"Rest now, Evadne," he murmured, pulling the duvet over my shoulders. "The lineage work is done. I'll return in a few hours."

I lacked the vocal energy to even whisper a response. The moment his heavy footsteps faded from the room, I plunged into a deep, dreamless sleep.

When I finally woke, the room was bathed in the pale light of late afternoon. My body felt heavier, denser, yet charged with a lethal grace. I swung my legs over the edge of the bed, struggling to steady my balance as I navigated the distance to the adjacent en-suite bathroom. Shedding my ruined clothes, I stepped in front of the full-length mirror—and the breath completely vanished from my lungs. A sharp, terrified gasp escaped me.

Instantly, a heavy knock rattled the bathroom door. "Evadne! What’s wrong?!" Derrick’s voice boomed from the bedroom, thick with protective alpha aura.

I cleared my throat roughly, desperate to steady the trembling in my vocal cords so I wouldn't trigger a full household alert. "N-Nothing! I’m fine... I just..."

The words died in my throat, but the silence outside suggested they understood. I wasn't prepared for the creature staring back at me in the glass. Where was the petite, sharp-featured thirteen-year-old who looked as fragile as a winter twig? The girl in the mirror was a stranger.

"Evadne, it's Aria," a soft, melodious voice called out, followed by a gentle rap on the outer door. "May I enter, sweetheart?"

I wrapped a thick linen towel tightly around my chest, stepping out of the bathroom to crack the door. Aria stood there, a warm, radiant smile gracing her features. As Derrick’s fated mate and the Luna of the Winter Throne, she carried herself with a delicate, fairy-like grace—blessed with striking emerald eyes and a cascade of spun-gold hair.

As I stepped aside to let her pass, I froze as I realized I was looking down at her. Aria was a standard, elegant female wolf, but I now towered over her by a solid four inches. I was five-foot-six. The twin blood had forced an eight-inch growth spurt in a matter of months.

"I came to take your new measurements," Aria murmured, her eyes sweeping over my altered silhouette before a knowing, playful smirk touched her lips. "We need to commission a completely new... wardrobe for you."

Her gaze flicked significantly to my bust, and hot, furious color flooded my cheeks. The physical assets of my lineage had expanded as drastically as my height.

"Don't be shy, little wolf," Aria teased softly, pulling a silver measuring tape from her pocket. "You are stepping into your sovereign womanhood. The royal blood does not do things by halves."

I shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot, clearing my throat to hide my sheer embarrassment. "What... what do you need me to do?"

She moved with practiced efficiency, wrapping the tape around my waist and hips before leaving me to take a proper shower. As the steaming water washed away the remnants of the shift, my mind raced. When Valen had faced his change two years ago, he had simply grown taller and broader. But I had inherited the rare, dual gift of the twin bond—I had gained the dense, powerful stature of an Alpha-born female, but it was accompanied by dangerously pronounced, classic curves. Wasn't this level of maturity supposed to wait until my definitive awakening at eighteen?

Stepping out of the shower, I faced the mirror once more with cooler eyes. There was no denying the lethal, high-society elegance woven into my posture now. It was as if I had transitioned from a child to a twenty-one-year-old sovereign overnight.

Walking back into the bedroom, I found a sleek designer garment bag resting on the bed, topped with a cursive note.

I pulled a few pieces from my personal collection for today so we can endure the high-street boutiques later. — Aria

I offered a silent prayer to the ancestors that she hadn't tried to dress me in a full ballroom gown. Unzipping the bag, I pulled out a pair of dark-washed, premium skinny jeans and a sleek, black form-fitting tank top that hugged my new contours like a second skin. Everything was immaculate—until my fingers brushed the bottom of the bag, retrieving a set of crimson, intricate lace undergarments.

"Aria, why?" I groaned aloud, burying my burning face into the pillows as pure mortification washed over me.

Once dressed, I walked barefoot down the grand corridor toward the private administrative wing shared by Derrick and Aria, knocking firmly on the heavy mahogany door.

