LOGINMabella's POVI stood up.The whole hall went dead quiet."Thank you," I said to the council chair. I looked around the table slowly, letting my eyes meet every single Alpha. "I’ll keep this short."The claimant’s hands stayed still on the table in front of him."He filed a petition three days ago using old Ashborne succession law," I told them. "Then he withdrew it the same night. He pulled it back because the mandate was activated and he understood what that really meant. But he’s still sitting here. So the petition was never the real goal."Murmurs started spreading around the table."The real goal was this room," I continued. "He wanted all fourteen of you together so you could look at the Ashborne heir before I had any time to stand properly. He wanted to make me a question before I could become an answer."The murmurs died down fast. The hall became completely silent."I am not a question," I said simply. "I am the last Ashborne heir. Luna of the Crest pack. I’m carrying the fir
Alfredo's POVShe was still asleep when I woke.Grey light slipped through the small gap in the curtains. Early morning. The council grounds outside stayed completely quiet.I lay still and watched her.She slept on her side facing me. One hand tucked under her cheek. The other hand rested flat on her small round belly. Her hair spread loose across the pillow. Soft grey light touched her fuller breasts and the gentle curve where our pup grew.Six weeks ago she was Mabella Argent with cake on her face in our kitchen.Now she was this. The last Ashborne heir. My Luna. The woman carrying my pup with Wolflina strong and awake inside her. The one who would walk into a hall of fourteen Alphas without fear.Mine.That word hit me deep every single time.She opened her eyes.Looked straight at me. Fully awake in one second."You have been awake long," she said."One hour," I told her."Thinking too loud," she said."Yes."She studied my face."Tell me," she pressed."I was thinking about our
Mabella's POVThe door closed.All noise from the hall disappeared. The thick stone walls swallowed everything. The guest room stayed warm and quiet with soft lamplight. Just us.Alfredo turned the latch and locked the door.I let out a long slow breath. The dinner weight left my shoulders. No more careful talk. No more eyes watching me. No more politics pushing under every word."Come here," he said quietly from behind me.I turned.He leaned against the door. Jacket already off. Sleeves rolled up. He looked at me with that warm sure face he only showed when nobody else was around.I walked straight to him.He took my face in both hands. His thumbs moved slowly along my jaw. His eyes looked over every part of my face."Hi," I said softly."Hi," he said back."Long dinner.""Very long dinner.""The claimant raised his glass at me.""I saw." His thumbs kept stroking. "Tomorrow. Not tonight."I looked at him."Tonight is just this," he told me."Just this," I agreed.He reached behind m
Mabella's POV“There he is.”Fred said it quietly next to me as we rode through the council gates, and honestly, I’d already clocked the Veron claimant before Fred even bothered. He stood smack in the middle of the courtyard with his advisors, deep in some hushed conversation. As we rolled in, he looked up, the way someone does when they know their day has finally arrived.He was younger than I had pictured. Thirty-five, maybe forty. Built like a man who tries to make himself bigger than he really is—broad shoulders, stance so deliberate it’s almost theatrical. Presence wasn’t natural; it was crafted. Sharpened eyes, careful mouth. When those eyes landed on me, they stayed.I stared right back. Not away, not through him—just met his gaze direct, steady. He was the one who looked off first, not with any drama, just a quick check-in with one of his advisors. I tucked that away for later and kept riding.“He’s rattled,” Alfredo muttered.“He’s calculating,” I replied, not missing a beat.
Mabella's POV"You're awake."Alfredo's voice was soft in the dark. His hand found the small of my back, warm and grounding. I turned toward him in that deep pre-dawn hush."I've been up for an hour," I said.“Thinking?” he guessed.I nodded. “The council. The claimant. Senna’s four.” I paused. “The mandate.”He pulled me closer.“You felt it just now,” he said. “Wolflina.”“How do you always know?” I pressed.“Your breathing changed,” he said. “Twenty minutes ago. Not the way you breathe when you’re thinking. It was deeper.”I studied him, shadows across his face.“She’s been pushing at me since the hearing,” I said. “It’s getting stronger. Like she’s moving toward something, but I can’t see it yet.” Another pause. “Raven feels it too.”He nodded. “Yeah, he does.”“What does it feel like for you?” I asked.He lay quiet for a second.“Like standing right on the edge of something huge,” he said finally. “Knowing the person next to you was designed for it. And you’re meant to stand besi
Mabella's POV"Tonight," I said again, just to hear myself say it.Fred’s voice came through the door. "Both of them. Separately. They’re already on their way."I glanced at Alfredo. He met my eyes."Names," Alfredo called."Alpha Daren of the Westhold pack," Fred replied. "And Alpha Senna of the Ironvale pack."Alfredo froze."You know her," I pushed."Everybody knows Senna," he said, carefully. "She’s been Ironvale’s Alpha for fifteen years. Took over at twenty-two after her father died. She’s held it alone ever since." He paused. "Senna doesn’t show up for friendly chats. She doesn’t request meetings till she’s made up her mind, and usually she’s just here to deliver that decision." He locked eyes with me. "If she’s coming tonight, she’s not here to ask. She’s here to say.""And Daren?" I asked."He follows Senna. Has for a decade. Politically, wherever she goes, he goes right after. If she’s moving, he’ll be right behind."I stood up. "Daren first," I called to Fred. "Senna after.







