Chapter 3

Selene took a slow sip. “Good thinking, Kora, digging up her den location. I’ll remember this. I’ll have Kael promote you to Head of Services for the main pack grounds.”

Kora began massaging Selene’s shoulders, her demeanor utterly servile. “Thank you! This is all I’ve ever wanted. My best friend mates the Alpha and lifts me up!”

Selene snorted, looking at my drenched sweater. “And here I thought you might be someone. A Warrens ‘princess’. How quaint.”

“I haven’t seen such audacity in moons. Don’t worry. My mate owns several pack media outlets. After today, your face will be known to every wolf in the territory. They’ll all know you for the liar you are.”

I looked at the imported cashmere, now ruined. Irritated, I opened a mind link to Kael’s head aide, Torin.

Bring me a change of clothes from my den. And pull my purchase records from the Silkweaver Boutique last moon for the insurance claim.

The two females in front of me paused, exchanging a glance. Then I heard Torin’s cold reply in my mind.

I am attending the Alpha. I am not your servant.

The link cut off sharply.

I stood there, stunned. Then a bitter laugh escaped me.

The aide’s disrespect was a direct reflection of his Alpha’s.

Selene and Kora folded their arms, grinning.

“What’s wrong? Your little Omega driver-boy too busy for you?”

“You have to understand. A low-rank has to work. Can’t cuddle you and haul prey at the same time.”

“A sweater from the common market, and you call it high-tailored? Trying to scam us? Typical. Trash wears trash.”

“Real princesses get princess-sickness. What you have is mange.”

“Tell you what. The den’s busy, the cleansing rooms are filthy. Go clean them with your tongue, and maybe I’ll ask my mate to go easy on you.”

I pulled some cleansing cloths and dabbed at the sweater. Then I opened a direct, forceful Alpha-mate link to Kael. It was a channel I rarely used, reserved for pack emergencies.

“Three minutes. I want to see your aide, Torin, stripped of his rank and exiled in the next pack-wide alert.”

“The severance credit transfer is already sent to the pack vaults.”

I severed the link before he could respond.

One minute later, a pulse went through the general pack link. A brief, official notice: Torin, former Head Aide, removed from duty for conduct unbefitting the Alpha’s command.

Across from me, Selene was giggling at her comm-stone. “Oh wow! Kael just fired his head aide!”

“‘Conduct unbefitting’? Oh! I remember. He glanced at my legs when he dropped me off today.”

“My Alpha is so possessive, what am I going to do?”

Kora launched into fresh fawning. “It’s because you’re so radiant! Any male would want you all to himself.”

I couldn’t help the dry laugh that escaped me.

Feeling mocked, Selene’s face contorted with rage. She lunged at me again.

A voice, sharp with command and raw power, cracked through the room like a whip.

“ENOUGH!”

I turned.

Two pack patrol soldiers stood in the doorway, silver-tipped cuffs gleaming on their belts. Their postures were rigid, official.

“Who called for patrol intervention?”

I stepped forward. “I did.”

“This female is in possession of a stolen pack treasure. The Moon’s Tear. She wears it now.”

Selene smoothed her expensive fur-trimmed coat. “I am Selene. Mate to Alpha Kael of the Silvermane Pack.”

“Yes. The Alpha Kael.”

The patrol wolves glanced at each other, expressions carefully neutral.

“Ma’am. And the relevance to the stolen item is?”

Selene rolled her eyes. “With thinking like that, no wonder you’re still grunt soldiers.”

“My mate is the Alpha of this territory. Why would I need to steal anything?”

“Get this straight. The issue isn’t the diamond. I’m charging this creature with slander against an Alpha’s mate!”

The patrol wolves’ patience visibly thinned. “We’re here about a theft. File a separate claim for slander.”

“You claim you didn’t steal it. Do you have proof?”

Selene glared. “Of course I have proof. My mate is on his way.”

“Proof of purchase. Is that sufficient?”

The senior patrol soldier turned to me. “And you, claiming she stole it. Do you have proof?”

I offered a small smile. “I don’t.”

“But my mate does.”

The soldier looked confused. “Then you’ll need to have your… mate… brought here to provide it.”

Selene jabbed a finger at me. “Then call your low-rank mate! Hurry up! My Alpha’s time is worth more than you’ll ever see!”

My smile didn’t waver. “Don’t worry. The moment her mate arrives, mine will be here.”

“Not a second later.”

Selene looked at her comm-stone and sneered. “My Alpha is here. Where’s your nobody?”