C4

"I’d sooner share a den with his father than touch his brother," Serena spat, her voice echoing off the cold stone walls. "And that’s saying something. Richard Graves is a sleazy old wolf who thinks every female in the pack is his for the taking."

Caleb leaned against the doorframe, his expression grim. "The apples don't fall far from the rotten tree, Serena. They’re all built from the same jagged bone."

The door creaked open, and Valeria stepped in. Her scent was spiked with agitation—the sharp, metallic tang of a wolf who had been baring her teeth.

"Is the Alpha finally gone from my territory?" Serena demanded, her eyes flashing silver.

"Not yet," Valeria said, her voice tight. "He’s demanding the Nightwood Heirloom ring. He says it’s Graves property now, and he wants Camila Rios to wear it as the new Luna."

Serena froze. A cold, viscous fury flooded her veins, replacing the ache of betrayal. "I’ll rip his throat out while he sleeps. He wants to take the ring he used to claim me—the one he presented at the Winter Solstice Gala—and put it on her finger? In front of the High Council?"

"I’m sorry, Serena, but he’s refusing to shift and leave unless you hand it over or face him in the War Room."

Serena slammed her fist onto the table. "Why is he digging his claws in deeper? Hasn't he shredded my soul enough? What did I do to earn this level of cruelty?"

"My read on his scent?" Valeria stepped closer, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "He expected you to go feral and beg. He thought you’d challenge the dissolution or howl for mercy. You bruised his Alpha ego by signing those scrolls without a tear. I caught him in your private chambers just now, sifting through your lace silks and hockey jerseys. He tried to claim he bought them for you, but I bared my teeth until he dropped them."

"By the Moon—" Serena turned toward her mother, who was standing silently in the corner, her face a mask of tragic neutrality. "Tell him I have the heirloom. I’ll hand it to my mother, and not a second sooner. I realized during my medical exam at the Blackthorn clinic that I was still wearing it. I had to make sure he didn't leave me with whatever rot Camila is carrying."

Serena slid the heavy platinum band from her finger and held it out to Evelyn. "I hope that ring burns her skin the moment she slides it on."

"I don't," Valeria added darkly. "I hope the spirit of Elder Victor’s mate haunts her dreams until she loses her mind. That ring was meant for a loyal Luna, not a backstabbing rogue."

Serena watched her mother take the ring, her heart hardening into a diamond. "I hope you realize the weight of this, Mother. You’re watching him strip me of my pride."

"I am your mother, Serena," Evelyn whispered, her eyes brimming with tears. "I cannot choose which wolf in my litter to protect."

"Then I’ll choose which sister to exile," Caleb interrupted, his voice like a crack of thunder. "Mom, you should leave. Serena needs a pack that actually guards her back, and right now, you’re just shielding a traitor. Shame on you for condoning a rogue's hunt."

"Let her go, Caleb," Serena said, her voice suddenly flat and dead. "She made her choice."

The Nightwood House was bathed in the red glow of the neon sign above the bar. Serena sat in a secluded booth in the far corner, the shadows concealing her face. She waited until the scent of ancient earth and cold rain filled the air—the scent of a predator that didn't need a pack.

Rowan Ashcroft slid into the seat across from her. He was a mountain of a man, his eyes dark and unreadable. "Can I help you, or are you lost in the wrong territory?"

"I know you don't recognize me," Serena said, sliding a silver thumb drive across the scarred wood of the table. "And I only know you from the curses my ex-husband spit in the War Room. Considering he’s a spineless coward, I assume everything he said about you was a lie, which makes you exactly the man I need."

Rowan leaned back, a faint, dangerous smile playing on his lips. "What is this? A play for my protection?"

"It’s an exchange."

"Are you trying to blackmail an Enforcer?"

"Hardly. My mate discarded our bond like trash. He left his tactical files and hockey trade secrets on my personal device. I don't want your gold, Mr. Ashcroft. I want to hire a predator to ruin a parasite."

Rowan’s eyes flickered to the drive, then back to her. "And why should I care about the domestic disputes of the Graves family?"

"Because Lucian Graves is the man on that drive."

Rowan froze. The air around him seemed to drop ten degrees. He picked up the drive, rolling it between his fingers. "He let a woman like you walk away? I should thank him for being a fool. How did he fail you?"

"He mated with my sister."

"Is she your twin? A mirror image?"

"No."

Rowan let out a low, huffing laugh. "Then he’s blind as well as stupid. You’re a pristine Alpha female."

"My brother thinks he’s suffered a brain injury from too many hits on the ice," Serena said, her voice sharp. "I think he’s just a greedy wolf who wanted two territories and thought he could occupy them both. He knocked her up during the sacred rites."

Rowan tapped the drive against the table. "I could dismantle his entire hockey franchise and his mafia standing with a single phone call using this."

"Do it," Serena commanded. "My mother might howl at the moon in grief, but I’m past caring. Their mating ceremony is tomorrow. It took me a month to crack his sub-networks, and he was arrogant enough to leave his encrypted comms open on my laptop. He hates you, Rowan. He spends every waking hour plotting your downfall."

"What’s the price, Serena Nightwood?"

"Look at the drive. If you want the real-time location of his silver shipments and his illegal hockey betting rings, I’ll give them to you. But there is a condition."

Rowan raised an eyebrow. "There always is a catch when dealing with a Nightwood."

"Destroy him. Strip him of his title, his pride, and his seat at the Council. Make his existence a living nightmare."

Rowan studied her, his gaze intense. "Is that the extent of your wrath?"

"The child," Serena added, her voice softening for the briefest second. "When the pup hits eighteen, they are entitled to the Graves trust. I won't have an innocent life suffer for the sins of the parents. Do what you will to Lucian and my sister, but the heir’s blood-right stays untouched. I’m not a monster."

Rowan leaned forward, his face inches from hers. "And what of your tribute? If I burn his Ironclaw Vaults to the ground, your alimony vanishes."

Serena didn't blink. "I’d rather be a beggar than be fed by his hand."