in her attitude toward me. This indifference sent a chill through me.

Dad stepped forward, his Alpha aura radiating outward, causing several wolves in the crowd to automatically lower their heads. He was about to speak, but before he could continue, another voice rang out clearly and forcefully.

"How dare you?"

I turned, shocked to see Margaret pushing through the crowd. Her usually perfectly composed face was flushed with anger, her eyes burning with fury as she moved to stand near me.

"How dare you question Thea's worth?" Margaret's voice trembled with rage. "This woman has shown strength and grace that most of you will never achieve. She's raised a son who will become an outstanding Alpha, she's built a foundation that has helped hundreds of children, and she's done all of this while facing discrimination from people like you."

The crowd fell silent, shocked by her fierce defense. My own shock left me speechless. This woman who had ignored and been cold to me for years, to the point where I thought she'd never truly accepted me, was defending me with an intensity that took my breath away.

"She doesn't need a wolf to prove her worth," Margaret continued, her voice carrying across the entire clearing. "She's already proven it through her actions, her compassion, and her unwavering dedication to protecting those who need it."

Then Roman stepped forward, moving to stand beside her. His jaw was set with determination, and when he spoke, his voice was loud and firm.

"Anyone who insults my sister insults the Sterling Pack," he declared. "Thea has faced more challenges than most of us will encounter in a lifetime, and she's emerged stronger each time. If you can't see her value, then you don't deserve to be in her presence."

My sister.

Those two words echoed in my mind, striking my heart like a bell. Roman called me his sister. In public, in front of all these people, in a moment that could damage his relationships with other Packs, he didn't hesitate to call me his sister. I'd always thought he'd only do that for Aurora. And I realized he'd just spoken as the Alpha of the Sterling Pack.

I felt a strange clarity wash over me. Maybe this was the first time I was seeing their side without being affected by past grievances—everyone was moving forward.

"That's right, this isn't for people like you to judge." Mom walked toward me, the crowd parting to make way for her until she stood on my other side, shielding me. "We're here, both Sterling Pack and Kincaid Pack, fully supporting Thea. Anyone questioning this decision is directly questioning both Packs."

She and Margaret stood on either side of me like two unbreakable walls. I saw them exchange glances, finally smiling at each other as if conveying something—a look of mutual respect, a shared understanding. Two mothers, protecting their daughter. The sight stirred emotions in my chest that I couldn't fully process.

*"Look at them, Thea,"* Diana said gently. *"Margaret and Roman don't even know I exist yet. They don't know you're no longer wolfless. They're standing up for you today not because they think it will benefit them now, but because they care about you."*

This realization hit me like a physical blow. Diana was right. Margaret and Roman had defended me even before Mom and Dad spoke, and as far as they knew, I was still wolfless. Among those who had spoken out, there were representatives from Packs they were negotiating alliances with. Since Mom and Dad had decided to make them pay the price before, Sterling Pack had been struggling, going downhill. Roman had even approached me several times about it. They were going through a phase of seizing every opportunity to recover. At this moment, they absolutely had no need to offend potential allies for someone they didn't care about.

This thought nearly blurred my vision.

Sebastian also walked over, but in a different way. He didn't make any passionate speeches, but simply stood beside me, his presence itself being a statement.

Then came Iris and Sophia, Jaxon and Wyatt, followed by more people—those who had witnessed my foundation work or seen my character firsthand. It was as if a massive army had assembled behind me, the initial murmurs of dissent drowned out by a chorus of support.

I opened my mouth to speak, but the dizziness was getting worse. I pressed my forehead, trying to clear my head, but only felt myself beginning to sway on my feet.

"Thea?" Mom noticed my condition, her voice sharp with concern. "Are you okay?"

I tried to answer, but only managed some meaningless syllables, and my voice sounded strange, very hoarse.

*"Something's wrong..."* Diana's voice suddenly became alert, carrying a tension I'd never heard before. *"You've been... we've been drugged with something..."*

Her voice carried a kind of agitation, as if she too was affected by something but still struggling to stay conscious. This feeling made me even more uneasy.

My skin began to heat up—not the heat of fever, but a burning sensation from inside out. My vision seemed to expand threefold in an instant, surrounding sounds became clearer, and I could even hear people's heartbeats in the distance.

This definitely wasn't a sign of fainting. This was... what was this?

Suddenly, I felt an intense pulling sensation I'd never experienced before. My body began trembling uncontrollably. I could feel my canines beginning to elongate, becoming sharp and piercing. My nails started growing longer, something writhing under my skin like tiny hairs beginning to sprout.

I'd never felt it before, but in that instant, I knew.

These were signs of shifting.

What the hell? I gasped, panic instantly washing over me.

The crowd around me began to notice something was wrong. They started gathering around me, but I only felt suffocated.

My bones were crackling, pain instantly overwhelming me. I knew the first shift wasn’t meant to be pleasant—but this didn’t just hurt. It felt wrong, forced, and unnatural.

"Everyone step back!" Dad's command exploded across the clearing. "Give her space!"

*"Hold on, Thea!"* Diana's voice urgently battered my consciousness.

"I can't... I can't control it," I said through gritted teeth, barely recognizing my own voice.

I could feel Diana fighting against it, trying to maintain control. But it was too late.

Before the world completely changed, the last thing I saw was Sebastian's concerned face gradually shrinking in front of me, his green eyes filled with what I could even call "fear." Then, what came from my mouth was a beast's howl, and my body finally succumbed to the forced shift, right there in front of hundreds of witnesses.

The grand announcement had just become something else entirely.