The searing pain in my chest vanished the moment Kael’s heavy hands clamped onto my arms. His sheer physical presence forced the new, waking mate bond back into dormancy.
He didn't even bother removing his snow-covered black military coat. He pressed two freezing fingers against my neck, checking my pulse. Then, a heavy wave of his Alpha energy pushed against my mind, scanning my mental barriers.
"Temperature normal," he stated, his voice rough. "Heartbeat normal. Mental barrier intact."
He dropped his hands and took a half-step back, studying me as if I were a puzzle he couldn't solve.
"You aren't sick," he concluded. "Why are you suddenly acting like a different person?"
I twisted my shoulders, smoothing the silk of my sleeves. I forced a polite, easy smile.
"I just finally learned to be sensible, Kael."
His silver-gray eyes narrowed. He didn't believe a single word. He stalked past me, his gaze sweeping the bedroom. He stopped dead in front of the open armoire. Half the shelves were completely bare.
Then, he turned his head. He spotted the open velvet jewelry box on my vanity. The heavy silver Luna necklace sat coiled inside it, abandoned.
The air in the room plummeted ten degrees.
"Did the elders come to see you again?" he demanded. His jaw tightened, a muscle ticking wildly beneath his skin.
"No," I answered.
He ignored me. He strode to the doorway and shouted down the hall.
"Thorne!"
The Beta commander appeared instantly, bowing his head.
"Suspend the three elders who oppose the human Luna," Kael ordered, his tone deadly. "Ban them from all council meetings until further notice."
Thorne nodded and vanished down the corridor.
My chest tightened. A sudden, foolish warmth flickered in my heart. He was defending me. Without hesitation, he was punishing the most powerful men in his pack just to protect my peace.
"Why do that?" I asked, keeping my voice perfectly level. "Why do you care what they say about me?"
Kael turned back to face me. The anger in his eyes was entirely clinical.
"You are my officially wedded Luna," he stated, his voice hard. "Insulting you is a direct challenge to my authority."
The warmth in my chest turned to ice.
Of course. It was about his pride. His power. It was never about me.
He caught the brief flash of disappointment on my face. He shifted his weight, his heavy leather boots scraping against the stone floor. He looked entirely out of his element.
"We will eat dinner together," he announced.
Before I could decline, he reached up and popped the top brass buttons of his stiff collar. He closed the distance between us in two massive strides. Without warning, he swept me off my feet, cradling me against his chest.
He carried me toward the massive four-poster bed.
"You used to beg me to wear this uniform for you," he murmured, his tone stiff. "Today, you can have it."
Panic spiked through my veins. I shoved hard against his chest, kicking my legs to throw off his balance.
"Put me down!" I demanded.
He dropped me onto my feet, stumbling back a half-step.
"There is no need," I said, flattening the wrinkles from my dress. "You don't have to force yourself anymore."
Kael froze. His arms remained suspended in the empty air. The undefeated Alpha of the North stared at me, completely lost. He didn't know how to handle a wife who no longer wanted his attention.
A sharp buzzing sliced through the heavy silence. His military communication stone flashed bright green on the bedside table.
He snatched it up.
"Alpha," a crisp, female voice echoed into the room.
Serena Vale.
She was the daughter of Kael's mentor. A fierce, young female Alpha. Everyone in the North knew she was his perfect match. The pack whispered that if the Sanctuary hadn't forced our marriage, Serena would be the true Luna of Silvermoon.
"Speak," Kael ordered.
"The siege lines are shifting," Serena reported, her tone brisk and professional. "We need you back at the command center immediately."
"I'll be there."
He shoved the stone into his pocket.
I saw my escape route. The military archive access badge burned a hole in my pocket. I needed a reason to go to the command center to return it, to sever my final tie to his territory.
"I'll bring you dinner," I offered quickly. "Go handle the siege. I'll come to the command post in an hour."
Kael's rigid posture instantly relaxed. A faint, satisfied gleam returned to his silver-gray eyes. He thought I was playing the devoted wife again, eager to follow him into the snow.
"Fine," he agreed. "See you in an hour."
He turned on his heel and marched out of the room, the heavy oak doors shutting behind him.
One hour later, the blizzard raged with violent force.
I carried a heavy iron food box up the icy stone steps of the military command center. The wind whipped my hair across my face, stinging my cheeks.
Two werewolf guards crossed their steel spears to block the heavy iron doors.
"Halt," the left guard barked, his eyes flashing yellow in the dark. "Humans are not allowed in the core military zone."
"I am bringing dinner for the Alpha," I said, raising the iron box.
"No exceptions," the right guard growled.
A third figure stepped out of the shadows of the guardhouse. A high-ranking officer wearing a thick fur cloak. He leaned against the stone archway, a cruel sneer twisting his lips.
"Let her through, boys," the officer mocked, his voice cutting through the howling wind. "After all, this is the woman who stole the Luna seat with a fake moon mark."
I froze. My fingers tightened around the handle of the food box.
I snapped my head up to stare at him.
The High Priest swore absolute secrecy. How did this officer know?
