Chapter 4

I hid a smile behind my hand. "Oh, sister-in-law. My apologies. She's been the talk of the Capital since last night. I'm sure every wolf will want to see who she is, so I expect the Thorne gates will be crowded on that day."

Adrian laughed coldly. "You think stealing the Heir's seat means it's over? Ivy Ashford, I'll make you regret Bonding with my brother. One day you'll know — Bonding with me was the only right path."

"By the time you regret it, it'll be too late."

He stood and looked at Edmund. "Father, I've had the Seer set the date. Caleb's First Moon Feast, one month from today. I'll claim Rose on that day."

Margaret slammed her hand on the table. "Impossible. Thorne Pack will not take a Bloom House girl as Luna."

Rose was from the Bloom House, the low-caste pleasure den in the Capital. In my last life Adrian had fallen for her there at first sight and pledged to her in private. When the rumors made it impossible to claim her publicly, he turned all that fury and blame on me.

This life, everything had changed. Now I was Bonded to Rhys. Let's see him walk her into Thorne Pack without me in the way.

Adrian jutted his chin. "Rose gave me my son. I can't let Thorne blood wander outside the Pack."

Rose knelt with the pup and fixed her eyes only on me. "Future Luna, everyone says you are kind and generous. I only ask for a roof for Caleb and me. You'll run this Pack. Please let us in. I beg you."

She didn't beg the Luna. She knelt to me. I pressed a hand to my chest, face full of shock, looking at Margaret. "Mother, this is my first day in the Pack. I wouldn't dare make such a call. Forgive me. I'll do whatever Mother decides."

Then I looked at Rose. "Rose, I'm newly Bonded in. Alpha and Luna are right there, and you won't ask them. You ask me. What is this, if not trying to put me in an impossible place?"

"Yesterday was my Marking. The same day you went into Birthing and turned the Manor upside down. Today I'm presenting goblets to the elders, and before I've even finished meeting my new Pack, you kneel here trying to corner me into letting you in."

"What have I ever done to you? Why are you trying to trap me at every turn?"

"The Luna of this Pack is the one you should be asking. Not me. You and I will only ever be sisters-in-law."

Margaret slammed the table. "Adrian, listen to me. For the sake of the pup she bore you, I'll allow her in — as a second-rank consort. If you mean to take her as your Luna — Thorne Pack cannot wear that disgrace. Forget it."

"And the moment a true Luna Bonds in, the pup passes into her care."

Rose's tears rolled. "Luna, please. Caleb is all I have. I can't hand him to another She-Wolf."

Adrian snapped, "Mother, who I claim is my own business. Can't I even choose my own mate?"

Margaret looked at him, her eyes full of disappointment. "If you are still Thorne Pack's eldest — no. If you want to choose for yourself, leave the Pack. Walk out of these gates. Otherwise she will never be your Luna."

Rose collapsed into Adrian's arms, crying. "Luna, I didn't fall into the Bloom House by choice. I was sold there to pay for my mother's cure. When I came to Adrian I was still untouched. I was clean."

Margaret looked at her. "It doesn't matter how you got there. To everyone else, you're a Bloom girl. Untouched or not, nobody cares."

"Adrian — if she becomes your Luna, which of the Capital's Lunas will ever invite her to a Gathering? Who will sit at a table with a Bloom girl? It lowers the whole Pack. It means Thorne Pack will never move in the inner circle of the Alpha Council again. Is that what you want?"

"You can throw your life away. Your Alpha and I cannot. If you insist on claiming her, leave the Pack. We'll pretend we never had you for a son."

The corner of my mouth lifted. Beautiful. Let's see what he chose this time.

And as I knew, Adrian caved. He wasn't going to throw away Thorne Pack's wealth and power so easily.

That night, the little Omega maid I'd planted in the Alpha Heir's wing came to tell me that Adrian and Rose had begun fighting the moment they got back.

Rose, exhausted from the Birthing, was crying. "Adrian, you promised to make me your Luna, the true Luna of Thorne Pack. And now your mother calls me a consort. Does that mean our son will be a bastard his whole life?"

Adrian hushed her. "Don't worry. I won't let them shortchange you. A title is a title. Whatever wolf Mother makes me Bond with, she'll be a decoration. No one crosses you. You're in my heart."

Rose sniffed. "Is that true? Swear to me you'll never touch another She-Wolf. Swear you'll only love me in this life."

Adrian smiled. "You gave me a son. How could I ever hurt you?"

When the little maid repeated it to me, I laughed out loud.

My mate watched me. "You look awfully pleased for a Luna hearing her mate's brother whine."

I gave a small cold laugh. "Of course I'm pleased. They wanted me to lose face, wanted me to swallow it in silence. Dream on.