Chapter 2

I gave him a mocking look. "Or is the Alpha Heir regretting it now? Wants me after all? Oh dear — how is Rose doing in her Birthing? I hope she isn't screaming too badly."

The little maid yanked at Adrian's robe. "Alpha Heir, we can't wait, she can't hold on any longer."

Adrian looked at me with disgust. "Fine. If you'd rather Bond with a Warrior than be Luna, I'll let you. The day Rose gives me my son, I'll claim her as my Luna. Ivy Ashford, don't you regret this." He yanked off his Alpha Mating robe, threw it down, and stormed out of the Hall under the stares of every guest.

I turned and spoke low to my old Omega maid. "Go home. Bring Father and Mother here. Bring Adrian Thorne's Bloodline Scroll."

My parents arrived quickly. Father's face was dark as he stared at the old Alpha. "Quite a Thorne Pack you run here. Is Ashford Pack a joke to you? The Alpha Heir abandons my daughter at her own Marking for a Chosen concubine — I'll be filing a formal grievance with the Alpha Council in the morning."

I stopped him. "Father, Adrian and I are done. I won't Bond with him. The Arranged Bond only specified the two Packs — it never said which son. He already has a Chosen concubine and a bastard. I won't touch him. But Thorne Pack has another son — Rhys, the Warrior, the one they call Ironclaw."

Mother said softly, "Ivy, you don't have to settle. Even the Alpha King would call this Thorne Pack's disgrace."

I smiled. Undoing a Council Bond wasn't easy. But a switch of grooms was simple. The Alpha King wouldn't care which Thorne son carried it through. What he wanted was the two Packs tied together, holding each other in check.

And in my last life, when Adrian drove me to my death for Rose, it was Rhys who stood in the Pack Mourning Hall and denounced his own brother as an oath-breaker. He let the whole Pack see what Adrian truly was.

Father was quiet a moment, then nodded. He looked at Edmund. "Alpha, what say you?"

Edmund and Margaret nodded eagerly. "Perfect. We've wronged Ivy, but it's the right path. Someone — send for Rhys."

Father raised a hand and cut them off. "Of course you've wronged my daughter. Your Heir has broken faith. He openly defied the Alpha Council. Alpha, if the Council hears of this, even Thorne Pack won't escape reprimand. He was Bonded in promise to my daughter and still sired a pup on another She-Wolf, and timed the scandal to break at her Marking."

"If you do nothing, the Alpha King may decide you approved of it."

Edmund froze. "What do you want?"

I spoke up. "Alpha, since you feel you've wronged Ivy, and since I've held my peace for both Packs, and since Father isn't filing with the Council — there's one thing you can do. Petition the Alpha Council to strip Adrian of his claim as Alpha Heir. Name Rhys as the new Heir."

"Adrian has done nothing with his position but drag Thorne Pack into trouble. Rhys has earned battles for the Pack, earned the Alpha King's praise in open Council. Wouldn't you say he's more fit to be Heir?"

"Or do you really think a wolf who defies the Council is the right choice to lead Thorne Pack?"

Edmund's face went ashen. He finally nodded. "So be it. I'll send the petition tomorrow."

"Rhys is here." Rhys Thorne stepped out from behind the guests. No one knew how long he'd been listening.

He walked forward. Edmund clapped his shoulder. "Thorne Pack rests on you now. Your brother throws away the Pack's future for his own pleasure — let him have it. He's no longer Heir of Thorne Pack."

Rhys looked at me, long. "Miss Ashford, I should be honest. I'm only a Warrior. I don't know poetry, I can't recite the old songs. I won't have time to sit by the fire and brew tea for you. But I, Rhys Thorne, swear this — if you take me, I will protect you for as long as I live. Will you have me?"

I smiled. "I will."

The Bonding music started again. The veil went back over my face. Rhys and I completed the Marking ceremony. We became mated.

Watching the Moon-blessed candles burn, I finally let my shoulders down. This time, I was free of Adrian Thorne. I'd taken his claim as Heir. I wanted to see whether he'd regret it — losing his place in the Pack, losing his line to the Alpha's seat, for one Rose.

News of the Alpha Heir walking out of his own Marking for a Chosen concubine tore through the Pack Capital overnight.

Adrian didn't come home all night. While Rhys and I were presenting the Bonding goblet to the elders and meeting the Pack, the Alpha sent men to drag Adrian back.

But he didn't come back alone.