LE

n's office, half the pack was in the hallway. Whispers. Sta

hallenged hi

e chose

ood for

, fighting over a mate. The pack would split. Half loyal to Damian. Half te

hrough the crowd like I was something precious. Or dangerous. I wasn't s

dows. Just books floor to ceiling, a fireplace, and a desk that looked like it had seen a

d. For a second, neither of us spoke. The only sound was

ed. And the Alph

ad five minutes ago in the office. The weight of wh

he asked. First wo

linked.

e crossed to the desk. Poured water into a glass. Didn't

ny threat. No one asked me that. N

ss. My hands shook

't touch me. "Your pupils are still gold-rimmed. Your wolf is screa

e I dropped it. "You shouldn't

"I k

en why

se for six months I watched you laugh with him, cry with him, plan a life with him. And e

Like mate. The thought wasn't mine. It was hers. I hated her fo

hispered. "Your son will die,

first time I saw stubble on his jaw, rough and gray at the edges. He wasn't you

What

ooked. Gold eyes stripped bare. No Al

n. If I lose, you lose everything. You

ung in the air betw

full moon. Until the challenge. Until this

are. Not long enough to run. Not long e

't you tell me six months ago? When you first

ecause Damian looked at you like you were his whole world. Because I thought... I thought if

stion. "I was wrong. Wolves don't wait. And nei

lose enough to see the scar through his left eyebrow. Close enough to see hi

rked me. No one would've stopped the Alpha

me for it. Every day. For stealing your choice

. Lifted my face until I met his eyes. His

. The woman who walked into my office in a red dress and chose war instea

"W

orters will call you a whore. My enemies will call you my weakness." His thumb brushed my cheek.

Damian's pale face. Of the contract bur

ouched me. Of the way my wolf sighed when he was near. Of th

. The word felt l

ef. Bare and raw. A crack in the Alpha.

hree times. Hard enou

"It's Damian. He's at the gates. With fifty

whole body went still. Predator still. The

w?" I asked. My vo

if an Alpha challenges his son, the son can demand a trial by c

molten again. Hard. The Alpha

r the full moon, Selena.

d. Sparks flew and

d to howl. The sound rolled through