99 Times for Alpha’s Bestie novel Chapter 39

Claire’s POV

The crowd broke out in instant chatter and gossip. All were speculating who the late–arriving female was.

“Wow! Who is she? Do you think she is here with anyone? I’m very much interested in speaking with a she–wolf like that.” One unmated Alpha puffed his chest and whispered to his Beta as they assessed me entering the party.

“Wait? What? It looks like she might be Liam Sterling’s mate. He must be hiding this Goddess somewhere from us.” Another male said.

“Right! He has been blessed with a true mate that looks like this, and he entangles with that over there?” A few looked in the direction of the embarrassed Breanne.

Personally, I loved every minute of this. I deliberately took my time, not only arriving here to make an entrance, but also entering the party.

Liyah and I worked hard to make sure I made a statement. A ‘see what you’re missing out on!‘ message for Liam after tonight. It seemed to be working. One might call me the belle of the ball.

Ha!

Eat your heart out, Liam! I’ve got at least a dozen options proudly stating so in this room alone.

I watched as Breanne clenched her fists, her face paling as she glanced down at her plain, lifeless white gown, especially after the not–so–hushed whispers comparing her to me; to be honest, I was the favourite.

It was nice. My confidence was at an all–time high.

Liam was equally stunned, his whole body frozen, speechless. Good!, I thought with a smirk.

After a moment, he stepped forward, his eyes filled with awe. “Claire, I didn’t expect you to look so stunning in red. You’re more captivating than any other female here or elsewhere!”

“Is that so?” I replied, a slight smile on my lips.

“Liam!” Breanne interjected, unwilling to back down as she grabbed Liam’s other arm. Her wolf was present, and I suspected others could detect it as well.

I was sure that this wouldn’t help their attempts to fool the world into thinking they were innocent friends. No friend is possessive over someone elses mate.

“Claire, we’ve been waiting for you! As Liam’s mate, you should never be late. Now, get up there and clarify things. Stop embarrassing us! Remember your place!”

Liam barely held back his anger. In front of so many people, he whispered for Breanne to be quiet before shaking off her grip.

I wasn’t sure what he said, but I did notice that Breanne’s eyes brimmed with tears of frustration.

Liam took my arm and started walking away without looking back.

This was a first for us. If this were a few weeks ago, I might have reconsidered things. But we were long past that now.

“Liam, Claire, can’t you wait for me?” Breanne stomped her foot in anger, trying to catch up. She reached out and linked her fingers with Liam’s, clasping her hands together. It was much more intimate than the arm link he and I had.

I loved how naively oblivious Breanne was. She was on a solo mission to discredit the entire Sterling Alpha family.

Keep pushing, Breanne. I smirked to myself.

“Let go! Do you really want to make things worse? You understand the importance of tonight, Breanne!” Liam snapped.

The guests‘ interest piqued as knowing smiles spread across their faces. I noticed a few Council members whispering and nodding disapprovingly amongst themselves.

I took this opportunity to make a statement of my own.

I calmly shook off Liam’s hold and walked up to the stage on my own.

I took my position next to Stephanie and Henry while we all watched Liam and Breanne’s hushed argument with one another. Honestly, it looked more like a lovers‘ quarrel than anything, and I loved it.

Stephanie maintained her elegant demeanour. She slightly leaned in towards me and whispered, “You should know what to say and what not to say. Don’t make things harder for yourself by screwing this up.”

How ridiculous! At that moment, she was still trying to warn me. When her son and his mistress were openly displaying that over there?

1 smiled faintly and ignored her.

Liam had finally freed himself from Breanne’s grip and rushed to my side, He offered me an awkward smile, “Honey, I’ll give a speech first, then you can follow up to clarify things. If this all .

“Liam, if you two are so innocent in your behaviours, then why do I sense you are nervous? All we need to do is be honest.” I replied with a big smile.

I enjoyed watching Liam’s expression darken.

The host had called Liam to the stage multiple times, and he eventually took the microphone.

“Good evening, esteemed guests and friends. First, I sincerely apologize for the delay in my response. Please understand that being a patient mate has always been a tradition in the Sterling Moon Pack. I was just waiting for my beautiful mate to arrive.”

The applause erupted.

Liam smiled, seemingly satisfied with the crowd’s reaction to his words. He continued, “Now, let me introduce the beautiful lady beside me, my mate, Claire. As you may know, there have been rumours online regarding my relationship with Breanne, fueled by a video that misrepresents our connection. This has greatly insulted the Sterling family and left my mate feeling bewildered. In truth, my mate knows our situation best. She’s upset about the rumours and wants to clarify things tonight at my father’s celebration.”

As Liam finished, he cast a hopeful glance at me.

I took the microphone from him and cleared my throat. I surveyed the audience before speaking slowly and gently, “Hello everyone, I’m Claire. First, I would like to congratulate Alpha Henry on his 60th birthday. May he be healthy and happy forever!”

The guests were once again captivated by my poise, erupting into applause.

I sensed the tension easing in Liam as I spoke. He smiled, his eyes filled with pride as he watched me.

But Breanne stood next to him, bitterly watching Liam watching me. I watched as her nails dig into her palms, seething with suppressed rage. I smiled and continued.

“Next, I would like to wish Luna Stephanie good health and a happy life, too.”

“Last but not least, I want to take this opportunity to wish Breanne a happy marriage in the future.”

Breanne’s face froze.

“What do you mean by that, Claire?” she asked, sensing something was off as she rushed forward to snatch the microphone for me.

But as she stumbled, her dress caught underfoot, and she fell forward.

Points The next second, the already snug strapless gown slipped down, the zipper bursting open. Her naked body was exposed to the audience in full 360°, no blind spots at all.

“No!” Breanne screamed, her face paling in shock as she flailed to cover her breasts and ass with hands, only to expose herself even more before the stunned guests

It took everything in me not to burst out into a full–blown belly laugh. What are the odds? Was the Moon Goddess finally taking notice of this crap and was like, ‘nuh–uh, homewrecker. Let’s level things up and put you in your place‘?

Loved it. I couldn’t wait to tell Liyah all about this later when we met up afterward.