"Enter, princess," Uncle Darrius’s deep voice called out.

I rolled my eyes as I crossed the threshold, stepping straight into my uncle’s open arms for a fierce embrace. "I’ve told you a thousand times, Uncle. I am no princess."

As I stepped back, I noticed Aria staring intently at the floorboards near my feet. I snapped my fingers sharply in front of her face, drawing her gaze upward until she burst into a brilliant laugh.

"Forgive me, Evadne," Aria giggled, leaning against the edge of the desk. "I entirely forgot to retrieve your footwear from the sedan. Besides, we absolutely must schedule a proper pedicure during our outing. Those royal toes are far too elegant to go without a proper winter polish."

I sighed internally. Aria’s high-society sensibilities could be downright exhausting. No one in the combat pits cared about my feet, and I certainly hadn't been bred to be 'cute.' I was the daughter of an Alpha, genetically engineered to serve as the future Beta of the Silver-Vane Pack. I had zero time to worry about cosmetic polish.

"So, when does this shopping tribunal begin?" I asked, eager to change the subject.

Aria glanced down at a tactical border report on her desk, closing the folder with a decisive snap as she rose to her feet. "We leave immediately. Let me fetch your shoes."

The moment the heavy door clicked shut behind her, I was left alone under the intense, unblinking stares of my uncle and cousin. The sheer weight of their analytical gazes made me instinctively cross my arms.

"Would you two please stop staring?" I muttered.

"Our apologies, little one," Uncle Darrius said softly, stepping forward to press a rare, tender kiss to my forehead. His blue eyes swam with a profound, paternal pride. "You have simply grown into a magnificent vision of our bloodline. Your mother’s grace is loud in you." With a final nod, he exited the study.

Derrick leaned back in his leather executive chair, interlacing his fingers behind his head and carelessly resting his polished boots on the edge of the desk.

"Now that you look like a high-society target, princess, let’s establish some ground rules," he grunted, his sharp eyes pinning me in place. "The moment any male in the academy steps out of line or breathes too closely to your neck, you call my frequency. Understand?"

I rubbed my temples in exasperation. Oh, great. Did I somehow have the word 'fragile' tattooed on my forehead? Every dominant male in my lineage seemed convinced I was glass. They clearly forgot that before my shift even activated, I was ranked first in lethal hand-to-hand combat among the unshifted juveniles. I could break a male’s jaw before he even scented my intention.

"Alright, here is your armor," Aria announced, breezing back into the room holding a pair of sleek, four-inch black stiletto heels.

I stared at the murderous footwear in utter disbelief. I had never worn a heel a day in my life; my world was built on combat boots and running trainers. "Are you serious?"

Aria offered me the blinding, indisputable smile of a ruling Luna—the kind of quiet psychological power that could force an entire vanguard to drop to their knees without her ever raising her voice.

Taking the sleek leather shoes from her hands, I slipped them on and stood up, my muscles locking in instinctual terror as I contemplated taking a single step. Aria stepped back, beckoning me forward with her fingers exactly how one would encourage a toddler attempting their first steps on ice.

I shifted my weight, took a tentative stride forward—and froze in sheer shock. The alignment was flawless. Thanks to the heightened balance and muscular grace of my Alpha-born genetics, walking in four-inch stilettos felt as effortless as running barefoot through the forest.

"See?" Aria winked wickedly, a sleek glint in her emerald eyes. "Every true Lycan queen possesses an innate mastery of the heel. It is the simplest tool we use to drive our mates to absolute ruin."

I quickly looked away, my face burning with a hot blush. In moments like this, I desperately wished Morrigan were here. Discussing fated mates and biological tension was incredibly awkward with a happily mated Luna who was currently trying to conceive a royal heir.

"Regardless—let us move, move, move!" Aria cheered, grabbing her designer bag.

I followed her down to the courtyard, silently bracing myself for the consumer storm that was about to hit my life.