"Eliza!" Alpha Drake quickly nudged his mate. He warned her in a low voice, glancing over at Victoria, who lingered within earshot.

Eliza rolled her eyes before turning her attention back to Lily, "Sorry. I tend to speak my mind."

Lily's hands moved in fluid motions, signing, 'No need to apologize. It's refreshing.'

"Thank you, I was worried I might have made a terrible first impression," Eliza replied with a sigh of relief.

Lily blinked, momentarily stunned.

'You understand sign language?' Her fingers asked before she could stop herself.

"Only the basics," Eliza admitted with a warm smile.

Drake placed his hand proudly on his mate's shoulder. "She's been staying up late every night, determined to learn enough to have a proper conversation with you."

Lily was touched. She'd never met Eliza before, but she had taken the time to learn how to communicate with her. Few had ever gone out of their way to speak to her before.

'Thank you,' Lily signed, her eyes watering, 'It means more than you know.'

Zayn watched the exchange with a warm expression. "My Luna doesn't often meet people willing to make such efforts," he explained to Drake.

Eliza waved dismissively. "It wasn't that difficult. Besides, I was curious about the woman who captured the heart of the fearsome Alpha Zayn."

Her playful tone made Lily smile.

"I'm so relieved, you're nothing like the rumors suggested," She added.

Lily's smile faltered. 'What rumors?'

Eliza's eyes widened, realizing her mistake. "Oh, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have mentioned it."

'Please tell me,' Lily insisted.

Eliza hesitated, glancing at Zayn, who had been engaged in conversation with Drake but was now watching them with narrowed eyes.

"Just silly gossip," Eliza said uncomfortably. "Some wolves are saying you…" she paused, choosing her words carefully, "worked your way to the Luna position through… unconventional means."

"What exactly does that mean?" Zayn's voice cut through the conversation like ice. His eyes had darkened dangerously as he stepped closer.

Drake cleared his throat. "Perhaps this isn't the best venue for—"

"Who is spreading these lies?" Zayn demanded, his voice low but vibrating with barely contained rage. "That my mate slept her way to her position?"

Several nearby guests turned their heads, intrigued by the sudden tension.

Lily quickly placed her hand on Zayn's arm, tapping it gently to get his attention.

'It doesn't bother me,' she signed.

Zayn looked down at her, his eyes softening slightly. "It bothers me," he murmured, covering her hand with his own. "I know lies like this hurt you, even if you pretend otherwise."

Before Lily could respond, a cheerful voice broke through the tension.

"Zayn! Lily! I've been looking everywhere for you two!"

They turned to see Talia approaching, dressed in an elegant emerald gown that complemented her auburn hair. She looked so different from her usual healer's attire that Lily almost didn't recognize her.

"Talia," Zayn greeted, his posture relaxing slightly. "You clean up well."

Talia rolled her eyes. She turned to Lily with a warm smile. "And you look absolutely stunning tonight."

Lily smiled gratefully at the timely interruption. Talia had a knack for appearing when tensions were high.

Drake cleared his throat. "Zayn, several Alphas are hoping to speak with you about possible trade agreements. Would you mind joining us?"

Zayn glanced at Lily, clearly reluctant to leave her side. "I promised I wouldn't let go all evening," he reminded her softly.

'Go,' Lily signed. 'I'll be fine with Talia and Eliza.'

"We'll take good care of her," Eliza assured him. "Besides, it's about time she met some of the other Lunas without their intimidating mates hovering."

Zayn still hesitated.

'I'll find you later,' Lily promised.

"Very well," Zayn finally agreed. He kissed her forehead. "Find me if you need anything. Anything at all."

As Drake led Zayn away, Eliza linked her arm through Lily's. "Come on. The drinks table has the best view for people-watching, and I know all the juicy gossip about everyone here."

Talia laughed, falling into step on Lily's other side. "And Eliza's gossip is actually accurate, unlike the nonsense being spread about you."

The three women made their way across the ballroom. Lily couldn't help but feel a small thrill at having made new friends so quickly. For someone who had spent most of her life isolated, it was exhilarating.

"Luna Eliza!" several women called as they passed.

Eliza waved but didn't stop. "We'll catch up later," she promised them. "I'm introducing our new friend to the other Lunas first."

Lily's chest warmed at being called a friend. They were just approaching the drinks table when someone bumped into Lily hard, sending her stumbling.

Cold liquid splashed down the front of her beautiful blue gown. The deep red of wine stained the fabric like blood.

"Oh!" exclaimed a tall woman with ash-blonde hair, holding an now-empty wine glass. Her surprise seemed exaggerated, her lips curled in mock concern. "How clumsy of you!"

Lily stood frozen, looking down at her ruined dress in horror. This wasn't just any dress—it was borrowed from Elder Princess Tilda.

"You really should watch where you're going," the woman continued, her voice dripping with fake sympathy. "Oh wait, you're the mute one, aren't you? The one who slept her way to being Alpha Zayn's Luna? Do you think you're better than everyone else?"

Several wolves nearby snickered. The woman turned away with a satisfied smirk, sauntering back to join a group of elegantly dressed women. Among them stood Victoria, watching the scene unfold with undisguised pleasure.

Talia's face flushed with anger. "That bitch did that on purpose! I'm going to—"

But before she could move, Eliza had already grabbed a freshly opened bottle of wine from the table. With graceful determination, she strode across the floor, seemingly heading toward another group of guests.

Just as she passed Victoria's circle, Eliza tripped dramatically, the bottle tilting forward. Rich red wine cascaded over Victoria and her friends, drenching all of their expensive gowns.

"Oh my goodness!" Eliza exclaimed, her eyes wide with exaggerated innocence. "How terribly clumsy of me! I do hope that wasn't silk—wine stains are simply impossible to remove."

Victoria's shriek of outrage echoed through the ballroom. "You did that on purpose!"

"Me?" Eliza placed a hand over her heart. "I would never! It was merely an unfortunate accident—just like what happened to Luna Lily, right?"

Without waiting for a response, Eliza hurried back to Lily and Talia, a triumphant gleam in her eyes.

"Let's go get you cleaned up," she whispered, taking Lily's arm. "Before Victoria recovers from her little… wine bath."

Lily couldn't help the smile that broke across her face as the three women quickly exited the ballroom. Behind them, Victoria's angry shouts faded as the doors closed.

'Thank you,' Lily signed to Eliza once they were in the corridor.

Eliza winked. "That's what friends are for. Now let's see what we can do about saving that beautiful dress."