I sat alone in my office, staring at my palm where the ritual cut had already healed, leaving no visible trace. Yet the sensation still coursed through my veins like liquid fire. Aria. Her name echoed in my mind, refusing to fade, a melody I couldn’t–didn’t want to-
silence.
“She’s my true mate,” I whispered to the empty room, testing the weight of those words.
Phantom stirred within me, restless and demanding. His presence, normally a controlled power at my core, now pulsed with primal
urgency.
Mark her. Now. She is OURS, he growled in my mind, his voice deeper and more insistent than I’d felt in years.
I inhaled deeply, gripping the edge of my desk as I struggled to calm the ancient wolf spirit. The wood creaked beneath my fingers. “She needs time. She doesn’t understand what this means.”
A sharp knock interrupted my internal battle. I straightened, forcing my features into the composed mask expected of an Alpha.
“Enter.”
Hunter stepped inside, closing the door quietly behind him. One look at his face told me he’d already figured it out. My Beta had known me since childhood–he could read the signs.
“She’s your true mate?” he asked directly, crossing his arms as he leaned against the wall.
“Yes.” The single word carried the weight of destiny.
Hunter’s gaze remained steady. “Do you think she felt it too?”
I rubbed my forehead, feeling the beginning of a tension headache. She felt something, I’m sure of that. But as a human, she wouldn’t understand the connection. And considering how the blood–sharing affected her father and brother, I doubt she was focused on whatever pull she might have experienced.”
A knowing smile crossed Hunter’s face. “Wise approach. Take it slow. He shifted, his posture relaxing slightly. “The kitchen hasn’t prepared supplies for their cabin yet. They’ll join us in the pack house for dinner tonight. That gives you an opportunity.”
After Hunter left, I headed upstairs to shower, desperate to wash away Aria’s lingering scent that had embedded itself in my senses. The cold water did little to clear my head.
Back in my office, I focused on increasing patrol schedules along our borders, If Warren even thought about approaching Moor Shadow territory, I wanted to be prepared. No one would threaten my pack–or Aria–on my watch.
Dinner time arrived, and I finally left my office, heading toward the communal dining hall. As I passed the main staircase, a blur of movement caught my attention–followed by the unmistakable sound of small feet losing their balance.
Aurora, dressed in her favorite ceremonial wolf–pelt dress, was tumbling down the stairs. My heart seized. I lunged forward, but before I could reach her, a slender figure appeared at the bottom of the stairs, catching my daughter securely in her arms.
Aria.
Her reflexes had been astonishingly quick–especially for a human.
“Are you okay, little one?” she asked softly, checking Aurora for injuries, her voice melodic and gentle.
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Chapter 9
“I’m fine!” Aurora giggled, completely unfazed by her near accident. You caught me!”
Aria smiled, kindness radiating from her emerald eyes. “That’s good. What’s your name, sweetheart?”
“Aurora,” my daughter announced proudly, “but everyone calls me Roy. Only Daddy calls me Princess.”
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Aria bowed with exaggerated formality, making Aurora giggle again. it’s an honor to meet you, Princess Aurora. Next time, be careful not to let that beautiful dress trip you up.”
“I promise!” Aurora nodded solemnly before spotting me. “Daddy!” She wiggled out of Aria’s arms and raced toward me.
I caught her, lifting her into a secure embrace while giving her a mild look of reproach. “Aurora, you need to be more careful. If Aria hadn’t caught you, you could have been hurt.”
“I’m sorry, Daddy,” she murmured, lowering her eyes.
I turned my attention to Aria, acutely aware of Phantom’s sudden alertness within me. “Thank you for looking after her.”
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