a
as summoned to the manor's formal meeting room. Asha and Blaise were
lah Greer, a formidable woman with a face like a clenched fist, sat beside them, her gna
s an unreadable mask, his large hands steepled in front of him. The Luna offered
emony, a mix-up of partners in the chaotic aftermath. He stressed that he and Asha had already co
r eyes in a show of demure modesty. "Blai
is done," she declared, her voice a gravelly rasp. "It's better for the pack to have a s
ned into a white line. Alpha Huston remained silent, his fingers tapping a slow, deliberate rhy
dark eyes s
rumble that vibrated through the
sely in front of me. I did not cry. I did not r
pened last night was, for me, a nightmare." I acknowledged my position as
eeping over to Asha and Blaise. "Since my cousin Asha and Master Blaise have
smirk. Elder Eulah grunted in satisfa
captured everyone's attention. "My betrot
en myself. "By the laws of this pack, the events of last night make me the lawful mate of Alpha Apparent Am
dible scoff. "Cari
ed with Alpha Huston's. "Or
layed my
Goddess, Alpha Amos awakens, and he is not satisfied with our union, I, Ila Hardin, will petition for th
s stunned i
so outrageously noble it was unassailable. By vowing to leave if the awakened Amos reje
, my vow was meaningless. But t
flicker of something-respect, perhaps even admiration-showed in
orld that had already written off her firstborn son, this girl, t
edge against her. She was so certain of the future that
t. From this day forward, Ila Hardin is the mate of the Alpha Apparent. She is
cknowledged me; h
cree. Asha stared at me, her eyes burning with a new, venomous jealousy. She had gotten the m
e of humble gratitude. "Thank
of the room, Asha shot me a look of pure
d in close, her voice a bare whisper
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