Framed for Blackmailing My Own Uncle

I’d just stepped onto the moonstone stage at Ettelgard Academy’s annual Induction Ceremony. The screen behind me went black. The next second, a recording blasted through the hall. 【“I’m out of funds. Send me five thousand.”】 【“I need the Alpha-level combat ring tonight. Give me access.”】 【“If you don’t, I’m telling everyone your big secret. Your whole ‘untouchable Alpha’ act? It’ll be over. You’ll be ruined.”】 The crowd of a thousand elites from every major pack went silent. Then whispers erupted. That girl on the recording? The one shamelessly demanding credits? Yeah. That was me. And the guy she was "blackmailing"? Julian Valerius. The strongest pureblood wolf of our generation—the one everyone expected to become an Alpha. Scarlett, the Beta pack’s heir, stormed the stage. She pointed right at me, her voice shrill with fake righteousness. “Did you hear that? Aurora Vance isn’t some quiet bookworm. She’s a leech! A parasite who’s been blackmailing Julian for credits and privileges! A disgrace to her bloodline! She doesn’t deserve any honor from this academy!” A thousand sharp glares cut into me like daggers. On the dais, the Elders’ faces were grim. Scarlett savored my humiliation, her voice dripping with arrogance. “Aurora, Julian is too generous to stoop to your level. But you will apologize. You will beg this academy for forgiveness for being a shameless, clinging fraud!” I stared at the screen, the recording of my "blackmail" still playing. Exhausted, I pressed my fingers to my forehead. This was a total joke. Julian Valerius is my grandfather’s youngest son. My dad’s little brother. He is my literal, honest-to-God uncle. And that “big secret”? It was a threat to tell everyone how our grandmother used to chase him around the manor with a switch when he was a kid. Chapter 1 Julian Valerius is my uncle. Nobody at Ettelgard Academy knows. It wasn't my idea to keep it a secret. He cornered me on my first day. “Forget the name Valerius while you’re here,” he’d said, his face a mask of stone. “And don’t tell anyone we’re related.” “Why?” I was so confused. “I’m twenty-one. You think I want you calling me ‘Uncle’? I’d sound like some fossil who needs a cane.” He turned and walked away, his back as cold as ice. “What if I run out of funds?” I yelled after him. He tossed a black card over his shoulder without looking back. No family crest on it. “Mind-link me. We’ll talk when you’ve spent it all.” From then on, we were strangers at the academy. He was the legendary pureblood Alpha heir. Gorgeous, ruthless, and terrifyingly powerful. When he walked into a room, the air grew heavy with his dominant cedar and winter-chill scent. Weaker wolves literally dropped their gaze. He was a walking god. Every female's ultimate fantasy. I was just Aurora Vance. A nobody from a minor “Vance” family. No one would ever connect us. Until Scarlett. A Beta hopelessly obsessed with Julian. She somehow got her hands on our private chat logs. Probably bribed a tech in the academy's secure network hub while Julian was away for the Alpha Trials, totally cut off from the world. She found the money he sent me every month. The times I visited his private suite. She didn't know the truth. She didn't care. A no-name freshman spending an Alpha heir’s money and using his private suite? That was enough to condemn me. The Induction Ceremony was canceled. I was dragged before the Elders' Council. My advising Elder sat beside me, his face like he’d swallowed a rock. “Aurora, explain this recording. There's no mention of you in Julian Valerius’s bloodline file. Are you claiming to be his secret lover?” I took a deep breath. “It was a private conversation with my family. He’s my—” Scarlett slipped into the room, cutting me off. Her eyes were red-rimmed as she sat down. “Elder, she’s been hinting for months that she and Julian are… close. We all warned her to be realistic. She wouldn’t listen.” My advising Elder’s gaze shifted between us. The bias was obvious. “Aurora, Scarlett is a student Enforcer. She has no reason to lie. Go write a statement. For now, your honors are suspended.” I opened my mouth to argue. To say she had every reason to lie. But Scarlett was already holding the door open for me, a sickeningly sweet smile on her face. “It’s not personal, first-year,” she whispered, her voice like a snake’s hiss. “Some things just need to be brought to light. For the sake of the academy’s integrity.” She was a year above me. That polite act was worse than a death sentence. I walked out of the council chamber. My phone was blowing up. The academy network’s top headline: 【SHOCKER: HONOR STUDENT IS A PARASITE, BLACKMAILING TOP ALPHA HEIR. AUDIO PROOF INSIDE!】 