Chapter 2

Three years later, I was pregnant.

I left the Moonwell Apothecary with a bundle of moonmilk moss and cubberries.

Kaelren was away from the capital. Three days earlier, he had left for the northern border to investigate the mysterious disappearances of unmarked beastfolk in recent years.

Before he left, he sewed me a cloak.

The stitching was crooked and uneven, as though a cub had done the sewing, but he'd added two extra layers of soft hide over the belly.

He still struggled to speak, so he wrote on a wooden board. "Capital is windy. Cold."

I had just pulled the cloak tight when a familiar voice called from behind me.

"Evelyn?"

I stopped short.

It was Ronan.

Three years had passed. Ronan had officially taken command of the Black Wolf Knights, and the wolf markings on his shoulders had grown darker than before. Selena clung to his arm, the silver fang necklace still hanging around her neck.

She noticed my cloak first. A flicker of disdain crossed her face.

"So it really is you. I almost didn't recognize you. The future chief of the Golden Feather Clan, dressed like some rogue beastfolk crawling out of a rotting swamp." She turned to Ronan, her voice dripping with false sympathy. "Darling, she's had such a miserable life since she left you. I still remember how she used to strut around, acting like all your glory was because of her."

Disgust flickered across Ronan's face as he glanced past me.

"Where's that Rotskin Beastman of yours?"

As a Golden Feather, my pregnancy would have caused an uproar, so I wore a special charm. They masked my mate's scent along with the cub's. Ronan could not detect a thing.

Something seemed to click for him. His expression eased.

"Dead?"

Selena let out a soft sigh.

"His corrupted blood had already progressed that far. The fact that he survived another three years was remarkable. Evelyn, you don't need to feel ashamed. We all make mistakes when we're young."

I looked at her. "He's alive and well."

Ronan clearly did not believe me. "If he's alive, why isn't he at the apothecary with you? You're alone, carrying medicine, dressed like this—"

Suspicion flickered in his eyes, followed by a trace of pity. "Quit putting on a brave face."

I glanced down at the cloak. Kaelren couldn't sew. The first time he picked up a needle, his claws punched straight through three layers of hide. Frustrated, he hurled the needle into a crack in the wall. Later, he fished it back out and sat by the hearth, stitching for two full nights.

The stitches were rough and uneven, but they could only have come from sincere devotion.

He had carefully sanded every barb smooth before sewing the extra layer of soft hide over my belly. Ronan had no right to judge him.

I pulled the cloak tighter. "I'm doing well."

Ronan frowned.

"Evelyn, enough. I'm back from the Moonless Wasteland, and I'm ready to bond."

Selena lowered her gaze, though her smile was impossible to hide. "Why do you keep trying to get Ronan's attention like this? You're destined to be nothing more than a secondary mate."

Ronan looked at Selena and declared, "Selena will be my mate.

"As for you, considering how sincerely you once loved me, I can keep you as my secondary mate. Stop throwing a fit. I won't hold any of this against you."

Beastfolks passing by began to slow down and stare.

A secondary mate could live in a noble's castle, but she had no claim to a seat on the council or to any lands, and her cubs could not inherit the family crest.

Three years ago, everyone saw me as Ronan's rightful mate and the future Duchess of House Black Wolf.

Three years later, Ronan offered me a place as his secondary mate as though it were a gift.

Selena's voice remained gentle. "Don't feel wronged. Ronan is only offering this opportunity to you for old times' sake. That's far better than clinging to some monster who's probably lying dead somewhere."

Ronan frowned at me. "That's enough. Stop letting your pride get in the way. My fingers found the cracked fang pendant hidden in the cloak. You need to depend on me to get what you want."

My fingers found the cracked fang pendant hidden inside the cloak.

Kaelren had snapped off a small piece of one of his fangs. The cub in my belly had been restless, but the familiar scent slowly soothed it.

I looked up at Ronan.

"I belong to him. He's my mate."

Ronan's expression darkened.

"How long are you going to keep being so stubborn? Do you really think marrying a low-ranking monster proves I chose wrong?

"Evelyn, every act of your little rebellion is painfully obvious."

I almost laughed.

Three years ago, he was certain I would never leave.

Three years later, despite all the proof that I had moved on, he still believed my life revolved around him.

I decided to leave.

Two blades crossed in front of me. Black Wolf knights blocked my path.

Ronan raised his hand.

"Go to the Moon Bond Hall. Bring me her bonding record from three years ago. Today, I'm going to find out exactly who she bonded with."

I turned back.

"Ronan, you have no right to do that."

He stepped close, lowering his voice.

"Whether I have that right isn't your decision to make. You waited for me all those years. There's no way you could have truly fallen in love with a monster."