CHAPTER 10

Michael’s POV

The phone rang before dawn.

I wasn’t sleeping. I hadn’t closed my eyes once since Audrey drifted off beside me. Her breathing had slowed hours ago, but my mind had kept turning. Every twitch she made in her sleep. Every breath. Every time her lips parted like she was still whispering to her past.

The moment the screen lit up and Father appeared across it, I already knew I wouldn’t like the conversation.

“Yes?” I answered.

“You need to come home.”

His voice was clipped, emotionless, as always.

“Why?”

“There’s a situation. One that requires your presence. This isn’t a request.”

I exhaled slowly, staring into the flickering flames of the fireplace. “Define situation.”

“The council wants to meet. They’ve heard rumors… things you’ve done. Disappearances. Missed meetings. The usual political nonsense. They need to see you. Today.”

“So this is about appearances.”

“This is about power, son,” he said coolly. “You’ve been acting off. People are starting to talk. You come home, show your face, and remind them you’re still the Alpha.”

I could hear the unspoken message underneath his words: Whatever you’re hiding, keep it hidden.

“I’ll be there,” I said and hung up.

I stood over the bed, watching Audrey stir in her sleep. She shifted slightly beneath the thick covers, her long lashes fluttering as the sun kissed her cheek. She looked soft in sleep… unscarred, unburdened. But we both knew that was a lie.

I leaned down and brushed a strand of hair from her face. “Wake up, little wolf.”

Her eyes opened slowly, dazed and a little confused at first until she saw me.

“There’s been a change of plans,” I said, my voice low. “We’re going to the pack house.”

Her lips parted slightly, and I saw it but just for a second. The flicker of fear. Her body tensed beneath the sheets.

“You’re safe,” I said immediately, sitting down on the edge of the bed. “I’ll be with you the entire time. You don’t need to be afraid.”

“I’m not afraid,” she lied.

I raised a brow.

“Okay, maybe a little. What if… what if they don’t like me? Or…” She groaned and looked away. 

“No one touches you. No one questions you. No one even looks at you wrong. You’re with me, Audrey. That makes you untouchable.” I leaned in, my voice dropping to a growl.

She stared at me for a beat, her mouth trembling slightly like she wanted to argue but knew I wouldn’t bend.

“Now get dressed,” I said, rising to my feet. “Something comfortable. You won’t be doing much walking.”

“Why not?”

“Because I’m carrying you.”

She opened her mouth to protest, but I was already halfway to the closet, pulling out something soft and neutral-toned for her. She watched me warily, but there was a tiny smile tugging at the corner of her lips.

Fifteen minutes later, she emerged from the bathroom, clean and dressed in a long cream sweater and leggings. Her ankle was still swollen, but she was trying to hide the limp.

“Stop that,” I said, stepping in and lifting her off the floor with ease.

She gasped, arms automatically looping around my neck. “I can walk!”

“I don’t care.”

She grumbled under her breath but didn’t try to fight me again. Her body relaxed against mine, her cheek resting on my shoulder. 

“You’re so bossy.”

“I’m Alpha. It comes with the job.”

She huffed.

And yet, she didn’t let go.

The drive to the Ironclaw estate was quiet.

Audrey sat beside me in the back of the car, her eyes scanning the roads, the trees, the looming wrought iron gates that guarded the pack house. Her fingers picked at the hem of her sweater, betraying her anxiety.

I reached out and took her hand, threading my fingers through hers. “You’ll be fine.”

“What if I mess it up?”

“You won’t.”

“But…”

“Do you trust me?”

She looked up at me. “I think I do.”

“Good,” I said. “Because I’m not letting anyone near you. Let them look. Let them wonder. Let them whisper.”

I squeezed her hand gently.

“They’ll understand soon enough.”

When we pulled up in front of the main manor, the staff was already waiting at the door. Drivers, guards, a few warriors loitered at the edges of the courtyard. As I stepped out of the car, all eyes turned toward me.

And then toward her.

I rounded the vehicle, opened the door, and lifted Audrey into my arms before she could protest.

The murmurs started instantly.

“Who is that?”

“She’s human?”

“No… she’s a wolf. I can feel it.”

“She looks like she doesn’t belong.”

I said nothing.

I carried her up the steps and through the main entrance, past the grand staircase and the marble-floored atrium, where portraits of Alphas long dead stared down at us.

Audrey clung to me tighter, and I could feel her heart racing.

I leaned close. “Breathe.”

She nodded against my chest.

We turned the corner toward the main lounge when the sound of heels clicking against polished floors announced the arrival of the inevitable.

“Michael.”

Lana.

She appeared from the side hallway, dressed in a body-hugging royal blue dress, her makeup flawless, her lips curled in a smile that didn’t reach her eyes.

Until they landed on Audrey.

Then the smile disappeared.

Her eyes swept from Audrey’s bare legs to her messy ponytail to the way her arms clutched at my neck like she belonged there.

And just like that, Lana’s mask cracked.

She stared at Audrey like she was a piece of garbage someone had dragged in from the forest floor.

“Who is this trash?”

The room went still.

Audrey stiffened in my arms.

And me?

My wolf roared.