ra

to the main hall and stepped insid

the room, her spine as rigid as the ceremonial staff resting against her shoulder. Her

nt. Mrs. Sullivan. Alpha Gavin's emissary. Her hair was a severe salt-and-pepper, her posture was military-straight, and her eyes, sharp a

oom, first inclining my head t

Mrs. Sullivan." I infused the greeting with a polite distan

in disapproval. Mrs. Sullivan's eyes did the same, a brief, calculating ass

dy Amara. I come on behalf of Alpha Gavin. He sends his regards and, as a show of his si

y stepped forward, carrying a large, iron-banded chest between them. T

tched the lid an

re snow-leopard pelts, bolts of shimmering silk, and a fortune

ly. Such a gift was a clear sign of the

dn't linger on

nestled in the very center, re

agg

carved from black obsidian, and the double-edge

in my chest. My

the sam

Jarrod for 'safekeeping.' The one he had later used to murder my most loyal guard while Jar

n. A weapon. A harbinger of all

aid, her voice laced with pride. "He calls it the 'Blade of Protection.

strong I felt dizzy. I clenched my hands at my sides, forcing myself to remain still, t

ing me from the precipice. "What are yo

d, lifting the dagger from its velvet

ld be an unforgivable insult, a

't. I couldn

rectly. My voice, when I spoke, was clear and cold,

ted," I said. "But I canno

in the r

ped dead, his arm outstretched. Mrs

ow, dangerous growl. "Do you ha

fting from cordial to severe. "Is there someth

I needed a reason, an excuse so deeply rooted in tradition that

creat

ion among the women of the Beaumont line," I began, inventing the lie as I spoke. "That

atriarch for fifty years; she knew every tradition, ever

separation. It symbolizes a severing. Our belief is that the path to a ble

est gratitude to Alpha Gavin for his generous heart. Tell him that I look forward to receiving

. I had rejected his gift while praising his generosity. I had chal

fect, unassa

w one. She stared at me for a long, hard moment, her sharp eyes tryi

of your customs. An oversight on my part." The apology was clipped, but it was an

agger back in the chest, and the tension in the room eased

n and her warriors still present, she could not unleash it. Instead, she fixed me with a sharp, searching stare, the kind that promised a reckoning once

la

e, I pressed a hand to my mouth. I had heard every wor

rvous. She didn't want this union. A thrilling idea

Alpha's mate... perha