“Does it still hurt here?”

Hearing those words, I was so furious that I hurled a pillow across the room, sending him storming out of the palace. I immediately ordered that no one was to enter without my explicit summons.

---

It’s been three years since I took over as the Lycan Queen, and the packhouse has practically become Gabriel Owens’ personal playground. He comes and goes as he pleases, as if he owns the place. This time, I’m determined to put him in his place.

“Every time Alpha Gabriel comes, he only visits your chambers, Your Majesty. He doesn’t go anywhere else,” Claire, my loyal Omega, pointed out the obvious.

I don’t care. I don’t want to hear it, not a word of it!

That man used to at least pretend to have official business when he came to see me. But yesterday, after the morning pack meeting, he followed me straight into my study without even waiting for me to dismiss my attendants.

Before I could even react, he had me pinned against the wall, his lips claiming mine in a way that left me breathless.

“So, the Lycan Queen has taken an interest in young Ahmir Jimenez, has she? You were so busy admiring him during the pack meeting that you forgot all about me,” he growled, his Alpha tone sharp and accusing.

Ahmir, the newly recognized Delta from the Red Claw Pack, had just joined the council. As the Lycan Queen, it was only natural for me to show some interest in his progress, especially since he reminded me so much of Gabriel in his younger days. But I merely asked if he was mated yet. Was that really such a big deal?

Thankfully, the attendants in the room were all trusted members of my inner circle, and they discreetly exited, leaving us alone.

What followed was a day of chaos, with the Lycan Queen and the Alpha of the Silver Fang Pack tangled up amidst the paperwork and files in my study.

I couldn’t understand what had gotten into him, so I decided to avoid him altogether. For three days, I refused to accept any of his requests for an audience.

Today, I summoned the council to discuss the upcoming marking ceremony for my son, Seven Walker’s fifth birthday. Ahmir was among those in attendance.

“Delta Ahmir, how are you finding your new role in the council?” I asked, admiring the young werewolf in his formal attire.

He looked so much like Gabriel in his youth—the same sharp features, the same commanding presence. Though, back then, Gabriel had joined the warriors, not the council.

But there was that same youthful vigor, the same fire in his eyes.

---

I’ve been the Lycan Queen’s heir since I was a child, and I’ve always known I was different. My father, the Lycan King, would personally oversee my studies, and my tutor, Watson Walker, was relentless in his teachings. My mother, the Lycan Queen, insisted I spend most of my time in the study, mastering everything from pack laws to combat strategies.

I wasn’t allowed to play with the other pups. I could only watch from the window as they laughed and ran through the pack grounds. I wanted to join them, but I couldn’t.

One day, while my tutor was summoned by my father, I slipped out of the study. I saw her—the girl who always laughed the loudest, the one who seemed to carry the sun with her. Her name was Laurel Walker, and she was the daughter of the Gamma of the Blue Moon Pack.

My tutor had brought her to the study once, but she had immediately run off to play. He hadn’t scolded her, just shook his head and let her be.

I envied her freedom, her joy.

I tried to approach her, to join in her laughter, but she was too engrossed in her conversation with Gabriel Owens to notice me. Frustrated, I returned to the study, vowing never to seek her out again.

But her laughter lingered in my mind, haunting me.

Years later, I saw her again at a pack run. She had grown into a stunning young woman, her smile as radiant as ever. She insisted on trying to keep up with the front runners, despite clearly being inexperienced. Gabriel, as always, was there to steady her, to keep her safe.

When she stumbled, he caught her before she could fall, and she scolded him for his “incompetence.” He took it all in stride, his affection for her evident in every word, every gesture.

I watched them from a distance, my heart heavy with the knowledge of what they shared.

I knew they were childhood friends, inseparable since they were pups. But I couldn’t help it—I wanted to compete for her attention, for her heart. Even if it was just for myself.

The evening had left me weary, and I lounged on the chaise, flipping through a book without much focus.