The top comment: 【She always wears custom gear in the mess hall. Now we know her price.】 I looked down at my tactical jacket. Julian bought this for me. He claimed the tactical vendor sent a "midget size" by mistake and returning it was too much of a hassle. A six-foot-four Lycan, pretending he accidentally ordered a women’s extra-small. When my grandmother gave birth to him, she must have forgotten to include humility. I tried to mind-link Julian. Nothing. Just dead silence. I couldn't feel his presence at all. Defeated, I tried our family’s encrypted channel. 【Uncle, big trouble. Your crazy admirer leaked the recording of us joking around.】 The message hit a dead wall. He was in the Alpha Trials. Completely off the grid. Ghosted. Fine. Uncle is MIA. Niece is getting publicly crucified. Yep. This family is completely useless. Chapter 2 The next morning, my dorm room door was smeared with rotting blood. Someone carved the word LEECH into the wood. Red paint was scrawled on the wall: 【LEAVE ETTELGARD. STOP STAINING Julian’S NAME. – THE FRESHMAN CLASS.】 I wiped the disgusting liquid off, my face blank. During Tactical Theory class, the students in front of me moved three rows forward in perfect unison. Like I was carrying a plague. Scarlett’s little follower, a girl named Clara, made a point of stopping by my desk. She placed a bottled protein shake down. “Scarlett sent this. Didn't want you starving.” Clara’s smile was pure poison. “Post a public apology today. Admit you threw yourself at Julian. Do that, and Scarlett will kill the story.” I coldly pushed the drink back toward her. “What was inappropriate about talking to my own family? I’ll apologize when she gives me back my honor medallion.” Clara stared at me like I was insane, then walked away with the drink. At lunch, the cafeteria terminal flashed: PERMISSION DENIED. My account was frozen. The black card Julian gave me? Scarlett had turned it over to the Enforcer Council as “evidence.” My personal account had 47 credits left. Nineteen days left in the month. That meant living on the cheapest cafeteria scraps a day. I grabbed my sad excuse for a meal and found a corner to sit. My roommate, Amelia, pushed half her roasted meat toward me. “Here, eat mine,” she whispered, thinking I was just broke. I shook my head. “No thanks. I’m watching my figure.” She frowned, her face full of pity. “You’re only a hundred and ten pounds. What is there to watch?” I gave her a bitter smile. “I’m trying to get light enough for the wind to blow me away. Then this hellhole won’t be my problem anymore.” That afternoon, I went to the Enforcer Council to get my card back. Scarlett was there, looking elegant as she sorted files. She held the black card between her fingers, her expression bored. “This card is registered to Julian Valerius. Until he personally confirms it’s yours, we have the right to hold it. This is to protect the assets of an Alpha heir. What if you really were blackmailing him?” Her voice was calm, like she was reading a legal statute. As if she were the judge, and I was the criminal. I reached for the drawer. “But you have no right to freeze my basic living account.” Scarlett slammed her hand down on mine. Her eyes flashed with malice. “What now, Aurora, robbery? There are three Enforcers outside that door. You touch me, and you’ll be in a holding cell by morning for assaulting an Enforcer!” I snatched my hand back. Her silver ring slashed my hand. Three deep gashes. The silver burned. It instantly killed my Lycan healing. Blood dripped onto her desk. Scarlett smiled and opened her door, gesturing for me to leave. “Julian returns from his Trials the day after tomorrow. You can face him then. If he says the card is yours, I’ll return it immediately. But if he doesn’t…” Her eyes narrowed. “I’ll recommend the academy strip you of every honor and resource you have for this semester.” I stood in the hallway, staring at the blood seeping from my hand. The Enforcers outside saw the whole thing. None of them moved. In their eyes, I was just a parasite. A parasite getting hurt? That was just justice being served. I scrolled through my contacts. My parents were overseas on pack business; comms were delayed by at least twelve hours. My grandmother, Seraphina, didn't know how to use any of this new tech. And Julian was still a ghost. A new post popped up on the network. 