Her expression shifted again as she continued.

"The annoying part? His reason for finally deciding to do it was to make sure that if I ever got exposed, his precious Matriarch wouldn't strip him of his Alpha title."

She let out a derisive snort. "Tch. That old she-wolf sure is lucky."

Slap!

My palm connected with Selene's face before she could react.

"What the hell is wrong with you?!" she shrieked.

Her drink went flying, spilling everywhere across the polished wood of the waystation's upper tier. An Omega aide rushed over to help clean up the mess, her movements quick and nervous.

Selene was seething. "Are you insane?!"

"Being a shadow mate and still acting this arrogant?" I shot back, my voice shaking with fury. My wolf stirred beneath my skin, hackles raised.

The Omega aide quickly stepped between us, pulling us apart with surprising strength for her rank. She guided Selene to an empty seat farther away from me, speaking to her in soothing tones until her temper finally cooled.

Selene dabbed at her hands with the cloth the attendant had given her, then cast me a contemptuous glance. I could smell the bitter tang of her anger mixing with something else—smug satisfaction.

"Moon above, I can't stand self-righteous females like you. 'Shadow mate' this, 'bond-breaker' that—let's be honest here."

Her lips curled into a sneer. "You're just bitter because your scent has gone stale and you can't hold your Alpha's attention anymore. Back when you were freshly bonded? I bet you threw yourself at dominant wolves harder than anyone."

"You—!"

The Omega aide grabbed my arm before I could lunge, her grip firm despite her trembling.

I didn't want to make their duties harder. Gritting my teeth, I forced myself back into my seat, my claws retracting slowly.

Selene looked me up and down with undisguised disdain, her nostrils flaring as she scented my distress.

"Let me give you some real talk. You're not a fresh-bonded Omega anymore. Your Alpha definitely has someone warming his den on the side." She tilted her head, feigning sympathy. "Go home and check his scent trail if you don't believe me. I mean, looking like that? Smelling that desperate? No wonder he doesn't want to return to your den."

Splash!

The fresh drink the attendant had just brought me hit Selene square in the face.

She screamed, the sound piercing enough to make several wolves in the passage wince.

The waystation attendants scrambled to get between us again.

Senior Pack Liaison Corvin approached with an apologetic smile plastered on his face. "Ms. Ashvale, this traveler holds rank-protected status. Please, let's all calm down. How about I bring you some fresh-caught game? Help you relax?"

"Rank-protected?" I bit out through clenched teeth.

The Senior Liaison leaned in close, lowering his voice. "She's claimed by Alpha Nightthorn—the rising power of the Nightthorn Pack. I'm telling you to keep your distance for your own good. He's very protective of her. His territory influence extends even here."

I laughed bitterly. Of course it did.

The transport vessel docked at the transfer waystation.

Neither Selene nor I departed.

I pulled out my communication crystal and sent a message to Fenris.

[Where are you?]

He sent back an image of his command chamber desk.

[Securing territory resources for my mate]

[For me? Or for someone else?]

No reply.

I sent a single question mark.

The next second, a familiar voice drifted over from Selene's seat. The sound made my stomach turn—I knew that warm, indulgent tone. I'd once believed it was reserved only for me.

"Someone threw juice on you? Who dares treat my little Selene like that?"

"Some dried-up she-wolf!" Selene whined. "Hmph, this is all your fault! If you'd been here, she never would've had the guts!"

"Okay, okay... it's your Alpha's fault."

Ding.

The soft chime of a vault transfer notification sounded from Selene's crystal.

[Territory resource transfer received: 500,000 gold marks]

Fenris's voice was warm, indulgent. "Go acquire yourself something nice from the trading posts."

My fingers dug into the fabric of my sleeve, claws threatening to pierce through.

The smile on Selene's face vanished as quickly as it appeared. She pouted dramatically.

"Hmph! That won't work. You're the one who said you missed my scent, that you wanted to spend the Winter Moon celebration together! Otherwise, I never would've gotten on this stupid transport and run into that crazy she-wolf!"

Her voice pitched higher. "No amount of resources can make me feel better now! Hmph!"

Fenris didn't get angry. If anything, his tone grew lighter, amused.

"What about the new den estate your Alpha secured for you? The one by the northern hunting grounds?"

Selene's eyes widened slightly, and I caught the spike of greedy excitement in her scent.

"There it is. My little Selene's smiling now. Happy?"

"I am not!" She puffed out her cheeks again. "But... hmph, fine. I'll give you a chance. Only because I'm devoted to you."

"Good girl. Your Alpha will make it up to you properly tonight, okay? I'll worship every inch of you."

"Three hours. Not one second less!"

"You can have the whole night. Until the moon sets."

My hands, hidden beneath my sleeves, trembled harder as I clutched the fabric of my traveling cloak.

I thought back to all the times since he'd been assigned to the Southern Border Territories. Every visit to our den, we never went beyond holding each other, a few kisses, the barest brush of his scent against mine.

Every time I tried to initiate something more, tried to deepen our bond the way mated pairs should, he'd sigh.

"Pack duties have been brutal. I'm exhausted. Can we wait until I've recovered a bit?"

But he always left before he ever "recovered."