“Your Majesty, Gabriel Owens is here,” Claire’s soft voice broke the silence.

I frowned. “How did he get in? I denied his request to see me today.”

“The walls of your territory aren’t high enough, Your Majesty. Perhaps they should be reinforced,” Gabriel strode in, his presence filling the room. He didn’t bother with the usual formalities, his arrogance grating on me.

Most of the guards patrolling the pack borders were loyal to him, and if he wanted to force his way in, there was little I could do to stop him.

“Thank you for the advice, Alpha Owens. Though I must say, scaling pack borders in the dead of night doesn’t exactly reflect well on your reputation,” I said, my tone sharp.

Gabriel sat on the chaise beside me, his arm slipping around my waist with a firm tug. Before I could protest, I found myself seated on his lap.

“Why didn’t you call me Gabriel today?” he asked, his voice low and tinged with something I couldn’t quite place. “Was it because you saw Ahmir Jimenez earlier?”

I raised an eyebrow, a smirk playing on my lips. “Are you jealous?”

So, that’s what this was about. His possessive nature was showing again.

“You’ve been avoiding me for days, yet you made time for him. Shouldn’t I be?” His grip on my waist tightened, and I winced slightly.

“I merely had the pack council discuss Seven’s upcoming mark ceremony. I didn’t expect Ahmir to be there,” I replied, my hands sliding up to rest on his shoulders, trying to placate him.

“Then why didn’t you see me?”

Ah, so this was about settling scores. First one grievance, now another.

“We’ve been seen together too often lately. The pack is starting to talk. I thought it best to be cautious,” I explained, though I knew he wouldn’t care.

“Let them talk. I’ll have their tongues removed if they dare,” Gabriel’s eyes bore into mine, unyielding. “But you should keep your distance from Ahmir. The way he looks at you… it’s not right.”

I laughed softly. “I’m old enough to be his mother. Do you really think he could harbor feelings for a widow?”

“Do you regret it? Marking Colton Walker?” The question hung in the air, though he didn’t voice the rest of it—*instead of me*. It was the last shred of pride he clung to in front of me.

“Of course, I regret it, Gabriel. Will you comfort me?”

I leaned in, capturing his lips with mine. His response was a mix of tenderness and ferocity, and before I knew it, he had coaxed me into a night of passion that left me exhausted and drifting into sleep.

---

I had gone to the Lycan King, armed with a litany of reasons why I should mark Laurel Walker. The King had agreed, and I had gone to the Blue Moon Pack’s territory to make the formal request.

Laurel hadn’t come out to greet me, claiming illness. I stayed for lunch anyway, and afterward, I spoke with her father, Watson Walker, in his den. I made sure to weave hints of my respect and deference into our conversation, knowing it would appeal to his sense of loyalty.

In the end, he agreed to the union, a sign of the Walker family’s allegiance to the pack’s hierarchy.

The day of our mark ceremony should have been the happiest of my life. But when I lifted her veil, I saw the redness in her eyes from crying.

She told me it was because she would miss her family.

But I knew the truth—she didn’t want this.

It didn’t matter. I could wait. With time, she would come to understand my feelings for her.

I was always patient with her, no matter how tired I was. I believed she would eventually soften. But when she found out that Gabriel had volunteered to lead a mission to the border, she panicked.

The usually composed and disciplined Laurel broke protocol, barging into a council meeting with a bowl of soup in hand.

That night, she asked me about Gabriel, pleading for him to stay.

I was furious, but I had long mastered the art of masking my emotions. She didn’t notice anything amiss.

I watched as she worried over Gabriel day and night, visiting the pack’s sacred grounds to pray for his safety. And when he returned, her joy was palpable.

I was jealous of Gabriel.

I hated how effortlessly he captured Laurel’s attention, how every move he made seemed to stir something in her.

So, I forced her to choose a mate for him myself.