ena'

the phone acr

lf a heartbeat before

Maje

n Alpha King Alaric spoke, his

safe wher

ould have demanded to know where I was. Al

night,"

se fo

ld not happen over the phone

tened around th

ow

ne wen

ntaining an address in the financial

e a

d it over m

have to go,

, I

to belong to me, I had t

ad exchanged my torn dress for a dark, high-collared gown. Powder covered the wor

earrings still res

off. They had once represented everythi

left them

Kaelen. That did not mean eve

e an Ashthorn

an Ash

on felt dif

ong

th Celeste and t

e. It led to an unmarked glass tower in the center of the financial district. T

ve the receptionist

y, Lady

for the fourteenth floor. When the doors opened, a man i

ric before

eneath still water. It did not beat against my senses or demand subm

ose in

f rememb

met us

n't what

ice doo

hind him. His jacket had been set aside, and the sleeve

seen him, my mother

k, already a king but not yet a man who seemed capable of bending the e

bered t

epared for the ki

arder. Authority no longer rested on him like a

ze fou

wen

una R

in my ches

ty." I incl

d behind me, l

fore his desk, but he remained stand

d

en

o softness either. He would not make this

ted m

did not mark me, and no mating bond was completed. Hou

kno

r unsettled me,

another woman with him. She is carrying the child he claims as hi

you o

leav

sharpened at t

d be filed within Moonreign, which means it would be heard under his authority. He is not only

ou came a

es

o overturn h

ou to rev

, something shifte

it va

had concerns about recognizing a union without a fated bond. She petitioned the Crow

oat ti

, and her word to secure your place in Moonreign. You are now

ck where he in

acred. I had endured loneliness, insult, and neglect beca

ot make every

her husband and her sons. She wanted certaint

he made the wr

ugh me, but I d

o believe love does not preven

said

ck, protected his family, and preserved the marriage even when I received n

remaine

a

stretched

ic steppe

d shifted t

beneath t

tively. "Nothing rel

blood beneath

t misse

rse he

e and power should have made the distanc

rkos do

d his

hand, then stopped

ay

ected me more th

tance he wanted. Alaric waite

moment,

His knuckles brushed my skin as he drew th

id A

bruises shaped like fi

n the roo

ry filling the space between one heartbeat and

try to m

N

ete the m

not to look aw

erous entered

f, close enough that I felt its warmth against my p

contact came

o examine w

conceal thi

injuries and beg for sympathy. I ca

ion remaine

ll not dissolve a Crown-recogn

fore I could respond, h

he full record of the Ashthorne transfers, and a sworn statement of what happe

d t

ll reach Moonreign within three days. Kaelen may chal

ee

inside m

reedo

path

ou, Your

yourself. Do not thank m

toward

wen

d and lo

but the distance between us no

is delivered," he

e be anoth

N

y would

ze hel

ve nothing furthe

se qui

o w

pa

ari