Chapter 136: Unexpected Ally

The ride back to Eclipse House was considerably quieter than Starlight had expected. Okami sat behind the steering wheel, his attention focused on the road ahead, while Starlight occupied the passenger seat, gazing out the window at the passing scenery. In the back seat, Elle leaned against the headrest, looking as though she had experienced enough excitement to last her the entire week.

After everything that had happened at Red Lounge, none of them seemed particularly interested in breaking the silence.

Starlight, however, had plenty to think about.

The evening had turned out far better than she had anticipated. She had gone to the gathering intending to expose the ridiculousness of the corrective conduct program, and although things had taken several unexpected turns, she had ultimately achieved what she wanted. The Elite Circle now knew about the program, Sera had offered to help her, and the Crown Twins had been forced to watch as their authority was questioned in front of everyone.

Most importantly, she doubted Mikhail and Nikolai would dare drag her into that ridiculous arrangement again anytime soon.

Sera had even assured her that if the princes ever tried to force her into the program again, she should contact her immediately. She would make sure the Emperor heard about the matter if necessary. Before they parted ways, the two girls had exchanged phone numbers, giving Starlight a direct way to reach someone willing to stand up to the Crown Twins.

That alone made the evening worthwhile.

Starlight couldn’t help feeling pleased with herself. She had found a way to protect her freedom without having to confront the princes directly, and she now had someone influential who was willing to intervene if they tried anything similar again.

Then her thoughts drifted to Okami.

A small frown appeared on her face as she remembered how she had leaned against him in front of the entire Elite Circle. She could still picture the way he had brightened at the smallest sign of affection, as though she had given him something precious simply by allowing her shoulder to rest against his.

She hadn’t expected to go that far.

Honestly, she hadn’t even expected to become so comfortable using his interest in her to her advantage. Yet, when she considered everything that had happened that evening, she couldn’t deny that her actions had served their purpose. Okami had become even more protective of her, the Crown Twins had been forced to watch another Alpha stand up for her, and she had gained an ally who was more than willing to help.

It wasn’t as though she had promised him anything.

If leaning against him had helped secure her freedom from the corrective conduct program, then she could live with that. She hadn’t asked him to fall for her, nor had she encouraged him to do anything beyond what he had willingly offered.

Besides, she had bigger things to worry about than whether Okami had mistaken a little strategic affection for something more meaningful.

The most important thing was that the Crown Twins would hopefully leave her alone.

"You’re awfully quiet, Starlight."

Okami’s voice interrupted her thoughts.

She turned from the window to find him glancing at her briefly before returning his attention to the road. There was a hint of concern in his expression, and she wondered how long he had been trying to get her attention.

"Is something bothering you?" he asked. "Are you still thinking about what happened at the gathering?"

Starlight blinked. "What makes you think that?"

"You’ve been staring out the window for a while without saying anything." His brows drew together slightly. "I know tonight was a mess, and I’m sorry things turned out that way. You shouldn’t have had to deal with any of that."

Starlight regarded him for a moment before shaking her head.

"I’m not worried about the Crown Twins anymore," she assured him. "Princess Sera promised to help me if they try anything like that again. I’m more concerned about how the gathering ended. I didn’t intend for everyone to start fighting because of me, and I certainly didn’t expect the whole evening to fall apart like that."

Okami glanced at her again, this time with an expression that suggested he found her concern unnecessary.

"Why are you blaming yourself for something you didn’t do?" he asked. "You were invited to a gathering, and you tried to explain your situation when people asked about it. You didn’t force anyone to argue, and you certainly didn’t make Beatrice insult you. If anything, she brought that trouble upon herself."

He paused briefly before continuing.

"And you shouldn’t feel bad about what happened with the princes, either. Just like Sera said, we’ll make sure they don’t use that ridiculous program to bother you again. You have every right to question something that affects you, regardless of who came up with it. Being human doesn’t mean you have to accept everything the werewolves in this empire decide to do to you."

Starlight studied his face, slightly surprised by the firmness of his words.

"I know, but I don’t want to cause problems for anyone," she admitted. "I already have enough things to worry about without making enemies of people who might not have done anything to me otherwise. I just wanted to get out of that program, not turn an entire gathering into a disaster."

"Then don’t worry about it." Okami gave her a reassuring smile. "You haven’t done anything wrong. Besides, if the evening was ruined, that wasn’t your fault. Nobody forced the Crown Twins to behave the way they did, and nobody forced Beatrice to open her mouth."

His expression grew more serious.

"And if either of the princes tries to bother you again, you tell me. I don’t care if it’s about that program or something else. You don’t have to deal with them alone."

He tightened his grip on the steering wheel slightly before adding, "And if anyone from the Elite Circle starts spreading rumors about you because of what happened tonight, I want you to let me know about that, too. If someone thinks they can use the gathering as an excuse to make your life difficult, I’ll deal with them myself."