ma

er eyes were wide, pleading, fixed on the Sunpetal Bloom as if it were the key to the heavens. In werewolf society, a lesser noble like Penelope would normally never ha

It sliced past Penelope as if she wer

t force me to make this uglier than it has to be. If you don't take this f

" I replied, my own voice j

of cold fury. "Gemma, this is not the time for childish rebellio

aid, my voice calm but carrying in the

as one thing to defy a fiancé, another to publicly reb

our position is untouchable? Let me remind you of the laws of our kind. Even if you are his primary mate, if a secondary consort bears his firstborn pup, Elli

world, bloodlines and heirs were the ultimate currency. To be a childless primary mate while a se

t my face, at the unbroken line of my jaw, and somethi

twisting his lips. For a heart-stopping moment, I thought he

at me, "then I will give it to someone who is worth

. I thought he was a

ning the crowd until they found Corliss

saw my

echoing clearly off the stone walls, "but it does not suit me. Don't trouble yourself, Elliott. Miss Kensingt

t, since Archoness Isolde has so graciously reminded us of the laws of succession, I wish yo

ly towards the space I had just vacated. I was ha

e trapp

and that he had been manipulated by a lesser noble's desperate play. He would be

ation of giving it to someone 'worthy' turning to ash in his mouth. His

squeezing the Sunpetal Bloom so hard that one of its thorns pierced

r. "What is the meaning of this, Gemma?"

nfuriatingly serene. "You made a promise as the grea

aze without

to scheme against my son in his own hall? You ungrateful wretch!" she finally spat. "If you refuse him, do you thin

ed my back on them, on th

nd finding my arm. We would leav

al

as Hayes. He and two other guards stepped forward, t

ed of all pretense, cracked

g anywhere witho