The pack house hummed with strategic urgency. Warriors rushed through corridors, maps covered every surface. From the war room, Gabriel’s voice cut clean through the noise.
“Rotate patrols on the east ridge every ninety minutes. No gaps,” he said, sleeves rolled, finger tracing a red line along the tree line.
Nate stood at the whiteboard, marker squeaking as he redrew a flanking arc. “If Barrett tests the river crossing, he won’t do it head-on.”
“Agreed,” Gabriel answered. “Colin—”
“Already on it,” Colin said, snapping his phone shut.
I lingered at the threshold, only watching and catching fragments, then let the door hush behind me and slipped toward the quiet wing. I found my mother in the sunroom, her needlework abandoned in her lap.
"You look terrible," she said without preamble. "What's wrong?"
"Everything's fine."
"Don't lie to me, Katherine." She set aside her embroidery, studying my face with sharp precision. "Your position is threatened. I can smell it on you."
The words hung between us like an accusation. I sank into the chair across from her, suddenly exhausted. "There are... complications with the Barrett pack."
"What kind of complications?"
"I can't discuss the details."
"Can't or won't?" Mother leaned forward, her knuckles white as she gripped the armrest. "Katherine, what have you done?"
"Nothing. I've done nothing wrong." The lie came automatically. "Gabriel and Beta Williams are handling it."
"Handling it." She laughed, bitter and sharp. "That's what your father said before they exiled us."
"This is different—"
"Is it?" Her composure cracked, tears gathering in her eyes. "Because from where I sit, it looks exactly the same. A political crisis, an Alpha's decision, and us caught in the crossfire."
"Mother—"
"I won't survive it again." Her voice broke completely. "Being cast out, unwelcome, watching everything we built crumble… I'd rather die than live through that humiliation twice."
The tears came then, silent and devastating. My mother—always perfect, always controlled—dissolving into raw terror.
"That won't happen," I said, crossing to kneel beside her chair. "I promise you, I'll fix this."
"How?" She gripped my hands with desperate strength.
"I'll find a way. Gabriel, Nate, and I—we're exploring every option."
"Options." She wiped her tears with shaking fingers. "Your father had options too. They all led to the same place—exile and death."
"I'm not Father. And Gabriel isn't the old Alpha."
"No," she agreed, studying my face. "But you're hiding something. I can see it in your eyes—that same look you had when you were twelve and realized what we had to become to survive."
"I'm doing what needs to be done."
"For the pack? Or for yourself?"
"For everyone." I stood, smoothing my dress. "I need to go. Gabriel needs me."
"Katherine." Her voice stopped me at the door. "Whatever you're planning, whatever desperate gamble you're considering… Please be smarter than your father was. Don't challenge power directly. Manipulate it. Use it. Survive it."
"Of course. After all, I learned from the best," I said, and left her to her tears and needlework.
* * *
The training grounds thrummed with violent energy. Warriors sparred with desperate intensity, preparing for a war they couldn't win. Nate stood at the center, correcting stances, barking orders, every inch the Beta preparing his wolves for slaughter.
"Wider stance, Jackson!" he shouted. "In real combat, that narrow base will get you killed."
I waited at the edge until he noticed me. A slight nod—step aside to talk. We moved to the weapons rack, far enough for privacy, close enough to appear casual.
"Gabriel's leaving soon," Nate said without preamble, testing the balance of a practice sword. "The River Moon Pack. He thinks he can convince them to stay neutral."
"When?"
"Not clear yet. Could be tomorrow, could be three days from now." He set the sword aside, selecting another. "He's waiting for their response to his request for an audience."
"I'll tell him I need to visit Lily. My human friend in the city. Say I need normalcy, time away from pack politics."
"He won't let you go alone."
"I know."
Nate's eyes found mine then, sharp as the blade in his hands. "You understand he'll send me with you, right? Your faithful bodyguard, ensuring Luna's safety."
"Yes."
"Are you ready for that?" His voice dropped, dangerous and knowing. "Three days. Just you and me again. Can you handle that, princess?"
Something curled low in my stomach—anticipation, dread, a mixture too complex to name. I opened my mouth—
"Katherine."
Gabriel’s voice cut clean through the training ground. He was already crossing toward us in long, unhurried strides, authority in every line of him. Nate’s expression shuttered; my spine straightened on instinct.
Without hesitation, he pulled me against him, one arm possessive around my waist, the other hand tangling in my hair.
"You shouldn't be here," he murmured against my temple. "Too dangerous with all the combat training."
"I needed air," I said, melting into his embrace with practiced ease.
"The grounds aren't safe." His arms tightened, as if he could protect me from the world through proximity alone. "There are threats everywhere now."
"I'm safe with you."
"Always," he promised, pressing kisses to my hair, my temple, claiming me in front of his warriors.