Chapter 2

The banquet ended badly.

Some guests held up their phones to record us. Others whispered in the corners of the hall.

“Is Elara truly angry this time?”

“What difference does that make? The heirs of all four Silvercrest offices are right here. In the end, she still has to choose one of them.”

“Exactly. Their mate agreements have been discussed since they were children. Who else could she possibly choose?”

I had almost reached the estate entrance when Mira hurried after me.

She was still wearing the Moon Crown. The hem of her white dress trailed over the damp grass and darkened with moisture.

“Miss Elara.”

I stopped.

She came to a halt in front of me. Her voice was soft, but pitched for the four men behind her to hear.

“Do you regret bringing me back to Silvercrest?”

I looked at her without answering.

Her eyes reddened at once.

“I know someone like me—someone with no clear background, someone who couldn’t even complete a wolf shift—has no right to sit in your place. I shouldn’t wear your crown, and I shouldn’t have let them stay with me for my birthday.”

She gathered a fold of her skirt in one hand. Her voice began to tremble.

“I only wanted one real birthday after coming home to a pack.”

“You found a healer for me. You gave me somewhere to live. I have always been grateful. But sometimes I’m afraid.”

She raised her eyes, tears suspended on her lashes.

“I’m afraid you helped me only so I would remember forever that I’m the stray wolf you rescued, while you’re the Luna heir standing far above me.”

Silence held for several seconds.

I almost laughed.

Three months ago, when the border patrol brought Mira back from the human territories, wolfsbane had already spread through her blood. The healers thought she would never recover.

The elders would not spend valuable resources on an unverified she-wolf. I had invoked my authority as heir and brought in the finest specialist I could find.

When she first regained consciousness, she had knelt beside the hospital bed, sobbing that she would remember my kindness for the rest of her life.

Now she stood at the entrance to my family’s estate, wearing my Moon Crown after taking my seat, and told everyone that my kindness had been a chain around her throat.

Everett responded exactly as she had intended.

“Elara, apologize.”

I turned to him.

“What did you say?”

“I said apologize to Mira.”

His voice was low, but the command of a future Alpha made it impossible to mistake his meaning.

“I will reimburse every resource spent on her treatment. From now on, do not use the fact that you brought her home to remind her that she owes you.”

Nolan looked at me as well.

“You are the pack’s heir. She is an ordinary she-wolf who has only recently been recovered. An imbalance of power already exists between you.”

He spoke in the same calm tone he used for council business.

“You may not realize it, but your assistance can make her feel controlled. Her fear is not entirely without basis.”

Julian sighed lightly.

“Elara, kindness stops being kind when the person receiving it is afraid of you.”

Rhys was even more direct.

“If you didn’t want to help her, you shouldn’t have reached out in the first place. You don’t get to save her with one hand and make her kneel in gratitude with the other.”

I looked at all four of them and realized that even my disappointment came a beat too late.

Pain, endured long enough, could make a person numb.

I took the candidate list from my clutch.

Four names were written side by side on silver-white contract paper.

Everett Ashborne. Nolan Reed. Julian Cross. Rhys Kane.

I had studied that list countless times.

Everett’s name reminded me of him standing between me and a rogue wolf, ordering me to stay behind him.

Nolan’s reminded me of him carrying me into the hospital while wolfsbane tore through my body.

Julian’s brought back the academy stage, where he had publicly silenced every rumor about my bloodline.

Rhys’s brought back his broken hand, and the way he had laughed through the pain after fighting a hunter to protect me.

Now the paper only seemed absurd.

In front of them, I tore the list into four pieces.

Julian’s smile froze.

Rhys straightened sharply.

Nolan’s brows knitted.

Everett’s expression became the darkest of all.

“Tearing up the list changes nothing, Elara.”

He approached one deliberate step at a time, his voice turning cold.

“Silvercrest will not permit you to choose anyone else.”

I met his eyes.

“Is that so?”

Nolan spoke in a grave voice.

“You are displaying an acute stress response. Once your condition stabilizes, you will regret whatever decision you make tonight.”

Julian forced out a laugh.

“If you take the performance too far, it’ll be difficult to clean up afterward. Go home, sleep, and come find us in the morning.”

Rhys stared at me, open irritation and possessiveness churning in his eyes.

“If you actually choose another Alpha, I’ll personally drive him out of Silvercrest territory.”

Mira lowered her head.

From an angle none of the four men could see, the corner of her mouth curved very slightly.

My fingers closed around the torn pieces.

“All right,” I said calmly.

“Tomorrow, you’ll see.”