【DEEP DIVE ON THE PARASITE: FRESHMAN AURORA SELLING HER BODY, SPOTTED LEAVING ALPHA HEIR'S PRIVATE SUITE.】 The post had a photo of me leaving the Alpha penthouse where his suite was located. I was wearing the jacket he’d given me. The angle was terrible, the light was dim. It looked exactly like a walk of shame after a midnight hookup. I shut off my phone. Last month, Grandma had mind-linked Julian, telling him to look after me. He’d agreed so eagerly. “Don’t worry, Mom. I’ll raise her like my own daughter.” His “own daughter” was now starving, broke, wounded by silver, and her reputation was in shreds. Some protection that turned out to be, Uncle. Chapter 3 Friday. The academy held a “New Moon Forum” in the central plaza every Friday at noon. Any student could get on stage and speak. I planned to use it to clear my name. Of course, when I got to class that morning, a document was waiting on my desk. An official punishment order, stamped by the Enforcer Council: 【Regarding the Permanent Revocation of All Semester Honors for Student Aurora Vance.】 The reason: Gross misconduct reported by the Enforcer Council. All honors and resource privileges suspended. It was dated yesterday. Scarlett worked faster than a shifting wolf. I took the document to my advising Elder. “He’s not even back until tomorrow, and I’m already permanently punished? Does the council have the right to do this without a hearing?” He paused, a piece of ham halfway to his mouth. “Aurora, the fallout has been severe. The academy is just trying to calm things down. For now… negotiate with the Enforcers. Once Julian gets back and clears this up, I’ll help you appeal.” When public opinion turned against you, rules were just suggestions. Power was the only thing that mattered. At noon, I went to the central plaza to sign up. Unsurprisingly, Scarlett had already tampered with the New Moon Forum’s application form. My name was crossed out in thick, red ink. A note beside it read: Student currently under investigation for misconduct. Public speaking privileges suspended. I stood at the edge of the plaza, watching Scarlett give a keynote speech from the stage. “We must have the courage to say no to unwanted advances. Every wolf has the right to refuse harassment and blackmail. Of course, we must also give our peers a chance to repent. I hope certain people will reflect on their actions and stop trying to take shortcuts.” Her eyes locked onto mine. Two thousand students followed her gaze, their heads turning in unison to stare at me. The sun was bright, but I felt like I was nailed to a pillory. Amelia tugged on my sleeve. “Let’s go. She’s doing this on purpose.” I pulled away. “Take a picture for me,” I said, pointing at the sign-up sheet. “The one with my name crossed out.” Amelia took it and sent it to me. I saved the photo and headed for the academy archives. The archivist told me that revoking honors required a full vote from the Elders' Council. They hadn't even met yesterday. “The academy said they’ll hold a meeting next Monday to retroactively approve the decision. Act now, file paperwork later. It’s a special circumstance.” A special circumstance. Translation: We’ll crush you now and make up the reasons later. As I left the archives, Clara appeared out of nowhere. Again. She handed me a printed apology letter. “Scarlett said if you post this online tonight, she’ll have the punishment order revoked.” I took it and scanned the words. 【I admit to harassing Julian Valerius. I admit to blackmail. I deeply regret ruining his reputation.】 I folded the paper and put it in my pocket. My voice dropped to absolute zero. “Nice writing. Very creative. I’ll keep it as a souvenir. But I won’t admit to a single thing I didn't do.” Clara’s face went white. She snatched out her phone and typed furiously. Ten seconds later, a public message from Scarlett popped up on her screen. I saw it clearly. The malice was undisguised. 【Then don’t blame me for what happens next. When Julian gets back tomorrow, I’ll have him tell the entire academy that he doesn’t even know a pathetic liar like you.】 I stared at the words for three long seconds. Doesn't know me? If he dares say he doesn’t know me tomorrow, I’m making an emergency call to our grandmother. We’ll see who dies of social humiliation first. Him, or the guy who gets his hide tanned by the Luna herself. Chapter 4 Saturday. 