Chapter2

When I got back to the main house, the dining room lights were already on.

Ryan stood in the kitchen, sleeves rolled up, grilling me a steak. He heard the door and turned to look at me, expression gentle.

"You look pale." He walked over, hand naturally falling to my shoulder. "Have you been too tired lately? I'll have the elders assign you fewer duties tomorrow."

His tone was soft, like he was coaxing someone who'd thrown a tantrum.

I walked to the dining table, set down my bag, and stared at him.

He approached me, reaching to pull out my chair.

I caught the scent lingering on his neck.

Sweet, soft, belonging to another Omega.

Belonging to Serena Hale.

That smell hadn't faded yet.

I didn't lose it right then.

I just sat down, watched him cut the steak, watched him push the plate in front of me.

"Where were you today?" I asked.

His movements paused for a beat, then quickly returned to normal. "Meeting with the Alliance. Lots of partnership projects lately."

I looked up at him. "Who is Serena Hale?"

The air instantly stilled.

He frowned at me. "Who told you about her?"

I placed my phone on the table and pushed it toward him.

He glanced at the screen. His expression shifted.

The air froze for several seconds.

He reached out first to take my hand. "Just listen to me."

I didn't pull away.

"Serena is just an Omega without protection." His tone softened. "She's the daughter of an Alliance Pack leader. Their situation is unstable. I had to step in to stabilize relations. She needed someone to rely on."

"Rely on you enough to get pregnant?" My voice sharpened despite myself.

His brow furrowed. "This concerns the partnership between two Packs. You know how unstable things are right now. It's not what you think. It's duty."

I looked at him, my chest turning cold.

"Even if stabilizing the situation required sleeping together," my voice became sardonic, "what about the permanent mark?"

He was silent for a second.

That second was brief, but long enough for me to see his hesitation.

"It was an accident," he said. "She went into uncontrolled heat. The situation was chaotic. I had to help stabilize her condition."

I laughed once.

"Help her enough to leave a permanent mark?"

His tone grew impatient.

"You know how dangerous heat is. If I hadn't intervened, she would've lost control and possibly hurt others."

"So you chose to mark her?"

He looked at me, voice dropping. "It was the safest option at the time."

I stared at his face.

"What about me?" I asked.

He didn't answer.

A few seconds later, his expression cooled.

"Claire, you're the Luna. You should understand duty."

I suddenly laughed.

"Picking out a house for her, hanging that painting for her, lying to me that it was our vacation house—is that your duty too?"

His hand tightened slightly.

"The house was just a temporary arrangement," he said. "She needed a quiet environment for the pregnancy. I was going to tell you slowly once things stabilized."

"Tell me what? That you permanently marked another woman?"

He said in a low voice, "Claire, you're my Luna. No one can replace you."

"Then what is she?"

He stared at me, his tone becoming urgent.

"She's just part of the partnership. I'll compensate her, arrange for her to settle at the border. After this child is born, I'll handle everything. You'll still be the only one standing by my side."

I looked at him.

"You'll handle everything?"

"I can give you more power," he said quickly. "At next month's council, I'll put you in full charge of internal finances. If the elders object, I'll shut them down myself. Whatever you want, I can give you."

My chest tightened.

"What I want is for you to give only me your mark."

His voice stopped.

A few seconds later, his expression changed.

"You've been Luna for three years without getting pregnant. The elders are already questioning the heir situation. The Alliance proactively proposed cooperation. This child can stabilize everything."

I looked up at him.

"So it's my fault?"

He said heavily, "I didn't say that."

In that moment, the wolf inside me went quiet.

I didn't touch the dinner.

Late that night, I lay in bed, unable to sleep for the first time.

Ryan slept beside me, breathing steady.

But I lay there with my eyes open, staring at the ceiling.

I reached up to touch the back of my neck.

His mark was still there.

The mark he'd sworn three years ago he would give to only me, for life.

But in wolf culture, once an Alpha permanently marks a woman, it essentially declares her as a mate too.

He hadn't formally severed our bond.

But his actions had already passed judgment.