ia Prin
g the marble floor with a sharp, resonant thud. Her white hair was pinned
f advisor to the Blackstone Elder Council, Vic
antly, scurrying down the cor
ook small, trembling steps toward the matriarch. "Grandmother...
ut when her steel-grey eyes settled on
tantrums," Victoria said, her cane clicking rhythmically as
w my head. "Decency? Is it Blackstone decency to collude wit
Mind your tongue. You have no standin
y throat. "I spent five years nursing their secret child while
ront of me, her voice dropping
ou are a wolfless failure with no pack influence and no family to back you. You were completely harmless. Aside from
t. I had thought my sacrifice would earn respect, but in their e
y fingers. I looked past Victoria to Ginger, who was watching me with veile
eason for me to stay in this house of
mmanded sharply. "You do not leave
. "Are you going to force a useless
ll maintain the appearance of the Luna. Starting today, Ginger will reside in the main estate to assume her role a
sheer disbelief. "You expect me to train
oria replied, striking her cane against the floor onc
practiced modesty, though her
absolute finality. "I will not spend anoth
heel and walked
he brass handle, a franti
l clutching the limited-edition robotic mecha against his chest. In the struggle, Ginger's grip knocked against the toy. It slipped frombeen promised, the toy that had been used to bribe him away fro
't want your toy anymore-it's broken! You bro
rying to pull him up the stairs, but the boy was th
burning in my chest, my five-year mat
ed Ginger's wrist, and twisted it back, wr
Ginger shrieked, clutc
ied?" I snapped, stepping
es wide with fury. "I can handle my own ch
The toy could only hold him for so long-he was still young, and when he was scared, his instinct
id, meeting Victoria's furious
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