Chapter 8

Ruby's POV

I woke alone in my bed the next morning and the space beside me was cold. For a moment, I thought last night had been a dream. That Kane had not actually opened up to me and let me see beneath the armor he wore. That I had not held him while he grieved for a family ten years dead.

Then I saw his shirt draped over the chair by the window. He had left it behind and that small detail made my heart skip. It was a sign, however tiny, that maybe last night had meant something to him too.

I was pulling on a dress when Gloria burst through my door without knocking. Her face was pale and her usual composure had cracked around the edges.

"We have a problem," she said.

My stomach dropped. "What kind of problem?"

"The kind with long legs and a history with your husband." Gloria moved to my closet and started pulling out dresses with sharp, agitated movements. "Kane has a visitor. Isabella Blackthorn. She is an alpha from the neighboring Blackthorn pack."

The name meant nothing to me but the way Gloria said it made my skin prickle with warning.

"Who is she?"

"Someone who does not understand the word no." Gloria held up a deep green dress against me and shook her head. "She is downstairs right now in the living room wearing a dress that leaves nothing to the imagination and making it very clear she is here for Kane."

Jealousy hit me like a fist to the stomach. I had no right to feel possessive. Kane had made it clear we were married in name only. But after last night, after he had let me hold him and told me about Elise, something had shifted between us. Something fragile and new.

"They have history," Gloria continued, reading my face. "They were lovers years ago, before Kane's family died. Isabella thought she would be Luna. Then everything happened and Kane shut everyone out, including her. But apparently she still thinks she has a claim on him."

I sat down on the bed because my legs felt unsteady. "Why is she here?"

"Pack business, supposedly. But I saw the way she looked at him." Gloria pulled out another dress, this one a soft cream color with elegant lines. "She is here to remind Kane what he is missing."

I thought about what Gloria had taught me. About seduction being a strategy, not desperation. About making Kane come to me instead of chasing him. But how could I compete with a woman who had actual history with him? A woman who knew him before grief had carved him hollow?

"I cannot do this," I whispered.

"Yes, you can." Gloria thrust the cream dress at me. "You are his wife. You have a right to be there. Now get dressed and remember everything I taught you."

I changed into the dress with shaking hands. Gloria helped me with my hair, pulling it into a simple style that looked effortless but elegant. She handed me minimal makeup and watched as I applied it with care.

"Head high," she reminded me. "You are the Luna of this pack. Act like it."

I nodded and tried to believe her words. Then I walked downstairs with my heart pounding so hard I thought it might crack my ribs.

I heard Isabella's laugh before I saw her. It was bright and musical and designed to capture attention. I followed the sound to the living room and stopped in the doorway.

She was draped over Kane on the sofa as she owned him. One hand rested on his shoulder and the other gestured as she told some story that had her laughing. She was beautiful in a way that made my chest tight. Dark hair cascading down her back and curves that her red dress showcased perfectly. She looked like the kind of woman who had never doubted her place in the world.

Kane's expression was neutral but his eyes found mine the moment I entered. Something flickered in his gaze and I could not tell if it was a warning or an invitation.

Isabella noticed where he was looking and turned. Her smile shifted from genuine to predatory in half a second.

"Oh," she said sweetly. "You must be the new wife."

The way she said new wife made it sound temporary. Like I was just filling space until someone better came along.

"Ruby," I said, moving into the room with what I hoped looked like confidence. "And you are?"

"Isabella Blackthorn." She extended her hand without standing. "Kane and I go way back. We were together before all that unpleasantness with his family."

Unpleasantness. She called the murder of his entire family unpleasant, like it was a minor inconvenience.

I shook her hand briefly and then sat on Kane's other side. Close enough that our legs almost touched. I placed my hand on his thigh casually and felt his muscles tense beneath my palm. It was a possessive gesture and we both knew it.

Kane's jaw tightened but he did not remove my hand.

The tension in the room grew thick enough to choke on. Isabella's smile became strained around the edges.

"So Ruby," she said, drawing out my name. "How are you adjusting to pack life? It must be quite different from wherever Kane found you."

"I am adjusting well," I said calmly. "Everyone has been very welcoming."

"That is good to hear." Isabella turned back to Kane and her hand slid from his shoulder to his arm. "Remember that summer we spent at the lake house, Kane? Before everything changed? We should go back sometime. For old times' sake."

I felt my stomach twist but kept my face neutral. "That sounds lovely. We should all go. I would love to see where Kane spent his summers."

Isabella's smile faltered. "I was thinking just the two of us. We have so much catching up to do."

"I am sure whatever you need to discuss with Kane, you can discuss with both of us," I said sweetly. "We are married, after all. We do not keep secrets."

Kane made a sound that might have been amusement. His hand moved to cover mine on his thigh and his fingers laced through mine. The gesture surprised me but I kept my expression calm.

Isabella's eyes darkened. "How sweet. Young love."

"Not that young," I said. "Kane and I understand each other quite well."

"Do you?" Isabella leaned forward and her dress shifted to reveal more cleavage. "Because Kane and I have years of understanding between us. You have what, a few weeks?"

"Quality over quantity," I replied.

Kane's fingers tightened around mine and I could feel him watching this exchange with interest.

Isabella tried several more times to engage Kane in memories of their past. Each time, I redirected the conversation with innocent questions that forced Kane to acknowledge me as his wife. Where did he take me for our first date? What did he think when he first saw me? What were his plans for our future?

Kane played along with a slight smile that I could not quite read. Isabella's frustration grew with each passing minute until her fake sweetness started cracking.

"Well," she finally said, standing with forced grace. "I should go freshen up. I will be staying for dinner tonight. And possibly through the week, actually. My pack business here will take a few days."

She looked at Kane expectantly. He nodded without consulting me first.

"Of course," he said. "Gloria will show you to the guest room."

Isabella smiled victoriously and walked toward the door. She paused to touch Kane's shoulder again as she passed. "See you at dinner, darling."

The moment she was gone, I removed my hand from Kane's thigh and stood to leave. But his fingers caught my wrist and pulled me back down.

"Jealous, wife?" His voice was low and dangerous.

I met his eyes and forced myself to stay calm even though my heart was racing. "Should I be?"

Kane's smile was slow and wicked and made something in my stomach flip. "That depends on how well you learned Gloria's lessons.”