ena'

hing the Varkos estate di

, keeping up appearances, going about the ordinary business of the day so no one

ss I was on my w

his," Kyra said, a hin

es

a. He has standings even though your mother helped him build it. Celeste isn't an Alpha eit

te has more standing than

new she didn't understand what I meant

st the window in

t about the humiliation of the sitting room, not about the torn dress still folded in the b

out what

ructural. He was an Alpha. In the eyes of pack law, he had authority over this marriage, over me, over every decision that

hority in the region t

The Alp

the way you avoid pressing on a bruise, not because it isn't

was time to take up my

without needing to announce itself. Her private residence was separate from her formal offices, which mea

levator, not the door, which mea

way she always did, taking

ay," she said, a small smile

," I agreed wit

d back to

ad never been the kind of person who kept things she didn't need. Velvet staye

nd set a cup in front of me, an

ted pat

lways respected about her. She nev

" I said, keeping my voice even.

n. Still controlled, but the temperature

d?" she

y." I wrapped both h

paused. "But it will happen again if I stay. He's decided

r own cup down

nience, but because it's been formally dissolved by someone with the authority to make it s

rent kind, not the empty type, but fu

she said

" I r

rriage means going through formal channels. It means Kaelen finds out immediatel

ware o

sed, choosing her words. "His positio

Kyra asked sharply, already

t meant. I had been carefully not th

g to issue the decree, Kaelen can't fight it. Pack law d

asks for someth

that weren't negotiated. Whatever Alaric wants, we discuss it like a

d see her working through every angle, every implication, every

she e

e a conversation. I can make sure it happens qu

qui

ys. Or may

Kaelen to do something irre

not entirely unpredictable.

I asked Celeste instead,

row at me, but then she sighed

t me make