2:00 PM. The blacked-out private chopper carrying the elite squad from the Trials landed in the central plaza. Within ten minutes, the plaza was packed with two thousand people. Scarlett stood at the very front, dressed tight enough to cut off circulation, acting like the perfect Luna-in-waiting. A banner from the Enforcer Council hung behind her: 【A HEROES’ WELCOME TO OUR ALPHA SQUAD!】 She’d pulled out all the stops. I stood on the steps at the edge of the plaza, an outcast from the frenzied crowd. People were filming me, live-streaming me. The comments were probably a flood of curses. Julian was the third one off the ramp. He was dressed in black combat fatigues. The overwhelming presence of a top-tier Alpha washed over the plaza. His aura was darker, more dangerous than before, still laced with the faint scent of blood. Scarlett rushed to greet him, her posture a perfect picture of an adoring Luna welcoming her mate. “Julian, congratulations on your return! Some… unpleasant things happened while you were away. A freshman, Aurora, has been using your credit card and spreading rumors that you two are close. Here, this is the audio proof.” She showed him her phone, her voice a mix of flirtation and self-importance. “But I’ve already handled it for you. I confiscated the card, and the academy has permanently revoked her honors. Julian, this is the perfect chance for you to set the record straight. We wouldn’t want anyone getting the wrong idea about you.” The plaza fell dead silent. Every eye was on Julian. He looked up. His molten gold eyes swept past Scarlett, over the sea of faces, and locked directly onto mine. Two hundred people stood between us, but our gazes met. His expression shifted. His eyes flashed Alpha gold. Then his eyes dropped. They landed on the back of my hand, on the ugly, weeping gash left by the silver. It was still too corrupted to heal. He saw my pale lips, the way my face had thinned. And his eyes… they darkened. And darkened. Until they settled into a terrifying look I knew all too well. The last time I saw that expression, he was about to rip out the throat of a rival who had trespassed on our territory. Someone was in for a world of pain. Scarlett followed his gaze, saw me, and a triumphant smile curved her lips. She stepped closer, placing a delicate hand on Julian’s arm. She faced the crowd, her voice soft but clear for all to hear. “Julian, don’t be shy! Don’t hold back! Tell her. Tell everyone, right now, what your relationship really is!” Two thousand phones were raised in unison. Two thousand lenses, like the barrels of two thousand guns, all aimed at me. Julian violently shook Scarlett’s hand off his arm. He moved through the crowd. Every step radiated a power that screamed get out of my way. The weaker wolves flinched. They bowed their heads. They scrambled back. The crowd parted like the sea. Scarlett hurried after him, her voice high with excitement. “Julian, she harassed you! You need to let everyone know the truth!” Julian stopped in front of me. He reached out, but his touch was surprisingly gentle. He turned my hand over, his fingers hovering just above the festering silver wound. “Who did this?” His voice was low, but it held a rage that could freeze air. Behind him, Scarlett’s heart leaped. She thought he was about to punish me. She eagerly stepped forward to take the credit. “Don’t worry about it, Julian. I did it. It’s my duty to protect the academy’s integrity. Besides, she was shamelessly blackmailing you…” Her words trailed off as a blush crept up her cheeks. She lowered her head, waiting for his praise. The entire plaza held its breath, waiting for Julian’s final judgment. Julian dropped my hand. He turned to Scarlett. Deadly slow. The killing intent rolling off him was enough to choke the entire plaza. “Let me get this straight,” his voice was a low, lethal growl. “You’re saying... she blackmailed me?” Scarlett nodded eagerly, adoration and pride shining in her eyes. Julian scanned the crowd, his gaze sweeping over the upturned faces and the greedy, recording phones. Then he spoke, his face a blank mask. “Her full name is Aurora Valerius.” “My father’s granddaughter.” “The sole female heir of the Valerius Bloodline.” “And my own flesh and blood.” “My niece.” He paused, his eyes like daggers, pinning Scarlett’s now-ashen face. “Now. Say it again. Tell me what gave you the nerve to lay a hand on the Valerius heir?”