The waystation carriage was preparing to depart again, the great wolves harnessed at the front shifting restlessly.

Selene Bloodthorn blew a kiss at her reflection stone and ended the distant-speaking spell.

That's when Fenris's message came through, the enchanted parchment warming against my chest:

[Babe, you really don't trust me anymore? Is this because I'm handling pack affairs through the Moon Festival instead of being with you? Are you upset?]

[I'll make it up to you when I'm back. I'll take you to that herb-roasted venison den you love, okay?]

The waystation began its journey through the forest passage. A waystation attendant approached Selene's new seat in the upper tier, carrying a black gift box marked with golden pack insignias.

"Miss Bloodthorn, a gentleman asked us to deliver this to you."

"Oh my God! A moonstone pendant from the Eastern Craftmasters!" Selene gasped. "How did he know I've been eyeing this one?"

The attendant smiled and handed over a card sealed with dark wax.

"Alpha Nightthorn also asked us to relay a message: He hopes Miss Bloodthorn won't let anyone's noise disturb her. Be bold. Be yourself. Treat every obstacle as if it doesn't exist."

She paused, her smile widening.

"Because Alpha Nightthorn will always stand behind you. He loves you. Always."

I stared at the message Fenris had sent me.

I closed my eyes.

"Miss Ashvale." Senior Pack Liaison Corvin Skyridge appeared at my side, holding out a small velvet pouch. "This moonstone is from Alpha Nightthorn. For you."

I frowned. "For me?"

He nodded.

"Alpha Nightthorn is aware there was some... unpleasantness between you and Miss Bloodthorn. He mentioned that Miss Bloodthorn has been under a lot of stress lately—the pack healer's orders not to get upset."

His smile was practiced, diplomatic.

"So, Miss Ashvale, perhaps you could apologize to Miss Bloodthorn? A sincere apology."

I looked at the moonstone in his palm. A laugh escaped me—bitter, hollow.

"Just an apology? Isn't this a bit much?"

"Oh, you needn't worry about that." He chuckled. "Alpha Nightthorn's territory generates several of these a day."

A moonstone worth enough to feed a small pack for seasons.

He could earn several a day?

I turned the stone over in my fingers, watching it catch the light filtering through the waystation windows.

Then I laughed.

So a stranger got more from him than I ever did.

I nodded slowly. "Fine. I'll apologize."

"Miss Bloodthorn!" Corvin's voice brightened. "Alpha Nightthorn has sent her to apologize!"

I gave a slight bow, forcing my wolf to stay still beneath my skin. "I shouldn't have put my hands on you. I'm sorry. Please forgive me, Miss Bloodthorn."

"Sure." Selene rose from her seat, a smile curling her lips, her scent sharp with satisfaction. "Let me slap you twice, and we're even."

Corvin's laugh was nervous, placating. "Miss Bloodthorn, she is older than you. Perhaps you could be the bigger person here—"

"So what if she's older?" Selene's smile turned cruel. "Look at that face. Slapped or not, no wolf's going to want it. I give her two slaps, she walks away with a moonstone. She should be thanking me."

Waystation Attendant Aria Skyridge tugged gently at my sleeve.

"Ma'am," she whispered, "maybe just let her. Two slaps and this is over. She has Alpha Nightthorn behind her."

"She's right, Miss Ashvale." Corvin leaned in. "A moonstone worth a territory's tribute. You're not exactly losing here."

A territory's tribute.

Right.

It would take me eight, maybe ten years of scraping by on the edges of pack lands to save that much.

This tiny stone in my hand could buy a decade of my life.

I turned it over one more time.

Then I let it drop.

Clatter.

It hit Selene's tray table, rolled, and fell to the floor of the waystation carriage.

"I don't want it."

SLAP.

The blow came without warning, snapping my head to the side, her claws barely retracted.

Selene didn't even blink. "I offer you a gift and you refuse?"

That strike carried every ounce of her strength.

I stumbled backward two steps.

A waystation attendant caught me before I collapsed.

"Ms. Ashvale, please—Ms. Bloodthorn has always been this way."

"We'll locate your moonstone, I swear it."

Crack.

My palm connected with Selene's face so hard it sent her sprawling back into her seat.

"You—you struck me!"

"Damn right I did."

I lunged forward again.

The attendants scrambled between us, pulling us apart.

For the remainder of the journey, the waystation staff watched us like prey animals—terrified we'd go at each other's throats again.

The moment we arrived at the territory border, Selene bolted from the transport, eyes red and streaming.

I watched her storm through the crossing gate.

And throw herself into a male's arms.

The handprint still blazing on her cheek.

"What happened to—"

Fenris's expression shifted to something I recognized. Panic. Urgency.

More than he'd shown the day I lost our pup.

"She struck you again?"

"It's all your fault! That moonstone bond ring you gave her just made her more arrogant! No one has ever hit me like this..." Selene dissolved into theatrical sobs.

She knew how to cry.

The kind of crying no Alpha could resist.

"Where is she? I'll deal with this."

"Right here."

I stepped through the gate.

Fenris's whole body went rigid.

I lifted my chin, letting my face emerge from beneath my hood.

"Hello, Alpha Nightthorn."